1. The Slits - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Original belongs to: Gladys Knight & the Pips
2. Sinead O "Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
Original belongs to: The Family
3. Hot Chip - Dancing in the Dark
Original belongs to: Bruce Springsteen
4. Aretha Franklin - Eleanor Rigby
Original belongs to: The Beatles
5. Sturgill Simpson - In Bloom
Original belongs to: Nirvana
6. Ra Ra Riot - Suspended in Gaffa
Original belongs to: Kate Bush
7. Ryan Adams-Wonderwall
Original belongs to: Oasis
8. Gary Jules - Mad World
Original belongs to: Tears for Fears
9. Tori Amos - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Original belongs to: Nirvana
Original belongs to: John Lennon
11. Fiona Apple - Across the Universe
Original belongs to: The Beatles
12. Antony and the Johnsons - Crazy in Love
Original belongs to: Beyonce
13. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
Original belongs to: Dolly Parton
14. Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane
Original belongs to: The Velvet Underground
15. Kele - Goodbye Horses
Original belongs to: Q Lazzarus
16. Joan Osborne - What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Original belongs to: Jimmy Ruffin
17. Bettie LaVette - Love Reign O "er Me
Original belongs to: The Who
18. Maxwell - This Woman's Work
Original belongs to: Kate Bush
19. CSS - Knife
Original belongs to: grizzly bear
20. Cake - I Will Survive
Original belongs to: Gloria Gaynor
21. Echo and the Bunnymen - Ticket to Ride
Original belongs to: The Beatles
22. Urge Overkill - Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon
Original belongs to: Neil Diamond
23. Dean & Britta - I'll Keep It With Mine
Original belongs to: Bob Dylan
24. Cat Power - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Original belongs to: The Rolling Stones
25. Jim James & Calexico — Goin' to Acapulco
Original belongs to: Bob Dylan
26. Roberta Flack - Bridge Over Troubled Water
Original belongs to: Simon & Garfunkel
27. Cyndi Lauper - When You Were Mine
Original belongs to: Prince
28. Guns N' Roses - Live and Let Die
Original belongs to: Paul McCartney and Wings
29. Bette Midler - When a Man Loves a Woman
Original: Percy Sledge
30. Nina Simone - Ain't Got No, I Got Life
Original credit: Broadway musical Hair ( Hair)
Original belongs to: The Zutons
32. Ronnie Spector - You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory
Original belongs to: Johnny Thunders
33. Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
Original belongs to: Cher
34. Best Coast—Rhiannon
Original belongs to: Fleetwood Mac
35. Talking Heads - Take Me to the River
Original belongs to: Al Green
36. CeeLo Green - No One's Gonna Love You
Original belongs to: Band of horses
37. Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Original belongs to: Bob Dylan
38. Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends
Original belongs to: The Beatles
39. Aimee Mann
Original belongs to: Harry Nilsson
40. Clem Snide
A cover is not only an interpretation of a popular song, but also a tribute to its creators. And it's not uncommon for a cover version to be much more interesting and successful than the original. We have collected some of the most striking examples of world hits, which owe their success to cover versions.
"Summertime" - Janis Joplin (original Abbie Mitchell 1935)
This composition was originally performed in 1935 in the opera "Porgy and Bess" performed by Abbie Mitchell. This is one of the leaders in terms of the number of covers, and the most famous of them is from Janis Joplin.
"The Man Who Sold The World", Nirvana (original David Bowie 1970)
The song was originally recorded by David Bowie on the release of his third album in 1970, after which it has been repeatedly covered. But the composition ascended to the top of the charts performed by NIRVANA, very organically fitting into the repertoire of this group.
"You Were Always On My Mind", Pet Shop Boys 1987 (original Elvis Presley 1972)
Elvis Presley recorded this ballad in 1972. And the Pet Shop Boys in 1987 remade the song, turning it into a dance hit.
"Hurt", Johnny Cash 2002 (original Nine Inch Nails 1994)
This song was originally performed by Nine Inch Nails with a depressing slant and profanity. And in 2002, a more lyrical version of it appeared, eclipsing the original both in beauty of music and in meaning. And Johnny Cash recorded it.
