Tune du Jour: “All the Young Dudes” – Mott the Hoople
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: World Party vs. Bruce Dickinson vs. Easy Star All-Stars feat. Kirsty Rock
VOTE, COMMENT, then DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF
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David Bowie wanted to help out his buddy, Ian Hunter and his band Mott the Hoople, so he wrote “Suffragette City” for them to use. Ian said ‘thanks, but I’m looking for something better’. As the story goes, Bowie sat in the middle of his living room floor, cross-legged, all night, and by morning he had completed “All the Young Dudes”.
This rock ‘n’ roll anthem consistently finds its way onto critic’s lists for best rock songs of all time.
The Original
Mott the Hoople:
The Guy Who Wrote It
Bowie Waited Two Years After its Release Until He Played it Live:
We last visited this masterpiece on September 10, 2025, when Robyn Hitchcock, Billy Bragg with Jill Sobule, and Matthew Sweet with Susanna Hoffs took it on. Bragg & Sobule ran away in that competition.
Revisiting Billy Bragg with Jill Sobule
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
The New Contestants …
World Party vs. Bruce Dickinson vs. Easy Star All-Stars feat. Kirsty Rock
World Party:
Bruce Dickinson:
Easy Star All-Stars feat. Kirsty Rock:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 
I liked the version by World Party, and thought they had a good shot at today’s vote.
Don’t know who Bruce Dickinson is, but that was even better than the first competitor.
Easy Star All-Stars return to CMI for the first time since 2025, and change the original more than the first two contestants by adding the reggae rhythm.
Vote goes to Dickinson.
Freakin’ AWESOME song. Mott and the boys blasted it into infamy but listening to Bowie’s take gave me goosebumps. The universe is at a loss minus that spaceman!!!
Nothing wrong at all with World Party’s contribution here. Knock-out vocals accompanied by expert musicianship. Nothing new but that’s okay … don’t want to mess with a masterpiece!
Truly hate heavy metal so I kinda held my breath at the prospect of Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden fame entering the fray, but, hell, I have to admit it’s a no-holds-barred, kick-ass rendition!
The Easy Star All-Stars were such a find! Their reggae takes are pitch-perfect, right on time fun, and they feature some very talented artists that I have never before heard of.
I never tire of hearing this song and every version today had me spinning in my seat. Gave the vote to the Easy collaborative for a little different take on the song.
(It was clearly unfair revisiting Billy and Jill before the new contestants … their cover still RULES!)
always loved the World Party version, and that movie Clueless is also actually a pretty good ride. My wife and kids watched it many times over the years and often quote from it, so I had seen it in bits and pieces, then sat down one time and watched it through. Some truly funny scenes and characters.
i still would have gone with Bragg and Sobule, what a great voice she has, and in the end I went with Bruce, as i liked the video and the energy
It’s amazing that Bowie gave away this song to Mott the Hoople. It’s such a fucking fabulous song… it’s really hard to screw it up. I think if Florence Henderson covered it, it would still be great. I liked all the covers, but the World Party version won me over. But boy… listening to the other versions, including Bowie’s own rendition, was also great. Not a bad song to overdose to.