Greatest Cover Songs and Remakes of the 2000s

Criteria: These cover songs/remakes of the 2000s are ranked according to their initial and lasting popularity, influence and acclaim, as well as their cultural impact. The greatness of an original record is not taken into consideration. To qualify as a cover version, the song has to be neither the first recorded nor the first released version of particular song.

Legend: Song - Original Artist with first recording (year) | Great Cover Version/Remake (year)
Cover Songs 2000s
1. Hurt
Nine Inch Nails (1995) | Johnny Cash (2003)
2. Don't Know Why
Jesse Harris & The Ferdinandos (1999) | Norah Jones (2002)
3. Valerie
The Zutons (2006) | Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse (2007)
4. I Turn to You
All-4-One (1997) | Christina Aguilera (2000)
5. Mad World
Tears for Fears (1982) | Michael Andrews & Gary Jules (2003)
6. Lady Marmalade
The Eleventh Hour (1974) | Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, & Pink (2008)
7. Emotion
Samantha Sang (1977) | Destiny's Child (2001)
8. Don't Cha
Tori Alamaze (2004) | The Pussycat Dolls (2005)
9. It's My Life
Talk Talk (1984) | No Doubt (2004)
10. What a Wonderful World
Louis Armstrong (1969) | Joey Ramone (2002)
11. Landslide
Fleetwood Mac (1975) | Dixie Chicks (2002)
12. You Got the Love
Candi Stanton (1986) | Florence + The Machine (2009, "You've Got the Love")
13. Feeling Good
Cy Grant (1964) | Muse (2001)
14. One
U2 (1991) | Mary J. Blige and U2 (2005)
15. Redemption Song
Bob Marley (1980) | Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros (2003)
16. Make You Feel My Love
Bob Dylan (1997) | Adele (2008)
17. Drift Away
John Kurtz (1972) | Uncle Kracker (2003)
18. Please Read the Letter
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (1998) | Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (2008)
19. Gone Daddy Gone
Violent Femmes (1983) | Gnarls Barkley (2006)
20. Life is a Highway
Tom Cochrane (1990) | Rascal Flatts (2006)
21. Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd (1979) | Scissor Sisters (2003)
22. Love, Reign o'er Me
The Who (1973) | Pearl Jam (2007)
23. Smooth Criminal
Michael Jackson (1987) | Alien Ant Farm (2001)
24. Cruisin'
Smokey Robinson (1979) | Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis (2000)
25. The Boys of Summer
Don Henley (1983) | The Ataris (2003)
26. This Woman's Work
Kate Bush (1989) | Maxwell (2002)
27. Lovesong
The Cure (1989) | 311 (2004)
28. Such Great Heights
The Postal Service (2003) | Iron & Wine (2006)
29. Freak Like Me
Adina Howard (1995) | Sugababes (2002)
30. God's Gonna Cut You Down
Traditional | Johnny Cash (2006)
31. The Saints Are Coming
The Skids (1978) | Green Day and U2 (2006)
32. Renegades of Funk
Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force (1983) | Rage Against the Machine (2001)
33. Don't Stop Believin'
Journey (1981) | The Cast of "Glee" (2009)
34. Land of Confusion
Genesis (1986) | Disturbed (2006)
35. Black Betty
Traditional | Spiderbait (2004)
36. Somethin' Stupid
Carson and Parks (1966) | Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman (2001)
37. Give a Little Bit
Supertramp (1977) | The Goo Goo Dolls (2004)
38. I'm a Believer
The Monkees (1966) | Smash Mouth (2001)
39. Some Hearts
Marshall Crenshaw (1989) | Carrie Underwood (2005)
40. Heaven
Bryan Adams (1985) | DJ Sammy, Yanou and Do (2001)
41. Here We Go Again
Ray Charles (1967) | Ray Charles and Norah Jones (2004)
42. Heartbeats
The Knife (2002) | Jose Gonzalez (2006)
43. Jolene
Dolly Parton (1973) | The White Stripes (2004)
44. Running Up That Hill
Kate Bush (1985) | Placebo (2003)
45. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?
Prince (1982) | Alicia Keys (2002)
46. Personal Jesus
Depeche Mode (1989) | Johnny Cash (2003)
47. Run
