#20 - I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
Even if you never got around to watch The Bodyguard, you most definitely know this song. When Whitney Houston recorded I Will Always Love You for this film back in 1992, it IMMEDIATELY became one of, it not the most iconic romance songs of all time, while also becoming the best-selling single by a woman in history. The song was definitely a game.changer and it was even described as one of the most iconic songs of the 90s. It's practically an anthem, if you will.
But do you know who wrote this song originally? The answer is: Dolly Parton!. She wrote it in 1973, and back in her day it also became a hit, at least within the country music genre. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart on two occasions: shortly after its release in 1974, and once more in 1982 when Dolly re-recorded the song for the film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
#19 - Twist And Shout - The Beatles
Debuting almost 60 years ago, The Beatles are one of the most influential and iconic bands of all time, a title they maintain even up to this day. They even released their own animated movie, Yellow Submarine, which truly became a cult classic. Taking this into account, you'd be surprised to know that one of their first hits, Twist and Shout, is not actually theirs.
Even though this song became internationally famous thanks to The Beatles, they were actually the third band to record it. While the song was originally written by an American blues vocal group called Top Notes back in 1961, it was the funk-pop group The Isley Brothers who made it a number one hit a year later.
#18 - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
We've all danced at the beat of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper, haven't we? Released in 1983, this cheerful and upbeat song became one of the anthems of that decade, as well as Lauper's best-known song, along with One Way Or Another. But let's get to the point: Who wrote this song?
The song was originally written 4 years before by Robert Hazard, in 1979. However, Lauper was the one who made it a hit song, reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart at the time. In fact, did you know the singer received a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance?
#17 - Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
Hound Dog is a curious case. This song has been covered not once, nor twice, but actually OVER 250 TIMES. Let that sink in... It comes without saying that Elvis Presley´s rendition, released in 1956, was by far and wide the most popular of them all. Not only did it become one of the best selling-singles of all time, but it also reached the top of the charts and stayed there for 11 entire weeks, a record that would not be broken for another 36 years.
So, as expected, you must be wondering who was the original author of this beloved song. Well, the writers were Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, while the song was recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952, just four years prior to Elvis' cover. This original version did rather well, as a matter of fact, selling over 500,000 copies.
#16 - Tainted Love - Soft Cell
After successfully performing this song several times in live shows, Soft Cell finally decided to release it as a single back in 1981. It soon became the best-selling single in the UK, spending a record of 43 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100. But what song are we talking about? Tainted Love.
However,Soft Cell is culprit of "borrowing" this song from someone else, as it was first written by Ed Cobb, and recorded by Gloria Jones, back in 1964. The song was later re-recorded by Jones, hoping it would get more attention. However, the tune only became famous worldwide after the cover from Soft Cell. More recently, this song was also covered by the infamous Marilyn Manson.
#15 - Red Red Wine - UB40
The English reggae and pop band UB40, formed in 1978, will always be remembered by their famous song Red Red Wine. Released in 1983, this light reggae number did well enough to top the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. But while their version of the song is the most famous, they're not the original creators.
The original song was recorded by Neil Diamond back in 1967 and was later on covered by Peter Tetteroo from Tee Set, who made it a hit in the Netherlands. After that, Tony Tribe released his own version, adding the reggae vibes that influenced UB40. Next, an artist who had not one, but several songs being covered by artists.
#14 - Downtown Train - Rod Stewart
When Rod Stewart released pop single Downtown Train in 1989, it soon became a hit and peaked in the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 3, while also charting No. 1 in Canada and reaching the top ten in the UK Singles Chart a year later. This single also landed Stewart a Grammy nomination for Best Male Vocal Pop Performance that same year.
The song, however, was originally written by Tom Walts, belonging to his 1985 album Rain Dogs. Funnily enough, Downtown Train wasn't the only song recorded by him and covered by someone else. Other examples include Ol' 55, covered by The Eagles, and Jersey Girl, covered by Bruce Springsteen.
