Song(s) that artist covered that became "go-to" version.

[16251]

Here's an easy choice and kind of relevant (wink, wink.)

 

 

[Docbop]

here's couple guitar slingers that made others tunes theirs.

 

One more Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett wrote Superstar in 1969 and has been record by them and others, but the Carpenters has become THE version.

 

[JamPro]

Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff

 

[JamPro]

George Benson - This Masquerade

 

[Sean M. H.]

Two Whitney Houston songs came to mind:

"I Will Always Love You" (Dolly Parton) 

"I'm Every Woman" (Chaka Khan)

 

[Ivan May]

Up until a few years ago I didn’t know this was a cover of a Tommy James And The Shondells song.

[skipeb3]

Joe Cocker, "The Letter"

[EscapeRocks]

My very favorite is Manfred Mann's cover of the Bruce Springsteen song

 

[GovernorSilver]

 

[jeffincltnc]

The Beatles "Twist and Shout"

Jeff Buckley "Hallelujah"

Janis Joplin "Me and Bobby McGee"

Santana "Black Magic Woman"

The Animals "House of the Rising Sun"

Sinead O'Connor "Nothing Compares 2 U"

 

 

[jeffincltnc]

+ Ike & Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" and Aretha Franklin's "Respect"

[Konnector]

Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused

Nazareth - This Flight Tonight

Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower

Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends (for me at least)

The Beatles - Twist and Shout

 

It's a long list, but I'll stop there.

[wineandkeyz]

 

[timwat]

Since We've Ended As Lovers - Jeff Beck (Stevie, but he never recorded it)

'Til You Come Back to Me - Aretha (Stevie, and he DID record it)

I Can't Help It - Michael Jackson (Stevie, not sure if he did ever record it)

Without You - Harry Nilsson

Hurt - Johnny Cash (I know, that may be pushing it, but...man) - wineandkeyz beat me to it

[surfergirl]

Patsy Cline - Sweet Dreams

Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson - Pancho and Lefty  (my goto version is Emmylou Harris)

[Mark Schmieder]

Once I discover the original of anything, I usually prefer it, even though it's often late in life, but there are many exceptions, such as almost anything The Beatles covered.

 

I had never heard Springsteen's original until a few years ago (didn't even know he wrote it or recorded it; I'm not a Springsteen fan), and can't stand Mann's anymore!

 

Hard for me to listen to Santana's "Oye Como Va" after many high energy versions by Tito Puente (Santana even drops the mid-section). Same with La Bamba vs. Los Lobos.

 

In some cases, an artist wrote a song for someone else and then did their own version, which I prefer (e.g., Joni's "Woodstock" and others, Neil Diamond's "I'm a Believer").

 

There are other cases where the cover is like a different song and cannot really be compared. Think of Yes's long-winded covers of America and stuff on first two albums.

[16251]

 

2 hours ago, Konnector said:

Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confuse

I picked this song for no reason and did a search. Found the original

 

[KuruPrionz]

Pointer Sisters, Fire.

Bruce Springsteen wrote it for Robert Gordon but the Pointer Sisters owned it. 

 

 

 

[Polychrest]

Joe Cocker, “Feelin’ Alright”

[bill5]

Wow I am extremely surprised James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt haven't yet been mentioned...IMO the king and queen of covers. Almost everything they remade I liked better than the original, they were so good at it. Among the many:

 

Oooh Baby Baby

Every Day

How Sweet It is

Something in the Way She Moves

 

Oooh Baby Baby

That'll be the Day

 

etc etc

 

[jazzpiano88]

Go to for me:  Elton John Pinball Wizard.  Might be controversial, but Elton and the band killed it compared to the original and its continuous drum solo.

[Docbop]

 

 

Eagles is nice, but after seeing Tom Waits do his song live was spellbinding. 

 

 

[Moonglow]

Always Something There to Remind Me

 

I prefer the remake by Naked Eyes. I was surprised to learn Burt Bacharach co-wrote that tune.

[stillearning]

5 hours ago, skipeb3 said:

Joe Cocker, "The Letter"

Almost anything Joe Cocker did.

[KuruPrionz]

Elvis Presley didn't write many songs, maybe 3?

ALL of his songs are covers, pretty much. 

 

Emmylou Harris has written a few songs but most of her songs are covers too. 

 

There are quite a few artists who sold a lot of records but didn't write much. 

[Mighty Motif Max]

31 minutes ago, KuruPrionz said:

Elvis Presley didn't write many songs, maybe 3?

ALL of his songs are covers, pretty much. 

 

Emmylou Harris has written a few songs but most of her songs are covers too. 

 

There are quite a few artists who sold a lot of records but didn't write much. 

I was gonna say, Elvis lol.

[stoken6]

10 hours ago, IMMusicRulz said:

Up until a few years ago I didn’t know this was a cover of a Tommy James And The Shondells song.

My favourite music trivia fact: this song replaced Billy Idol's "Mony Mony" at the top of the Billboard Top 100. Both were Tommy James and the Shondells originals. It is the only time in Billboard history that two consecutive number 1s were covers of the same artist.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[wineandkeyz]

I can't believe no one's mentioned this cover or others from this landmark album:

 

 

[EscapeRocks]

3 hours ago, wineandkeyz said:

I can't believe no one's mentioned this cover or others from this landmark album:

 

 

Every time I hear that into, I picture the opening of Police Squad with Leslie Nielsen

[rickzjamm]

"The Christmas Song" Nat King Cole