Back at the turn of the 20th century, everyone played everyone else’s songs. There were no wax records, no pop charts. It was just sheet music or word of mouth. But as the industry grew, song ownership became more of a priority. Individuality, artists and careers.
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These days, the covering of artists’ songs may happen less than, say, 100 years ago. But when it’s done right—wow, does it pack a wallop. Here are seven such songs that, when performed by the artists who made them famous, seem like they belong to that person. But in actuality, another penned their lyrics, chorus and bridge.
1. “I Will Always Love You,” Whitney Houston
“I Will Always Love You” is likely the first song that comes to anyone’s mind when they think of covers that became more famous than the originals. And for good reason. Dolly Parton, who wrote the song in 1973, is a standout performer in her own right, one of the best and brightest country stars ever, but Whitney Houston was like a dawn sun. Bright, inescapable and too short-lived. When Houston took the reigns of this song in 1992 for the film, The Bodyguard, it became hers.
2. “Hound Dog,” Elvis Presley
Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, this song was first a hit by one of the early stars of rock ‘n’ roll music, Big Mama Thornton. Leiber and Stoller had been called in to write a tune for Thornton, who had not yet had a hit, but this one made her well-known in rock circles upon its release in 1953. However, when Elvis Presley cut a version for himself three years later in 1956, it became a mega-hit and remains one of his most signature songs.
3. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” Cyndi Lauper
It’s almost impossible to believe that this wasn’t a Cyndi Lauper original. But in truth, the song that made her one of the biggest stars in the world in 1983 was originally written in 1979 by Robert Hazard. He’d cut the song as a demo and it was written from the male perspective. But when Lauper got a hold of it for her debut LP, She’s So Unusual, altering some of the lyrics, it became something else entirely. Now it’s an all-time classic with well more than a billion streams on YouTube, alone.
4. “Red Red Wine,” UB40
Another that’s inescapable from the artists who made it famous, “Red Red Wine” was originally written and performed by Neil Diamond in 1967. Yet, 17 years later, the UB40 cover from the band’s album, Labour of Love, went No. 1. The reggae version offers a relaxing, chilled-out vibe that is worth visiting and revisiting many times over.
5. “I Love Rock ‘N Roll,” Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Originally written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker for the British-born band Arrows, Joan Jett and her band the Blackhearts cut a version of the 1975 song six years later in 1981 and in that moment it became hers. The song drips off Jett’s snarling lips effortlessly. Jett’s version also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
6. “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Sinéad O’Connor
Released by Prince for his 1985 side project The Family on the album of the same name, this song was covered five years later by the Irish artist Sinéad O’Connor and it became a global hit. The song’s popularity helped to lead O’Connor to play Saturday Night Live and create one of the most shocking moments on TV. More recently, O’Connor was denied usage of the song in her recent documentary by Prince’s estate. Nevertheless, it remains an all-time cover.
7. “Torn,” Natalie Imbruglia
This song has lived many lives and has been sung by many artists. But it wasn’t a well-known track until it was recorded and released by Natalie Imbruglia in 1997, her debut single release. Originally written by Scott Cutler, Anne Preven and Phil Thornalley, the song was first tracked by Danish artist Lis Sørense in 1994. After that, American rock group Ednaswap cut a version in 1996. But it was Australian singer Imbruglia in 1997 who made it a smash.
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