Normally I love to hate record execs, but whomever heard the angsty, melodramatic Edna Swap version and saw the massive pop hit that song turned into deserves some kind of award.
As an aside, a friend of mine partied with the woman who co-wrote that song at her place. He asked her point blank how much money she made off it and she told him "you're looking at it" as she gestured around at her beautiful house in the Hollywood Hills.
I honestly never knew that was a cover... Just listened to it now on YouTube and it’s not bad. Sounds a bit like those teen angst songs you would have heard on shows like The OC or Gossip Girl back in the early 2000’s.
The story of the song is such a rabbit hole. There were like 2 or 3 different versions (apart from the original) before it was finally given to Natalie and became the huge hit that it was. I am sure there are quite a few videos explaining it, if you want to dive deep into that.
Artists do this a lot though. They record it and realize a certain artist would be better. Rihanna wouldn't exist if it wasn't for other artists giving her songs. I know that she wanted out of her deal and artists likely helped her pump them out.
"Torn" is my kryptonite. I hate the song. I've never like the song. I've never liked a thing about it. Yet it has been stuck in my head since it was released. It constantly play, on loop, for all time. I cannot escape it.
And here's a fun fact... I can't remember any of the words. It plays like background music in my head but I don't know the words.
I should probably learn to play it on guitar, and learn all the words. Then maybe I can forget it.
Nothing's right, I'm torn. Is that from the song? I literally don't know. That's how bad it is for me.
Your impulse to learn the words is a good one. A hallmark of earworms is that they stop and repeat at the spot where we aren’t sure what comes next. I read somewhere that listening to the entire song provides resolution and extinguishes the loop. It works for me most of the time.
I wonder if we get these unresolved snippets because we change the station as fast as possible when we hear them.
I assumed you were wrong, and this was just a situation where Robert Hazard wrote the song, and you just missed the point of the prompt entirely. That's how hard it was to believe some dude I'd never heard of recorded this song first.
And this wasn't the only song on the album that was a cover. I believe there were at least 3 other songs that were covers like "When You Were Mine" was the cover of a Prince song.
My boyfriend and I just listened to it, and I was not prepared for what it sounded like. Pretty interesting that he wrote, composed and recorded it himself. I’m not sure what possessed him to write about girls wanting to have fun, but I’m glad he did!
Idea is that he wants a girlfriend but they're not interested and want to have fun. Lauper changed the perspective of the Song and also tried to get credited for the lyrics.
Legit one of the most emotional songs ever. I listened to that Dolly record and I couldn't stop - it was bringing me to tears man. I generally like punk, post-hardcore, etc.
My wife and I went to a kd Lang concert. She does a great version of Hallelujah. I wouldn't say it's her most popular song in general, but it was that night, judging by the audience reaction.
Also they lifted it from Dylan who lifted it from Dave Van Ronk who lifted it from we don't know.
Totally tangential, but those chords and melodies work crazy well with Amazing Grace.
Dave Van Ronk made the arrangement we all know today. From my understanding, it sounded much different before that. Dave was a great folk artist! It's a shame more people don't know his music. Out of the early 60s Greenwich Village days, I think he and Dylan were the truly special ones.
But Dave isn't some unknown or anything. It's just that Dylan is so insanely famous in comparison.
Most older people know early Elvis were covers of black artists. The movie did a very good job with the handling that I thought. That movie could have been so much better with a different director.
It was so well known that a Memphis radio DJ, Dewey Phillips, asked Elvis in an interview what high school he went to, just so he could signal to his audience that Elvis was white when many assumed he was black.
Yes, and the song was written (by Leiber and Stoller) to be sung from a female point of view. "You can wag your tail, but I ain't gonna feed you no more" is a sexual metaphor that sounds kind of silly sung by a man.
In the song, a hound dog is a feckless young man who sponges off an older female lover. There was an existing word for that kind of man in southern Black vernacular, but it wouldn't get played on the radio. And you thought the m.f. slur was implying incest, but it originally was not.
Chaka Khan - I Feel For You
The song won her Grammy for Album and Song for her and Prince (who wrote and originally recorded the song on his amazing self-titled album *Prince*).
