Back in nu metal’s glory days, nothing guaranteed success like a good ’80s pop cover. Limp Bizkit’s first true taste of chart success came from reimagining George Michael’s Faith, while interpretations of You Spin Me Right Round and Blue Monday respectively gave Dope and Orgy their stints in their sun. Even the more established likes of Machine Head and Fear Factory weren’t immune to it, appropriating big hits from The Police and Gary Numan to gain an extra popularity boost.
However, when it comes to nu metal’s twists on old-school pop, is there a more quintessential song than Alien Ant Farm’s take on Smooth Criminal? As the new millennium arrived, the California foursome were just another struggling hard rock band, self-releasing their music and touring wherever and whenever they could. But then, one Michael Jackson redo later, they were topping charts and enjoying endorsements from heavy music stars.
