Covers Of Famous Songs That Are Even Better Than The Original
When the song "Jolene" comes on, do you think Dolly Parton or The White Stripes? How about "Hound Dog?" Most likely Elvis and not Big Mama Thornton. Covers are rarely better than the original songs. But if music has taught people anything, it's that it doesn't hurt to try something new.
Some would consider an original song to be nothing more than a first draft, ready to be taken and revamped by another artist. In some cases, it works out, and a beautiful new version of a song appears. The songs on this list are some of those special cases. Scroll through; you might be surprised what you learn!
"I Will Always Love You" By Whitney Houston
Contrary to popular belief, the famous ballad "I Will Always Love You" sung by the talented Ms. Whitney Houston is not the original version. In 1973, the Queen of Country, Dolly Parton, wrote the song and released it a year later as a single.
As Parton was pursuing a solo career, she wrote the song as a farewell to her mentor and former partner, Porter Wagoner. Then, in 1992, Huston came in to record her version for the movie the Bodyguard. Her version is known as one of the best-selling singles of all time, spending 14 weeks as number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Hallelujah" By Jeff Buckley
If you're familiar with the sultry guitar and haunting voice that makes up the song "Hallelujah," then you're probably listening to Jeff Buckley's version. The truth is, the song was initially composed in 1984 by Leonard Cohen for his album Various Positions. Initially, the song found little success.
"Hallelujah" became popular with John Cale's piano version, which then inspired Jeff Buckley's more haunting cover of the song. Of course, the song found a majority of its popularity after being featured in the Dreamworks movie Shrek. Currently, there are over 300 known versions of the Leonard Cohen song.
"I Love Rock 'N' Roll" By Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was initially written as "a knee-jerk response to the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)," according to Alan Merrill, lead singer for band Arrow. The song was written by Merrill in 1975 and went on to become a huge hit -- just not with Arrow.
Joan Jett covered the song in 1979 with Paul Cook, Steve Jones, and the Sex Pistols, and again in 1981 with The Blackhearts. The latter became number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. Then, in 2016, Jett's version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
"All Along The Watchtower" By Jimi Hendrix
Listening to Jimi Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower," most would never guess that the original version includes a harmonica. Before the electric guitar riffs Hendrix is known for took over, Bob Dylan wrote it as a folk song. That's right; in 1967, Dylan recorded the song, including it in his album John Wesley Harding.
It wasn't until six months later that Hendrix took up his guitar to cover the song for the album Electric Lady. Since then, the cover has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and is considered, by Rolling Stone, to be one of the greatest songs of all time.
"Hound Dog" By Elvis
The song "Hound Dog" was originally recorded in 1952 by blues singer Big Mama Thornton. It was her only hit record, but it is considered to be one of the songs that shaped the rock and roll genre. In 2013, Thornton's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
"Hound dog" has been recorded over 200 times, but the most famous cover is by The King, Elvis. In 1956, Elvis took the song and reworked it to have his signature hip-swinging rock sound. His cover is one of the best-selling singles of all time, and, in 1988, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
"Blinded by the Light" By Manfred Mann's Earth Band
With the iconic, clean sound of Manfred Mann's Earth Band cover of "Blinded by the Light," it's almost impossible to imagine the song ever incorporating a saxophone. The song was initially recorded in 1973 for Bruce Springsteen's debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. The song was not successful.
In 1976, Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a cover that eventually reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The British rock band recorded the song for their album Roaring Silence. As a songwriter, it's Springsteen's only number-one single on the Hot 100.
"American Woman" By Lenny Kravitz
"American Woman" is a song that was originally recorded by the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. The song was recorded in 1970, and the lyrics have been a matter of debate since. One take is that it is an anti-war protest song, talking about the draft and Vietnam War that was going on at the time.
The most notable cover of the song is Lenny Kravitz's 1999 version that was recorded for the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Kravitz took the '70s rock sound and fine-tuned it to be cleaner and a bit slower. The famous guitar solo is also notably missing.
"Girls Just Want To Have Fun" By Cyndi Lauper
After hearing Cyndi Lauper's pop version, would you believe that "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was originally recorded by a male artist? Robert Hazard first recorded the song in 1979 as a new wave sound. His version is from the male perspective, while the more famous cover is the complete opposite.
Lauper recorded her cover in 1983, singing from a feminists point of view. The song has since been made an anthem for women, sending the message that women can have the same experiences as men. The cover became a worldwide hit throughout the early 80s, even winning a Grammy for the music video.
"Jolene" By The White Stripes
Out of all of her songs, Dolly Parton has said, "Jolene" is the one covered by artists the most. The timeless song was originally released in 1973 for Parton's album Jolene. Initially not winning awards for the song, 43-years after it's release, Parton won a Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Jolene."
One popular cover of the song is by the garage band The White Stripes. They originally released the song as a live single, eventually featuring it on their 2010 album Under Great White Northern Lights. Readers of Rolling Stone voted The White Stripes cover of "Jolene" as the best live performance.
"Mad World" By Gary Jules And Michael Andrews
Tears for Fears recorded the song "Mad World" in 1982, and it was the band's first chart hit. The new wave song was written as a response to Duran Duran's "Girls on Film." Unlike many of the covers, the original version of the song featured heavy percussion and synthesizers — completely different from the Gary Jules and Michael Andrews version.
