“This is not the greatest song in the world,” Tenacious D sang on their biggest hit, “No, this is just a tribute.”
Ah, but what a tribute. The genius of Jack Black and Kyle Gass — apart from face-melting guitar skills and a lead singer that can sound like the voice of the angels or Satan himself on any given line — has always been their joy in the music: even when it’s not the music they are playing, and even when it was written by someone else. These dudes love rock and roll.
That love comes out in their live shows, which tend to be celebrations of their influences as much as they are presentations of music by Tenacious D. Few artists have spent as much time practicing such a wide variety of covers. In that spirit, we’ve collected 10 of their most thrilling performances of other people’s music, including that awesome recent cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”
Are these renditons faithful? Sometimes. Child-appropriate? Definitely not. But they just might be the greatest covers in the world.
— Wren Graves
News Editor
10. Black Sabbath: “Heaven and Hell”
In the annals of Tenacious D lore, one man looms as a God above all others: Ronnie James Dio. Most people don’t adore his contributions to Black Sabbath over Ozzy Osbourne’s, but then, Black and Gass are not most people. Tenacious D have covered “Heaven and Hell” over a dozen times during their long careers, but we’re partial to this version from Dio’s own 2002 video for “Push,” which, while short, pays tribute to the “bringer of reefer” and wraps with an appearance by the man, the myth, the legend, the Dio himself. — W.G.
09. Nirvana: “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Is Tenacious D’s cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” conventional? Not in the slightest. But is it heaps of fun? Damn right it is. Performed at Rock in Rio in 2019, The D invited Brazilian bass extraordinaire Junior Groovador to lay down a funky jam before launching into the grunge tune. From there, they keep the funk-level (and fun-level) maxed out while Jack Black channels his inner Kurt Cobain and changes the lyrics to fit in Groovador’s name. Nirvana purists might bemoan the silliness of it all, but for such a monumental, frankly overplayed song, why not have a little fun with it? — Jonah Krueger
08. Queen: “Flash Gordon Theme Song”
This is the song Tenacious D have covered more than any other, according to statistics compiled by Setlist.fm, and it’s easy to see why. Queen’s contribution to the 1980 film Flash Gordon is gloriously over the top, Freddie Mercury’s vocal range is a solid match for Black’s, and, most importantly, it combines Tenacious D’s great loves for science fiction and badassery. Black especially seems to relish the tune, repeatedly ad-libbing the word “fuck” because when “the pure of heart” find the golden grail, what else are you supposed to say, “Golly, jee?” Of course not, it’s “Fucking Flash!” and this is his fucking theme song. — W.G.
07. REO Speedwagon: “Keep on Loving You”
Watching Tenacious D cover REO Speedwagon’s “Keep On Loving You” begs the question: When will we finally see Jack Black headline his own Broadway musical? His and Gass’ cover, though not exactly polished, is lovably pure — a tender ode to the now unfashionable cheese baked into the original. Not only that, the crowd sing-a-long during the chorus comes from a heartwarming adoration of both the song and Tenacious D. Come for the delightful rendition, stay for Jack Black’s absurd vocal solo. — Paolo Ragusa
06. “The Beatles Medley”
Often, Tenacious D reach into the pantheon of heavy metal and hard rock when they unleash a cover, which can be surprising for a band made up of two acoustic guitarists. Nevertheless, The D is here to rock, and rock they will. And still, it’s nice to see them branch out and pay homage to their softer, less satanic influences from time to time as well.
Take the duo’s interpretation of the Beatles’ legendary Abbey Road Medley. Covering “You Never Give Me Your Money” and “The End,” the whimsy of the Beatles allows Black and Gass to embrace their most cartoonish tendencies. Of course, it’s Tenacious D, so they couldn’t help but swap out lyrics with senseless profanity — but that’s all part of the fun. Top it off with the two “playing” the famous solos of “The End” with their mouths, and you have a rockin’ good time. — J.K.
05. Cream: “Sunshine of Your Love”
There’s something just plain right about Tenacious D covering Cream’s seminal hit “Sunshine of Your Love.” The song’s escalating drama is tailor-made for Black’s playful, booming voice, and when Gass joins him in harmony for the chorus, it’s both fun and riveting. As always, Black lets the charged spirit of the song overtake him during the performance, and though it may be silly, you get the sense from Black and Gass that there’s a genuine love and respect for this classic song and its emotive powers. If only we could have gotten just one more verse and chorus… — P.R.
04. Black Sabbath: “War Pigs”
Like The D said themselves, “You can’t kill the metal.” And, hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Enter Jack Black crushing Black Sabbath’s iconic “War Pigs” (call it Jack Black Sabbath.) Not only does Black have the stage presence and charisma to carry a song so reliant on vocals, he manages to nearly rival the price of darkness himself with his vocal chops. It’s no secret that “War Pigs” and Black Sabbath as a whole have long influenced the sound and ethos of Tenacious D, making the cover all the more endearing to watch. Though, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t miss Kyle Gass for this one… — J.K.
03. “The Who Medley”
After workshopping the medley across their 20-year career, Tenacious D released an official recording and music video this past June to benefit Everytown for Gun Safety. This latest and most-polished version features a trio of songs from The Who’s Tommy: “Pinball Wizard,” “There’s A Doctor,” and “Go To The Mirror!” The bonkers visuals add to the experience, but those screaming guitars and wailing vocals are more than colorful enough on their own. As they said at the time, “Who better to deliver a tribute to the greatest rock opera of all times? Who? The D! That’s Who!” We couldn’t agree more. — W. G.
02. System of a Down: “Chop Suey”
This appearance on Australian channel V has become famous for the moment when Jack Black transformed into a heavy metal Fred Flintstone. True, Tenacious D’s version of “Chop Suey” contains many more “Yaba daba doos,” than the original, and we may never learn if Black actually knew the lyrics or just decided that what System of a Down wanted was a very old-school sound. But it passes the test of being fucking awesome, and as a bonus, the pair followed it up with solid rendition of “Tribute.” — W.G.
01. Chris Isaak: “Wicked Game”
One of the most recent covers from Jack Black and Kyle Gass is Chris Isaak’s stunning (and oft-covered) “Wicked Game.” Tenacious D bring a significant amount of tenderness to the song, and Black’s songbird falsetto in the chorus is genuinely moving. Perhaps it’s the superb mixing (shoutout to Sirius XM’s Octane Radio for the session), or it’s the fact that it’s Gass and Black alone on the stage with no backing band, just acoustic guitars in hand. Either way, they only run through 2 minutes of the song, but it’s nevertheless an excellent and signature cover. — P.R.