Sometimes a musician takes a familiar track and gives it a brand new life. While the originals are often classics, these artists used their own styles to create cover songs that many fans consider better than the originals.
Be sure to check out the Best Cover Songs Playlist at the bottom of this page.
Best Cover Songs
1. “Hound Dog” – Elvis Presley
Original Artist: Big Mama Thornton
Lyric Sample: “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, cryin’ all the time.”
Elvis took this blues track and sped it up for the rock-and-roll crowd in 1956. It became a cultural phenomenon that defined his early career and changed pop music.
Related: Best Songs with Animals in the Title
2. “Hallelujah” – Jeff Buckley
Original Artist: Leonard Cohen
Lyric Sample: “And she tied you to her kitchen chair, and she broke your throne, and she cut your hair.”
Buckley based his arrangement on John Cale’s version of the Cohen original, slowing it down and singing it with so much emotion that his ’94 recording became the definitive version.
Related: “Hallelujah” Song Meaning
3. “Red Red Wine” – UB40
Original Artist: Neil Diamond
Lyric Sample: “Red, red wine, you make me feel so fine, you keep me rockin’ all of the time.”
Diamond’s version barely made the charts. UB40 rebuilt it as a reggae song in 1983 and made it famous worldwide, topping the charts in multiple countries.
Related: Best Songs with “Red” in the Title
4. “Fast Car” – Luke Combs
Original Artist: Tracy Chapman
Lyric Sample: “You got a fast car, is it fast enough so we can fly away?”
Combs brought this 1988 folk hit to the top of the country charts decades later. He stays very true to the story about a couple trying to escape their cycle of poverty.
Related: “Fast Car” Meaning
5. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” – Guns N’ Roses
Original Artist: Bob Dylan
Lyric Sample: “Mama, take this badge from me, I can’t use it anymore.”
The hard rock legends added heavy guitar solos and a gritty vocal to Dylan’s acoustic movie theme. This 1990s version gave the song a much tougher edge.
Related: Songs About Death
6. “Skinny Love” – Birdy
Original Artist: Bon Iver
Lyric Sample: “And I told you to be patient, and I told you to be fine.”
At just 14 years old, Birdy took this indie track and turned it into a piano-led hit. Her version reached the top 20 in multiple countries.
Related: “Skinny Love” Meaning
7. “Nothing Compares 2 U” – Sinead O’Connor
Original Artist: The Family (Prince)
Lyric Sample: “It’s been seven hours and fifteen days since you took your love away.”
O’Connor took this track and turned it into a massive 1990s hit. Her delivery turned it into one of the most recognized vocal performances of the decade.
Related: Best Sad Songs & Best Songs About Missing Someone
8. “Life is a Highway” – Rascal Flatts
Original Artist: Tom Cochrane
Lyric Sample: “Life is a highway, I wanna ride it all night long.”
Canadian singer-songwriter Tom Cochrane wrote and recorded “Life is a Highway” as a rock tune in 1991. Rascal Flatts covered it for the 2006 Cars soundtrack and made it one of the most-played country songs of that era.
Related: Best Happy Songs
9. “Smooth Criminal” – Alien Ant Farm
Original Artist: Michael Jackson
Lyric Sample: “Annie, are you okay? Will you tell us that you’re okay?”
Alien Ant Farm put a crunching guitar sound on the Michael Jackson original in 2001, and it ended up being their biggest hit.
Related: “Smooth Criminal” Meaning
10. “Running Up That Hill” – Placebo
Original Artist: Kate Bush
Lyric Sample: “You don’t wanna hurt me, but see how deep the bullet lies.”
Bush released “Running Up That Hill” in 1985 as an atmospheric synth-pop song. Placebo’s 2003 cover is a darker version that holds up as one of the better rock covers of a pop classic.
Related: “Running Up That Hill” Meaning
11. “Simple Man” – Shinedown
Original Artist: Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lyric Sample: “And be a simple kind of man, oh, be something you love and understand.”
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1973 classic about a mother’s advice to her son already had a devoted following. Shinedown’s 2003 cover gave it a harder rock edge without stripping away what made the original work.
Related: “Simple Man” Meaning
12. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” – Cyndi Lauper
Original Artist: Robert Hazard
Lyric Sample: “When the workin’ day is done, oh, girls, they wanna have fun.”
Many people don’t realize this 1983 hit was originally a demo by a male artist. Lauper changed the lyrics slightly to turn it into a worldwide hit for women everywhere.
