[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or a myriad of reasons, today is known as Blue Monday. From crippling cold weather to the first weekday back to work after the holidays to the fact that your New Year’s resolutions are as dead and gone as Bernard Sumner’s positive attitude, today is the day when massive depression sets in. The holidays are over, winter is here, and no one loves you enough to even bother looking forward to Valentine’s Day in five weeks. To quote Jon Taffer, “Shut it down.”
However, to certain people, the mere mention of “Blue Monday” brings a smile to their faces and elicits warm, fuzzy thoughts of one of the finest pop songs of the 20th century. Now, since we’ve all heard New Order’s legendary 1983 synth-pop anthem pretty much a gazillion times, give or take, since its release (and re-boot in 1988), we wanted to shift our attention away from the originators and onto the poor souls who have tried to cover it with any bit of self-respect and decency. Some succeeded, others failed miserably.
Here are 10 covers of “Blue Monday” ranging from decent to dogshit. We’ll spare you the drama; Orgy’s rightfully down there at the bottom.
Some mento action from Jamaica that’s actually pretty OK. In fact, this is rather great.
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Hannah Peel not embarrassing herself out in Leeds, despite opening her live set with it.
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A different look entirely from 2002, with relaxing, female vocals.
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We still don’t understand how the Good Natured isn’t mega-famous by now.
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Handmade instruments give Buke & Gas a sound all their own, even when it’s very familiar.
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Chilled out acoustic number perfect for lighting that spliff and pretending Hooky never left.
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Los Fulanos giving it the soul treatment and breathing into it a remarkable new life. For about a minute or so…
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Here’s Nada Surf covering the second-most “Popular” song of all time.
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One of possibly a half-trillion EBM/darkwave covers roaming the digital streets asking how it feels. Spoiler alert: It feels the same.
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Jesus fuck, has anyone ever figured out how this was allowed to happen?