A cover of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” in a different genre is much better than the Fab Four’s original song.
The Beatles have inspired some truly unusual covers. For example, one band’s take on The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” makes the track sound eerie. That’s what makes it so great.
A Swedish gothic rock band made The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’ sound creepy
“Here Comes the Sun” is one of The Beatles’ most popular tracks. It is not, however, one of The Beatles’ best tracks. The twee little song is nowhere near George Harrison’s greatest work and its quality is overshadowed by many other tracks from Abbey Road. The riff is too simple for its own good and the melody falls flat. It’s a wonder why “Here Comes the Sun” remains one of the most famous songs of the 1960s.
The Swedish gothic rock band Ghost put a macabre twist on “Here Comes the Sun.” With its chillingly slow organ riff and avant-garde use of the synthesizer, Ghost’s “Here Comes the Sun” completely transforms the original song into something worthwhile. The coming sun no longer feels like a source of empowerment, but a looming threat.
Ghost covered the music of The Beatles and many other acts who aren’t gothic
The strangest thing about Ghost’s “Here Comes the Sun” isn’t its gothic soundscape. It’s the fact that the band decided to turn a chipper, heartwarming tune into something so ominous. The sun in the original song clearly represented the good times rolling, but what are we to make of the sun in this cover?
Notably, Ghost have made capricious covers a big part of their career. After putting out “Here Comes the Sun,” the band recorded tracks by ABBA, the Eurythmics, Army of Lovers, and Genesis. Each of those acts is far removed from the gothic rock genre. This just goes to show that Ghost isn’t a one-trick pony.
How ‘Here Comes the Sun’ and Ghost’s cover performed on the charts in the United States
Surprisingly, The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” was never a single, so it never charted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The track appeared on the magnum opus Abbey Road. That record topped the Billboard 200 for 11 weeks, staying on the chart for 489 weeks.
On the other hand, Ghost’s “Here Comes the Sun” was not a hit either. It never charted on the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, none of Ghost’s songs have done so. The band’s cover of “Here Comes the Sun” appeared on some editions of the album Opus Eponymous. That record did not reach the Billboard 200. Perhaps Ghost’s music is simply too uncommercial to make an impact in the U.S.
Ghost’s “Here Comes the Sun” is a delightfully twisted take on the Fab Four and it deserves more attention.