It’s time for another round of “The Best.”

Today’s song: Come On Eileen
Bands: Dexy’s Midnight Runners vs. Save Ferris

The song first hit the airwaves in 1982 and was a rather popular dance song. It spent four weeks at #1 on the UK charts in August of 1982. While Dexy’s Midnight Runners had other hit songs in the UK, Come On Eileen was their only hit in the U.S.

The song was covered by Save Ferris in 1997, on their CD, It Means Everything, receieving an up-tempo ska makeover, replacing the strings with a horn line.

For those who need an audio-visual reminder of either (or both) version(s) of the song:

  • Dexy’s Midnight Runners

  • Save Ferris

For me, the more upbeat, ska-laced Save Ferris version wins out over the Dexy’s Midnight Runners version.

Winner: Save Ferris