Like a Version is a long-running weekly segment on Australian youth radio station Triple J. It involves musicians playing two songs in the studio: one of their own songs and then a cover version.
The series was created by presenter Mel Bampton in 2004 as part of the Mel in the Morning program. The title is wordplay on the song "Like a Virgin" by Madonna. Early performances were more intimate, with most covers in the first years featuring only acoustic instruments, but as the segment has evolved, recordings have moved into larger studios to accommodate full bands.
The segment has grown in popularity over the years, leading to the release of compilation CDs featuring the covers. Some particularly well-received covers have made it into annual Triple J Hottest 100 polls – in the 2021 countdown, the Wiggles made history as their cover of Tame Impala's "Elephant" became the first Like a Version to take out the number one spot. In 2023, Triple J celebrated 20 years of the segment with a one-off Triple J Hottest 100 of Like a Version, which was won by the DMA's cover of Cher's "Believe".
Volume One (2005) 23-track compilation CD released in 2005 by ABC Music. Grinspoon – "The Drugs Don't Work" (Richard Ashcroft) The Pictures – "Milkshake" (Pharrell Williams/Chad Hugo) Jebediah – "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (Burt Bacharach/Hal David) Salmonella Dub – "Get Up, Stand Up" (Bob Marley/Peter Tosh) Speedstar – "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (Steven Morrissey/Johnny Marr) Little Birdy – "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (Lee Hazlewood) The Cat Empire – "Hotel California" (Don Felder/Don Henley/Glenn Frey) End of Fashion – "Quicksand" (David Bowie) Bertie Blackman – "Tyrone" (Erica Wright/N. Hurt) Goodshirt – "Gouge Away" (The Pixies) Love Outside Andromeda – "Andy Warhol" (David Bowie) Darren Hanlon – "Don't Stop" (Christine McVie) Damien Rice – "When Doves Cry" (Prince) (contains a portion of Led Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (Anne Bredon/Jimmy Page & Robert Plant) John Butler Trio – "Message in a Bottle" (Sting) Gorgeous – "Little Suicides" (Anton Fier/Lori Carson) Lazy Susan – "Are You Old Enough" (Paul Hewson) Betchadupa – "Sweet Dreams" (Philip Judd) Starky – "Show a Sign of Life" (Josh Malerman/Mark Owen) Serena Ryder – "Illegal Smile" (John Prine) Missy Higgins – "Moses" (Patty Griffin) Big Heavy Stuff – "Hyperballad" (Björk) Donavon Frankenreiter – "Stay Young" (Graham Lyle/Benny Gallagher) Clare Bowditch – "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen)
Volume Two (2006) 22-track compilation CD released in 2006 by ABC Music. Gyroscope – "Monument" (Jebediah) The Herd – "I Was Only 19" (Redgum) Eels – "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" (Prince) Sophie Koh – "Creep" (Radiohead) Spoon – "Upwards at 45 Degrees" (Julian Cope) Sarah Blasko – "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (Elton John) The Drones – "Words from a Woman to Her Man" (Beasts of Bourbon) Lior – "The Needle and the Damage Done" (Neil Young) Holidays on Ice – "The Holiday Song" (The Pixies) Crooked Fingers – "Long Black Veil" (Lefty Frizzell/Johnny Cash) Tegan and Sara – "Dancing in the Dark" (Bruce Springsteen) Evermore – "Relapse" (Little Birdy) Holly Throsby – "Mistress" (Red House Painters) 67 Special – "Scar" (Missy Higgins) Live@Subs – "Rolled Up" (Long Beach Dub Allstars) Mia Dyson – "Can't Let Go" (Lucinda Williams) The Panda Band – "My Mistake" (Split Enz) The Mountain Goats – "Wild World" (The Birthday Party) Kate Miller-Heidke – "Little Water Song" (Ute Lemper/Nick Cave/Bruno Pisek) The Tea Party – "The Maker" (Daniel Lanois) New Buffalo – "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (Nina Simone) Willy Mason – "The Way I Am" (Merle Haggard)