#13 - I'm A Believer - Smash Mouth
Just like the rest of the songs from the soundtrack of the 2001 hit movie Shrek, Smash Mouth's I'm a Believer became a HUGE success among the youth, immediately scoring at no. 25 in the Billboard Hot 100. The origin of this song actually goes all the way back to 1966.
The original version of I'm a Believer was composed by Neil Diamond and then recorded by The Monkees, whose version peaked at no. 1 of the Hot 100 for over seven weeks, and was the best-selling record a year later. The song sold so many pre-orders that it became gold within two days, selling more than 10 million copies worldwide.
#12 - Ring Of Fire - Johnny Cash
Let's now move on to Ring of Fire, the 1963 hit that was released on the eponymous album Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash. Unsurprisingly, this song topped the charts once again, and even had the honor of ranking no. 87 in The Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Hits of All Time and no. 27 on the 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.
As it happens, the song was actually written by Johnny Cash's wife... but not for him!. June Carter Cash, along with Merle Kilgore, wrote this song for June's sister, Anita. The song was then recorded by the Carter family in 1962, but it never reached the expected success. It was not until 1963 that Johnny Cash gave it a shot and recorded his own version, and the rest is history.
#11 - Mickey! - Toni Basil
Sometimes, artists manage to pull off a great video, an amazing tune, and catchy lyrics, but just don't manage to turn their song into a hit. The thing is that sometimes, the timing is just not on your side. This is what happened to Toni Basil the first time she released the song that we now know as one of the most iconic hits of the 80s: Mickey!
Not giving up, she re-released the song a year later, this time successfully, reaching the top of the charts in the UK and Australia, and then in the US and Canada. However, the song was not hers at all. She simply took the 1979 song Kitty, by the British group Racey, and sneakily changed the lyrics to make the song about a boy named Mickey.
#10 - Respect - Aretha Franklin
Respect, by Aretha Franklin, was released back in 1967 as part of the album I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You. The song immediately became one of her most popular ones, if not her staple song. It topped the Billboard Pop Singles chart for two weeks and the Black Singles chart for eight. Additionally, it earned her two Grammys.
Considered even today one of the greatest hits in R&B history, Respect was actually not written by Aretha, but by a man by the name of Otis Redding, two years prior. The song was about a man who wanted his wife to respect him for all his hard work. Aretha changed the lyrics, spiced the song with her style, and made it the hit we know today. Most of the songs we tackled so far have been classics from decades ago, but even modern artists are guilty of this trend, as we'll see next with none other than Beyonce.
#9 - If I Were A Boy - Beyonce
Did you know that Beyonce's hit song If I Were a Boy is not actually hers? In fact, the original artist BC Jean was not at all happy when Queen B released the cover. The pop icon gave it her style and helped it to become the huge international success that it is today. > "IF I WERE A BOY is my song; YES, I wrote this song; It is my story; a painful one, and the song is very dear to me", BC Jean said in an interview.
When Jean wrote and recorded this song with Toby Gad, the record company rejected it. Gad quickly decided to find an established artist willing to sing their song, and eventually found his hopes on Beyonce. Despite Jean's original displeasure, she and Beyonce ended up coming to terms and came to an agreement, wherein they would re-record the song together, but for Jean's own album. > "I had to try it, because I remember Aretha Franklin said a great singer can sing anything and make it her own", Gad confessed.
#8 - I Love Rock And Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Originally inspired by The Rolling Stones' hit It´s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It), the band The Arrows released a sort of tribute in 1975, which they named I Love Rock and Roll. They didn't think much of it, though, as they recorded it as a B-side, later on upgrading it to A-Side.
Joan Jett discovered this song when The Arrows performed it live on a TV show, and she LOVED IT. She soon made her own cover rendition with her band The Blackhearts, and the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. Several years later, in 2016, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
#7 - Blinded By The Light - Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
Included in their 1976 album Raring Light, Blinded by the Light reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and the Canadian RPM* charts, making it the best-known song of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. But as you may have guessed, they are not the original artist of this track.
