Top 100 most popular cover songs from 2500+ set lists

Choosing new songs is one of the most important tasks a band has, especially if it’s a new group. It’s important to choose both modern hits to stay current, but also to respect classic hits that span the generations.

As such, we took a look at over 2500 wedding/party band set lists to find 100 of the most popular choices…

Here are the top 5 most regularly occuring songs in the pop/rock category – full list below!

We thought it might be interesting to find out what the majority of the bands on the Last Minute Musicians Directory have in their repertoire. If you’re already a veteran of the function music scene, many of these songs will already be familiar to you, but perhaps there are one or two that you hadn’t thought of that might be worth a try. Whether you’re looking for the most popular cover songs for your band, or building a cover band set list from scratch, this is one of the most comprehensive, data-driven lists available.

Conversely, if you’d like to know which songs you should avoid then check out the 60 songs you should never play at a wedding.

Top 100 most popular cover songs list

How they made it on to the list

We looked at the repertoire section of over 2500 bands, solo artists and other acts on the Last Minute Musicians Directory. From that information, we picked out the most regularly occurring songs and organised them into two alphabetised lists. One for Pop/Rock, and one for Jazz and Classical.

In order to make it on to the list, each song had to be mentioned at least 8 times. That may sound like a small number, but you try getting 2500 people (working in many, many different genres) to agree on what songs they are going to play! That said, many songs were mentioned many more times than that. For instance, “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri was mentioned 32 times!

Other ways to find new material

Sourcing new material can prove to be a difficult task. However, inspiration can come from many different sources – radio, TV shows, festival coverage or even (perhaps cheekily!) other band’s sets.

Radio

A great way to find new songs to cover is by listening to different radio stations for inspiration. This is especially useful for keeping bands current, as stations such as BBC Radio 1 and Capital will play lots of modern pop and chart music. Just remember to keep the handy app Shazam on hand to figure out what you’re listening to.

TV Shows

While the classic Later… with Jools Holland is still pretty much the epitome of live music on television, you may be surprised at some of the other places you’ll find tracks to cover. Quite often interview shows like The Graham Norton Show or even Sunday morning political shows like Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg will have a musical spot or guest. Further to that, BBC 4 will often play classic collections from the BBC archives like Guitar Heroes at the BBC.

Festival Coverage

Whether it is on TV, radio or online catch-up player, the larger summer festivals like Glastonbury or Radio 1’s Big Weekend will often be broadcast. You can use these sets to both work on your performance techniques and grab a couple of great modern covers. Other “Legend” slots can be great for getting classic tunes that have come back into fashion. For example, when iconic artists play the Glastonbury Legends slot, their back catalogues often shoot straight back up the charts. Incidentally the team at LMM have picked out some great festival themed wedding bands.

Other Shows

Now, this can be a sensitive subject, but sometimes you’re going to get the chance to catch another band’s set. This could be on a multiple-band billing or just in the pub on a Friday night. It’s likely that they might play something that goes down really well, and naturally you might want to cover it.

There is always going to be some crossover from one function band set to another, but the best way to avoid an awkward situation is to try to put your own slant on things. Try to find some unique tunes, improvise sections and come up with your own arrangements of particularly popular songs. This will not only help your band stand out, but help avoid any conflict with other local bands – just because we’re all singing from the same hymn sheet doesn’t mean we all need to sing it exactly the same way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most requested cover songs at weddings?

Based on our analysis of over 2,500 wedding band set lists, the most requested cover songs at weddings include “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, “Rolling In The Deep” by Adele, “At Last” by Etta James, “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran, and “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan. These songs appear most frequently across wedding band repertoires in the UK.

What songs should every cover band know?

Every cover band should know a mix of timeless classics and modern hits. Essentials include “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey, “Valerie” by Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse, “Mr Brightside” by The Killers, “Sex On Fire” by Kings of Leon, and “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars. For jazz sets, standards like “Fly Me To The Moon”, “Feeling Good”, and “Autumn Leaves” are must-haves.

How do cover bands choose their set list?

Cover bands typically build their set lists based on songs that get the best crowd reaction, songs they perform well, and songs that suit the event type. For weddings, popular songs that span multiple generations work best. Our guide on writing a great set list covers this in detail.

Are there songs cover bands should avoid?

Yes — some songs can be divisive or are overplayed to the point of cliché. Check out our guide on 60 songs you should never play at a wedding for a full breakdown of what to steer clear of.

Looking for a band to perform these songs for you at a wedding or party? Check out our hire a cover band page!

Do you have any other top picks of songs to cover? Post them in the comments below…