4 Low-Key Covers That Ruled the Charts in 1981

There’s no rule that says you must advertise that your song is a cover. Besides, if an artist manages to put a distinctive spin on previously released material, they deserve a great deal of credit if that song succeeds.

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In 1981, there were several songs that hit big that hid well the fact that they were cover songs. Let’s see if you knew these four weren’t originals.

“The Tide Is High” by Blondie

Blondie took a lot of chances with their 1980 album Autamerican. They ranged far and wide from the whooshing New Wave sound that had helped them build their following. But they came out of it with a pair of No. 1 hits. “Rapture”, the second of those hits, found the band fearlessly embracing hip-hop at a time the genre was far from the mainstream. Meanwhile, “The Tide Is High” captured them indulging in smooth reggae grooves, complete with island-flavored horns. Debbie Harry put her own vocal stamp on the song. That helped hide the fact that the song was actually over a decade old, first released in 1967 by a group called The Paragons.

“Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes

“Bette Davis Eyes” underwent one of the most radical transformations in cover song history when Kim Carnes got hold of it. Carnes came into the 80s with a reputation as a soft rocker. But to her credit, she was willing to go for broke with new sounds on the 1981 album Mistaken Identity, with producer Val Garay helping her in that quest. The two created all kinds of ear-grabbing hooks in their version of the song, from the slinky, repeating synth riff to the white noise hand claps. Most folks just assumed that Carnes came up with the song herself. They likely never heard the 1974 original, a somewhat jaunty, almost vaudevillian number co-written and recorded by Jackie DeShannon.

“Queen Of Hearts” by Juice Newton

Juice Newton found quite a little niche for herself as the country crossover queen of the early 80s. And cover songs helped her get the job done. There was “Angel Of The Morning”, which had been a dream pop hit for Merrilee Rush in the 60s. “Queen Of Hearts” was of much more recent vintage, but was still obscure at least to American audiences. Brit retro rocker Dave Edmunds scored a hit with it in his native country in 1979. But he was dismayed when he couldn’t get his American label to release it as a single stateside. Newton picked up the ball and released a cover quite faithful to Edmunds’ take. She ended up with a No. 2 hit as a result.

“Tryin’ To Live My Life Without You” by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

Bob Seger utilized a live album to help bring him from relative obscurity to massive success. That was in 1975, when Live Bullet brought him to the mainstream and set him up for the success of Night Moves. By the time he went back to the concert-album route with Nine Tonight in 1981, he had established himself as one of the biggest superstars in the world of rock. And once again, he came out of the project smelling like a rose, thanks to the No. 5 hit “Tryin’ To Live My Life Without You”. As you might expect, he and the Silver Bullet Band imbued their own identity into the song. They did that so well that many never realized the song was first a minor hit for soul singer Otis Clay in 1973.

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