"All Along The Watch Tower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1968 (original Bob Dylan 1967)
This single, recorded by Bob Dylan in 1968, was very well covered by Jimi Hendrix.
"Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinead O'Connor 1990 (original Prince 1985)
This song was written and performed by singer Prince in 1985. And in 1990, the Irish Sinead O'Connor brought her to the top of the charts in several countries at once, captivating the audience with a very soulful performance.
"Feeling Good" - Muse
The song was originally featured in the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd. In our time, the most popular are its two versions, performed by NINA SIMONE and the Muse group.
"I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston 1992 (original by Dolly Parton 1974)
The song that sounded in the film "The Bodyguard" is known all over the world and is associated with the name of Whitney Houston, which turned it into a real masterpiece. And few people know that the American singer Dolly Parton composed this song back in the 70s.
"Hound dog" - Elvis Presley 1956 (original Willie Mae Thornton, "Big Mama")
The first performer of this rock song was American blues singer Willie Mae Thornton. But, after rock and roll star Elvis Presley performed it in 1956, the song is associated with his name.
"Love Hurts" NAZARETH 1975 (original THE EVERLY BROTHERS 1960)
Originally part of THE EVERLY BROTHERS' repertoire, this calm, lyrical song has been covered and re-recorded many times since 1960. The Scottish rock band Nazareth has seriously remade the song, turning it into a rock ballad. Their piercing composition, which tells about all-consuming love, was an unprecedented success.
"Turn The Page" METALLICA 1998 (original Bob Seger 1973)
This composition in the spirit of classic rock was written in 1973 by Bob Seger. Among its many variations, the most famous is the version performed by Metallica, which is distinguished by a heavier sound compared to the original.
"Crying In The Rain" - A-HA 1990 (original THE EVERLY BROTHERS 1962)
Introduced in 1962, THE EVERLY BROTHERS single about rain and tears gained wide popularity after it was performed by the Norwegian group A-HA in the 90th year.
"Wild World" - MR.BIG 1993 (original Cat Stevens 1970)
This song, recorded in 1970, has been performed many times in a variety of styles and variations. And yet, according to the charts, the cover, which was released in 1993 by the group MR.BIG, is considered the best.
"Twist and Shout" - The Beatles (original The Isley Brothers 1962)
It turns out that this well-known rock and roll, associated exclusively with the Beatles, was not written by them at all. The authors of the song are Phil Medley and Bert Russell, and the first performers are the American group Isley Brothers. But world fame came to this song only after it was performed by the Liverpool Four.
"Can't Help Falling In Love" - UB 40 (original by Elvis Presley)
This song is so firmly established in the UB40 repertoire that many fans do not even assume that there is another original version. But it turns out that Elvis Presley originally sang this song. And the British group UB40 managed to turn it into their own hit and raise it to the top of the charts.
"Venus" Bananarama (Original Shocking Blue)
The song was first performed by Shocking Blue from Denmark, and a cover version by Bananarama, three girls from Britain, made it a hit.
"I Love Rock "N" Roll" - Joan Jett 1982 (original by TheArrows)
The song of The Arrows, which has been covered many times, gained worldwide popularity due to its performance by the American singer D. Jett.
"Behind Blue Eyes" - Limp Bizkit (original by The Who)
Although this song performed by the English rock band The Who was a great success in its time, today's youth listen to its cover version from LimpBizkit.
And a few more famous hits-covers:
"Don't Turn Around" - Ace Of Base (original by Tina Turner)
"Without You" - Mariah Carey, Harry Nilsson (Badfinger original)
"Sunny" - Boney M. (original by Bobby Hebb)
"One Way Ticket" - Eruption (Original by Neil Sedaka)
"Sailing" - Rod Stewart (original The Sutherland Brothers Band)
"Got My Mind Set on You" - George Harrison (original James Ray)
September marks 40 years since the song I Will Always Love You was written and first recorded in the studio. Did the author and performer of the ballad, Dolly Parton, then think that in almost a quarter of a century her work would gain a second life thanks to Whitney Houston? the site chose this and nine other most famous cover versions, some of which overshadowed the originals.