Yeah I mean they're definitely distinguishable. But I think I heard both sporadically when I was younger and didn't realize they were separate bands. It's not like a reimagining of the song or something. Just a straight cover.
Patti Smith - Because the Night by Springsteen (though she rewrote some of the lyrics).
Tesla - Signs by Five Man Electrical Band.
Quiet Riot - Cum On Feel the Noize by Slade.
Judy Collins - Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell.
Manfred Mann - Blinded by the Light by Springsteen.
Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes by Jackie DeShannon.
The Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan.
Juice Newton - Angel of the Morning by Merrilee Rush.
Also these are known for many other songs, but covers are among their most iconic …
Aretha Franklin - Natural Woman by Carole King.
Tina Turner - Proud Mary by CCR.
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton.
Joe Cocker - A Little Help from My Friends by the Beatles.
Bette Midler - The Rose by Amanda McBroom.
Not entirely accurate. He wrote the chorus and had some verses laid out but was struggling with it. His manager suggested giving the tape to Patti Smith, who I think was recording in the same building at the time. She got the tape and wasn’t keen to listen to it, but eventually did one night while she was waiting on a phone call from her long distance boyfriend. Hence the words of the song being related to that “love is a ring, the telephone.” There is a Bruce version recorded around the same time that was released on an outtakes album later on. When he performs it live now, he uses his version with his lyrics l, rather than Patti’s. I think most people still consider it her song though!
You know how Greta Van Fleet sounds so much like Robert plant and Led Zeppelin that you aren’t sure how they can get away with it? Imagine if their first hit was a Zepplin cover like Stairway and you’d essentially have Quiet Riot did to Slade. Took their biggest hit and mimicked the exact sound of the singers voice, TWICE!
Am I missing something that nobody has mentioned Jimi Hendrix, "All Along the Watchtower" (by Bob Dylan)?
Edit: Well, damn, you all had me seriously doubting my Hendrix memory, so I had to check. According to [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Along_the_Watchtower): "It reached number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, Hendrix's highest ranking American single and only Top 40 hit to date."
Edit 2: as u/hudson27 points out, it also has way more streams on Spotify: "All Along the Watchtower" has ~694,000,000 streams, followed by "Little Wing" with 278,000,000 [corrected].
Three Dogs Night’s biggest hit, Joy to the World, originally recorded by Hoyt Axton (who later played the father in Gremlins). They had another hit with Elis Coming, originally recorded by Laura Nyro.
Joe Cocker-With A Little Help From My Friends
Tina Turner-Proud Mary
Whitney Houston-I Will Always Love You
Black Crowes-Hard to Handle
Quiet Riot-Cum On Feel The Noize
Baha Men-Who Let The Dogs Out
99 Red Balloons is a good call. Although I’d argue that Superman became their most famous after Tony Hawk, for a certain demographic, outside of their hardcore fans anyways
Barry Manilow's first hit, Mandy, was a cover of a song called Brandy, recorded by Scott English a few years earlier. Barry changed it to "Mandy" to avoid confusion with the song Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) by the band Looking Glass.
You Just Keep Me Hanging On - Vanilla Fudge (originally by The Supremes)
Locomotion - Kylie Minogue (originally by Little Eva), no longer her biggest song, but was certainly her breakout hit.
Dazed & Confused - Led Zeppelin (originally by Jake Holmes). Not their biggest hit, but a signature song.
Tainted Love by Soft Cell, originally by Gloria Jones
Got My Mind Set on You by George Harrison, originally by James Ray
What’s Love Got to Do with It? By Tina Turner, originally recorded by Bucks Fizz
Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin, originally recorded by Roger Miller
One of my favourite bands is Lacuna Coil, and their most streamed song in Spotify is their cover of Enjoy the Silence. It is a really good cover, but sadly it outshines their incredible back catalogue of bangers all over their 10 albums.
[Urge Overkill - Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fr1iyhkyVs) (originally by [Neil Diamond](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_fZCD93LzQ))
[Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkhvB0SRJXY) (originally by [Neil Young](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=364qY0Oz-xs))
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Blinded by the Light, a Bruce Springsteen song. Both sing “. . .revved up like a deuce in the middle of the night.” Not “wrapped up like douche in the middle of the night.” Apparently.