Related: Songs with “Girl” in the Title
13. “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” – Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Original Artist: Arrows
Lyric Sample: “I love rock ‘n’ roll, so put another dime in the jukebox, baby.”
Jett heard this song while touring England and decided to record her own version in 1981. It became her signature track and a defining moment for women in rock music.
14. “Respect” – Aretha Franklin
Original Artist: Otis Redding
Lyric Sample: “All I’m askin’ is for a little respect when you come home.”
Redding wrote this from a man’s point of view, but Aretha turned it into a powerful statement for women in 1967. She added the famous “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” spelling.
Related: Best Songs About Strong Women
15. “Mad World” – Gary Jules ft. Michael Andrews
Original Artist: Tears for Fears
Lyric Sample: “All around me are familiar faces, worn-out places, worn-out faces.”
Jules’ version stripped away the 1980s synthesizers and replaced them with a lonely piano melody. It gained massive fame after appearing in Donnie Darko.
Related: “Mad World” Meaning
16. “Hurt” – Johnny Cash
Original Artist: Nine Inch Nails
Lyric Sample: “Everyone I know goes away in the end.”
Trent Reznor wrote “Hurt” about addiction and despair. Cash covered it near the end of his life, and the context of an aging man looking back gave the same words an entirely different meaning.
Related: What is “Hurt” About?
17. “Careless Whisper” – Seether
Original Artist: George Michael
Lyric Sample: “I’m never gonna dance again, ’cause guilty feet have got no rhythm.”
Seether took this 1980s pop ballad and gave it a post-grunge makeover with distorted guitars. It keeps the original’s theme of regret after cheating, but adds a much more aggressive sound.
Related: “Careless Whisper” Meaning
18. “It’s My Life” – No Doubt
Original Artist: Talk Talk
Lyric Sample: “It’s my life, don’t you forget, it’s my life, it never ends.”
Gwen Stefani and her band covered this synth-pop track in 2003 for their greatest hits album. They stayed close to the original 1984 vibe while adding their distinct sound.
🎧 Listen to the Full Playlist ↓
19. “Me and Bobby McGee” – Janis Joplin
Original Artist: Roger Miller (written by Kris Kristofferson)
Lyric Sample: “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.”
Joplin recorded this just before she died in 1970, and it became a posthumous number-one hit. Her raspy vocals perfectly fit the story of two travelers drifting across the country.
20. “Turn! Turn! Turn!” – The Byrds
Original Artist: Pete Seeger
Lyric Sample: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”
The Byrds took these lyrics, which come almost entirely from the Bible, and turned them into a folk-rock hit in 1965. The jingling guitars and harmonies helped define the sound of the mid-sixties.
Related: Best Songs About Time Passing
21. “Dazed and Confused” – Led Zeppelin
Original Artist: Jake Holmes
Lyric Sample: “Don’t know where you’re going, only know just where you’ve been.”
Led Zeppelin took a folk song and transformed it into a heavy, psychedelic rock tune in 1969. It features some of the most famous guitar work in history and describes the frustration of a confusing relationship.
22. “The Sound of Silence” – Disturbed
Original Artist: Simon & Garfunkel
Lyric Sample: “In restless dreams, I walked alone, narrow streets of cobblestone.”
Simon and Garfunkel’s 1964 song about disconnection got a near-operatic treatment from heavy metal band Disturbed in 2015. It became one of the most-viewed cover songs on YouTube.
Related: “The Sound of Silence” Meaning
23. “All Along the Watchtower” – Jimi Hendrix
Original Artist: Bob Dylan
Lyric Sample: “Two riders were approaching, and the wind began to howl.”
Dylan wrote and released his version in 1967, but Hendrix’s interpretation the following year rewrote how the song would be heard forever. Dylan actually began playing it closer to Hendrix’s arrangement in his own live shows.
24. “Make You Feel My Love” – Adele
Original Artist: Bob Dylan
Lyric Sample: “I know you haven’t made your mind up yet, but I will never do you wrong.”
Dylan wrote the song in 1997, and several artists, including Billy Joel, recorded it before Adele did in 2008. She turned it into a modern wedding favorite.
Related: Best Romantic Wedding Songs
25. “You’ve Got the Love” – Florence + The Machine
Original Artist: The Source ft. Candi Staton
Lyric Sample: “‘Cause sooner or later in life, the things you love, you lose.”
Florence + The Machine took this 1980s dance track and turned it into an indie-rock hit in 2009. Her powerful voice and the addition of a harp give the song a much bigger, more theatrical feel.
26. “Twist and Shout” – The Beatles
Original Artist: The Top Notes
Lyric Sample: “Well, shake it up, baby, now.”
