The Top 6 Covers of Bluegrass Songs

Bluegrass music has roots in American and European folk songs. Like folk music, the genre has certain pieces considered bluegrass standards, which have been adapted more times than anyone could possibly count. But some covers stand out from the crowd. These top bluegrass covers made the original songs famous all over again, though they’d been played many times before.

1. “Wayfaring Stranger“—Emmylou Harris (1980)

“Wayfaring Stranger” has been around since at least the 1850s, so, unsurprisingly, it has been covered many times. It became famous as Burl Ives’ signature song and would later be covered by Johnny Cash, Paul Robeson, and many others. One of the most prominent versions is Emmylou Harris‘ 1980 cover, which climbed to the Top 10 on the country charts. Harris nails the mournful vocals over a stripped instrumental, communicating the loneliness of the song’s protagonist as they wander the world.

2. “Blue Moon of Kentucky“—Elvis (1954)

Written by the father of bluegrass himself, Bill Monroe, “Blue Moon of Kentucky” has become a bluegrass standard. It has been covered countless times, including notable covers by Patsy Cline and the Stanley Brothers. But the King of Rock and Roll transformed the song from a romantic country waltz to an upbeat pop song. Presley blended many genres in his cover, from bluegrass to blues, giving it universal appeal and making his version climb to the Top 10 on the charts.

[RELATED: Top 5 Bill Monroe Songs]

3. “Mountain Dew“—Willie Nelson (1972)

As with many bluegrass standards, “Mountain Dew” has been covered by many musicians over the years. The song, a tongue-in-cheek ode to illegal moonshine production, was written in the 1920s, inspired by real cases of people on trial for producing moonshine. Willie Nelson‘s 1972 cover stayed on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for six weeks. The punchy, upbeat tune shows Nelson’s skill on the guitar, and perfectly highlights the piece’s humor.

4. “Walls of Time“—The Johnson Mountain Boys (2011)

It doesn’t get more purely bluegrass than the Johnson Mountain Boys singing Bill Monroe’s “Walls of Time.” The song was recorded for a Bill Monroe tribute album celebrating the 100th birthday of the Father of Bluegrass (though Monroe had passed away in 1996). The Johnson Mountain Boys, themselves modern titans in the bluegrass genre, kept things classic for the cover, emphasizing layered harmonies and a prominent violin part. We’ll never know what Monroe would have thought of it, but it was a worthy tribute.

5. “Long Black Veil“—Johnny Cash (1965)

There wasn’t much that the Man in Black couldn’t do—and he could certainly undoubtedly adapt a folk song into an enduring hit (even though he was far from the first to cover “Long Black Veil”). Cash first recorded the song in 1965, but his most notable performance of the tune was in 1969 when he sang it as a duet with Joni Mitchell on the debut episode of The Johnny Cash Show. “Long Black Veil” has become a bluegrass standard, telling the story of a man executed for a crime he didn’t commit and the woman who visited his grave.

6. “Nine Pound Hammer“—The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1972)

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has been pioneering country rock since the 1960s. But in 1972, they went in a slightly different direction with their album Will the Circle Be Unbroken. The album was an attempt to unify two generations of country musicians, the old-school country/bluegrass singers and the counterculture-influenced modern bands. Their cover of “Nine Pound Hammer” with Merle Travis puts a delightful twist on the classic folk song while remaining true to the genre of traditional bluegrass. “Nine Pound Hammer” has been covered by many bands, from the Beatles to Cat Stevens, but the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s performance might just be the greatest.

Courtesy of The John R Cash Trust / Shorefire Media