TOP TEN Metal Mash-Ups

Published on July 31, 2011 by Christian Sellers   ·   2 Comments

The concept of a mash-up is nothing new. Take two opposite genres, blend them together and, when done correctly, the end result can be something special. The has previously been achieved through remixes and samples, in which excerpts from one song are added to another, the contrasts often creating something fresh and exciting. This is the principal reason behind mash-ups and the most effective are those of two opposing genres.

Combining rock artists is not adventurous enough, but a death metal band and soul singer can provide interesting results. What is most impressive, however, is that many of the mash-ups that exist online are homemade, without the support or approval of record companies, and are often superior to the remixes that they include as B-sides.

The following are some of the best metal mash-ups available.

10. AC/DC vs. BLACK EYED PEAS – You Humped Me All Night Long
Arguably one of their most well known songs, You Shook Me All Night Long first emerged on AC/DC‘s 1980 classic Back in Black and was the first single released with new frontman Brian Johnson following the death of Bon Scott earlier the same year. My Humps, taken from the album Monkey Business, was a 2005 hit for The Black Eyed Peas and was a reference to breasts and sung by Fergie. The mash-up prominently features the AC/DC guitar riff, accompanied by Fergie on vocals. The one aspect of the track that does not work, however, was the inclusion of Johnson’s vocals on the chorus, which sounds out of place.

9. THE WHITE STRIPES vs. EURYTHMICS – Sweet Dreams are Made of Seven Nation Army
The White Stripes did not find commercial success until the release of their third album, White Blood Cells, in 2001. Their follow-up, Elephant, came two years later and was accompanied by the hit single Seven Nation Army. Although just a two-piece, consisting of singer and guitarist Jack and drummer Meg White, the song featured a prominent bass line, something that White would play on his guitar during live shows. Eurythmics‘ Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) had already been given a rock makeover with Marilyn Manson‘s 1995 cover, which had effectively brought his group into the mainstream. The verses to Sweet Dreams are Made of Seven Nation Army consisted to The White Stripes song with Eurythmics synthesisers in the background, although like many mash-ups the song comes apart during the chorus.

8. NIRVANA vs. MICHAEL JACKSON – Smells Like Billie Jean
The melody to Nirvana‘s 1991 signature tune Smells Like Teen Spirit is instantly recognisable, but what was surprising was how well it worked with Michael Jackson’s 1983 hit Bill Jean. Using the music from Smells Like Teen Spirit, Jackson’s trademark singing sounds slightly comical but somehow the two worked together. Other songs to be mashed-up with Nirvana‘s song included Blur‘s Song 2, Destiny’s Child‘s Bootylicious and Run DMC‘s Tricky.

7. KORN vs. ABBA – Mia Freaky Mamma
Perhaps one of the most bizarre unofficial collaborations was Swedish pop act ABBA and metal band Korn. First released on their eponymous third album, ABBA‘s Mamma Mia was a major hit in 1975 and would later lend its name to a musical and big screen adaptation. Korn‘s contribution to the mash-up, Freak on a Leash, made its debut on Follow the Leader which, ironically, was also Korn’s third album.

6. Run-D.M.C. vs. GUNS N’ ROSES – Tricky Child O’ Mine
Another instantly recognisable guitar riff was Sweet Child O’ Mine, a hit single from Guns N’ Roses that was included on their first full length studio album Appetite for Destruction. It’s Tricky was also released in 1987, at a time when Run-D.M.C.‘s popularity was at its peak. The song was later covered as a straight rock song by The Bloodhound Gang, but the mash-up would feature Sweet Child O’Mine’s guitar riff throughout the song.

5. METALLICA vs. BRYAN ADAMS – Enter You
While both are rock songs, the style of Metallica and Bryan Adams are so dissimilar that their mash-up still works well. The music to what has been dubbed Enter You was taken from the Adams 1984 hit Run to You, which was released from his best selling album Reckless. Having gained a loyal following from their heavier 1980s output, Metallica‘s self-titled album was released in 1991 and featured a crisp and radio-friendly production. The opening track and one of their most known songs was Enter Sandman, which has since been parodied by Richard Cheese. Enter You featured Metallica‘s frontman James Hetfield singing over the melody to Run to You.

4. PINK FLOYD vs. BEE GEES – Stayin’ Alive in the Wall
Another Brick in the Wall pt.2 was one of the more commercial songs from Pink Floyd‘s 1979 concept album The Wall and became a huge success when it was released as a remixed single in . Most famous for the child choir, the song is often dismissed by fans of the group as being too mainstream. Stayin’ Alive is perhaps Bee Gees‘ most iconic song, released from the cult classic Saturday Night Fever, which starred John Travolta as a popular nightclub dancer. The music to Stayin’ Alive in the Wall mostly focused on the Bee Gees song, while Pink Floyd dominated the vocals, although elements of Stayin’ Alive would be featured at the end of the chorus.

3. NINE INCH NAILS vs. THE BEATLES – Come Closer Together
Several artists have already covered the Beatles classic Come Together, most notably Aerosmith in the 1970s and then pop star Michael Jackson for his 1988 blockbuster Moonwalker. Despite its controversial lyrics and disturbing music videos, Nine Inch Nails‘ 1994 track Closer had been a major hit on MTV and had brought the band some surprising mainstream attention and acclaim. The mash-up would manage to mix elements from both songs in equal measures, as the tempos for the tracks were relatively similar and, while only one song was about sex, somehow the vocals mixed together.

2. SLIPKNOT vs. JUSTIN BIEBER – Psychosocial Baby
Justin Bieber is perhaps the most unlikely of singers to be featured in a mash-up with a metal band. The Canadian pop star, who only turned seventeen in March, released the EP My World in 2009, which was followed by the full-length album My World 2.0 a year later. His hit single Baby, which was performed with rapper Ludacris, became the subject of a mash-up with none other than Slipknot, the Iowa metallers who first gained exposure in 1999 with the track Wait and Bleed. Their unwilling contribution to the match-up was their 2008 single Psychosocial, and the vocals from Slipknot would be played over the music from Bieber’s song.

1. JOHNNY CASH vs. CYPRESS HILL – Get Rhythm
Sometimes simplicity is the best and this was definitely the case with the Johnny Cash and Cypress Hill mash-up. Get Rhythm, which was only Cash’s fifth single, was released through Sun (the same label who handled Elvis Presley) in 1956 and could best be described as rockabilly. This was combined in a mash-up with Insane in the Brain, a popular hip hop track from Cypress Hill that was released in 1993 from their iconic album Black Sunday. The mash-up featured the beat and rhythm of Cypress Hill and the vocals, guitar and bass of Cash. A perfect example on how to mash-up genres.