When it comes to covers, claiming that a rendition is better than the OG track is a hard case to make. These country music covers of non-country tracks are exceptionally good… and some might even argue that they’re better than the original songs. Let’s take a look!
1. Johnny Cash, “Hurt”
Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails is one of the definitive country music covers of non-country songs. Cash’s cover is haunting, heartbreaking, and existential in a way that the source material didn’t quite capture the same way. The music video captures the mood of the cover beautifully, too.
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2. Mark Chesnutt, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”
To say that Mark Chesnutt’s rendition of “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” is better than the Aerosmith original might land us in some hot water. However, we will credit Chesnutt with taking a pop-rock ballad and adding a country flair to it that would be challenging for any musician to do. Chesnutt made the song his own.
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3. Luke Combs, “Fast Car”
Is it technically a cover if you sing the song with the person who wrote and originally sang it? Who cares! Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman took her song “Fast Car” and breathed new life into it at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Combs continues to sing the song solo during his live sets, and he certainly does an excellent job with the song all on his own.
4. “Rascal Flatts, “Life Is A Highway”
Tom Cochrane’s classic song “Life Is A Highway” has been covered quite a bit through the years. That being said, Rascal Flatts (and Chris LeDoux, respectively) added a country music vibe to their covers that worked quite well. Rascal Flatts’ rendition became massively popular and was used in the soundtrack of the 2006 animated film Cars.
5. Alan Jackson, “Summertime Blues”
Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” is a classic, but Alan Jackson really did something special with his version. It’s surprisingly good, considering Jackson is quite the traditional country musician. His version of the song uses the lyrics from “Summertime Blues” against the musical structure of his song “Chattahoochee”.
6. The Chicks, “Landslide”
Let’s be real. Nothing will ever top Stevie Nicks’ version of “Landslide”. However, The Chicks got pretty close. We’d be bold enough to say that the country trio stoked some interest in Fleetwood Mac among country fans in the early 2000s when their cover was released.
6. Brooks & Dunn, “My Maria”
Very few Brooks & Dunn fans know that this hit track from 1996 is actually a cover! The OG song was recorded by B.W. Stevenson back in the early 1970s. When the original song was released, it quickly hit no. 1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart. Brooks & Dunn revived it with their own unique flair.
Photo by Scott Gries
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