Pet Shop Boys 'best cover version'

The Pet Shop Boys are the cover stars of a radio poll to find the best take of someone else’s song.

The electronic duo’s version of Always On My Mind, which has been a hit for Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson among others, topped a poll of the best 50 cover versions.

They beat Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails and The Stranglers cover of the soul classic Walk On By to the top spot.

Jimi Hendrix’s performance of Bob Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower and Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah – originally recorded by Leonard Cohen – completed the top five.

The organisers of the BBC radio poll asked listeners for their favourite cover version before a team of experts whittled them down to 50 to be put to the public vote.

Jeff Smith, head of music for Radio 2 and 6 Music, said: “The Pet Shop Boys have an enviable catalogue of hits and there have been lots of great versions of this classic song.

“Whittling down the long list for the vote was tough, but it’s great to see that this track still resonates with people today.”

The Pet Shop Boys got the 1987 Christmas number one with the track, 15 years after Elvis first took it into the top 10.

Other entries in the top 50 include Sinead O’Connor’s version of Nothing Compares 2 U, which was written by Prince, and Soft Cell’s version of the Northern Soul classic Tainted Love.

Less well-known entries include north-east punks China Drum with their version of Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights and Husker Du’s version of The Byrds’ Eight Miles High, although the Californian folk-rockers version of Bob Dylan’s Mr Tambourine Man did not make the top 50.

:: The Top 50 cover versions

1. Pet Shop Boys – Always On My Mind

2. Johnny Cash – Hurt

3. The Stranglers – Walk On By

4. Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower

5. Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah

6. Soft Cell – Tainted Love

7. Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends

8. Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U

9. Muse – Feeling Good

10. Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You

11. Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine

12. Adele – Make You Feel My Love

13. This Mortal Coil – Song To The Siren

14. The Clash – I Fought The Law

15. China Drum – Wuthering Heights

16. Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World

17. Aretha Franklin – Respect

18. Eva Cassidy – Songbird

19. Leona Lewis – Run

20. Led Zeppelin – When The Levee Breaks

21. Righteous Brothers – Unchained Melody

22. Florence + the Machine – You’ve Got The Love

23. Mark Ronson – Valerie (feat. Amy Winehouse)

24. Jimi Hendrix – Hey Joe

25. The Fall – Lost In Music

26. Gary Jules – Mad World (feat. Michael Andrews)

27. Bryan Ferry – A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

28. The Specials – A Message To You Rudy

29. Birdy – Skinny Love

30. Fugees – Killing Me Softly With His Song

31. The Pogues – Dirty Old Town

32. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Good Year For The Roses

33. Jose Gonzalez – Heartbeats

34. The Isley Brothers – Summer Breeze

35. Thin Lizzy – Rosalie

36. Talking Heads – Take Me To The River

37. David Bowie – China Girl

38. Urge Overkill – Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon

39. Ryan Adams – Wonderwall

40. Nina Simone – Mr Bojangles

41. Husker Du – Eight Miles High

42. Jose Feliciano – Light My Fire

43. Earth, Wind & Fire – Got To Get You Into My Life

44. Santana – Oye Como Va

45. James Blake – Limit To Your Love

46. Billy Paul – Your Song

47. Richie Havens – Going Back To My Roots

48. Labrinth – Express Yourself

49. Prince Fatty – Shimmy Shimmy Ya (feat. Horseman)

50. D’Angelo – Cruisin

Pet Shop Boys 'best cover version'