Some of my favorite tribute albums (with some others)

Simply Mad About the Mouse was the first "tribute" album that I ever saw. And the artists here all sang songs from Walt Disney films. It was released in 1991 with an accompanying videos to all the songs. It's a beautiful album with Billy Joel singing "When You Wish Upon A Star", Ric Ocasek Cars-ifying "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah", LL Cool J doing a tres cool rap version of "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf", and the Gypsy Kings doing a flamenco version of Pinocchio's "I've Got No Strings". Of all the cuts here, Harry Connick Jr.'s "The Bare Necessities" from the Jungle Book is my fave. Bobby McFerrin crowds Connick Jr. with his version of "The Siamese Cat Song" that is simply gorgeous. Soul II Soul does the Little Mermaid's "Kiss the Girl" calypso style.

We're A Happy Family is a tribute to the Ramones. This came out in 2003. Fave tracks: Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Havana Affair", Rob Zombie did a great "Blitzkrieg Bop". Marilyn Manson did a creepy dirge version of "The KKK Took My Baby Away". Green Day's upbeat "Outsider" is a fave track to play. rancid does a faster version of "Sheen is A Punk Rocker". I love Pete Yorn's "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend". Surprisingly, Tom Waits' drunken version of "Return of Jackie and Judy" appeals to me.

Kiss My Ass (Classic Kiss Regrooved) came out in 1994 after If I Were a Carpenter! Kiss was the first band I can say I was a true fan. They remained that way from 1976-81 when New Wave really exploded. Tracks I like: "Hard Luck Woman" by Garth Brooks! Yep, Garth Brooks. "She" by Anthrax. "Christine Sixteen" by the Gin Blossoms and "Detroit Rock City" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones were the big hit here. 

Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin (1995 release) is one of my fave tribute albums. Great and inspired performances all around. The whole album is a keeper!
4 Non Blondes - "Misty Mountain Hop"
Hootie & the Blowfish - "Hey Hey What Can I Do"
Sheryl Crow - "D'yer Maker"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Dancing Days"
Big Head Todd and the Monsters - "Tangerine"
Duran Duran (yes, them) - "Thank You"
Blind Melon - "Out on the Tiles"
Cracker - "Good Times Bad Times"
Helmet with David Yow - "Custard Pie"
Rollins Band - "Four Sticks"
Never the Bride - "Going to California"
Robert Plant & Tori Amos - "Down by the Seaside"


If I Were A Carpenter came out in 1994 and like Encomium, is a great album. You cannot throw any of the tracks away.
American Music Club - "Goodbye to Love"
Shonen Knife - "Top of the World"
Sonic Youth - "Superstar"
The Cranberries - "Close to You"
Bettie Serveert - "For All We Know"
Dishwalla - "It's Going to Take Some Time"
Sheryl Crow - "Solitaire"
Johnette Napolitano with Mark Moreland - "Hurting Each Other"
Red Kross - "Yesterday Once More"
Babes In Toyland - "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft"
Cracker - "Rainy Days and Mondays"
Matthew Sweet - "Let Me Be the One"
4 Non Blondes - "Bless the Beasts and the Children"
Grant Lee Buffalo - "We've Only Just Begun"

Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors was released in 2000 by the same producer of the Saturday Morning Cartoons album, Ralph Sall. And this was another good one.

Fave tracks: 

Stone Temple Pilots - "Break On Through"

Creed - "Riders of the Storm"

Train - "Light My Fire"

Smash Mouth - "Peace Frog"

Days of the New - "LA Woman"

Aerosmith - "Love Me Two Times"

The Doors - "Under Waterfall"

The Cult - Wild Child 

John Lee Hooker and Jim Morrison - "Roadhouse Blues"

Oleander "Hello I Love You"

The Clash Tribute: Burning London was released in 1999. And I love it. Fave tracks:
Ice Cube and Mack 10 - "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"
Rancid - "Cheat"
Third Eye Blind - "Train in Vain" (the right band to play this song, man)
Indigo Girls - "Clampdown"
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "Rudie Can't Fail"
311 - "Whiteman in Hammersmith Palais"
The Afghan Whigs - "Lost in the Supermarket"
Moby and Heather Nova - "Go Straight to Hell"

And here are a few others that feature indie bands and aren't that well known -- We Will Follow: A Tribute to U2, The Duran Duran Tribute Album (featuring a bunch of third wave ska bands), Please Please Please: A Tribute to the Smiths, and Various Artists for the Masses: A Tribute to Depeche Mode. But they are pretty good too!