Cover version
A cover version of a pop song is a rerecording of that song by a different artist (compare with remake).
In the early days of rock and roll, many songs recorded by African American rock musicians that were rerecorded by white artists, such as Pat Boone, in a more toned down style that lacked the hard edge of rock and roll. These cover versions were considered by some to be more palatable to parents.
Over the years, cover versions of many popular songs have been recorded, sometimes with a radically different style, and in other cases the cover version is virtually indistinguishable from the original. For example, Jose Feliciano's version of "Light My Fire" was utterly distinct from the original version by The Doors; but Carl Carlton's 1974 cover of Robert Knight's 1967 hit single song "Everlasting Love" sounds almost identical to the original.
Some songs, like "Yesterday" by the Beatles, has been covered over a thousand times since its recording in 1965.
Some examples of commercially successful cover versions are:
| Song | Original Artist | Cover Artist |
|---|---|---|
| "American Pie" | Don McLean, 1971 | Madonna, 2000 |
| "American Woman" | The Guess Who, 1970 | Lenny Kravitz, 2000 |
| "Angel in the Morning" | Merrilee Rush, 1968 | Juice Newton, 1981 |
| "Boy From New York City" | Ad Libs, 1965 | Manhatten Transfer, 1981 |
| "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" | Paul Anka, 1962 | Paul Anka, 1974 (remake) |
| "Everlasting Love" | Robert Knight, 1967 | Carl Carlton, 1974 |
| "Gloria" | Them (with Van Morrison), 1965 | Shadows of Night, 1966 |
| "I Got Rhythm" | Kate Smith, 1930 | The Happenings, 1967 |
| "I'm a Believer" | Neil Diamond, 1966 | The Monkees, 1966 Smashmouth, 2001 |
| "I'm a Man" | Spencer Davis Group, 1967 | Chicago, 1970 |
| "Light My Fire" | The Doors, 1967 | Jose Feliciano, 1968 |
| "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" | The Tokens, 1961 | Robert John, 1971 |
| "Love is Strange" | Ian and Sylvia, 1958 | Peaches and Herb, 1967 |
| "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" | Beatles, 1967 | Elton John, 1974 |
| "MacArthur Park" | Richard Harris, 1968 | Donna Summer, 1978 |
| "Pinball Wizard" | The Who, 1971 | Elton John, 1976 |
| "Rock and Roll Music" | Chuck Berry, 1957 | Beatles, 1964 |
| "Roll Over Beethoven" | Chuck Berry, 1956 | Beatles, 1963 |
| "Summertime Blues" | Eddie Cochran, 1958 | The Who, 1967 |
| "Walk This Way" | Aerosmith, 1975 | Run DMC, 1986 |
| "You Keep Me Hanging On" | Supremes, 1966 | Vanilla Fudge, 1968 |
| "You Really Got Me" | The Kinks, 1965 | Van Halen, 1979 |