i know Israels version which is brilliant!
check these out.
Connie Talbot 6 year old singer sang it on Britain's Got Talent show reducing Judge Amanda Holden to tears and praise from the other celebrity Judges Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan.
Olivia Newton-John's recording is played over a fight scene in the John Travolta starrer Face/Off.
Sam Harris performed a winning rendition on the first season of the original Star Search. Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Eric Clapton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Kylie Minogue, Rufus Wainwright, Irish Band Celtic Woman featuring Órla Fallon and Garland's daughters Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft have sung portions of the song in concert.
Another version was recorded by the late Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Braddah Iz) whose medley of "Rainbow" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" was featured on the soundtrack of the films Meet Joe Black, Finding Forrester, 50 First Dates,and Son of the Mask, and the final episode of the British TV show Life on Mars. It was also performed by The Blanks in the Scrubs episode, "My Way Home". It was also the final music in the 2002 episode of the NBC drama series ER entitled "On the Beach", in which Mark Greene's character finally succumbs to brain tumor and also in the final episode of short-lived Fox Broadcasting Company show Pasadena. [4].
James Stewart memorably warbled a rendition while carrying a drunken Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. Even horror legend Vincent Price did a version in the film Dr. Phibes Rises Again, though it was originally sung at the end of the United Kingdom version of the film's prequel, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, even though both films take place before the song was even written. Elisabeth Andreassen also recorded the song. The Demensions recorded a doo-wop version of the song which cracked the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1960.
At the 1990 Academy Awards, Diana Ross sang a version of the song. Others around the world, notably London and Tokyo joined via a satellite broadcast in the performance of the song.
The song has become singer Patti LaBelle's signature song. Her gospel inspired sometimes overly dramatic rendition ends each of her shows and climaxes with her throwing a microphone stand into the wings of the stage as she belts the final note.
British television comedian Kenny Everett sometimes used the song in comedy segments that included the unique sound of a British police car siren and Everett singing the lyrics, "Behind me!" and "That's where you'll find me!"
The cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covered the song for their 1999 album Are a Drag, and in the animated series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Grey Delisle sang it as her character, Mandy. Guitarist Joe Satriani often covers the song at his concerts. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore would perform a few bars of the verse at the beginning of his concerts.
The version by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is used in the final episode of the BBC series Life On Mars when Sam Tyler has returned to 2006 to show his longing for his 1973 life.
In Stephen Schwartz's musical Wicked, a loose adaptation of Gregory Maguire's Oz novel of the same name, a variation of the tune is used as one of the leitmotifs attached to the main character, Elphaba. The lyrics of "Un-li-mi-ted, my fu-ture -" is arranged to the same intervals (though not the same rhythm) as "Some-where o-ver the rain-bow'. As Elphaba later becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and because Dorothy and she are literary foils, the tune acquires an ironic subtext. (It also may be noted that by restricting the piece to seven notes, Schwartz avoids copyright issues with his use of the music.
"Over The Rainbow" is featured as a Dance Dance Revolution song, available on the 7th mix in the CD line.
The Smashing Pumpkins would often include "Over The Rainbow" in the live/jam version of "Silverfuck". This is present on the live concert album Earphoria but on the DVD Vieuphoria it is edited out, because they did not have the rights to the song. "Rainbow" can also be found on Ray Charles's final album, Genius Loves Company, as a duet with Johnny Mathis. Oliver Field, a well known trumpeter in the Pacific Northwest performed a popular rendition of the song at a local Portland nightclub.
Jane Monheit, recorded a version of "Over The Rainbow" from her second album Come Dream With Me. Monheit later re-recorded a shorter version of the song (minus this intro) for the soundtrack to the film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The song was also a bonus track on her fifth album Taking a Chance on Love.
The song has produced memorable moments on American Idol. The third-place finisher on Season 2, Kimberley Locke, performed it at her initial audition and in the final three. She included it on the Season 2 compilation CD. Locke's version is highly embellished with vocal improvisations, but was widely respected by the judges and audience. A new arrangement was recorded as a bonus track on her debut album, "One Love". In Season 5, Katharine McPhee performed a beautiful rendition of Eva Cassidy's unique 1996 version of the song in the final three show on May 16, 2006. Judge Simon Cowell chose the song for her. McPhee performed sitting on the stage and wearing red shoes. She sang the little-known opening verse a capella leading into a version that was more subdued than Locke's. The judges had high praise for McPhee's performance, and it is believed that the song was responsible for vaulting her into the season's final two. Several critics, including Cowell, consider McPhee's performance to be the best of the entire series. McPhee reprised her performance of the song in the final performance show on May 23. Her version again received rave reviews. It was included as a double A-side on her single, "Over the Rainbow/My Destiny", which was released on June 27, 2006. It has become her signature song.