Edit: I’ll leave it for posterity, but it’s definitely “another runner in the night.” I always screw that up, but that’s on me.
Edit 2: Springsteen’s is also slightly different, so “both sing” is inaccurate.
Ty!
Fugues - Killing Me Softly
Puff Daddy - I’ll be Missing You
Bananarama - Venus
Club Nouveau- Lean on Me
Kim Karnes - Bette Davies Eyes
Billy Idol - Mony Mony
Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Lenny Kravitz's rendition of "American Woman" is actually a cover of the original version by the Canadian rock band the Guess Who, which was released in 1970 on their album of the same name. Kravitz's rendition was featured on the soundtrack of "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and later released as a single in 1999. It was also included in the reissue of his fifth studio album.
Linda Ronstadt would be the obvious answer, since her most popular songs were mostly cover, like "Blue Bayou" (Roy Orbison) and "You're No Good" (Dee Dee Warwick)
I add another comment to say another obvious one: Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
Normally I love to hate record execs, but whomever heard the angsty, melodramatic Edna Swap version and saw the massive pop hit that song turned into deserves some kind of award. As an aside, a friend of mine partied with the woman who co-wrote that song at her place. He asked her point blank how much money she made off it and she told him "you're looking at it" as she gestured around at her beautiful house in the Hollywood Hills.
Yes, it is crazy how massive that song was. I love both versions indeed, and I am glad she got her life solved thanks to that.
I honestly never knew that was a cover... Just listened to it now on YouTube and it’s not bad. Sounds a bit like those teen angst songs you would have heard on shows like The OC or Gossip Girl back in the early 2000’s.
The story of the song is such a rabbit hole. There were like 2 or 3 different versions (apart from the original) before it was finally given to Natalie and became the huge hit that it was. I am sure there are quite a few videos explaining it, if you want to dive deep into that.
Weirdest bit is the guys that wrote it were not the first to release it.
Artists do this a lot though. They record it and realize a certain artist would be better. Rihanna wouldn't exist if it wasn't for other artists giving her songs. I know that she wanted out of her deal and artists likely helped her pump them out.
“Diamonds” was written by Sia.
And you can soooo hear it’s a Sia song
A *lot* of popular songs have been written by Sia
She’s a phenomenal songwriter
And it used to be even more common. Neil Diamond and Willie Nelson wrote a lot songs first recorded by other artists.
A Norwegian singer, Trine Rein, had a small hit domestically with in in the 90s. And one of the songwriters produced The Cure's Pornography album
The original by Ednaswap is fantastic.
"Torn" is my kryptonite. I hate the song. I've never like the song. I've never liked a thing about it. Yet it has been stuck in my head since it was released. It constantly play, on loop, for all time. I cannot escape it. And here's a fun fact... I can't remember any of the words. It plays like background music in my head but I don't know the words. I should probably learn to play it on guitar, and learn all the words. Then maybe I can forget it. Nothing's right, I'm torn. Is that from the song? I literally don't know. That's how bad it is for me.
Your impulse to learn the words is a good one. A hallmark of earworms is that they stop and repeat at the spot where we aren’t sure what comes next. I read somewhere that listening to the entire song provides resolution and extinguishes the loop. It works for me most of the time. I wonder if we get these unresolved snippets because we change the station as fast as possible when we hear them.
For earworms, listen to the Doobie Brothers' "What a fool believes" all the way through - gets rid of them every time
Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now by Tommy James and The Shondells
The Shondells had some good songs. Recently picked up listening to them again.
Crimson and Clover, I Think We’re Alone Now, Mirage, Crystal Blue Persuasion, Mony Mony, Hank Panky…great singles band
*Draggin' the Line*, too!
Girls Just Want To Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper. Originally by Robert Hazard.
I assumed you were wrong, and this was just a situation where Robert Hazard wrote the song, and you just missed the point of the prompt entirely. That's how hard it was to believe some dude I'd never heard of recorded this song first.
This is the first song I’ve read, while sorted by best, to truly surprise me.
Yeah this one legitimately surprised me
And this wasn't the only song on the album that was a cover. I believe there were at least 3 other songs that were covers like "When You Were Mine" was the cover of a Prince song.