Volume Three (2007) 20-track compilation CD and 10 video DVD released in 2007 by ABC Music. Ben Folds – "Such Great Heights" (The Postal Service) Sharon Jones – "This Land Is Your Land" (Woody Guthrie) Eskimo Joe – "Hey" (Pixies) Josh Pyke – "House at Pooh Corner" (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) The Magic Numbers – "Crazy in Love" (Beyoncé) Bob Evans – "Beautiful to Me" (Little Birdy) Mattafix – "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (Green Day) The Bellrays – "Highway to Hell" (AC/DC) Shout Out Louds – "Streams of Whiskey" (The Pogues) Pivot – "Woman" (Wolfmother) Custom Kings – "The Boys of Summer" (Don Henley) SubAudible Hum – "Africa" (Toto) Gomez – "Breakfast in America" (Supertramp) Blue King Brown – "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" (Dawn Penn) The Kill Devil Hills – "Look at Miss Ohio" (Gillian Welch) The Zutons – "Runaway" (Del Shannon) Macromantics – "Jump" (Kris Kross) Broken Social Scene – "Kennel District" (Pavement) Angus and Julia Stone – "Tubthumping" (Chumbawamba) Something for Kate – "Rock the Casbah" (The Clash)
Volume Four (2008) 19-track compilation CD and 14 video DVD released in 2008 by ABC Music. Regina Spektor – "Real Love" (John Lennon) Katalyst featuring Stephanie McKay – "Hang Me Up to Dry" (Cold War Kids) The Panics – "Wide Open Road" (The Triffids) C. W. Stoneking – "Seven Nation Army" (The White Stripes) British India – "And I Was A Boy From School" (Hot Chip) Plan B – "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" (The Smiths) Crowded House – "Everybody's Talkin''" (Harry Nilsson) Saosin – "Time After Time" (Cyndi Lauper) Lou Rhodes – "Satellite" (Elliott Smith) Dappled Cities – "More Than a Woman" (Bee Gees) Bit by Bats – "Orinoco Flow" (Enya) After The Fall – "Only the Good Die Young" (Billy Joel) Paul Kelly – "Rehab" (Amy Winehouse) Snowman – "Strange Fruit" (Billie Holiday) The Veils – "State Trooper" (Bruce Springsteen) Nouvelle Vague – "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" (Buzzcocks) Jamie T – "Hoover Street" (Rancid) Little Barrie – "White Light/White Heat" (The Velvet Underground) Émilie Simon – "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (The Stooges)
Volume Five (2009) 20-track compilation CD and 14-track DVD released in November 2009 by ABC Music. The Kooks – "Kids" (MGMT) Bob Evans – "Not Fair" (Lily Allen) Ben Harper and Relentless7 – "Under Pressure" (Queen and David Bowie) Lisa Mitchell – "Romeo and Juliet" (Dire Straits) Sparkadia – "This Boy's in Love" (The Presets) Urthboy – "London Calling" (The Clash) Philadelphia Grand Jury – "99 Problems" (Jay-Z) Little Birdy – "Do Right Woman" (Aretha Franklin) Whitley – "Dancing Queen" (ABBA) TZU – "Heavy Heart" (You Am I) The Drones – "Suicide Is Painless" (Johnny Mandel – theme from M*A*S*H) The Wombats – "There She Goes" (The La's) Tiki Taane – "Use Somebody" (Kings of Leon) Liam Finn and EJ Barnes – "Old Man" (Neil Young) Bertie Blackman – "In the Air Tonight" (Phil Collins) Bluejuice – "Every Little Step" (Bobby Brown) Kisschasy – "Alex Chilton" (The Replacements) Mat McHugh and The Blackbird – "Only You" (Yazoo) Hermitude – "Joga" (Björk) Holly Throsby – "Berlin Chair" (You Am I)
Weekly charts Chart (2010) PeakpositionAustralian Albums (ARIA)29
Volume Six (2010) 21-track compilation CD and 16-track DVD released in October 2010 by ABC Music. The Temper Trap – "Dancing In The Dark" (Bruce Springsteen) Basement Birds – "My People" (The Presets) Grizzly Bear – "Boy from School" (Hot Chip) Washington – "Santeria" (Sublime) Mumford and Sons – "Unfinished Business" (White Lies) The Last Kinection – "Rhythm Is a Dancer" (Snap!) John Butler Trio – "I Want You Back" (The Jackson 5) Yves Klein Blue – "Walk On The Wild Side" (Lou Reed) Jonathan Boulet – "Colour Television" (Eddy Current Suppression Ring) Old Man River – "Clap Your Hands" (Sia) Jen Cloher and Jordie Lane – "Electric Feel" (MGMT) Darren Hanlon – "Together in Electric Dreams" (Philip Oakey) Band of Skulls – "Strict Machine" (Goldfrapp) Space Invadas – "Sweet Disposition" (The Temper Trap) OK Go – "Wave of Mutilation" (The Pixies) Alexisonfire – "(I'm) Stranded" (The Saints) Cloud Control – "Pursuit Of Happiness" (Kid Cudi) The Boat People – "Bulletproof" (La Roux) Grinspoon – "When You Were Mine" (Prince) Miami Horror – "The Logical Song" (Supertramp) Regina Spektor – "No Surprises" (Radiohead)
