The Dead were the greatest cover band in rock, reinventing Chuck Berry, Dylan, Marty Robbins, and the blues canon night after night. Ranked by how often they played them, plus Far Out's editorial picks.
The full ranking
The Dead were the greatest cover band in rock, reinventing Chuck Berry, Dylan, Marty Robbins, and the blues canon night after night. Ranked by how often they played them, plus Far Out's editorial picks.
Me and My Uncle (John Phillips)
Written by Mamas and Papas leader John Phillips and brought in by Bob Weir, this cowboy story song was the single most-performed number in Grateful Dead history, played more than 600 times.
I Know You Rider (Traditional)
A traditional blues the Dead fused with 'China Cat Sunflower' into one of their signature live segues. A fixture of the repertoire from the earliest days to the final tours.
Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly)
Buddy Holly and the Crickets' Bo Diddley-beat rocker, reshaped into a communal call-and-response that crowds kept clapping long after the band left the stage.
Good Lovin' (The Rascals)
The Rascals' garage-soul hit, first sung by Pigpen and later a Bob Weir vehicle for free-associating raps. One of the most reliably joyous covers in the book.
New Minglewood Blues (Cannon's Jug Stompers)
A 1920s jug-band blues by Noah Lewis that the Dead electrified and rebuilt across three decades, its boasting verses rewritten night after night.
Big River (Johnny Cash)
Johnny Cash's rolling river ballad, a Weir-sung honky-tonk showcase that let Jerry Garcia stretch out on country-flavored leads. Played some 400 times.
Promised Land (Chuck Berry)
Chuck Berry's coast-to-coast travelogue, taken at a breakneck clip and often used to launch a set or an encore. One of several Berry tunes central to the Dead's rock and roll heart.
Around and Around (Chuck Berry)
Another Chuck Berry staple, an all-out rocker the Dead leaned on for high-energy show closers. Proof of how deeply 1950s rock and roll ran through their sound.
All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan)
The Dead made Dylan covers a cornerstone of their late-era sets, and their take on this apocalyptic classic, by way of Hendrix, became a soaring jam vehicle.
Hard to Handle (Otis Redding)
Otis Redding's Stax-soul strut, an early Pigpen feature that grew into one of Garcia's most explosive guitar showcases of the early 1970s.
Ranked across 2 sources: Setlist.fm · Most-Performed Covers by the Grateful Dead (by live play count); Far Out Magazine · Best Songs Covered by the Grateful Dead (unordered roundup, 2023). Full scoring is on the Methodology tab above.
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