Some cover songs copy the original. Others completely reinvent it. And every once in a while, the cover becomes just as iconic—or even more iconic—than the song that came first.

On this episode of Average Joe: Let’s Talk About It, I’m putting 10 originals head-to-head with the cover versions that gave them a serious run for their money.

We’re talking different generations, different artists, and completely different approaches to the same songs—from Tommy James & The Shondells vs. Billy Idol and Lynyrd Skynyrd vs. Shinedown, to The Arrows vs. Joan Jett, The Kinks vs. Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen vs. Rage Against the Machine, and Dolly Parton vs. Whitney Houston.

Some originals are nearly impossible to beat. Some covers took the song somewhere the original never did. And a few of these matchups are a lot harder to call than you might think.

The question stays the same throughout the countdown:

Original or cover—which one are you keeping?

Keep your own score as we go, then drop your picks in the comments.

And this is only Part 1. Tell me which song absolutely HAS to make the list for Part 2.

Same generation. Different perspectives. Let’s talk about it.

#AverageJoe #CoverSongs #OriginalVsCover #GenX #MusicDiscussion

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We lived through the ’80s—and we don’t remember anyone calling it “hair metal.” So when did the label take over, and did it unfairly reduce an entire era of rock to big hair, makeup and power ballads?

Welcome to The Vinyl Take, where the music is the same—but the takes definitely aren’t.

In this episode, we dig into the rise, explosion and eventual decline of the music that dominated arenas, MTV and bedroom walls throughout the ’80s and into the early ’90s.

We get into Mötley Crüe, Poison, Ratt, Cinderella, Warrant, Skid Row, Winger, Extreme, Guns N’ Roses, Tesla, Vixen, Stryper, Slaughter, FireHouse and plenty of bands that don’t always make the usual “hair metal” conversation.

But this isn’t just a list of bands.

We’re talking about what actually defined the era: the influence of glam and shock rock, the Sunset Strip, MTV and Headbangers Ball, larger-than-life music videos, the power ballad formula, guitar heroes, the PMRC, record labels flooding the market—and what really happened when grunge arrived.

And then there’s the bigger question:

Was “hair metal” ever really a genre at all… or was it a derogatory label applied after the fact to a much broader era of rock & roll?

Along the way, we get into the deep cuts, forgotten bands, albums we actually had to buy to hear the songs, David vs. Sammy, favorite music videos and why so much of this music has refused to disappear.

If you were there, we want your take.

What did YOU call this music in the ’80s?
And which band from this era deserves more respect than they get?

Drop it in the comments.

🎸 Same Music. Different Takes. This is The Vinyl Take.

#TheVinylTake #HairMetal #80sRock #GlamMetal #RockNRoll

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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Some songs became hits. Others became unforgettable because a movie put them in exactly the right moment.

We’re heading back to the big screen for 10 more songs that movies helped turn into massive hits. These are the songs that became inseparable from the scenes, characters, and movies that introduced them to an entire generation.

But here’s the question: Would these songs have been nearly as big without the movies?

We’re counting them down from #10 to #1, sharing the stories behind the songs and movies, and deciding just how much Hollywood had to do with their success.

🎬 Which song deserves the #1 spot?
🎵 What song did we miss?
👇 Drop your picks in the comments.

Average Joe: Let’s Talk About It
Same generation. Different perspectives.

#GenX #80sMusic #MovieSoundtracks #80sMovies #AverageJoe