Weekly charts Chart (2010) PeakpositionAustralian Albums (ARIA)2
Year-end charts Chart (2010) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 78
Certifications
Volume Seven (2011) 23-track compilation CD and 15-track DVD released in November 2011 by ABC Music. Owl Eyes – "Pumped Up Kicks" (Foster the People) Plan B – "Runaway" (Kanye West) Art vs. Science – "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (Daft Punk) Andy Bull – "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Tears for Fears) Busby Marou – "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Cyndi Lauper) Sarah Blasko – "Hey Ya!" (OutKast) Dialectrix – "Buy My A Pony" (Spiderbait) Kaiser Chiefs – "Record Collection" (Mark Ronson and the Business Intl.) Stonefield – "Magic Carpet Ride" (Steppenwolf) Angus and Julia Stone – "Say It Right" (Nelly Furtado) Eskimo Joe – "Somebody That I Used to Know" (Gotye and Kimbra) Children Collide – "Reckless" (Australian Crawl) Adalita – "Burning Up" (Madonna) The Vines – "Clint Eastwood" (Gorillaz) Eagle and the Worm – "Tightrope" (Janelle Monáe and Big Boi) The Kills – "One Silver Dollar" (Marilyn Monroe) Oh Mercy – "Evil Woman" (Electric Light Orchestra) Gossling – "Dance the Way I Feel" (Ou Est le Swimming Pool) Paul Dempsey – "Daniel" (Bat For Lashes) Calling All Cars – "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair" (Arctic Monkeys) The Beards – "Sharp Dressed Man" (ZZ Top) Sally Seltmann – "You're So Vain" (Carly Simon) The Seabellies – "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?" (The Angels)
Weekly charts Chart (2011) PeakpositionAustralian Albums (ARIA)5
Year-end charts Chart (2011) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 24 Chart (2012) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 43
Certifications
Volume Eight (2012) 21-track compilation CD and 14-track DVD released in October 2012 by ABC Music. Bluejuice – "Video Games" (Lana Del Rey) Hilltop Hoods – "So What'cha Want" (Beastie Boys) Boy and Bear – "Walking on a Dream" (Empire of the Sun) City and Colour – "Settle Down" (Kimbra) Missy Higgins – "Hearts a Mess" (Gotye) Electric Guest – "Ritual Union" (Little Dragon) Austra – "None Of Dem" (Robyn) Husky – "Need You Tonight" (INXS) Jinja Safari – "Ignition (Remix)" (R. Kelly) Josh Pyke – "Endless Summer" (The Jezabels) The Herd featuring Radical Son, Nooky and Sky High – "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Sam Cooke) Matt Corby – "Lonely Boy" (The Black Keys) Julia Stone – "Feeding Line" (Boy and Bear) Deep Sea Arcade – "Let Forever Be" (The Chemical Brothers) Jebediah – "Apartment" (Custard) Ladyhawke – "White Rabbit" (Jefferson Airplane) Bon Iver – "Coming Down" (Anaïs Mitchell) Active Child – "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (Eurythmics) Cosmo Jarvis – "Spinning Around" (Kylie Minogue) Thundamentals – "Brother" (Matt Corby) The Medics – "Blowin' in the Wind" (Bob Dylan)
Weekly charts Chart (2012) PeakpositionAustralian Albums (ARIA)3
Year-end charts Chart (2012) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 34
Certifications
Volume Nine (2013) 20-track compilation CD and 20-track DVD released in October 2013 by ABC Music. Something for Kate – "Sweet Nothing" (Calvin Harris) San Cisco – "Get Lucky" (Daft Punk) Emma Louise – "Tessellate" (Alt-J) Vance Joy – "Rolling in the Deep" (Adele) Hermitude featuring Elana Stone – "Get Free" (Major Lazer) HAIM – "Strong Enough" (Sheryl Crow) Tame Impala – "Prototype "(Outkast) KINGSWOOD – "Wolf" (First Aid Kit) Seth Sentry – "Punch In The Face" (Frenzal Rhomb) Abbe May – "Pony" (Ginuwine) Bonjah – "Royals" (Lorde) Tuka – "I'm Into You" (Chet Faker) The Bamboos – "Lost" (Frank Ocean) Jimblah – "Resolution" (Matt Corby) Ash Grunwald featuring Urthboy, Scott Owen and Andy Strachan from the Living End – "Feel Good Inc." (Gorillaz) Chance Waters – "Little Lion Man" (Mumford and Sons) The Trouble with Templeton – "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" (The Postal Service)