WATCH: 'Killer' cover of Cranberries' Zombie released in Dolores O'Riordan's memory

A COVER version of The Cranberries' Zombie is a hit on iTunes and YouTube and the proceeds from the song are to be donated to the late Dolores O'Riordan's children, the band behind it have said.

Bad Wolves’ Zombie, which has dominated rock and metal charts around the globe and has four million views on YouTube, was due to feature the Limerick woman, with the singer due to record guest vocals on the very day of her tragic passing in January.

The band however decided to move forward and release the track in her memory with all proceeds going to her children.

Dolores' publicist Lindsey Holmes said: "Dolores was excited about plans to guest vocal on a cover version of her all time classic Zombie by American rock band Bad Wolves.

"Although very different in style to the original, Dolores said she thought that the cover 'was killer' and she was intrigued by the simple but effective couple of lyric changes that make the cover version as relevant to current world events as the original was to the events that inspired her to write the song in the early nineties," Ms Holmes added.

Since its international release, the cover has rocketed to the top of rock and metal iTunes charts in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland, garnering over 3.5 million combined streams across YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.

It is currently Top-20 at U.S. Rock Radio.

Bad Wolves’ Tommy Vext explains what compelled him to cover the song: “Her lyrics, confronting the collateral damage of political unrest, capture the same sentiment we wanted to express a quarter-century later. That is a testament to the kind of enduring artist Dolores was, and will remain forever.”

The accompanying video, directed by Wayne Isham, is a powerful testament to the Cranberries’ singer, featuring an unreachable woman fully-realized in O’Riordan’s iconic gold from the original Zombie video.

“For me Dolores was the strongest female voice in rock for the past three decades,” explains Dan Waite, Managing Director Europe for Eleven Seven Label Group and the artist’s personal friend.

“I have very bittersweet feelings about the last two voice messages Dolores left me on the day she passed about recording 'Zombie' with Bad Wolves.

"She was telling me Bad Wolves version was 'awesome' and she could not wait to get into the studio, however ultimately her voicemails have brought comfort to her mother Eileen and her family as they heard her messages joking and talking passionately about music, her children, and future plans."

Originally released in 1994 following the IRA bombing of Warrington, The Cranberries’ Zombie hit #1 across the globe, including on the Billboard Alternative Songs charts.