At Music Times, we love a good cover song. There's something wonderful about repurposing music and essentially bringing life to another creation. Music is not a rigid and inflexible product but rather a malleable one that allows songs to take on a new life as others reimagine it. Nothing gets a crowd more excited than seeing one of their favorite bands cover one of their favorite songs. The cover song makes music accessible to new audiences, and spreading music is what we are all about. Welcome to Freak Friday. Each week we highlight a new cover song that we're crazy about. Have suggestions? Send them our way! This week, we give you...
Song: "Love is a Battlefield"
Cover Artist: Thao & Mirah
Original Artist: Pat Benatar
Why We Love it: Today (January 10) is Pat Benatar's 61st birthday. To celebrate, we wanted to find a cover our favorite Benatar hit, "Love is a Battlefield." The track gets a stripped-down makeover with Thao & Mirah's 2011 cover. Their version was recorded during a session for the Bay Bridged's "New, Improved, LIVE!" series. In it, Thao plays drums and Mirah and Andrew take on the vibraphone.
Although this version doesn't include the iconic dance number of the original "Love is a Battlefield" video, it still manages to tell the story of young, misunderstood love and leaves us nostalgic for the '80s.
Background: "Love is a Battlefield" was released on September 12, 1983, and debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 a few weeks later. The song has sold more than a million copies and is a Gold-certified hit. For four weeks, it topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks list and peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. The song also won Benatar her fourth consecutive Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
Check out the Thao & Mirah cover and compare it to the original here. Let us know what you think in the comments section below!
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