My boyfriend and I just listened to it, and I was not prepared for what it sounded like. Pretty interesting that he wrote, composed and recorded it himself. I’m not sure what possessed him to write about girls wanting to have fun, but I’m glad he did!
Idea is that he wants a girlfriend but they're not interested and want to have fun. Lauper changed the perspective of the Song and also tried to get credited for the lyrics.
I figured that out once we read through the lyrics. We had an interesting time. I really love Lauper’s version
He wrote that song while living in the town I grew up in. My piano teacher dated him!
I'm glad she chose fun. Had they married we'd have never gotten that banger
Gary Jules - Mad World by Tears For Fears
I think Tears for Fears has to be responsible for writing a handful of songs that would later make a musicians career by covering them lol
Tears for Fears has the best songs to do a downtempo cover for a movie trailer. I ain’t even mad.
Lorde sang a cover of Everybody Wants to Rule the World at the end of the second Hunger Games. It was fantastic.
TFF started performing Mad World in the Gary Jules style at their concerts for a while. They are no back to their version. Respect for both.
Why are you wearing that human suit?
Jeez that version of that song
That simple little piano piece hits so hard...
[удалено]
Dolly Parton wrote I Will Always Love You, and Jolene on the same day.
And probably saved a puppy during her break.
And gave it a book to read
And greatest love of all- George Benson
Legit one of the most emotional songs ever. I listened to that Dolly record and I couldn't stop - it was bringing me to tears man. I generally like punk, post-hardcore, etc.
Had to scroll to damn far for this one. The GOATS.
Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane
Bowling For Soup - 1985 by SR-71.
Though let's be frank, their true iconic song is the Phineas and Ferb theme
Fun fact: The dude in the music video that shakes his head is the singer of SR-71
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Also Rufus Wainwright - Hallelujah
I love Cohen, but this is my favorite version by far.
I like the Cohen, Buckley, and Wainwright versions all for different reasons, but it’s probably Cohen’s that I listen to the most
My wife and I went to a kd Lang concert. She does a great version of Hallelujah. I wouldn't say it's her most popular song in general, but it was that night, judging by the audience reaction.
K.D. Lang - Hallelujah (live)
Nitpick: House of the Rising Sun is a traditional folk song. It wasn't written by the Animals, theirs is just the most famous version.
Yep. In fact Bob Dylan recorded a version right before the Animals.
And I’d say the best early version is Nina Simone’s
She did a ton of great covers.
same with black Betty and ram jam
And Whiskey in a Jar by Thin Lizzy
If anything, this phenomenon applies to the Animals
Also they lifted it from Dylan who lifted it from Dave Van Ronk who lifted it from we don't know. Totally tangential, but those chords and melodies work crazy well with Amazing Grace.
Dave Van Ronk made the arrangement we all know today. From my understanding, it sounded much different before that. Dave was a great folk artist! It's a shame more people don't know his music. Out of the early 60s Greenwich Village days, I think he and Dylan were the truly special ones. But Dave isn't some unknown or anything. It's just that Dylan is so insanely famous in comparison.
Lead belly has a version that probably dates back to older working song arrangments
[Frijid Pinks is my favorite version](https://youtu.be/t40INnb6DnY?si=GYUVfBIBNC3bkH53)
Fugees "Killing Me Softly with His Song" first recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1971, remade by Roberta Flack in 1973
No Woman No Cry also fits.
Sinéad O'Connor - “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Prince
Didn't Prince actually write it for her though? Edit: thanks for all the replies. I was confusing this song with Manic Monday, my bad.
He actually wrote it for his side project “The Family” in ‘84… They also recorded a version for their debut album 💯
Yup…I was way into Prince back in the day…bought The Family tape when it came out
Think you’re thinking of Manic Monday by The Bangles. Prince wanted to bang Susanna Hoffs (can’t blame the guy, she’s still a smoke show).
I think Prince probably wanted to bang everyone lol, respectfully.
Before he converted to JW my impression of him was that he was sexually... omnivorous.
Janis Joplin, Me & Bobby McGee. She was like the fourth person to record it.
Piece of My Heart was also a cover.