Twist and Shout (original by The Isley Brothers, cover by The Beatles)
The song, which is difficult to imagine performed by someone other than The Beatles, however, does not belong to them. Twist and Shout was composed by American authors Phil Midley and Bert Burns, and with the help of The Isley Brothers, the composition became a hit. The bugs, who started their careers in big show business, turned the mid-tempo song into a rock and roll chant that lasted in the top 40 longer than any other songs of the group.
I Will Always Love You (original by Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston cover)
Houston's version not only became an all-time super hit (three months at number one on the Billboard charts, a Grammy award, 14 million singles sold), but also breathed new life into the old song. Another thing is that the laurels went to the same Whitney, the author of the ballad - Dolly Parton - was left behind. The song has a long history: Composed in 1973, I Will Always Love You was first recorded a year later for Parton's album. The thing did not gain much fame, taking some non-prominent place in the country chart. Eight years later, Dolly Parton re-recorded the song, but even then it was far from the hype that arose around the Houston version. When I Will Always Love You, from The Bodyguard, drove the planet crazy, Parton tried to criticize her more fortunate colleague, but finally gave in: “How can I be unhappy if the amount in my bank account has grown so incredibly!”
Can "t Help Falling In Love (original - Elvis Presley, cover - UB 40)
The very case when someone else's song became so own that it created some confusion in the minds of fans. This is despite the fact that the original version was performed not by someone, but by Elvis himself. However, both Elvis and the status of a perfect classic did not save Can "t Help Falling In Love from turning into a native hit UB40. Performed by these Britons, the ballad occupied the charts in the USA (for seven whole weeks) and Britain, hit the soundtrack for the then fashionable The Sliver and eclipsed UB40's own writing.
Venus (Original Shocking Blue, Bananarama cover)
The very song that is known in the Soviet Union (and then in Russia) under the code name "Shizgara" was a hit in the seventies. Performed by the Danish band Shocking Blue, the piece has gone down in history thanks to a cover version by the British trio Bananarama. The girls turned a rock hit into a new wave dance hit, and 1986 passed under the sign of the synthpop "Shizgara". As for the next decade, in 1996, the Dream group built their debut single Pilot based on Venus, and the then youth sang in chorus “Let's bet that the river becomes the sea”, not at all embarrassed by obvious parallels.
You Were Always On My Mind (original by Elvis Presley, cover by Pet Shop Boys)
The elegant ballad by Willie Nelson became such in the version of Elvis Presley (there were others, but who will remember them now). It was 1972, and for the respectable King of Rock and Roll, such a thing was very suitable. After 16 years, the pop duo Pet Shop Boys thoroughly shoveled the original source, building a fast dance hit out of it. For PSB, which has enough hits of its own production, Always On My Mind and the success that accompanied it (a month in the leaders of the national chart) are still important. At least, rare concerts do without this (once) tear ballad.
How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees original, Take That cover)
Left without Robbie Williams, Take That, before dispersing for 15 years, recorded not their own, but someone else's song as the last goodbye. And they hit the bull's-eye: How Deep Is Your Love, which rattled from every iron in the second half of the seventies, received, if not a new reading (Take That's version was not too radically different from the original), but a fresh audience. Thanks to the fans of Gary Barlow & Co, the number of the Bee Gees has been the leader of the British chart for three weeks in a row, leaving the best memory about itself and the group that made the right choice.
I Was Made For Lovin" You (original Kiss, cover - Scooter)
A million CDs sold with the song performed by Kiss made this piece an example of a disco rock hit. After 19 years, the German techno trio Scooter, without too much ado, replaced the heroic galloping rhythm of the original with a win-win dyts-dyts. No romance, a minimum of prettiness, and I Was Made For Lovin "You turned from a ballad into a purely dance action movie. It is not surprising that for many young people, acquaintance with the original source was akin to shock.