In the duo's cover, they strip down the song to just the essentials: a piano, cello, vocals, and modest use of a synthesizer and electric piano. The haunting song was recorded for the cult-classic Donnie Darko. Due to the popularity of the film, the duo decided to record it as a proper single!
"Over The Rainbow" By Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole
"Over the Rainbow" was made popular by the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Sung by Judy Garland, it quickly became a classic and the young actress's signature song. She went on to sing it for thirty years. The popularity and innocent theme of the song quickly grabbed the attention of other artists, leading to multiple covers.
One of the most popular covers is by Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole. In his version, he takes the original lyrics and pairs them with a ukulele melody of Louis Armstrong's song "What a Wonderful World." The unexpected mash-up works beautifully, making it difficult for people to listen to the original.
"Proud Mary" By Ike and Tina Turner
Creedence Clearwater Revival first recorded the roots-rock song "Proud Mary" in 1969. It became a mega-hit in the United States, peaking at the number 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in March of the same year. Then, a few years later, in 1971, the slow lazy rock song was covered by soul singing powerhouse, Tina Turner.
Starting nice and slow, Tina and Ike Turner quickly turned "Proud Mary" into a fast-paced funk-rock song with gospel-influenced vocals. It is considered to be Turner's most recognizable song, earning the duo a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group one year after the cover was released.
"Respect" By Aretha Franklin
Written by Otis Redding in 1965 was the landmark song "Respect. Originally, the lyrics told the story of a man who was looking for the respect of his wife. Then, two years later, in 1967, Aretha Franklin revamped the lyrics and created a cover that was utilized throughout the feminist movement.
In her cover, Franklin adds in the famous "R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me" verse as well as the background vocals singing "sock it to me." The tone being from that of a confident woman, the opposite of Reddings. The cover earned Franklin two Grammy Awards in 1968 and a Hall of Fame induction in 1987.
"Take Me To The River" By Talking Heads
Al Green originally recorded the soul song "Take Me to the River" for his 1974 album Al Green Explores Your Mind. His version was ranked number 117 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. Four years after Al Green released his version of the song, a new wave band decided to make a cover.
Talking Heads took parts of a few genres and threw them into the song, making it more electronic sounding than Green's original soulful version. Their cover hit the singles charts in a few places, including the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
"Valerie" by Amy Winehouse
The indie rock band The Zutons recorded the track "Valerie" in 2006 for their second album Tired of Hanging Around. In an interview, lead singer Dave McCabe discussed his writing process for the song, stating, "The whole song was written before I got there, [to my mum's], so 20 minutes, max." A year later, the song was covered by the talented soulful singer, Amy Winehouse.
The cover quickly found popularity, peaking at number 2 on the UK charts, and becoming Winehouse's most popular song in the Netherlands. Surprisingly, her collaborator Mark Ronson wasn't set on the song for his album Version, but quickly changed his mind after hearing her sing.
"With A Little Help From My Friends" By Joe Cocker
No one thought a cover of a Beatles song would be possible, let alone become famous. The 1967 song "With a Little Help from My Friends" proved the non-believers wrong. Joe Cocker covered the song in 1968, and it was instantly popular. Paul McCartney said, "it was just mind-blowing [Cocker's cover] totally turned the song into a soul anthem, and I was forever grateful for him for doing that."
Cocker played his cover at Woodstock in 1969; it became the theme song for the hit TV series The Wonder Years, and, in 2001, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It's considered one of the greatest covers ever recorded.
"Killing Me Softly With His Song" By The Fugees
"Killing me Softly with His Song" was originally recorded in 1971 by Lori Lieberman. The song didn't chart until the 1973 cover by Roberta Flack. But it wasn't until Lauryn Hill's vocals in the 1996 Fugees cover that the song really became popular.
What was once a slow love song turned into a hip hop song, a complete 180 from the original version. The Fugees cover won the 1997 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Ironically, Spin called the cover "an instant classic," even though the lyrics had been out in the world since 1971.
"Lady Marmalade" By Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink, And Lil' Kim
The song "Lady Marmalade" first became popular in 1974 by the girl group Labelle. It was the hit single in the United States for a week, also topping the Canadian chart. The song has had many covers, but the 2001 cover by Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink, and Lil' Kim, is easily the most popular.
The ladies' cover of the song was recorded for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack. Twenty-six years after the release of the original song, it found it's way back to the top of the US Billboard for five weeks, thanks to the uniqueness of the pop, rap, and R&B collaboration.
"It's My Life" By No Doubt
"It's My Life" is a 1984 new wave song recorded by the band Talk Talk for their album of the same name. It did alright on the charts, with the most notable peak being a spot on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song didn't really become overly popular until the 2003 cover by the band No Doubt.
Gwen Stafani's distinct voice made the cover very popular in the United States, landing the song on the Billboard Hot 100 for 28 weeks. After selling 500,000 digital copies, The Recording Industry of America certified the digital download as Gold.
"There She Goes" By Sixpence None The Richer
In 1988, the English rock band The La's released "There She Goes," a song that soon became named one of the 40 Greatest one-hit wonders by Rolling Stone. The song was featured on multiple soundtracks, including The Parent Trap, and paved the way for some popular covers.
Sixpence None the Richer covered the song in 1999, completely making it their own. The biggest difference being the vocals. A male sings the original while the cover features a high-pitched female voice. Their rendition of the song reached number 14 on the UK charts, peaking at number two in Iceland.