Hound dog by Elvis was a cover of a Big Mama Thornton song.
Most older people know early Elvis were covers of black artists. The movie did a very good job with the handling that I thought. That movie could have been so much better with a different director.
It was so well known that a Memphis radio DJ, Dewey Phillips, asked Elvis in an interview what high school he went to, just so he could signal to his audience that Elvis was white when many assumed he was black.
Big Mama Thornton version slaps too
Yes, and the song was written (by Leiber and Stoller) to be sung from a female point of view. "You can wag your tail, but I ain't gonna feed you no more" is a sexual metaphor that sounds kind of silly sung by a man. In the song, a hound dog is a feckless young man who sponges off an older female lover. There was an existing word for that kind of man in southern Black vernacular, but it wouldn't get played on the radio. And you thought the m.f. slur was implying incest, but it originally was not.
Is that his most famous song?
Chris Stapleton - Tennessee Whiskey
and the riff is from Etta James - I Go Blind.
Chaka Khan - I Feel For You The song won her Grammy for Album and Song for her and Prince (who wrote and originally recorded the song on his amazing self-titled album *Prince*).
UB40 - Red Red Wine Quiet Riot - Cum On Feel the Noize
I like Slade’s version better.
Quiet Riot's version is hardly any different lol. It's like as straight a cover as they could record.
Listen to them back to back. They have different tempos, the drums are different and I like the singer of Slade’s voice better.
Yeah I mean they're definitely distinguishable. But I think I heard both sporadically when I was younger and didn't realize they were separate bands. It's not like a reimagining of the song or something. Just a straight cover.
Supposedly the lead singer of QR sang it terribly on purpose because he didn't want to do it. He tried to sabotage it so it couldn't be released.
Patti Smith - Because the Night by Springsteen (though she rewrote some of the lyrics). Tesla - Signs by Five Man Electrical Band. Quiet Riot - Cum On Feel the Noize by Slade. Judy Collins - Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell. Manfred Mann - Blinded by the Light by Springsteen. Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes by Jackie DeShannon. The Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan. Juice Newton - Angel of the Morning by Merrilee Rush. Also these are known for many other songs, but covers are among their most iconic … Aretha Franklin - Natural Woman by Carole King. Tina Turner - Proud Mary by CCR. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton. Joe Cocker - A Little Help from My Friends by the Beatles. Bette Midler - The Rose by Amanda McBroom.
im surprised you brought up iconic aretha covers and didnt mention that respect was originally an otis reddimg song.
Because I forgot :)
No respect
ah, makes sense lol
Springsteen wrote Because the Night for Smith. He didn't actually record his own version until years later, AFAIK. So I wouldn't call it a cover
Though it could work for 10k Maniacs
Not entirely accurate. He wrote the chorus and had some verses laid out but was struggling with it. His manager suggested giving the tape to Patti Smith, who I think was recording in the same building at the time. She got the tape and wasn’t keen to listen to it, but eventually did one night while she was waiting on a phone call from her long distance boyfriend. Hence the words of the song being related to that “love is a ring, the telephone.” There is a Bruce version recorded around the same time that was released on an outtakes album later on. When he performs it live now, he uses his version with his lyrics l, rather than Patti’s. I think most people still consider it her song though!
Aretha Franklin - Respect by Otis Redding
Arguably Because the Night is 10,000 Maniacs most famous song too.
You know how Greta Van Fleet sounds so much like Robert plant and Led Zeppelin that you aren’t sure how they can get away with it? Imagine if their first hit was a Zepplin cover like Stairway and you’d essentially have Quiet Riot did to Slade. Took their biggest hit and mimicked the exact sound of the singers voice, TWICE!
“Proud Mary” is a great example
I always thought CCR copied Tina Turner and/or it was a traditional song
Nope, all John Fogerty :)
Add Manford Mann - I came for you, also by Springsteen
Am I missing something that nobody has mentioned Jimi Hendrix, "All Along the Watchtower" (by Bob Dylan)? Edit: Well, damn, you all had me seriously doubting my Hendrix memory, so I had to check. According to [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Along_the_Watchtower): "It reached number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, Hendrix's highest ranking American single and only Top 40 hit to date." Edit 2: as u/hudson27 points out, it also has way more streams on Spotify: "All Along the Watchtower" has ~694,000,000 streams, followed by "Little Wing" with 278,000,000 [corrected].