Kyla, a Philippine R&B artist unexpectedly showcased her vocal range in a showdown with contemporaries, pop singers Sarah Geronimo & Sheryn Regis at the Regining Still concert at the Araneta Coliseum, Philippines and ended up winning the audience approval as the heir to popular artist Regine Velasquez.
Taiwanese Pop singer Angela Chang named her debut album Over the Rainbow, after this song. She said this is the song her mother used to teach her to sing[citation needed].
Taiwanese Singer/Songwriter David Tao mashed "Over The Rainbow" with his award-winning song "Blue Moon"; Or "Beach" if directly translated from its mandarin title; in his first Asia-wide concert tour, "Soul Power Live". Highly-sought after musician, Goh Kheng Long (Singaporean), who was involved with David in the arrangement of the song, also played the piano in this song. The song, with David's soaring vocals and the solo grand piano for accompaniment made it the highlight of each concert. Korean pop singer Tim, also performed the song on a Korean Music Show.
Single cover for Kylie Minogue's version of "Over the Rainbow"."Over the Rainbow" became Australian singer Kylie Minogue's first digital single (on record label Parlophone), and was Minogue's first release after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her recording, produced by Steve Anderson and released on 25 December 2005, is taken from the live DVD Showgirl - The Greatest Hits Tour, which was recorded in early 2005 at London's Earls Court. The single's B-side is Minogue's 2001 version of the Christmas song "Santa Baby". Minogue performed "Over the Rainbow" on her Greatest Hits tour to much applause, with The Times saying she "delivered a note perfect 'Over the Rainbow' with next to no musical accompaniment. The gig of the year? No doubt about it!". A promo CD was released in the UK and contained the live version of "Over the Rainbow", as well as "Santa Baby". This promo release was issued to radio stations only, but it has been sold on the internet.
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was performed by LeAnn Rimes in a London club and later released an 'a cappella' version of the song on her album "The Best of LeAnn Rimes: Remixed."
Hundreds of notable musicians have performed their own versions of "Over the Rainbow", including:
Angela Chang
Aretha Franklin
Art Tatum
Aselin Debison
Barbra Streisand
Bette Midler
Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs
Bob Marley
Bobby McFerrin
The Blanks (in the Scrubs episode "My Way Home" as the Worthless Peons, very similar to the version by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)
Buckethead (recorded as Somewhere over the Slaughterhouse)
Carly Simon
Carnie Wilson
Céline Dion
Celtic Woman
Chad Mitchell Trio
Chet Baker
Cliff Richard
Connie Francis
Cosmic Gate
Crystal Kay
Dana
Dave Brubeck
Dave Koz
David Bowie
David Grisman
Deep Purple
Dizzy Gillespie
Doris Day
Edyta Gorniak
Ella Fitzgerald
Emi Fujita
Erasure
Eric Clapton
Erroll Garner
Eva Cassidy
Eydie Gormé
Faith Hill
Frank Sinatra
Freddie Wadling
Glenn Miller
Guy Sebastian
Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Nilsson
Il Divo
Chris Impellitteri
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Jackie Wilson
Jake Shimabukuro
James Galway
Jane Monheit
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jewel
Jim Brickman
Jimi Hendrix
Jingle Cats
Jo Stafford
John Martyn
Johnny Mathis
Katherine Jenkins
Katharine McPhee
Katie Melua
Keith Jarrett
Kenny G
Kimberley Locke
Kirk Whalum
Kyla
Kylie Minogue
LeAnn Rimes
Leon Russell
Leona Lewis
Liberace
Linda Eder
Louis Prima
Maceo Parker
Mägo de Oz
Mandy Patinkin
Mariah Carey
Martin Taylor
Martina McBride
Marusha
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Melanie C
Melanie Safka
Melissa Manchester
melody.
Metallica
Michael Ball
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Nana Mouskouri
Nina Hagen
Olivia Newton-John
Oscar Peterson
Patti LaBelle
Phil Collins
Phish
Plácido Domingo
The Platters
Rainbow
Ray Charles
Reel Big Fish
Renee Fleming
Renee Olstead
Richard Clayderman
Richard Elliot
Ricki-Lee Coulter
Rio Reiser
Robin The Frog (The Muppet Show with Alice Cooper)
Rosenshontz
Sam Harris
Sandy Patty
Sarah Vaughan
Selena
Shawn McDonald
Shayne Ward
Shirley Bassey
Connie Talbot
Stan Getz
Stan Kenton
Stanley Jordan
Steve Stevens
Steve Vai
Susannah McCorkle
The Flaming Lips
The Innocence Mission
The Mystics
The Ohio Players
The Platters
The Ramones
Tiny Tim
Tom Jones
Tom Waits
Tommy Emmanuel
Tony Bennett
Tori Amos
Uncle Cracker
Vic Damone
Willie Nelson
Gene Vincent