For a man often keen to push forward the unquestionable genius of his own music, Billy Corgan has never been shy to throw himself into a cover version. From the early days of Smashing Pumpkins, Corgan has often led his band into live or recorded renditions of his favourite songs, sometimes filtered through the jagged alt-rock filter of his band, sometimes faithfully delivered. Usually, they are nods to groups who in some way have influenced the Pumpkins mix of pummelling rock, gothy dolefulness, melodic warmth and grandiose bombast – The Cure, Depeche Mode, Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Neil Young et al. And then there’s time that the Pumpkins made a habit of covering Natalie Imbruglia’s 1999 single Identify, an odd choice until you discover that Billy Corgan actually wrote the song. Fair enough. Here’s some of the best covers performed by the Pumpkins over their illustrious history:
