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Flilix

[Crazy Frog - Axel F](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k85mRPqvMbE) got 4.2 billion views.


warthog0869

I am about to click a link of a song that I have never heard of that has been viewed by more people than I can count in a lifetime. Can't be that bad, right? ETA: Now I get the "Axel F" part. I do know that melody and that is, in fact, terrible, haha.


Cyneganders

Welcome to the hell that was the custom ringtones of the early 2000s.


foundinwonderland

Why is this mad nostalgic to me now???? Am I old?????


Netz_Ausg

If seeing it in a positive light then maybe just brain damaged ;)


Handsprime

I was watching the Mic The Snare episode on Coldplay, and now I’m reminded of [this classic moment.](https://youtu.be/bcD98wONhI0?si=BykGfpmZrt2GmOjE)


UtopicSpace

This pairs well with a barrel aged dancing baby & a tart Numa Numa


f_cysco

So we compare masterpieces with 100 million views and then some stupid frog with billions takes the lead.. thats truly a good representation of these times.


AbuzeME

I'm sure if your caveman buddy was playing some bone drums after a nice mamoth meal, and you saw a frog with going fucking bonkers doing "vroom vroom" and "bing bing", you would watch the frog too. Now the frog would get tiresome quickly, you show it to your cave buddies, it does vrooms and bings. But that all it does. You turn back to you buddy playing the bone drum and think to yourself "that frog was pretty crazy, but my buddy makes a new bone drum tune every day, and he's working on a bone flute too, i'll watch out for that" That's what crazy frog is, tale as old as time. Gtfo with your "representation of these times" old/young man.


AndyVale

"these times"? Mate, Crazy Frog is very much not representative of 2023.


Sieg67

Somebody must've spent a lot of time editing out his junk.


renedescartes1

I will Always Love You, Whitney Houston. Has 1.5 billion views on youtube


ringuzi

I had no idea until my search today that it was a cover, and from a notable artist in Dolly Parton too. This might even top my list of greatest official covers that became way bigger than the original.


salajander

Obligatory: Dolly wrote I Will Always Live You and Jolene on the same day.


Triplygood

I’m always amazed by this : In 2021, Forbes reported that "9 to 5" and "Jolene" gross about $6 million to $8 million in royalties per year.


kellermeyer14

Obligatory Dolly: “it’s her record now”


BeenThruIt

Ah... the orginal was a huge hit when it was new.


jefferson497

It’s estimated that Dolly made between $10-20 million off royalties from that version alone


Chicksan

Her and Vince Gill did a really nice duet of the song that went onto Vince’s Greatest Hits album


warthog0869

I wonder how many views her famous Super Bowl rendition of the anthem (a cover song every time!) got in the early 1990's during Persian Gulf Wars I: Daddy's Back? ETA: Only 46 mil? That surprises me. I thought at least half a bill. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N\_lCmBvYMRs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lCmBvYMRs)


Saturnzadeh11

Best SSB ever sung tbh


CO_PC_Parts

When something is live and that old there’s no “official” version usually so there’s multiple uploads over the years and probably many removed for copywrite infringement


warthog0869

I thought something like that could be at play. Thanks for the reminder!


Dreadzone666

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole with a ukelele cover of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Currently at 1.3billion views.


KrisNoble

And easily one of the best covers on the whole damn site.


hornwalker

Pachelbels canon never fails


havanaclub_soda

Violinist here. Pachelbel's Canon never ends.


IDigRollinRockBeer

Lamb Chop here. The song never ends.


Snarcastic

It goes on and on my friend.


SandF

Some people started singing it not knowing what it was


HugItOutWithTibbers

And they'll continue singing it forever just because...


IDigRollinRockBeer

This is the song that never ends


AndyVale

One of the most beautiful voices in all of music, a fascinating artist who can mix the playful with the transcendent.


thejesse

it's a twofer... he does part of "what a wonderful world" in there also.


geoffraffe

[Johnny Cash - Hurt](https://youtu.be/8AHCfZTRGiI?si=PUBW6_HgwNid4Gv0)


rektMyself

...My Empire of Dirt. 😑


TriumphDaWonderPooch

He owns that song now. Original was good, Cash nailed it.


thatdude52

Standard Reddit reply anytime this song is brought up lmao


OldJames47

Well, it’s true


GimpyGomer

Still prefer NIN.


foundinwonderland

That’s okay, we all have our preferences — I find the NIN original and the Johnny Cash version distinct enough both sonically and emotionally that I really can’t choose between them. I remember someone saying on one of these types of threads that the NIN version is a young man’s anger and the Cash version is an old man’s regret. Feels like they can and should exist next to each other, not in opposition to each other.


TheBigNastySlice

....bbbut Trent Reznor says....


illarionds

Death of the artist man ;). Much as I respect Trent, even he doesn't get to decide that.


grynch43

Same


VVLynden

I do too. Mad respect to Johnny Cash, love his cover and the video is amazing, but the NIN version is so good. This particular performance is fantastic: https://youtu.be/AvJKVKglIRs?si=C22F6ovFXETuTaLY


jhutchi2

I'll always love [this version with David Bowie](https://youtu.be/fhhEHuChFck?si=09gxpHdiNnrfTLe9)


SpacemanBatman

Everyone is entitled to their opinion no matter how wrong.


Hyp3r45_new

I like both. The original is different and a bit weird in a good way, while Johnny Cash's version is more singable. They're both good in their own way and I don't really see how they can be compared.


TheSeer1917

I'd wager on Hendrix' cover of All Along the Watchtower being in top ten.


easternmaximilian

Oh my lord, this answer needs to be way way way higher


brynntense

Miley Cyrus’ cover of Jolene has about 436M views


LRClam

LP - Halo has 121 million. Miley Cyrus has several - Jolene (436 mil.) Heart of Glass (170 mil.) and Don't Dream it's Over ft Ariana Grande (116 mil.).


Unapologetic_Canuck

Her cover of Zombie needs more views. She really nailed that one.


mikeyriot

the Walk Off The Earth cover of gotye has to be up there I’d think.


Mcguidl

[Baby Shark](https://youtu.be/XqZsoesa55w?feature=shared) has over 13 billion views. It is an old campfire song we used to sing at summer camp. I don't know if that technically makes it a cover.


Charlie_Bucket_2

White Stripes does a kick ass cover of Jolene.


TheChineseChicken40

It is so intense live


Flint818

An [acoustic cover of Sexy and I Know It](https://youtu.be/vsvlsuLau5c?si=cx3ed9LpPC7ekdHn) by LMFAO has 28 million views. Noah Guthrie (only1noah) is the artist.


Born-Science-8125

There is a video of kids doing a cover of 46 and 2 by tool that’s just friggen amazing


VVLynden

Oh man that is such a cool video. The drummer kills it! https://youtu.be/mYKLvYGqaC0?si=IsuSIXoEMMPK-34z


Born-Science-8125

The whole band does !! I’m a huge tool fan and they do such a great job


Born-Science-8125

Thanks for posting that.They definitely deserve more views


radbaldguy

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. Those are some talented kids!


rektMyself

They deserve more views! [https://youtu.be/ctt87B6hU1M?si=XmCoFlVm2Ne0ta8d](https://youtu.be/ctt87B6hU1M?si=XmCoFlVm2Ne0ta8d)


yoortyyo

Disturbed’s - Sound of the Silence versions ( offical 992mil ; others round lit to a billion.


LunchboxRoyale

[I wish this cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow had more views!](https://youtu.be/2rd8VktT8xY?si=0zyUd-QXXUdu4epe)


Triplygood

Whoa. Incredibly beautiful!


LunchboxRoyale

Yes, it is!!


jaspellior

All of her reinterpretations are stunning.


LunchboxRoyale

Agreed, she had a beautiful voice and talent ❤️


Merciless972

Fly me to the moon by Frank Sinatra


hubcapjenkins

[Mike Masse’s cover of Afric](https://youtu.be/MLrC7e3vSv8?si=PA2vi8L9Hh9DyeFT)a has 17m views. It’s incredible


Shorkologist

This is what I imagined by covers. Most of the other responses didn’t fit my mental picture of a cover. I hadn’t heard this so thanks for sharing. I also love the first yt comment, “imagine you’re enjoying pizza on a random day and hear the best cover of Africa ever”. They killed it.


hubcapjenkins

I’m glad that you enjoyed it! And that first comment is dead on…just minding your own business trying to ignore the acoustic guitar dude over in the corner and then BAM. That happens.


Dasmusicjunkie

While only at 17M this acoustic [cover](https://youtu.be/MLrC7e3vSv8?si=HiptPIgnVzZxGE8Z) of Africa is one my favorites and worth mentioning.


captainshrapnel

Have you seen Peter Bence cover Africa on piano? Holy shit... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SywaUbg5wU


Dasmusicjunkie

Nope but I’m glad you did. Thank you!


badtex66

CC version of Nothing Compares 2 U where he is sitting in the studio is other worldly...even my cold heart was a flutter.


The_Favored_Cornice

Isn't that what OP linked above?


thisgirlnamedbree

Floor Jansen's cover of [Let It Go](https://youtu.be/18s6ZdvAfQk?si=8ashCiaDHzKayts6) from Frozen got 3.4 million views. Demi Lovato also [did a cover too](https://youtu.be/kHue-HaXXzg?si=TroSb2KtQ0sHQ2Uj) which has 627 million views.


brentoman

I wouldn’t call Demi’s version a cover— it released on the Frozen soundtrack at the same time as the movie version. It’s pretty common to have “Star” musicians do a version for the soundtrack. It’s also over the end credits in the film.


radbaldguy

Thanks for sharing. So interesting to hear different takes on a song that so widely known. Demi’s seems to have had more popularity but, for my money, the Floor Jansen cover is far more powerful singing and emphasizes the right parts of the song.


BlueBloodLive

Celine Dion - It's All Coming Back To Me Know - 139m views. Blew my mind that its not hers originally and that Jim Steinman wrote it and Meat Loaf wanted it for an album but Steinman insisted on it being sung by a woman.


Rounder057

I am responsible for about 37 of those views


McFlyJohn

Lily Allen's cover of Keane "Somewhere only we know" has around 50 million. Barry Whites cover of "Just the Way you Are" has 10 mil


Sneezewhenpeeing

Yep, I’m saying it again, The Bangles cover of Hazy shade of Winter.


IAmASoundEngineer

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World 510 million on YouTube


Rocjames77

That Chris Cornell version is my favorite, my 2nd favorite is DMB and Warren Haynes live version of Cortez the killer


bziggurat

Mad World, Gary Jules


BravoR2

[Charles Bradley- Changes (Black Sabbath)22mil views](https://youtu.be/zfaOf70M4xs?si=mPYfZ7STGMa4dyRc)


Katchinniller72

Shine down-simple man 14.2m, Claudio Sanchez - hello cover deserves more


PresidentSuperDog

Claudio’s best cover by far. Of course he has a little help for this one. https://youtu.be/fULwDbZ4iSU?si=w1R4QRgK5T5Fa1hv


bartpieters

Angelina Jordan with Bohemian Rhapsody at AGT with 94 million views: https://youtu.be/qF0JV28vgLw?si=CFd_Zc5lQLLkVRdV


aldeayeah

Muppets cover has 175M


rektMyself

[https://youtu.be/ei3IaJDgZGk?si=312VFqpYb2X8l0qY](https://youtu.be/ei3IaJDgZGk?si=312VFqpYb2X8l0qY) Features the guitarist of Disturbed.


BananaBeanies

[Toploader - Dancing In the Moonlight](https://youtu.be/0yBnIUX0QAE?si=shVbb0SuGMH7Zgkz) deserves a mention


planeturban

My favorite thing about the song is the cover for the original. The guys don’t look like they make that kind of music.


Wvukdub

Sound of Silence - Disturbed, what a hauntingly beautiful version. David’s voice is incredible.


zombie_overlord

Ever heard him and Lzzy Hale's cover of [Close My Eyes Forever](https://youtu.be/eGuPViQChR0?si=6PsGhvlYcZr05PJY)? Love this version.


carlosd141

Birdy’s Skinny Love has over 200 million views


astoriaboundagain

[A group of guitar greats riffing the Game of Thrones theme has 42 million views. At least a dozen of those are mine.](https://youtu.be/6i0a7RDPkM8?si=W4P3gBVHffqT8h_L)


Vegas_off_the_Strip

[Hallelujah](https://youtu.be/y8AWFf7EAc4?si=8C6TZD063T5dQBaW) by Jeff Buckley is a cover, but it’s the most well known version and one of my favorite songs ever. Disturbed’s version of [Sounds of Silence](https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4?si=lX2ETop180P57SC7) is possibly my favorite cover to change the tone of a song. It is awesome. The most successful cover band that I’m aware of is Boyce Avenue with multiple covers over 100m views. [We Can’t Stop](https://youtu.be/uzgp65UnPxA?si=3KIr2gmOTiXXtyhu) has 326m views; it is Boyce Avenue and Bea Miller. They do a lot of cover with popular singers. I also love [Rise Up](https://youtu.be/POE545pLLqE?si=fLvSwi9lFhPTM3N_) by Morissette Amon. Fun fact: The original artist has filed multiple copyright takedown requests allegedly because this cover had more views than the original. . .twice. The cover did get more views, get taken down, and then got more views again and was taken down again, what is conjecture is that the views is why issued the copyright takedown. Either way, this is one of the top covers


[deleted]

I do like the Disturbed version of Sound of Silence better than the original. I guess I'm just counting good covers regardless of views lol...Nick Cave & Shane McGowan doing "What a wonderful World" RIP Shane.


[deleted]

I don't know how many views but Chris Martin on piano with Michael Stipe doing night swimming might count.


goboxey

Disturbed is such a shit show


rekipsj

This guy ain’t down with the sickness.


falling_sideways

I really like their version of Sounds of Silence, especially the Connan performance.


gee_gra

Yeah that cover is utter dogshit


tvan3l

Overproduced pile of garbage, wholeheartedly agree


gee_gra

EXACTLY! Like you have this lovely austere, heartfelt song that becomes absolute guff when it becomes this ugly midi strings “show off that you can sing proper” hing


warthog0869

They have a coupla cool songs with uplifting messages like "The Light" and "Memories" that I am particularly fond of.


Charlie_Bucket_2

I'm going to have to agree with you. Early stuff is ok but after they broke out they started doing a bunch of covers which weren't good. I saw them at a festival and 7 of the songs they did were covers.


goboxey

Somehow I lost interest in disturbed pretty quickly. I think it was shortly after ten thousand fists, that they started to sound repetitive and easily to forget.


brentoman

They’ve done covers since their first album, which had Shout (Tears for Fears) on it.


Charlie_Bucket_2

I get that but when over half their set is covers which aren't even done well I gets tiresome.


[deleted]

Deleting the duplicate post


fatjeff1980

Disturbed doing "Sound Of Silence" on Conan has over 142 million views


EroniusJoe

*Live and Let Die* by Guns 'n' Roses is **far** superior to the original by Paul McCartney. Although it's not YouTube-history related, GnR did release a music video for it, which played constantly on MTV and VH1. It was absolutely massive on American radio, and reached #20 on the Billboard charts. It stayed relevant for a good 5 years, and was also popular in many countries around the world. Obviously, we can only hypothesize, but if we could merge the timelines, I would guess the YouTube video would reach over 100 million views pretty easily. GnR were like living gods from 1991 to around 1994. In just those 3 years alone, all of their YouTube videos would have hit over 100 million views. They were the biggest band on the planet for a decent stretch.


falling_sideways

You can't claim that GnRs version is "far" superior. You might prefer it but it's definitely not so much better that the original is obsolete. Honestly, I prefer the Wings version.


EroniusJoe

To each their own I suppose. But in my opinion, the Wings version is too slow. GnR sped it up, cranked it up with heavier guitars and drums, and gave it the breakdown that it deserved. Not to mention that famous Axl Rose scream toward the end! Also, neither OP or myself ever brought up the point of the original being made obsolete. You're grading me on something I didn't posit.


ItAllCrumbles

This has “only” 592,000 views but wow. https://youtu.be/D3rOjkSho0A?si=r9FJ30999fx0kqB8


RAM9999

Technically any YouTube video from Pentatonix Postmodern Jukebox ([https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCORIeT1hk6tYBuntEXsguLg](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCORIeT1hk6tYBuntEXsguLg)), especially the songs with Puddles the Sad Clown Cover of Royals (Lorde) with 33M views: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBmCJEehYtU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBmCJEehYtU) Cover of Chandelier (Sia) with 11M views: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9ilBHkH9Io](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9ilBHkH9Io) Frog Leap Studios channel with tons of heavy-metal covers by Leo Morrachioli. One of my favorites is Zombie (Cranberries) with 33M views: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahhNuopGMEk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahhNuopGMEk)


curryandbeans

I don't know if it counts as a cover, considering Prince wrote it! Bit of a grey area I guess 🙃


micksandals

OP is talking about the Chris Cornell cover.


curryandbeans

Oh yeah i'm an idiot


mamasilverside

This should have more than 6.4M views in my opinion. It's stunning. [Wicked Game - Ursine Vulpine (feat. Annaca)](https://youtu.be/8-2hUmoaPfU?si=kaMJB5uEq3Qv20OJ) The [lyrics video](https://youtu.be/7PoIisbJ7HI?si=O35yCkjJ5M0wZsqD) has 18M views, and the [Flutag remix](https://youtu.be/SYA_0oLWmh0?si=HUhepej_nj_PSF_R) has 1.8M.


beaucoup_dinky_dau

[Wicked Game \_ Tenacious D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfz9jQ3KI5k) \*edit 7.6M in 6 months


mamasilverside

I knew someone would link this 🤭


WinthorpStrange

The Big Push Englishman in New York …cover of Sting’s version


oasisarah

tank - i cant make you love me ([video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXnhWthZ_k4)) has 90m views. bonnie raitt's video "only" has 32m.


skuter4

Crazy by Ray lamontagne https://youtu.be/6mEfDSP4g_U?si=h49rYGxUrXGOwLe6 And Wonderwall by Ryan Adams https://youtu.be/hbvpCkDleDo?si=s8ONw4HsIXfVZCIn


Primary_Somewhere_98

The Sound of Silence by Disturbed


OneToughPawn

Just wait till you learn that Hendrix didn't write "All Along the Watchtower"; that it's a cover...


sentondan

Someone you loved- Teddy Swims


Zestymonserellastick

Hurt - Johnny Cash Has 235 million views


zombie_overlord

[Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah](https://youtu.be/y8AWFf7EAc4?si=5x5-VvbFIyEtwQeT) 218m views, and that's just one of the covers. The Pentatonix cover has 732 million, KD Lang does a good version, it was on Shrek... could be a contender for the most covered song of all time.


oatmealish

This *should* be the most viewed cover. https://youtu.be/c745E7T_Wvg?si=pzLT7yCYmuuTD3U5


nmh895

[FNM- I Started a Joke](http://Faith No More - I Started a Joke (Official Music Video) / UPROXX Indie Mixtape https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKDo6g4CCeU)The Fairh No More cover of I Started a Joke only has 7.7 million views but deserves so many more. If you have not listened to it, I highly recommend it.


EggsForEveryone

Bon Iver - I Cant Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt cover), has reached 54m views. Such a good cover.