25 Covers of Famous Songs That Are As Good As — If Not Better Than — the Original
When it comes to music, covers get a bad rap. The term alone evokes painful memories of drunken karaoke nights, bad wedding bands and the pitchy screeching loosely resembling the chorus of “Please Please Please” emanating from your bathroom while your roommate takes a shower.
But thankfully, not all covers are created equal. Legendary artists like Whitney Houston, Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Cash gave classic tunes like “I Will Always Love You,” “All Along the Watchtower” and “Hurt” brand new life with their distinct sounds and impressive musical chops.
It doesn’t stop there either. Whether it’s Nirvana’s “The Man Who Sold the World” or “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, these covers of famous songs are better than the original — or at the very least, give their predecessors a run for their money.
“All Along the Watchtower”
“Me and Bobby McGee”
“Killing Me Softly”
“Respect”
“Don’t Know Why”
“Hurt”
“Tainted Love”
“Hazy Shade of Winter”
“The Man Who Sold the World”
“Hallelujah”
“Such Great Heights”
“Smooth Criminal”
“I Feel For You”
“Running Up That Hill”
“With a Little Help from My Friends”
“Last Kiss”
“How Soon Is Now?”
“I Will Always Love You”
“Stand By Me”
“Torn”
“All by Myself”
“Knocking on Heaven’s Door”
“I’ve Been Everywhere”
“I Will Survive”
“Landslide”
