MusicRadar

if it's 'cover versions' and an A-Z, what else could we start with apart from Acoustic…

The bare bones of chords, melody and lyrics are all you need for a decent cover version, so it’s little wonder that acoustic covers are so prolific. And they don’t always have to be a lazy cop-out.

Stripping a song right back also gives artists the leisure of reinterpreting a song as they see fit, as with Iron and Wine's version of New Order’s Love Vigilantes.

The simplicity can also lend an off-the-cuff feel, like Biffy Clyro’s tender cover of Killing in the Name at Reading 2008. Jo Whiley's face as she watches from the side of the stage (sadly not pictured) is totally priceless.

A is also for… Abba: Despite appearing deceptively simple upon first listen, some complex arrangements mean some Abba songs are notoriously difficult to cover – but there’s still scope for a well-done reinterpretation.

Frank Turner’s Dancing Queen, Ash’s Does Your Mother Know and The Lemonheads’ Knowing Me, Knowing You are three such examples. Genuinely, you have to watch the Ash one…