“One” is one of the most well-known songs in U2’s repertoire. The Irish Rockers, with the eccentric Bono as frontman, released the song on their seventh studio album “Achtung Baby”. Over the years “One” grew out to be a true – often misunderstood – rock classic. No easy shoes to step into when you desire to cover the song. Many artists tried nevertheless, and some with great success. Let’s dive into the 5 greatest covers of U2’s “One”!
5. Eddie Vedder
In 2022 the members of U2 were honored at the 45th Kennedy Center Honors. Mary J. Blige was supposed to sing her version of U2’s “One” but couldn’t perform due to an illness. Pearl Jam’s frontman Eddie Vedder – who sang “Elevation” earlier that night – didn’t mind being Blige’s fill-in. He delivered a magnificent performance and earned a standing ovation from the Irish rock legends.
4. Mica Paris
In 1995 soul singer Mica Paris delivered one of the first covers of U2’s “One”. The R&B-inspired version of the song was released as a standalone single and reached number 29 on the UK charts.
3. Johnny Cash
Contrary to popular belief, U2’s “One” isn’t an optimistic hippie-esque song about becoming “one” with each other. The late Johnny Cash certainly disproved that belief with his version of “One”. Cash’s haunting voice tells the story of tragic longing and unfulfilled love. It’s almost as if Johnny Cash exposed the true meaning behind the song.
“Johnny Cash doesn’t sing to the damned, he sings with the damned, and sometimes you feel he might prefer their company”, wrote Bono in the introduction of Cash’s compilation album God. This is arguably the perfect description of Johnny Cash’s version of “One”.
2. Chris Cornell
This is the most unique cover you’ll listen to today. The late rock legend Chris Cornell used the music of U2’s “One”, the lyrics of Metallica’s “One”, and mashed them together into one “One”.
In an interview with IndyStar Chris Cornell said: “A few years ago, I was going to do “One” by U2 — I Googled the lyrics, but the words to Metallica’s “One” came up. I thought, You know what, I’m gonna add those, and it seemed to work pretty seamlessly.”
1. Mary J. Blige
Number 1 on this list is obviously Mary J. Blige’s version of the song. Mary J. Blige released a cover of “One” on her seventh album “The Breakthrough”. It led to Blige joining U2 during a live performance in New York. As a consequence of positive reviews, U2 and Mary J. Blige decided to record a version of “One” together. This version became a major success and charted in the top 10 in twelve European countries.
So, that wraps up this list of the greatest covers of U2’s “One”! Did I mention your favorite cover? Did I blatantly miss one? Please let me know in the comments below!
Read more: The Story Behind “One” by U2
