The 10 Best Cover Songs

You often hear that the original is the best. However, these ten cover versions of popular songs have, at some point, breathed new life into the originals. Each artist has put their own particular interpretation to the words and music, perhaps offering the song to a new generation, and creating a classic of their own.

Many of these tracks are now so indelibly linked to the cover artist, that either the original has been forgotten or listeners believe the cover version is the original. Believe it or not, the ten cover versions I have gathered together here have a history all their own and are remembered as great recordings in their own right.

One of the most recent successes for this song was a version by Michael Buble, but in fact it was written in 1965 for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd.

My research has found that the earliest recording was by singer Cy Grant, but that it became popular when recorded by Nina Simone.

Muse, the English rock band, put its own stamp on the song when it was included on the group's 2001 album, Origin of Symmetry.

I always thought that the original of Twist and Shout was recorded by The Isley Brothers, but no! In 1961, a group named The Top Notes made a version called Shake It Up, Baby, but it did not set the world on fire.

Then, The Isleys got a hold of it and turned it into a hit in the US in 1962.

But, for many, the definitive version is by The Beatles, included on the group's first UK album, Please, Please Me.

Originally from the album The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails, Hurt was recorded by Johnny Cash for his own album American IV: The Man Comes Around.

It became one of his final hits, earning the country singer acclaim not only for his rendition of the song, but also for the music video that accompanied it.

The origins of Hey Joe appear to be lost in the mists of rock music history, but the first known recording was made by American band The Leaves during the mid 1960s.

The better known, and most referred to version, is by rock legend Jimi Hendrix who released it in 1966. It became his first best seller when it reached the Top 10 in the UK in the same year.

Wilson Pickett also left us with his fine rendition, as well.

Where Did You Sleep Last Night? is a traditional American song that dates back to the 19th century and has been recorded by numerous artists in a variety of styles, including Bluesman Lead Belly.

In 1993, American rock band Nirvana put its own spin on it in a live performance for its MTV Unplugged broadcast.

Originally recorded by The Crickets in 1959, I Fought the Law became a hit in the mid-1960s by the Bobby Fuller Four.

Then, at the height of the punk rock revolution of the late-1970s, British group The Clash made their own version and the rest is history.

Lots of cover versions to choose from when one mentions Leonard Cohen's superb Hallelujah.

There have been recordings by John Cale, k.d.lang, Alexandra Burke and others.

Then there is this one by Jeff Buckley, which has become a classic in its own right.

Written and recorded by Bob Dylan for his 1967 album John Wesley Harding, All Along the Watchtower has also been covered by numerous artists, but the most memorable version is by Jimi Hendrix when he recorded it for his album Electric Ladyland in 1968.

It became a hit song both in the US and the UK in the same year.

The first three versions of I Heard It Through the Grapevine were recorded on the Motown label and it has become one of the company's most well-known songs.

Originally released by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, then a hit by Gladys Knight and the Pips, it became Marvin Gaye's signature song when it topped the charts in both the US and the UK during 1968 and 1969.

I always believed that Dusty Springfield recorded the original version of I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself, but even her rendition was a cover version of an earlier recording by Tommy Hunt.

Numerous other musicians have put their own spin on the song over the years, but one of the best was offered up by The White Stripes in 2003 and included on the band's album Elephant.