A classic tribute album of Western music. A highly recommended pick.
What comes to mind when you hear the term “tribute album”? Generally, a tribute album focuses on a legendary artist or band—sometimes a lyricist or composer—with multiple artists performing covers of their classic songs.
In this article, I’ve chosen a timeless, highly recommended tribute album in Western music featuring contributions from various artists and bands.
Tribute albums aren’t often introduced in this way, so please enjoy this opportunity!
A classic among tribute albums of Western music. A recommended pick (1–10).
Across the UniverseThe Beatles
You can tell how immense the Beatles’ influence is from the fact that countless tribute albums across every genre are released on a regular basis.
Choosing a single representative work from among them is a tough call, but this time I’d like to highlight I Am Sam, a 2002 soundtrack release that takes the unconventional form of a Beatles cover album.
The songs that color the highly acclaimed 2001 American film I Am Sam were originally intended to be the Beatles’ own recordings, but for practical reasons it was deemed difficult to use the originals.
As a result, other artists and bands were brought in at short notice to record covers, making the album something of a happy accident.
Because the film’s scenes were conceived to match the original Beatles tracks, the covers were performed without changing elements like running time or tempo, so you shouldn’t expect tricky arrangements.
Even within those constraints, though, the artists’ love for the Beatles and their individual character shine through, resulting in a superb tribute.
Reflecting the early 2000s, another distinctive feature is the participation of many alternative rock acts who made their mark in the ’90s; notably, Eddie Vedder, frontman of Pearl Jam, scored solid chart success with his cover of You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.
Nothing Else MattersMetallica
Metallica’s landmark album “Metallica,” which propelled them into a world-class big band, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021.
Commonly known as “The Black Album,” it was released in 1991 amid the grunge boom and needs no introduction as a classic among classics, having sold an astonishing 35 million copies worldwide.
The work I’m introducing here, “The Metallica Blacklist,” features no fewer than 53 artists and bands covering the tracks from that Black Album.
Beyond the sheer number of contributors, the lineup is so extraordinarily diverse—spanning rock, punk, singer-songwriter, pop, Latin, country, and hip-hop—that it powerfully reaffirms Metallica’s massive influence beyond metal and their monumental achievements.
Take just the iconic “Nothing Else Matters,” whose music video was released in June 2021: Miley Cyrus, who in recent years has boldly showcased her love of rock along with her looks, handles vocals; Elton John and world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma appear; Metallica’s Robert Trujillo holds down the rhythm section alongside Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The result is a boundary-defying collaboration that renders genre labels meaningless.
Through Metallica’s songs, you might even discover artists from areas you haven’t explored before!
Like A Rolling StoneBob Dylan
In 2021, even at the age of 80 and with a new tour announced, Bob Dylan remains a living legend and a fully active musician.
Since his debut in 1962, Dylan has consistently stayed at the forefront of the scene, earning admiration not only from his peers but also from artists and creators beyond the world of music.
Several tribute albums have been released themed around Bob Dylan, and the one we’re looking at here, Chimes of Freedom, is a relatively recent release from 2012.
It’s a tribute album commemorating the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International, notable for its massive scope: a four-CD set with a total of 73 tracks.
The diverse lineup, spanning genres and generations, is evident just from scanning the credits.
For example, it’s rare to see an artist like Patti Smith— a singer-songwriter representing 1970s New York punk and also a poet—listed alongside a band like Rise Against, who bring politically charged, melodic hardcore-to-alternative rock.
Listen through the entire set, and you may find yourself realizing that Bob Dylan’s songs are, in essence, the very history of American music and culture.
SuperstarCarpenters
Speaking of the Carpenters, they were a brother-and-sister duo who achieved worldwide success and produced many songs so famous in Japan that they appear in textbooks as English-learning material.
During their peak, they were harshly criticized by reviewers who failed to grasp the Carpenters’ musical essence; however, from the 1990s onward they were reevaluated by subsequent generations of musicians.
As a result, their songs have come to be regarded not merely as hits but as standard numbers, forever etched into music history.
Released in 1994, If I Were a Carpenter is an unconventional tribute album that clearly shows how the Carpenters influenced the alternative rock generation of the ’90s.
Some of you may recognize its Japanese title, “If I Were a Carpenter—A Tribute to the Carpenters,” and the album jacket featuring a comical illustration.
The collection of Carpenters covers—each a distinctive interpretation by artists who don’t take the straightforward path—is truly fascinating, including Sonic Youth’s Superstar, by the progenitors of alternative rock, which even had a music video made.
While American musicians form the core of the lineup, from Japan, Shonen Knife contribute a cover of Top of the World in their own style, with rough-hewn guitars and a pop sensibility.
Rocket ManElton John & Bernie Taupin
It’s well known that many songs by the world-renowned singer-songwriter Elton John were created in tandem with lyricist Bernie Taupin.
Released in 1991, Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin is a tribute album featuring songs by the pair.
At the time of its release, many big-name artists with long careers took part, and it’s striking how their arrangements both showcase their individual styles and convey respect for Elton John.
Personally, standouts include Sinead O’Connor’s beautifully restrained rendition of Sacrifice—despite the buzz around her provocative statements, her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got had become a huge hit in 1990—and Kate Bush’s reggae-tinged cover of Rocket Man, which became a hit and earned high praise.
Tina Turner’s powerhouse vocals shine on The Bitch Is Back—its Japanese title famously translates to something like “Welcome Back, You Hussy”—a track that was also nominated for a Grammy.
You could say it’s an album where the individuality of the female artists truly stands out!
I Dreamed About Mama Last NightHank Williams
Although it often goes unnoticed in Japan, the influence of roots music such as country and blues in the United States is truly immense.
Some rock listeners may have first learned about certain country singers because their favorite rock musicians covered their songs.
The focus of this article, Hank Williams, was a legendary country singer-songwriter who passed away at the young age of 29.
Even within his brief musical career, he sent as many as 11 songs to the top of the charts and produced many outstanding classics.
The tribute album Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute clearly shows how profoundly Williams has influenced musicians not only in country but across other genres as well.
Kicking off with the venerable Bob Dylan, the lineup—primarily American—includes Sheryl Crow, Beck, Ryan Adams, who at the time of the album’s 2001 release was seen as a young standard-bearer of alternative country, and country greats like Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, with British figures such as Keith Richards also taking part.
Listening to this album may be a great opportunity to glimpse a portion of the deep appeal of American music.
Stone FreeJimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitarist in rock history and a legendary musician who passed away at the young age of 27.
It’s impossible to capture how innovative Hendrix was in a short text—even though music media’s recurring features like “The Greatest Guitarist of All Time” often rank him at number one.
But if you listen to the masterful tribute album covered here, Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix, you’ll get a glimpse of his overwhelming influence.
Released in 1993, it was given a Japanese title referencing Hendrix’s classic Purple Haze.
The lineup is truly fascinating: it includes superstar guitarists who were his contemporaries like Eric Clapton, as well as pioneers from an even earlier generation such as Chicago blues icon Buddy Guy, the unconventional violinist Nigel Kennedy, and Temple of the Dog—Pearl Jam and Soundgarden’s alt-rock supergroup—participating under the alias M.
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The Cure’s take on Purple Haze might divide opinion, but perhaps the key to enjoying a tribute album is to listen with an open mind to how these idiosyncratic, strong-flavored artists reinterpret Jimi’s songs.