The Beatles recorded this in one take at the end of a long session when John Lennon’s voice was almost gone. That vocal is what made the song a classic in 1963.
Related: Songs with Dances
27. “Valerie” – Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse
Original Artist: The Zutons
Lyric Sample: “Since I’ve come on home, well, my body’s been a mess.”
The Zutons released “Valerie” in 2006 as a mid-tempo indie rock song. Ronson and Winehouse gave it a soulful, retro arrangement in 2007, and their cover became the far better-known version.
Related: Best Songs with Names in the Title
28. “Beggin’” – Måneskin
Original Artist: The Four Seasons
Lyric Sample: “I’m beggin’, beggin’ you, so put your lovin’ hand out, baby.”
This Italian rock band went viral with their version of this 1967 soul track. They added a modern rock sound and a heavy bassline, and introduced a whole new generation to that catchy chorus.
29. “I Will Always Love You” – Whitney Houston
Original Artist: Dolly Parton
Lyric Sample: “Bittersweet memories, that is all I’m taking with me.”
Parton wrote this as a sweet country goodbye, but Houston turned it into a massive R&B power ballad for The Bodyguard. The song stayed at number one for months and showed off Houston’s incredible vocal chops.
Related: Best Love Songs of All Time
30. “Tainted Love” – Soft Cell
Original Artist: Gloria Jones
Lyric Sample: “Once I ran to you, now I’ll run from you.”
Most people who know “Tainted Love” have no idea a soul original from 1964 exists. Soft Cell’s 1981 cover was so distinct from its source that it essentially created a new song out of the same bones.
Related: Brit Song of the Year Winners & Nominees
31. “Africa” – Weezer
Original Artist: Toto
Lyric Sample: “It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you.”
After a fan started a social media campaign, Weezer finally covered this 1982 classic in 2018. They stayed very close to the original arrangement, which helped make it a surprise radio hit all over again.
Related: “Africa” Lyrics Meaning
32. “Killing Me Softly” – Fugees
Original Artist: Lori Lieberman (popularized by Roberta Flack)
Lyric Sample: “Strumming my pain with his fingers, singing my life with his words.”
Flack’s 1973 recording won the Grammy for Record of the Year. The Fugees reimagined it with hip-hop production in 1996, and their version hit No. 1 in 11 countries and became one of the best-selling singles of the decade.
Related: “Killing Me Softly” Meaning
33. “The Man Who Sold the World” – Nirvana
Original Artist: David Bowie
Lyric Sample: “I thought you died alone a long, long time ago.”
Bowie released the original in 1970, but it was largely forgotten by the time Nirvana performed a stripped-down acoustic version for their 1994 MTV Unplugged special. Most listeners assumed it was a Nirvana original.
34. “Cover Me Up” – Morgan Wallen
Original Artist: Jason Isbell
Lyric Sample: “So, cover me up and know you’re enough to use me for good.”
Isbell wrote “Cover Me Up” about his wife and his road to sobriety. Wallen started performing it live in 2018 and eventually released a studio version, with Isbell’s blessing.
Related: “Cover Me Up” Song Meaning
35. “I Fought the Law” – The Clash
Original Artist: The Crickets
Lyric Sample: “I fought the law and the law won.”
The Clash took a 1950s rockabilly song and added their signature punk sound to it in 1979. It became one of the rebellion songs and is one of the most famous examples of a cover song that’s better than the original.
Related: Best Songs About Prison and Jail
36. “Proud Mary” – Ike & Tina Turner
Original Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Lyric Sample: “Working for the man every night and day, and I never lost one minute of sleeping.”
CCR’s original reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most covered rock songs of the era. Ike and Tina Turner’s version introduced the slow-then-fast structure that she’d perform for the rest of her career.
Related: “Proud Mary” Meaning
37. “Big Yellow Taxi” – Counting Crows ft. Vanessa Carlton
Original Artist: Joni Mitchell
Lyric Sample: “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
This 2002 version of “Big Yellow Taxi” added a male vocal and a bit more of a pop-rock sound to Mitchell’s 1970 environmental song. It hit the top 20 in several countries and introduced the song to listeners who hadn’t been born when the original came out.
Related: Best Songs About Nature
Conclusion
Whether they stay close to the original or change the genre entirely, these artists proved that a great song can be told in many ways. Sometimes a fresh perspective is all it takes to turn an old track into something that feels brand new again.
If you enjoyed this list, you might also like our picks for Songs That Tell a Story, Songs About Nostalgia, and Songs About Missing Someone.
