You'll be shocked when you find out the origins of these iconic tracks! For this list, we’ll be ranking popular songs that actually had a life prior to being recorded by a different artist.
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00:00This girl, she just took this song, but I'm still gonna do it anyway.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 songs you didn't know were covers.
00:10Everyone I know goes away in the end.
00:19For this list, we'll be ranking popular songs that actually had a life prior to being recorded by a different artist.
00:25We won't be including instances such as Stevie Wonder's Superstition, which was written by Wonder but popularized by both him and guitarist Jeff Beck.
00:34Did any of these picks surprise you? Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments.
00:40Number 20, Got My Mind Set on You, George Harrison, original by James Ray.
00:46The Beatles were no strangers to covering their favorite tunes back in the day.
00:50Guitarist George Harrison would certainly echo this years later with this late 80s hit from his Cloud 9 album.
00:57The original version of Got My Mind Set on You was written by Rudy Clark and sung by R&B performer James Ray back in 1962.
01:12And to be honest, it's just as cool as Harrison's version.
01:21Ray's rendition is soulful with a little calypso swing, while George's solid cover version has that processed 80s sheen going for it.
01:30There's also a more melodic vocal and two different video clips.
01:40Regardless, either song you listen to is a win.
01:44Number 19, Hanging on the Telephone, Blondie, original by The Nerves.
01:49Sometimes all it takes is a little X-factor to make a good song a great song.
01:54In the case of Hanging on the Telephone, that X-factor was Debbie Freakin' Harry.
02:05Don't get us wrong, the original version of this 1976 track by The Nerves is a fantastic slice of power pop with great garage rock guitar and an appropriately snotty vocal by songwriter Jack Lee.
02:20But once Blondie got a hold of it two years later, it became a certified smash with a new lease on life.
02:31Debbie's vocal is equally snotty but a bit more monotone, while the actual arrangements remain relatively the same.
02:38In short, it's a simple and direct rock song with a fantastic hook.
02:43Oh, I can't control myself. Oh, I can't control myself.
02:48Number 18, Torn, Natalie Imbruglia, original by Edna Swapp.
02:53The history behind Torn is slightly complicated, as it was written in 1994 and recorded in Danish by singer Liz Sorensen.
03:02Following this, it was performed by the song's original writers in their band Edna Swapp, and then again by Trine Rine.
03:24It finally landed in the lap of another singer whom you may be familiar with, Natalie Imbruglia.
03:30Imbruglia was attempting a singing career after carving out her name in Australian soap operas.
03:35Torn achieved its highest chart profile under her watch.
03:46The song's memorable chorus and arrangements were retained, albeit with less of an alternative rock attitude and more of Imbruglia's pop sensibility.
03:55We are not complaining.
04:01Number 17, I Fought The Law, The Clash, original by The Bobby Fuller Four.
04:09You can draw a direct line from the rebelliousness of early rock and roll to the anti-authoritarian snarl of punk rock in the late 1970s.
04:18Case in point, I Fought The Law from The Bobby Fuller Four.
04:21The song was expertly given a new lease on life thanks to an extra helping of aggression by The Clash.
04:27While it wasn't written by Fuller or The Four, the recorded version remains a brilliant slice of proto-garage rock.
04:41Meanwhile, The Clash's take was equally important.
04:46Meanwhile, The Clash's take was equally important.
04:49The punk legends amplified the aggression and the melody with a great lead guitar and a vocal that's full of spit and vinegar.
04:56It's simply awesome.
05:07Number 16, Crazy, Patsy Cline, original by Willie Nelson.
05:12Willie Nelson is a fantastic singer-songwriter who has composed some of the finest songs of his generation.
05:18One of those tunes is the morose and rather depressing ballad, Crazy.
05:29But we gotta admit that Patsy Cline has Willie beat in the vocal department with her rendition.
05:34While the Nelson original possesses all the trappings of a traditional country hit,
05:38Cline's haunting delivery is practically otherworldly in its power to bring us to tears.
05:43Every. Single. Time.
05:54It's just one of those songs that had the perfect composer, but needed to find its perfect singer to unleash its true calling upon the world.
06:01And we couldn't be more grateful it found its way to Patsy.
06:20Kris Kristofferson is another country legend with an impressive arsenal of songwriting prowess.
06:25He also has the ability to compose across multiple genres like pop, blues, and rock.
06:30Kristofferson wrote Me and Bobby McGee in the early 70s, and it was performed by a number of different singers over the years.
06:46These included Gordon Lightfoot and Roger Miller, who was the first to record the tune.
06:50But its most famous rendition is undoubtedly by 60s icon Janis Joplin.
07:01Joplin's sultry vocals brings a certain melancholy to the song,
07:07while also proving that Janis could balance the established power of her voice with a smoother dynamic.
07:13The results are classic rock gold.