Sweet Dreams (original by Eurythmics, covered by Marilyn Manson)
The first - and main - hit of Eurythmics, which can be exhibited in museums under the banner "Synthpop Sample", Marilyn Manson turned into a ferocious industrial number characteristic of himself. Sung in a strangled mocking voice, Sweet Dreams took on a completely different meaning, mutating from Annie Lennox's bitter reflections into a frightening satire.
The world of music is certainly a very diverse and multi-genre art form. Every day more and more new songs are born in creative (and not so) heads, so their number is so great that it is impossible to count or listen to. But there is such a successful combination of text and melody that it is impossible to resist the temptation to perform your favorite song in your own way. We are used to hearing such attempts to imitate the greats in the circle of our friends, watching on YouTube or, in extreme cases, on various talent shows.
But it happens that the “great ones” also do not disdain strangers and are happy to “borrow” a song from their colleagues in the creative workshop. And it happens that this “theft” is rewarded: sometimes a covered song becomes so popular that the original is modestly lost in the shadow of its cover version. So, we present you the best covers that could overshadow the original versions of the songs.
10 best covers that surpassed the original
A sad song that encourages listeners not to be sad. This track is played on various radio stations and does not lose its popularity in our time. Dust in the Wind was sung by the Scorpions, Linkin Park and many others. And the song belongs to Kansas.
9. Scorpions - We are the Champions
Song by British rock band Queen. This is one of the band's most famous songs. It has become the sports anthem of millions of fans around the world. And I got a place in this top solely because it was covered by Robbie Williams, GreenDay, CrazyFrog. And the Scorpions.
8. Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
The song belongs to . But Hendrix replayed it so successfully that even Dylan himself took such an interpretation of his creation extremely approvingly and prefers to perform “All Along the Watchtower” in the style of Hendrix at his performances.
7. Limp Bizkit - Behind Blue Eyes
Song by English rock band TheWho. At one time, this composition brought a lot of applause to the British. But let's be realistic - the "younger generation" remembers not the original, but the cover version of LimpBizkit, for which they get a place in this rating.
6. HIM - Wicked Game
A song by Chris Isaac that fans of Finnish rockers probably have no idea about. Although the original is also very popular and older people remember exactly.
5. Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
The House of the Rising Sun is an American folk ballad. It was performed by many bluesmen at one time. But the popularity of the “House of the Rising Sun” was brought by the Animals, although before that even Bob Dylan performed it. The opposite is also true - it is thanks to this composition that the British rock band remains in memory to this day. Wonder what it's like when your best song isn't yours?
4. Guns n' Roses - Knockin' on heaven's door
An example of how a cover version leaves the original performance far behind. The song belongs to the same Bob Dylan. The Guns did an excellent job of covering Dylan and now many people are already doing covers of their style of performing "Knockin' on heaven's door".
3. Joan Jett - I Love Rock 'n' Roll
This song by TheArrows was also repeatedly sung by everyone and sundry. But the worldwide popularity of the track was given by the performance of the American singer D. Jett. Then this song was performed by Britney Spears: in her pop career, it was perhaps the best song. At the same time, Britney did not hesitate to take Joanne Jet's style of performance.
2. John Cale
Song by Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen. This song has been covered over 200 times. Among the performers who sang this song were Bob Dylan, BonJovi, Damien Rice. But the most successful is the performance of John Cale.
It is curious that before settling on the final version of "Hallelujah", Cohen wrote about 80 different versions of the text. At the same time, according to history, he wrote part of these texts in some New York hotel, sitting on the floor in his shorts ... I don’t even know how to perceive it - as something delightful or frightening?
1. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
A song that thanks to the film "The Bodyguard" and the excellent performance of Houston. But the author of this song remained in the shadow of his masterpiece.
"I Will Always Love You" was composed by Dolly Parton, an American country music actress and singer, back in the 70s. Parton recorded different versions of songs, this composition performed by her appeared in some films, was released in different albums of the singer, was quoted at high positions in the American charts ...
But she could not see world fame. Until Whitney sang it and everyone watched The Bodyguard. It's funny, but it was this cowboy song about unhappy love that became the hallmark of the American pop star.
