…as decided by your resident “Dad Rock” expert.

One of the most consistent and reliable prog-rock bands of the ’70s, Electric Light Orchestra, managed to craft approachable hits with aplomb, even when derided by the cooler-than-thou rock press. And over the years – ELO (Jeff Lynne’s ELO, that is) has somehow morphed from an uncool Beatles knock-off to cool enough to play the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. And sure, perhaps participating in the disco-chic trip-fest that was Xanadu wasn’t the *best* idea, but I’ll be damned if that Grade-A Cult Classic isn’t a riot to watch and can serve as a neatly self-contained anti-cocaine PSA. (No! There is no plot! You don’t need a plot when you’re geeked-out!)

As such, I’m not sure if it’s the case of “everything old is new again” or perhaps “everything lame is cool to someone,” but regardless, I’m a happy fan. I grew up listening to the sunny, poppy tunes of ELO and it’s about time they get their overdue recognition. Even if most groups don’t outwardly express their influence (with the exception of perhaps The Flaming Lips and the Super Furry Animals), snippets of their tunes have been sampled by countless artists. Musicians as disparate as Common and the Hives have snagged samples and riffs from the Electric Light Orchestra, so even if you don’t know every word to “Telephone Line,” you’ve definitely heard ELO in action.

So here’s our list of the BEST of the BEST Samples and Covers of ELO tunes (with the originals, of course!).

6. Face to Face – Daft Punk (Sample)

The masked wonders from France have recently had quite the career renaissance, in no small part due to work with Pharrell and Nile Rodgers on the 2013 hit “Get Lucky.” The electro-duo have been at it for decades, though, and have sampled various tracks here and there, but perhaps most noteworthy is how many perceive ELO‘s influence throughout Daft Punk’s catalog. In 2014 in his piece titled ‘The Jesus of Uncool Is Risen: ELO Live by Simon Price,” British music journalist Simon Price wrote, “… the band in whom I perceive the greatest amount of ELO DNA are outside the rock genre altogether: Daft Punk.” In Face to Face, Daft Punk snag bits and pieces of “Evil Woman.”

5. The Changingman – Paul Weller (Sample)

Former punk rocker Paul Weller (The Jam) went full “Cool Britannia” in 1995, joining the likes of Oasis and Blur in exporting throwback British Invasion style to a new generation. Despite his own songwriting prowess, “The Changingman,” which samples *heavily* from “10538 Overture” by ELO. Any by “heavily,” I mean he essentially just rewrote the lyrics. That said, “The Changingman” is catchy and quick and very, very 1995. “10538 Overture” itself, however, has a strangely more timeless feel, at least in my opinion.

4. Evil Woman – Mike Posner (Cover & Sample)

The “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” singer took “Evil Woman” to Ibiza in this 2009 cover, upping the dance quotient considerably, but keeping the driving piano and original chorus from ELO. Perhaps referencing the club darlings at his shows, Posner points out the potential for heartbreak amid the scene he frequents. The update stays quite true to the original, though I find it lacks the rich depth that ELO injected into their upbeat tunes.

3. Go Right Ahead – The Hives (Sample)

The hook from this tune snags the hook from ELO‘s “Don’t Bring Me Down,” turning the orchestral, poppy ode to staying high into a hard rocking, danceable tune. Like much of The Hives’ digging too deeply into the lyrics won’t yield too much gold, but I’ll be damned if “Go Right Ahead” isn’t as much fun as the tune it pulls from.

2. Blue Sky – Common (Sample)

It was a hard decision to drop this tune back to #2, since “Mr. Blue Sky” is my absolute favorite ELO tune. Pushing my own prejudices aside, “Blue Sky” uses the original as a backing track, pulling out a hopeful, bright, powerful, meaningful song from an otherwise empty pop tune that smacks of Sgt. Peppery goodness without the gravitas of the Fab Four. The repeated refrain from ELO’s original “you had to hide away for…” contrasts with Common‘s lyrics about struggle beautifully. Would have been #1 if not for…

1. Tasmanian Pain Coaster – El-p feat. The Mars Volta (Sample)

ELO has been a go-to for hip-hop artists seeking sweeping orchestral backing to their rhymes for decades, but what El-P achieves that many others didn’t is that it maintains the tone of the song from which they sampled, “Fire on High,” perfectly. Dark, eerie, foreboding, “Tasmanian Pain Coaster” is a brilliant tune on its own, even if it owes just a little bit of its glory to Jeff Lynne and company.

You can catch Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra as they hit venues nationwide this summer, and take your so-called Dad Rock experience to the next level, knowing so many owe ELO more than a little gratitude.