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Learn about the origin, evolution and legal aspects of cover versions, also known as cover songs, remakes or revivals, in popular music. Find out how tribute acts, cover bands and revivalist artists perform and record songs by other artists or genres.
- Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band: Trapped
- The White Stripes: Jolene
- Elvis Presley: Tomorrow Is A Long Time
- Bonnie Raitt: Angel from Montgomery
- Quiet Riot: Cum on Feel The Noize
- Aerosmith: Big Ten Inch Record
- Muse: Feeling Good
- Lenny Kravitz: American Woman
- Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse: Valerie
- Bananarama: Venus
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You could make an extensive box set out of Bruce Springsteen’s live cover songs, but this Jimmy Cliff cover was special, The Boss turning it into an arena anthem without losing the desperation. It remains far and away the musical highlight of the splashy We Are The Worldbenefit album.
There have been numerous covers of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” over the years, but few have been singled out for praise by Parton herself. (Parton had kind words for Jack White in a 2016 interview with The Guardian.) It’s one of the most “rock” cover versions you’ll hear, of course, but for those looking for other types of takes on the song, you could ...
Just when nobody was looking, Elvis snuck two triumphs on the otherwise forgettable soundtrack album for the 1966 film Spinout. First, The Coasters’ rollicking “Down In The Alley”, and then this Bob Dylan cover, performed with great tenderness. What if post-army Elvis had stuck to covering songs worthy of his talents? For five minutes, we had the a...
“I think ‘Angel from Montgomery’ probably has meant more to my fans and my body of work than any other song,” Bonnie Raitt once said, so it might come as a surprise to learn that Raitt did not compose it. Raitt was one of many artists who enjoyed more commercial success by covering John Prine than Prine ever did singing his own songs, but that’s to...
Slade were glam-rock godheads in their native England, but they struggled to replicate their success across the Atlantic. It wasn’t until the mid-80s that they finally found a foothold in the American market thanks to Quiet Riot’s faithful cover version (right down to the unusual spelling) of “Cum on Feel the Noize,” which helped usher in the trend...
“Big Ten Inch Record” was not a hit for Bull Moose Jackson when it was released as a single in 1952, with most radio stations (understandably) hesitant to play such a risqué song. Its bluesy shuffle and suggestive humor made it a natural fit for Aerosmith, who covered it on their 1975 album Toys in the Attic. But it was the Flashcats, a Pennsylvani...
“Feeling Good”’s most famous rendition is, of course, by Nina Simone. But the original song was written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for a musical a year before Simone made it famous on her album I Put a Spell On You. Muse have an incredible ear for a great pop melody, so it’s no surprise that they took the song and made it their own in 20...
One of the biggest hits for the Canadian group The Guess Who was a song that seemingly warned against getting involved with American women. But the songwriter Burton Cummings has since said, in a 2013 interview, that it was simply a way of saying that he preferred Canadian girls. Whatever the meaning, Lenny Kravitz tapped into the song’s magnetism ...
Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse were struggling to come up with ideas for Ronson’s second album, Version– a collection of Motown-inspired covers of contemporary pop and rock tunes – when Winehouse suggested that they have a go at “Valerie,” a recent single from a British indie rock band the Zutons that she was obsessed with. Ronson and Winehouse’s re...
“Venus” is one of only a handful of songs that multiple artists have taken to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. You’re probably familiar with Bananarama’s slick dance-pop cover version from 1986, but it was first a hit for Dutch rock band Shocking Blue back in 1969. (Fun fact: Nirvana’s debut single was a cover of a different Shocking Blue so...
Discover the best cover songs of all time, from Bruce Springsteen's "Trapped" to Nirvana's "The Man Who Sold the World". Learn how these artists reinvented and reimagined songs by Jimmy Cliff, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, and more.
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Sep 2, 2021 · A Brief History of Cover Songs. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Sep 2, 2021 • 7 min read. Cover songs are reinterpretations of existing songs. Learn about the history of cover songs and the necessary steps to take when recording your own.
- "Superstar" by Sonic Youth (best-known version by The Carpenters) Karen and Richard Carpenter's monster hit was written by rock legend Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett (of 1960s rock/soul duo Delaney & Bonnie) for Rita Coolidge.
- "Landslide" by Miley Cyrus (original by Fleetwood Mac) Only Miley Cyrus' sensuously husky voice could improve on the popular Stevie Nicks original. Cyrus has said that song has deep emotional resonance for her, and she does it justice without attempting to bend it to her will—a testament to her confidence and genuine talent.
- "Police on My Back" by The Clash (original by The Equals) Well, I'm a-runnin' Police on my back. I've been hidin' There was a shootin'
- "Rusty Cage" by Johnny Cash (original by Soundgarden) In the latter years of his illustrious life, The Man in Black did many reinterpretations of contemporary artists, a bold move courtesy of famed producer Rick Rubin.
Sep 28, 2021 · Enjoy a playlist of 100 popular song covers on YouTube, featuring various artists and genres.
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Nov 13, 2023 · A ranking of the best cover songs from over 70 years of modern music, featuring artists like Pearl Jam, Frank Ocean, Donna Summer and more. See how they transformed original songs by The Beatles, Burt Bacharach, Public Enemy and others.
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Discover how artists like Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix and Whitney Houston transformed original songs into their own masterpieces. From soulful makeovers to pop reinventions, these are the best cover songs of all time, ranked by Time Out.
