4 Smash Hits From 1969 That You Might Not Have Realized Were Cover Songs

What a wild, diverse music scene it was in 1969. When you check out the top hits of that year, you’ll find just about every genre under the sun. You’ll also discover artists who fearlessly tried new things with every song that was released.

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But there was one way in which that year in music resembled most other years before and after it. Cover songs did very well on the pop charts, with these four songs leading the charge.

“I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” by Tom Jones

This one was kind of a double cover, if you will. The original version of the song was released in 1962 by Lonnie Donegan. Donegan, known for his skiffle style that influenced many British Invasion acts, based the melody (along with co-songwriter Jimmy Currie) on the traditional folk song “Wanderin’”. “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” reached its full potential once Tom Jones got a hold of it in 1967. Jones plays around with his vocal phrasing in between the sauntering rhythm in the verses. He then explodes in the chorus with those oh-so-potent pipes of his. Jones’ take was quiet upon its first release in the US in ’67. But it found its momentum, reaching No. 6, when it was re-released in 1969.

“One” by Three Dog Night

Harry Nilsson delivered the amazing Aerial Ballet album in 1968, but it didn’t do much business. It did, however, grab the attention of many in the music industry, including The Beatles, who quickly sang Nilsson’s praises to anyone who would listen. Meanwhile, Three Dog Night made it their m.o. to find underappreciated songwriters and boldly interpret their work. In the case of “One”, they added a bit more rock heft to the proceedings. Nilsson’s original conjured a bit more mystery and intrigue. But he couldn’t have minded the changes made by TDN, considering the royalties that the band’s No. 5 take on the song brought him.

“Too Bust Thinking About My Baby” by Marvin Gaye

There are some artists with such a presence on the microphone that they often recorded the definitive version of songs that had been done many times before. Marvin Gaye certainly stands tall in that category. After all, Gaye recorded “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” just months after Gladys Knight, herself an iconic artist, took it to No. 1. And Gaye somehow ended up with an even bigger hit. He did it again with “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby”, which was actually his follow-up single to “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”. He took it from The Temptations’ original and turned it into a No. 4 hit.

“Get Together” by The Youngbloods

For the second time on this list, we have a song that was not only a cover but also reached its peak the second time it was released by the act that made it a hit. Chet Powers, who would later go on to join Quicksilver Messenger Service, wrote and first recorded “Get Together” back in 1963, but that version was never released. The Kingston Trio and Jefferson Airplane, two formidable names in the music world, each put out versions of the song before The Youngbloods, a somewhat obscure act at the time, recorded it in 1967. Two years later, this last version of “Get Together” took off to No. 5. Its appearance in a radio public service announcement was the catalyst for that surge.

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