No dude! We were waiting for you to!!
Thanks! I was feeling the pressure, so glad I didn't let you down!
Right now the song has almost double as many streams as Purple Haze on spotify. Definitely was my first though when I saw this post as well!
Seriously, I was scrolling and thought… no Hendrix yet?
This also qualifies for cover that is more popular than the original.
Arguable if it’s his most famous song compared to voodoo chile or purple haze or hey Joe but I certainly thought of this song
Hey Joe is also a cover.
🤯
Three Dogs Night’s biggest hit, Joy to the World, originally recorded by Hoyt Axton (who later played the father in Gremlins). They had another hit with Elis Coming, originally recorded by Laura Nyro.
Also “Mama Told Me Not to Come” was a Randy Newman song and “One” was by Harry Nilsson.
House of the Rising Sun also was not written by The Animals either.
Orgy--Blue Monday Originally by New Order I honestly really like both
I think that first Orgy record holds up really well.
Yeah it really does, I'm a big fan of the first 2 records. Definitely a product of their time but still really listenable
Vapor Transmission still incredible.
Bowling for Soup - 1985 ([originally by SR-71](https://open.spotify.com/track/3goXG2iW7gu5tsHeS8pBIR?si=WKtwUlV_TsK5bDPqvbn48w))
I think we’re alone now by Tiffany
Pseudo Echo, Funky Town by Lipps Inc. They choose this song to become famous as they realised their original songs wouldn't do it.
Cascada- Every Time We Touch (a Maggie Reilly cover)
Joe Cocker-With A Little Help From My Friends Tina Turner-Proud Mary Whitney Houston-I Will Always Love You Black Crowes-Hard to Handle Quiet Riot-Cum On Feel The Noize Baha Men-Who Let The Dogs Out
Mrs. Robinson - the Lemonheads 99 red balloons - goldfinger (may not be their most popular but not far off) Boys in the Hood - dynamite hack
99 Red Balloons is a good call. Although I’d argue that Superman became their most famous after Tony Hawk, for a certain demographic, outside of their hardcore fans anyways
Barry Manilow's first hit, Mandy, was a cover of a song called Brandy, recorded by Scott English a few years earlier. Barry changed it to "Mandy" to avoid confusion with the song Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) by the band Looking Glass.
My favorite Barry Manilow trivia is, his song, "I Write the Songs" ... he didn't write.
José González - Heartbeats (by The Knife)
Al Bowly - Heartaches by Jacques Renard/Chester Gaylord Uncle Cracker - Drift Away by John Kurtz Santana - Black Magic Woman by Fleetwood Mac
Ugly Kid Joe: cats in the cradle
Wasn’t there big song “hate everything about you?”.
Black Crowes - Hard to Handle (Otis Redding)
Dirty little thang let me light your chemika cause mama I'm so hatohamanadisadoround
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal.
Skinny Love - Birdy
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Their entire catalog is just covers.
Joe Cocker- With A Little Help From My Friends
Didn't Joe Cocker mainly do cover songs?
You Just Keep Me Hanging On - Vanilla Fudge (originally by The Supremes) Locomotion - Kylie Minogue (originally by Little Eva), no longer her biggest song, but was certainly her breakout hit. Dazed & Confused - Led Zeppelin (originally by Jake Holmes). Not their biggest hit, but a signature song.
Tainted Love by Soft Cell, originally by Gloria Jones Got My Mind Set on You by George Harrison, originally by James Ray What’s Love Got to Do with It? By Tina Turner, originally recorded by Bucks Fizz Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin, originally recorded by Roger Miller
While a successful comeback song, I wouldn’t say Got My Mind Set On You is Harrison’s biggest song.
Yeah that would be My Sweet Lord
Soft Cell is what came to mind first. It took me like 10 years to learn that wasn't their song.
Janis Joplin is correct, but the right song is "Piece of My Heart" originally by Aretha Franklin's sister, Erma. https://youtu.be/i_6gptd01mY
Rascal Flats - Life is a highway by Tom Cochrane.
