The Most Played Cover Song By 65 Big Hard Rock + Metal Bands

# What this list is

# How the tally was done The author used Setlist.fm records for each band to find the individual cover song that appears most frequently in that band's live set history. The gallery lists one cover per band — the one they've performed the most — and highlights surprising patterns and extremes in how often those covers show up.

# Notable findings

• Several acts have a Depeche Mode song as their most-played cover. That pattern is unexpected if you assume rock and metal covers skew toward classic rock or blues standards.
• Judas Priest's most-played cover exceeds 1,000 live performances, making it one of the most recurrent covers among all bands checked.
• Metallica's most-played cover is not "Whiskey in the Jar," despite that song often being associated with the band.
• Mudvayne has the fewest performances for its top cover: that cover shows up only twice in their setlist history.

# Why covers matter in rock and metal Historically, many bands used covers as a way to get radio play and to introduce themselves to wider audiences early in their careers. Covers also serve as direct acknowledgements of influence: bands either perform faithful renditions or reinvent the songs to fit their sound. In live settings a cover can provide a crowd-pleasing moment, a bridging familiar tune, or a deliberate signal about a band's influences.

# What the list shows about setlist habits The collection emphasizes that cover choices are not uniform. Some bands rely on a single cover repeatedly over decades, turning it into a semi-regular staple of their shows. Others use covers sparingly, resulting in low counts even for their most-played outside song. The presence of synth-pop choices like Depeche Mode among rock and metal setlists demonstrates genre crossover in live programming.

# How to use this gallery Browse the gallery to learn which cover each band favors. Use it as a quick reference to spot unexpected influences or to track how a band's live persona incorporates songs by other artists. If you follow a particular band's live history, the list gives a concise entry point for deeper setlist research via Setlist.fm.

# Bottom line The gallery distills years of setlist data into one cover-per-band snapshot for 65 prominent rock and metal acts. It highlights both predictable and surprising cover choices and exposes large differences in how often bands perform outside material onstage.