3 Cover Songs That Might Have Surpassed the Originals in Popularity

Who doesn’t love a good cover song? Even if a cover song falls short of the original’s quality, it is still quite the treat when you see it performed live or hear it through your headphones. Although every so often, a cover song comes along that arguably blows the original out of the water. With that in mind, here are three cover songs that have arguably surpassed the originals in popularity.

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“With A Little Help From My Friends” by Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker‘s 1968 cover of The Beatles’ 1967 single “With A Little Help From My Friends” just might be one of the greatest cover songs of all time. Now, to say this single explicitly surpassed the popularity of The Beatles’ piece is quite difficult. After all, it’s The Beatles, one of the most, if not the most, popular rock ‘n ‘roll band of all time. However, there is an argument to be made.

Released in 1968, Joe Cocker’s cover of “With A Little Help From My Friends” became a sensation in the United Kingdom. Specifically, the single peaked at No. 1 on the UK chart and at No. 68 on the Hot 100. The Beatles’ original rendition had a similar run on the Hot 100, as it peaked at No. 71 on the chart after it was rereleased as a single. Though it didn’t even come close to matching Cocker’s performance on the UK chart.

“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Guns N’ Roses

As you might have picked up on, we aren’t picking overt examples. So no Whitey Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” or Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”. That being so, our selections are a little more labor-intensive in the mind, and to us, an example that matches our qualifications is Guns N’ Roses‘ cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”.

Dylan released the single in 1973, and it went on to peak at No. 12 on the Hot 100. Guns N’ Roses released their cover in 1991, and weirdly enough, it didn’t peak on the Hot 100. Regardless, we feel as if the majority of people associate the song with GNR and not Dylan. Also, GNR’s version has nearly a billion streams on Spotify, whereas Dylan’s is around the 800 million mark. By the way, we aren’t saying that it is a shabby number, because, evidently, it isn’t.

“Respect” by Aretha Franklin

Originally written and released by Otis Redding in 1965, “Respect” was a hit for the singer, as it peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, I think we can all agree that the minute Aretha Franklin recorded her own rendition of the song, it unofficially became hers.

Franklin not only made this song her own by outperforming Redding’s version, but she also made it her own by altering the lyrics and creating a feministically charged meaning. A meaning that directly juxtaposed and subverted Redding’s original. Regardless, after Franklin released “Respect” in 1967, the single went on to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Frankly, it is one of the greatest songs of all time, and we surely aren’t alone in thinking that.

Photo: Atlantic Records