Have you ever heard covers of popular songs that are better than the originals? We know it doesn’t seem real, but it is. We’re here to present you with a list of songs performed by a band or artist who actually performed it better than the original songwriter/performer. It happens all the time actually. There are many songs that were not popular, but once given to the correct performer and interpreted differently, turned into musical wonders.
Of course, some traditionalist may say that there’s nothing like the original: every song is played the way it was written, how it’s supposed to be. That’s why this usually happens within the pop genre. The rules are different: there are no “do’s” and “don’t’s” in pop. Most of the time, songs are just written with the lyrics and the chords, and then recorded. The score is not often used, and if it is, is not usually published, so people just tend to make their own covers…which sometimes turn out to be even better versions.
Why a song becomes popular is beyond our knowledge. You probably know hundreds of songs that were never in the charts or on the radio, and what’s worse, a lot of awful songs that are loved by everybody and you can’t figure out why. But if we focus on those good songs that could never make it, it might have been because of their political, religious or even social content. Many of them have been banned for that, and if you’re interested in this subject, you can go ahead and read our list of The 10 Most Controversial Songs Of All Time to Hit (and get Banned from) the Airwaves. It is a little bit controversial though…
So how does a song become one of the covers of popular songs that are better than the originals? It might seem subjective, but it’s not just up to us. According to the music charts, these songs reached the top when the originals didn’t. Moreover, you probably didn’t even know they were cover; that’s how popular they’ve become.
Without further ado (and with our without musical accompaniment, that’s up to you), here you have our top ten covers of popular songs that are better than the originals. Enjoy!
10. Manic Monday – The Bangles
The original song was performed by the band Apollonia 6 in 1984, but The Bangles were the ones who made it famous in 1986. Fun fact: it was composed by Prince, under the pseudonym “Christopher”!
9. It’s Oh So Quiet – Björk
Even though the original (“Blow a Fuse” by Betty Hutton) and the cover are pretty similar, you can’t deny that Björk became very well-known because of this song. And that’s why it made it into our number nice position… It’s not so quiet after all!
Do you want to hear more? We have eight more to come in our list of covers of popular songs that are better than the originals!
8. I WantCandy – Bow Wow Wow
This is an example of a band known for only one tune. But what a song! Used in several TV shows and commercials, “I Want Candy” was heard all throughout the eighties. The original? It was recorded by The Strangeloves in 1965.
7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
Another hit from the 80’s (well, covers were pretty common in that decade) made it onto our list. At number seven, we have our pop royal Cyndi Lauper doing a song composed by Robert Hazard in 1979. The original version’s lyrics were changed for Lauper’s version, which is what made it a feminism anthem at the time (and it’s still considered as such).
6. Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Originally composed by Ed Cobb and recorded in 1964 by Gloria Jones, our number six was brought into fame by the band Soft Cell. While covered by several other bands, Soft Cell’s version is the one we have in our minds when we hear the song’s title, is it not?
5. Free Fallin’ – John Mayer
This one may be the most controversial on our list, as the original is a popular and beloved song in its own right. Indeed, it has more than twenty covers to its name, but the sweetest one has to be John Mayer’s version. We know he has a soothing voice, and his cover of this 1989 song by Tom Petty shows that off to beautiful effect.
4. I Love Rock and Roll – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
You can’t make it cooler than Joan Jett, and that’s exactly what she and her band did with this song in 1982. It made into the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in a row. The original was recorded in 1975 by The Arrows as a Side B song, but it was not at all successful.
3. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
Did you know this one was not originally written for/by Whitney Houston? It was actually a cover from Dolly Parton, who composed it in 1973. In 1991, Whitney recorded it for the movie “The Bodyguard”, which made not only the song, but herself as well, incredibly famous.
2. Respect – Aretha Franklin
Another great artist who performed another great song. In 1965, Otis Redding recorded this one and it was already an anthem when Aretha got to it. But after her version and even nowadays, it’s one of those songs you can’t sing without feeling powerful and strong. Way to go, Aretha!
1. Hound Dog – Elvis Presley
And in our number 1, folks, is the King of Pop. He recorded this song in 1956, originally performed by “Big Mama” Thornton (great song as well). But who can say no to Elvis? His cover is electric, potent and fun, and one of the most famous songs of all time.