Very few know that the song was originally written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen five years before, for his 1971 album Greetings from Ashbury Park, N.J. Actually, many artists were interested in making their own cover of the song, including Patti Smith and The Pointer Sisters
#6 - Killing Me Softly - The Fugees
As regards Killing Me Softly, third time is the charm, literally. This song was performed three times by three different artist, and it just got more famous with each reinterpretation. Originally recorded by Lori Lieberman back in 1971, the song went by rather quietly. When it was covered by Roberta Flack two years later, however, it reached the top of the lists in the US and Canada.
But it was only with the third version that this piece would become a worldwide hit. Over 20 years later, in 1996, The Fugees did their own version, and it would become the best-selling single of that year. Along the way, it also earned The Fugees a Grammy and an MTV Music Video Award.
#5 - Don’t Cha - The Pussycat Dolls
Don’t Cha was the first hit of the -by then- new band The Pussycat Dolls, and as such, became part of their debut album PCD. Despite the mixed reviews due to the contribution of Busta Rhymes on the track, the song reached the second place on the Hot 100 and topped the US Hot Dance Club Play and Pop 100 charts.
The cover was made not as a tribute to the original writer and performer, Tori Alamaze; but as a move by the label Universal Music Group. The label company thought that the single had been rather unsuccessful and disappointing and thereby decided to give the rights to The Pussycat Dolls, which ended being the wisest decision!
#4 - Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix
"Arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music"... This is how Jimi Hendrix is described by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and there is probably not a soul on Earth who disagrees. Despite his very short-lived career -of only four years- and early death, this musical prodigy left a mark in the world that will never fade.
One of his most iconic works is the 1966 rendition of Hey Joe, a song that even today is considered among his Top Ten Hits. However, the song was actually made by the garage band The Leaves one year before, though it was absolutely overshadowed by Hendrix's version.
#3 - Gloria - Laura Branigan
Originally written by italian singer Umberto Tozzi back in 1979, Gloria was discovered a few years later by Laura Branigan's producer, who encouraged her to do a cover and make it more suitable for the western audience. > “We gave it the American kick and re-wrote the lyrics, and off we went", Branigan said.
The song was released on summer of 1982 and soon became a hit among disco and pop fans alike, reaching no. 2 in the Billboard Hot 100 and staying in the Top 40 for 22 weeks in a row. The song is a hit even today and earned Laura a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance.
#2 - Drift Away - Uncle Kracker
Uncle Kracker released the hit Drift Away, featuring Dobie Gray, on his album No Stranger to Shame. The song did decently in the Hot 100, but it was in the Adult Contemporary chart where it really shined, topping the list for a record-breaking 28 weeks.
However, Uncle Kracker didn't write the lyrics to the song. In fact, his version wasn't even the song's first cover, but the second one! The original song was first recorded by John Henry Kurtz in 1972, being handed to Dobie Gray and Greg Reilly a year later. These two would turn the song into an international hit, as it reached the no. 3 spot on the Hot 100 in no time.
#1 - Dazed And Confused - Led Zeppelin
As always, we've saved the best for last, and no other than the legendary rock band Led Zeppelin deserved to top our list. And it's all thanks to Jimmy Page, who made not only one, but TWO covers of this wonderful song. "Dazed and Confused" Was originally written by Jake Holmes back in 1967. It was a folk/rock mix about a girl's indecision to end a relationship. When Jimmy Page heard the song live, he decided to reword and re-record it with his band at the time, The Yardbirds.
The cover became a hit for The Yardbirds, and when it was time for Page to move to Led Zeppelin, he made sure to take his song with him, wherein the newly formed band made the third and final version of this song. As we all know, Led Zeppelin's cover became the most famous version of the song, transforming it into an eternal classic.