5 Covers Of Bee Gees Songs That Perfectly Capture The Boogie Of The Originals

Since their heyday in the '70s, plenty of artists have covered Bee Gees songs, but few have truly captured the boogie essence of their music, and it's easy to see why. Together, the Gibb brothers had a distinct musical and vocal style that other musicians would struggle to emulate. However, there are some notable artists who have taken Bee Gees classics and turned them into their own masterpieces, while retaining that trademark Gibb disco heartbeat.

They aren't pure imitations, either; instead, they keep the soul of the original intact and bring a unique touch to the proceedings. That's exactly what every good cover should be, because if you can't reimagine a song with your own twist, then what's the point?

We picked out five covers of Bee Gees songs that nail it by being both perfect tributes and progressions of the tracks. Another major criterion in the selection here was the general consensus that the covers were well received, whether that be through chart performance or praise from critics and/or fans. So, let's groove and boogie on down, shall we?

For a song titled "Tragedy," there's nothing tragic about this lush disco tune. Although, maybe it's best not to sing the lyrics aloud when an actual bummer life event occurs and others are around. Nineteen years after the Bee Gees released "Tragedy," it got a dance-pop makeover from the '90s group Steps.

This version keeps all the melodic hooks and basic structure in place, but it upgrades the disco elements to be more dancefloor-friendly in the modern era. Think of it as having more oomph and pizazz. "Tragedy" also works thanks to the vocal hopping between the three main singers — Claire Richards, Lisa Scott-Lee, and Faye Tozer — while Ian "H" Watkins and Lee Latchford-Evans serve as the appropriate backup here. Each vocalist takes a part of the song that plays to their natural strength and hides their weakness — something the Bee Gees also knew how to do all too well.

"Tragedy" turned out to be Steps' first No. 1 single in the U.K. and introduced a new generation to a song they may not have been familiar with. It also established itself as a must-add tune to every '90s playlist, as well as a guaranteed school disco floor-filler.

The Bee Gees earned the most No. 1 hits in the 1970s. Part of the reason for this was catchy ballads like "How Deep Is Your Love," which remains the longest Bee Gees resident of the Billboard Hot 100, having spent 33 weeks on the chart. It's also a milestone track for the band, so anybody who touches it needs to make sure they know what they're doing — or else, it's heresy. Fortunately, boy band Take That didn't mess around when it came time to cover "How Deep Is Your Love" in 1996. 

The group had announced they were breaking up, but Gary Barlow and Co. went out on a high. They demonstrated how they weren't just any other run-of-the-mill, interchangeable '90s boy band, and released a greatest-hits album that included their version of the all-time classic. It's all about the vocals here, and this rendition doesn't disappoint as Take That hit every major note and carry the same poignancy the Bee Gees did in the '70s.

The music publication Smash Hits awarded five stars to Take That's cover of "How Deep Is Your Love," writing that it "is a fitting reminder of the good old days." The track also topped the U.K. charts, knocking Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger" off its perch at the time.

When you think of Faith No More, you don't automatically associate the rock band with the Bee Gees. Then again, considering Mike Patton's world-healing vocals, maybe it isn't too far of a stretch as people might imagine. Patton has a set of pipes that merit him getting more attention than the odd time when Corey Feldman accused him of being in a cult. Knowing how much Faith No More love to be ironic, it should also be no surprise that they covered "I Started a Joke" — one of the best Bee Gees songs that isn't named "Stayin' Alive" or "How Deep Is Your Love." 

The original Bee Gees version of "I Started a Joke" possesses a sad undertone, provoking complex thoughts about the lyrics and what they mean. In Faith No More's version, the sadness remains, but it almost feels as if Patton sings it with a smile on his face, which betrays the real emotion he's trying to bury behind the grinning facade. Call it sinister or foreboding, but be sure to mention it's brilliant.

Faith No More might not have had the chart success that the Bee Gees did with "I Started a Joke," but the real fans know that this is an underrated and supreme cover of an iconic song. As one YouTube commentator posted, "Mike Patton has the kind of range that would make the gods envious."

The Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is an important single in the band's career. It's the first song that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971, kick-starting their sweeping success of the decade. While it might not have the enduring legacy of some of their other tracks, it's a ballad that knows how to keep the listener hanging onto every word and swaying along to the subtle beat. Just a year later, in 1972, Al Green included a cover of "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" on his album "Let's Stay Together." 

While you can still hear the foundation and mood of the original track, Green's version adds vocal flourishes and other nuances that make it stand out; it's such a soulful rendition that it's almost impossible to pick a favorite between the two. Green's "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" would receive renewed interest in 2025, when it climbed up TikTok's music chart and introduced a whole new generation to the song. It would have been interesting to poll those listeners whether they knew it was a cover of a Bee Gees track, since Green's version was so undeniably good.

Mention the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive," and what's the first image that comes to mind? Is it John Travolta burning up the dance floor in 1977's "Saturday Night Fever"? If so, you're certainly not the only one, and it's no party until everybody gets down to boogie to this track with a bassline that begs to be grooved to. It's arguably the Bee Gees' most famous song, so anybody who dares to tackle it needs to do it justice. To that, Lizzo said, "Come at me, bro," and unleashed a disco ball-turning banger version of it for the soundtrack of 2019's "Happy Death Day 2U." 

With her own trademark swagger and approach, she reinvigorates "Stayin' Alive" for a brand-new decade. Plus, it's an apt song for the movie, especially since the main character Tree Gelbman (played by Jessica Rothe) is literally trying to stay alive.

Billboard recommended Lizzo's cover of "Stayin' Alive" and reminded everybody how "this literal interpretation of the lyrics is what the Bee Gee brothers had in mind in the first place." While this version didn't enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart like Lizzo's other songs, it's still an epic needle drop in "Happy Death Day 2U" as it pumps before the credits.