07:16Black Sabbath wasn't exactly known for their cover songs, but this was an exception.
07:20A certified hit during a time when they were fresh on the hard rock scene.
07:24Evil Woman was Sabbath's first UK single, a cover of the hard rocking American biker group Crow.
07:45It's a standard bluesy number amplified by Tony Iommi's devastating guitar,
07:50not to mention Ozzy Osbourne's iconic vocals.
07:57It fell in line with Sabbath's own blues origins under the moniker Earth.
08:02Sabbath wisely decided to omit the horn arrangements present on the Crow version,
08:06and their take served as a suitable introduction to the future heavy metal legends.
08:15Although in the United States, Evil Woman was replaced on the debut album with the track Wicked World.
08:36Perez Prado composed the instrumental Mambo No. 5 way back in 1949.
08:42While Lou Bega would famously sample and cover the track years later in the 90s
08:46as a worldwide smash hit that dominated the radio airwaves.
08:58Bega's version is obviously updated with modern production,
09:02and his vocal recitation of all his many loves, Monica, Erica, and Rita to name a few.
09:12The end result is certainly its own thing,
09:16a nice recycling of Prado's original melodies and grooves with Bega's undeniable charisma.
09:22You know you love it, and we do too.
09:24The magic of a truly great song is often buried deep within its bones and DNA.
09:29It can be tapped into by a variety of singers with their own unique perspective.
09:41The First Cut is the Deepest is one of those songs.
09:44A song that is so well-known that it's almost impossible to miss.
09:49The song would go on to be covered beautifully by Rod Stewart in 1976
09:53before being tackled again to great effect by Sheryl Crow in 2002.
09:58Radical, but still fun.
10:00iconic version.
10:10The song would go on to be covered beautifully by Rod Stewart in 1976 before being tackled
10:15again to great effect by Sheryl Crow in 2003.
10:25The end results are slightly different each time, with the song's undeniable magic shining
10:29bright throughout the years.
10:31Who will take it on next?
10:32We cannot wait to find out.
10:44The influence of 1980s synth-pop was one that always permeated No Doubt's music, even back
10:49in their earliest ska-punk days.
10:59So when it came time for the band to tackle a cover song for their 2003 singles collection,
11:04It's My Life beat out a couple of other strong contenders.
11:15It was a good choice, as the song proved popular with fans, and No Doubt absolutely killed
11:20it with their own rendition.
11:27The bass line is an important part of the song, and Tony Canal is in total control the
11:32whole time.
11:33Meanwhile, the original's otherworldly synth vibe is still there.
11:37Gwen Stefani's vocal approach is less goth-influenced than Talk Talk, instead bringing power, glamour,
11:43and vibe.
11:44We love it.
11:52All Along the Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience, original by Bob Dylan
12:04The universal appeal of Bob Dylan's music has always lent itself well to other bands who
12:08covered his material.
12:16The Jimi Hendrix Experience certainly put their own creative stamp on Dylan's All Along
12:20the Watchtower, turning a relatively mellow folk song into a raging psychedelic rock anthem.
12:26In fact, Hendrix's version possesses so much unbridled power that it may just be the
12:31finest reimagining of a cover song ever.
12:34It's seriously that good.
12:43Jimi's otherworldly guitar soloing on the track is the stuff of legend, while the rhythm
12:48section of Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding hold it down with an urgency that's missing
12:53from the Dylan OG.
12:54It is mesmerizing stuff.
13:04Don't Turn Around – Ace of Bass, original by Tina Turner
13:07You would be forgiven for thinking that Swedish pop sensation Ace of Bass wrote their hit
13:12single Don't Turn Around, but the origins of the track actually date back to the late
13:1680s.
13:23It was recorded and released by the legendary Tina Turner as a b-side to her typical male
13:29single.
13:35It would actually be covered by a number of different artists before Ace of Bass even
13:39touched the track.
13:40The inimitable Bonnie Tyler even recorded a version back in 1988.
13:49Ace of Bass's rendition is quite good, lathered up in an early 90s production sheen.
13:55But Queen Tina's OG is an absolute 80s pop rock anthem.
14:06Hush – Deep Purple, original by Billy Joe Royal
14:10Deep Purple may be known today as one of the godfathers of heavy metal, but their earliest
14:14days were still largely steeped in the roots of psychedelic rock.
14:22It was during this time when Purple scored one of their early hits, a cover of the beat
14:26pop tune Hush, originally written by Joe South for Billy Joe Royal.
14:38Royal's version is comparatively more poppy than Purple's, with the latter benefiting
14:42greatly from Ritchie Blackmore's heavy guitar and John Lord's Hammond organ.
14:53Hush has been covered countless times since then, but if you want a truly groovy throwback,
14:59be sure to check out Deep Purple killing the song on Hugh Hefner's short-lived variety
15:03show Playboy After Dark.