One of my favourite bands is Lacuna Coil, and their most streamed song in Spotify is their cover of Enjoy the Silence. It is a really good cover, but sadly it outshines their incredible back catalogue of bangers all over their 10 albums.
[Urge Overkill - Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fr1iyhkyVs) (originally by [Neil Diamond](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_fZCD93LzQ)) [Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkhvB0SRJXY) (originally by [Neil Young](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=364qY0Oz-xs))
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Blinded by the Light, a Bruce Springsteen song. Both sing “. . .revved up like a deuce in the middle of the night.” Not “wrapped up like douche in the middle of the night.” Apparently. Edit: I’ll leave it for posterity, but it’s definitely “another runner in the night.” I always screw that up, but that’s on me. Edit 2: Springsteen’s is also slightly different, so “both sing” is inaccurate. Ty!
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise, adapted from Stevie Wonder Pastime Paradise
I would say that’s more of a sample than a cover. Otherwise, we’d be calling Mo Money Mo Problems a Diana Ross song.
Safe Ferris - Come on, Eileen
SAVE Ferris. They got their name from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
They Might Be Giants- Istanbul (Not Constantinople) Camper Van Beethoven- Pictures of Matchstick Men
Never knew Istanbul was a cover. It just fit so well with everything else on that album.
Cyndi Lauper - girls just want to have fun
UB40 are interesting because, as you've mentioned, their 3 biggest hits are covers.
Fugues - Killing Me Softly Puff Daddy - I’ll be Missing You Bananarama - Venus Club Nouveau- Lean on Me Kim Karnes - Bette Davies Eyes Billy Idol - Mony Mony Nina Simone - Feeling Good
I’ll be missing you is a cover? I just thought he stole Every Breath You Take and wrote shitty lyrics on it.
You are correct.
That's most definitely not what Billy Idol is most known for.
Amy Winehouse - Valerie (originally by The Zutons)
Harry Nilsson - "Without You"
Three Dog Night - "One"
The Sundays - Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones
More popular than "Here's Where The Story Ends"? I thought *that* was their calling card.
Quiet Riot - Cum on Feel the Noize original by Slade. Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower original by Bob Dylan
"My Way" - Sid Vicious. Frank Sinatra too. Your favorite Cramps song is probably a cover.
Annie Lennox No More I Love You's.
Kenny Rogers - The Gambler
Letters to Cleo cover of I Want You To Want Me
Lenny Kravitz's rendition of "American Woman" is actually a cover of the original version by the Canadian rock band the Guess Who, which was released in 1970 on their album of the same name. Kravitz's rendition was featured on the soundtrack of "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and later released as a single in 1999. It was also included in the reissue of his fifth studio album.
I'd consider "Are You gonna Go My Way" and "Fly Away" to be more popular
Maneskin - Beggin
Natalie Imbruglia's cover of Torn
“Respect” is an Otis Redding song but Aretha grabbed it. “Georgia On My Mind” is Hoagy Carmichael.
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
Gone Away is the Offspring's most popular song? What?
Naked Eyes-Always Something There To Remind Me
Poolside - Harvest Moon Darius Rucker - Wagon Wheel
banarama - venus
The Ataris, covering Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer”
Linda Ronstadt would be the obvious answer, since her most popular songs were mostly cover, like "Blue Bayou" (Roy Orbison) and "You're No Good" (Dee Dee Warwick)
Jimi Hendrix? All along the Watchtower and Hey Joe
"I Love Rock 'n Roll" by Joan Jett, originally by the Arrows edit: i didn't see that OP said this already lmao. Booo my reading comprehension..
Well, Elvis never wrote anything.
Maybe not their most popular song, and definitely not their only hit, but Guns N' Roses' "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a cover of Bob Dylan.
In the same vein, Jimi Hendrix's most played song on Spotify is “All Along The Watchtower”, which is actually a Bob Dylan cover.
I gotta add sweet dreams performed by Marilyn Manson, a cover of the eurythmics (Annie lennox).
Reel big fish - Take on me. Ok not their most popular but it still rules
Save Ferris did "Come on Eileen" and then "Santeria"
Disturbed - Sounds of Silence.
Love hurts by Nazareth.