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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.
Punk music is known for deconstructing classic rock or pop songs by reinterpreting them in punk form. Bands like Me First & the Gimme Gimmes , The Mighty Mighty Bosstones , NOFX and Rancid are especially known for doing so.
Yesterday by the Beatles has been covered over three thousand times since its original release in 1965 . Other songs which have been released many times as cover versions include: "Free Bird " (Lynyrd Skynyrd ) and "No Woman No Cry " (Bob Marley & the Wailers ).
Many popular bands have a tribute album, consisting entirely of covers of their songs performed by various other bands, often quite different from the original. The soundtrack to the film I Am Sam Beatles songs redone by various modern artists.
Jam bands such as Phish and The Grateful Dead are known for playing covers in concert, generally, and not on studio albums.
Some examples of commercially successful or otherwise notable cover versions are:
Song
Original Artist
Cover Artist
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
The Temptations , 1966
The Rolling Stones , 1974
"Across the Universe"
The Beatles , 1970
Fiona Apple , 1998
"All Along The Watchtower"
Bob Dylan , 1968
Jimi Hendrix , 1968
"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
"Back in the USA"
Chuck Berry , 1959
Linda Ronstadt , 1978
"Blinded by the Light"
Bruce Springsteen , 1973
Manfred Mann , 1976
"Blue Bayou"
Roy Orbison , 1963
Linda Ronstadt , 1977
"Blue Suede Shoes"
Carl Perkins , 1955
Elvis Presley , 1956
"Boy From New York City"
Ad Libs , 1965
Manhattan Transfer , 1981
"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
The Andrews Sisters , 1941
Bette Midler , 1972
"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"
Paul Anka , 1962
Paul Anka , 1974 (remake)
"Come Together"
The Beatles , 1969
Aerosmith , 1978
"Da Doo Run Run"
The Crystals 1963
Shawn Cassidy 1977
"Dancing in the Street"
Martha & the Vandellas , 1964
Van Halen , 1982
"Downtown Train"
Tom Waits , 1985
Rod Stewart , 1989
"Everlasting Love"
Robert Knight , 1967
Carl Carlton , 1974
"Feelin' Alright"
Traffic , 1968
Joe Cocker , 1969
"Gin and Juice"
Snoop Doggy Dogg , 1993
The Gourds , 1998
"Gloria"
Them (with Van Morrison ), 1965
Shadows of Night , 1966
"A Hard Day's Night "
The Beatles , 1964
Goldie Hawn , 1998
"Heat Wave"
Martha & the Vandellas , 1963
Linda Ronstadt , 1975
"Helter Skelter"
The Beatles , 1968
U2 , 1989
"I Got Rhythm"
George Gershwin Broadway musical "Girl Crazy", 1930
The Happenings , 1967
"I Got You Babe"
Sonny & Cher , 1967
Cher with Beavis and Butthead , 1993
"I Hear You Knocking"
Smiley Lewis , 1961
Dave Edmunds , 1971
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine"
Gladys Knight & the Pips , 1967
Marvin Gaye , 1968 Creedence Clearwater Revival , 1970
"I Shot the Sheriff"
Bob Marley & the Wailers , 1973
Eric Clapton , 1974
"I'm a Believer"
Neil Diamond , 1966
The Monkees , 1966 Smashmouth , 2001
"I'm a Man"
Spencer Davis Group , 1967
Chicago , 1970
"It Ain't Me Babe"
Bob Dylan , 1964
The Turtles , 1965
"Knocking on Heaven's Door"
Bob Dylan , 1973
Guns N' Roses , 1991
"Last Kiss"
J. Frank Wilson , ???
Pearl Jam , 1981
"Light My Fire"
The Doors , 1967
Jose Feliciano , 1968
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
The Tokens , 1961
Robert John , 1971
"Live and Let Die"
Paul McCartney , 1976
Guns N' Roses , 1991
"Love is All Around"
The Troggs , 1967
Wet Wet Wet , 1994
"Love is Strange "
Ian and Sylvia , 1958
Peaches and Herb , 1967
"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"
The Beatles , 1967
Elton John , 1974
"MacArthur Park"
Richard Harris , 1968
Donna Summer , 1978
"Mr. Tambourine Man"
Bob Dylan , 1965
The Byrds , 1965
"My Way"
Frank Sinatra , 1969
Sid Vicious , 1978
"Only You"
Yazoo , 1982
Flying Pickets , 1983
"Pinball Wizard"
The Who , 1971
Elton John , 1976
"Proud Mary"
Creedence Clearwater Revival , 1969
Ike and Tina Turner , 1971
"Rock and Roll Music"
Chuck Berry , 1957
The Beatles , 1964 The Beach Boys , 1975
"Roll Over Beethoven"
Chuck Berry , 1956
The Beatles , 1963 Electric Light Orchestra ,1973
"She Came In Through The Bathroom Window"
The Beatles , 1969
Joe Cocker , 1969
"Somethin' Stupid"
Frank & Nancy Sinatra , 1967
Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman , 2001
"Spanish Harlem"
Ben E. King , 1961
Aretha Franklin , 1971
"Summertime"
George Gerswhin , from the opera "Porgy and Bess", 1934
The Shake Spears, 1966 Janis Joplin , 1967
"Summertime Blues"
Eddie Cochran , 1958
The Who , 1967 Blue Cheer , 1968
"Suzie Q"
Dale Hawkins , 1957
Creedence Clearwater Revival , 1968
"Suspicion"
Elvis Presley , 1962
Terry Stafford , 1964
"That'll Be The Day"
Buddy Holly , 1957
Linda Ronstadt , 1976
"There She Goes"
The La's , 1989
Sixpence None The Richer , 1999
"Time"
Tom Waits , 1967
Rod Stewart , 1970
"Walk This Way"
Aerosmith , 1975
Run DMC , 1986
"We Can Work It Out"
The Beatles , 1966
Stevie Wonder , 1971
"With A Little Help From My Friends"
The Beatles , 1967
Joe Cocker , 1969
"Without You"
Badfinger , 1970
Harry Nilsson , 1971
"You Keep Me Hanging On"
The Supremes , 1966
Vanilla Fudge , 1968
"You Really Got Me"
The Kinks , 1965
Brian Eno et al 1974 , Van Halen , 1978
