Don Henley vs. Lisa Marie Presley | Head 2 Head 🗣️

In the 4^th edition of Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️ (2023), Don Henley and Lisa Marie Presley contend for the best rendition of “Dirty Laundry.” 

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In the 4^th  edition of head 🗣️2 head 🗣️ (2023), 🎙 Don Henley and 🎙 Lisa Marie Presley contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “Dirty Laundry”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Don Henley, “Dirty Laundry”

💿 I Can’t Stand Still • 🏷 Don Henley and Past Masters Holdings, LLC • 🗓 1982

“People love it when you lose / They love dirty laundry.” 🏆 Grammy winning rock musician 🎙 Don Henley has a legitimate point. “It’s interesting when people die / Give us dirty laundry.” Woo!  On 🎵 “Dirty Laundry”, Henley drops a song for the ages about, well, people honestly.  A standout from his 1982 debut album,  💿 I Can’t Stand Still, “Dirty Laundry” peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Furthermore, it was nominated for a 🏆 Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male at the 25^th Annual Grammy Awards.  So, who and what song did “Dirty Laundry” lose the Grammy to? Oh, one 🎙 John Mellencamp – 🎵 “Hurts So Good”.

“Can we film the operation? Is the head dead yet?

You know, the boys in the newsroom got a running bet

Get the window on the set!

We need dirty laundry.”

The theme and lyrics are just one of the things that make “Dirty Laundry” awesome.  The production and sound are 1980s to the core, which is incredibly sweet, to be honest. Not only do you get some great guitar riffs, but you also get the boxy drums and rich keys/synths.  Throw in the gang vocals on the chorus, and “Dirty Laundry” is a whole vibe: “Kick ‘em when they’re up / Kick ’em when they’re down / Kick ‘em when they’re up / Kick ‘em when they’re down.” The laundry may be filth but dis song right here – a surefire bop! Can anybody sing 🎵 “Dirty Laundry” other than Don Henley?

Appears in 🔻:

• Don Henley, “Dirty Laundry”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 15 (2023)

2. Lisa Marie Presley, “Dirty Laundry”

💿 Now What • 🏷️ Capitol • 📅 2005

Sadly, 🎙 Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of 🎙 Elvis Presley, passed away far too soon at the age of 54 😢.  Her output as a musician as modest – three albums released beginning in her mid-30s.  Even so, Presley released an intriguing cover on her sophomore album, 💿 Now What, released in 2005. She covers the 1982 pop hit, 🎵 “Dirty Laundry” (peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100) by the one-and-only, 🎙 Don Henley.  Tough shoes to fill, obviously, the Presley rendition has more of a rock flare, distinguishing itself from 80s sound of the original.

Positively, Lisa Marie Presley sings with great energy, showing off her personality. This starts with the intro with her ad-libs.  Her vocal performance can be described as playful, which fits the tenor of the lyrics.  Was she the most talented vocalist? There can be debate about that, obviously, but in her hands, this is an entertaining cover of one of the best songs from the 1980s.  With most of the emphasis on guitars instrumentally, Presley amplifies the dirtiness in “Dirty Laundry.” Key moments include the tuneful chorus and its wall of sound, punchy guitar riffs, and those gang vocals: “Kick ‘em when they’re up / Kick ‘em when they’re down / Kick ‘em when they’re up / Kick ‘em all around.” All told, this 2005 cover is worth revisiting.

Appears in 🔻:

• Lisa Marie Presley, “Dirty Laundry”: Covers No. 4 (2023)

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️

🎙 Don Henley or 🎙 Lisa Marie Presley?  Lisa Marie Presley does a nice job covering this classic, period. Her performance is playful – fun to listen to. That said, “Dirty Laundry” will always belong to one person and one person only, 🎙 Don Henley. I mean, that quintessential 80s sound is more than enough to solidify the win here!

Don Henley vs. Lisa Marie Presley: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 4 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Capitol, Don Henley and Past Masters Holdings, LLC ; Antoni Shkraba via Pexels; andresilva5, talha khalil, Valentin Tikhonov via Pixabay; Nick Wang on Unsplash]