15:13Nothing Compares to You – Sinead O'Connor, original by The Family
15:17There's no denying that Sinead O'Connor's cover of Nothing Compares to You has become
15:21the definitive version of this song.
15:29But did you know that the track was originally written by the Purple One himself, Prince?
15:33Yep, Nothing Compares to You was composed and given to a group called The Family.
15:38The band was signed to Prince's new label at the time, Paisley Park Records.
15:50Their version of Nothing Compares to You is very much a ballad, and still melancholic,
15:54but more indicative of a neo-soul style.
16:05It wasn't until Sinead lent her powerful voice to the track that it truly took on a
16:09life of its own, and boy, do we love to hear it.
16:18Number 6.
16:19Tainted Love – Soft Cell, original by Gloria Jones
16:23It's remarkable how close the arrangements are between these two versions of Tainted
16:27Love, recorded 25 years apart.
16:36The 1964 Gloria Jones version of Tainted Love is a straightforward R&B jam with a righteous
16:41vocal, superb backup singer work, and a driving, repetitive backbeat.
16:52Soft Cell kept most of this relatively intact in 1981, when they plugged in their synthesizers
16:57and drum machines to lay their own stamp on Tainted Love.
17:06The main difference is Soft Cell's emphasis on the punchiness of the rhythm.
17:11Mark Alman's vocal is also a bit more dramatic and gothic, in the best way possible, of course.
17:24Number 5.
17:25I Love Rock and Roll – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, original by The Arrows
17:29It honestly isn't too much of a stretch to compare Joan Jett and the Blackhearts with
17:33The Arrows, who originally performed the hit I Love Rock and Roll.
17:45Both bands possessed a punky, garage rock approach, with a bit of glam influence from
17:50the saucy 70s.
17:51However, the original I Love Rock and Roll wasn't a huge hit for The Arrows, who remain
17:56a comparatively obscure act compared to Jett.
18:04Instead, Joan's version quickly became a defining song for her, thanks largely to her
18:12stellar vocal and one-of-a-kind attitude.
18:15As cool as The Arrows' original version, we'll always associate I Love Rock and Roll
18:19with the Divine Miss Jett.
18:30Number 4.
18:31Twist and Shout – The Beatles, original by The Top Notes
18:34Okay, hands up, who doesn't know Twist and Shout?
18:38Follow-up question, did you know that The Beatles' classic performance of the song
18:41was actually a cover?
18:47Well, the OG Twist and Shout was originally performed by an obscure doo-wop R&B outfit
18:56called The Top Notes, before receiving hit status when soul icons The Isley Brothers
19:07took their shot.
19:12Meanwhile, The Beatles' version was their only million-selling American single to be
19:19a cover, and featured John Lennon laying it all out on the table with a raw vocal performance.
19:31If you listen closely, you can almost hear the roots of rock and roll burying themselves
19:35deep within the cultural zeitgeist.
19:37Yep, it's that important.
19:45Number 3.
19:46I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston, original by Dolly Parton
19:50Here's some more trivia for you.
19:52Did you know that two of Whitney Houston's biggest hits were covers?
20:04Although today the origins of the Dolly Parton original for I Will Always Love You is becoming
20:08more well-known, The Greatest Love of All was actually a hit for jazz guitarist George
20:13Benson back in 1977.
20:24The fact that Houston didn't write either of these songs takes absolutely nothing away
20:28from how successful her stamp was on making both songs iconic.
20:38I Will Always Love You in particular makes an amazing transition from heartfelt country
20:43ballad to soaring pop crossover smash, and we wouldn't want it any other way.
20:58Number 2.
20:59Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper, original by Robert Hazard
21:03Musically speaking, both Robert Hazard's original version of Girls Just Wanna Have
21:07Fun and Cyndi Lauper's cover are fairly similar.
21:16They're both melodic new wave jams with quirky vocals and big hooks, although Lauper does
21:21slow her version down, making it substantially less hyperactive.
21:32The real differences, however, come from the lyrical perspective, with Lauper changing
21:36the tone from a face-value tune of sex, love, and dating to something more feminist in nature.
21:50To this day, Lauper's version is seen largely as an anthem for the movement, while simultaneously
21:54being one of the definitive pop hits of the 1980s.
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22:22Number 1.
22:23Respect – Aretha Franklin, original by Otis Redding
22:26Speaking of feminist anthems, you gotta love that the original writer of Respect, Otis
22:31Redding, admitted live on stage that Aretha Franklin stole this song from him and made
22:36it her own.
22:43The quote is taken from Redding's performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, before
22:48he launched into a blistering version of his own.
22:59The arrangements in Aretha's version are smoother and more layered than Redding's raw R&B soul.
23:13Meanwhile, the lyrical and vocal shifts turn Respect into a lightning strike of female
23:17empowerment that turned Aretha into a megastar.
23:29Do you agree with our picks?
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