This week I posted a story about covers of Arctic Monkeys songs — and how it’s very hard to find one that stands up to the quality of the original song. Today I’m posting the flip side of that: songs that the Arctic Monkeys have covered. Personally, I love cover songs. I think they are best when the band puts a unique spin on them to make it their own. It’s even better when a band reaches outside their genre and covers something unexpected. Below, I’ve posted a few of my favorite covers by Arctic Monkeys.

First up is a cover of a Drake song called “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” I had to look up the original version by Drake and it’s fine – a little run of the mill. I know I’m biased as a huge AM fan, but I think the song sounds better with a guitar track in this version the boys recorded for BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge. With a little change in the arrangement, this could almost sound like an original AM song, don’t you think?

Sometimes the best cover songs are simple and straightforward, like this cover of Patsy Cline’s “Strange.” Played by just Alex Turner and his guitar, it makes for a very sweet and lovely song.

This one may be a little derivative, but it’s the Beatles. I think it’s fair to say that it’s almost impossible to improve a Beatles’ song, so maybe playing it straight is the best way to go. What a fun moment to see Arctic Monkeys playing at the 2012 Olympics!

What do you think? Have you come across any good covers by the Arctic Monkeys?