Snow Patrol (2003) | Leona Lewis (2008)
48. 1985
SR-71 (2004) | Bowling for Soup (2004)
49. The First Cut Is The Deepest
P.P. Arnold (1967) | Sheryl Crow (2004)
50. Just Got Paid
Johnny Kemp (1988) | NSYNC (2000)
51. Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
The Smiths (1987) | Mark Ronson & Daniel Merriweather (2007, "Stop Me")
52. Eternal Flame
The Bangles (1989) | Atomic Kitten (2001)
53. Feel Like Makin' Love
Roberta Flack (1974) | D'Angelo (2000)
54. Conquest
Patti Page (1952) | The White Stripes (2007)
55. Baby's Coming Back
Jellyfish (1990) | McFly (2007)
56. Shadowplay
Joy Division (1979) | The Killers (2007)
57. Simple Man
Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973) | Shinedown (2004)
58. My Prerogative
Bobby Brown (1988) | Britney Spears (2004)
59. Tainted Love
Gloria Jones (1965) | Marilyn Manson (2001)
60. Travelin' Soldier
Bruce Robison (1996) | Dixie Chicks (2002)
61. Hounds of Love
Kate Bush (1985) | The Futureheads (2005)
62. Take on Me
A-ha (1984) | A1 (2000)
63. Hard Sun
Indio (1989) | Eddie Vedder (2007)
64. Working Class Hero
John Lennon (1970) | Green Day (2007)
65. Not Over Yet
Grace (1993) | Klaxons (2007, as "It's Not Over Yet")
66. Darling Nikki
Prince (1984) | Foo Fighters (2003)
67. Take Me Home
Cher (1979) | Sophie Ellis-Bextor (2001)
68. Cactus
Pixies (1988) | David Bowie (2002)
69. How I Could Just Kill a Man
Cypress Hill (1991) | Rage Against the Machine (2001)
70. Wonderwall
Oasis (1995) | Ryan Adams (2004)
71. Strange Little Girl
The Stranglers (1982) | Tori Amos (2001)
72. The Fields of Athenry
Danny Doyle (1979) | Dropkick Murphys (2003)
73. Common People
Pulp (1995) | William Shatner and Joe Jackson (2004)
74. Word Up!
Cameo (1986) | Korn (2004)
75. I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
Dusty Springfield (1964) | The White Stripes (2003)
76. Your Daddy Don't Know
Toronto (1982) | The New Pornographers (2002)
77. Livin' Thing
Electric Light Orchestra (1976) | The Beautiful South (2004)
78. Back in the High Life Again
Steve Winwood (1987) | Warren Zevon (2003)
79. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
The Rolling Stones (1965) | Cat Power (2000)
80. The Sign
Ace of Base (1993) | The Mountain Goats (2002)
81. Some Things Last a Long Time
Daniel Johnston (1990) | Beach House (2008)
82. All My Friends
LCD Soundsystem (2007) | John Cale (2007)
83. Streets of Your Town
The Go-Betweens (1988) | Ivy (2002)
84. I Should Have Known Better
The Beatles (1964) | She & Him (2008)
85. Red Right Hand
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1994) | Arctic Monkeys (2009)
86. Born in the U.S.A
Bruce Springsteen (1984) | Richard Shindell (2007)
87. Year 3000
Busted (2002) | The Jonas Brothers (2006)
88. Lollipop
Lil Wayne (2008) | Framing Hanley (2008)
89. I Can Hear the Grass Grow
The Move (1967) | The Fall (2005)
90. I Won't Back Down
Tom Petty (1989) | Johnny Cash and Tom Petty (2000)
91. Flying Without Wings
Westlife (1999) | Ruben Studdard (2003)
92. Another Brick in the Wall
Pink Floyd (1979) | Korn (2004)
93. All for the Best
Miracle Legion (1987) | Thom Yorke (2009)
94. Listen to Your Heart
Roxette (1988) | DHT (2004)
95. Death Letter
Son House (1965) | The White Stripes (2000)
96. Oops! I Did It Again
Britney Spears (2000) | Richard Thompson (2003)
97. Try Some, Buy Some
Ronnie Spector (1971) | David Bowie (2003)
98. #9 Dream
John Lennon (1974) | R.E.M. (2007)
99. Jack the Ripper
Screaming Lord Sutch (1963) | The Horrors (2006)
100. Arnold Layne
Pink Floyd (1967) | David Gilmour and David Bowie (2006)



Last Updated: 2019-02-10

Definition: The term "cover version" originally referred to a rival version of a tune recorded to compete with the recently released version of a song. Eventually it went on to have a more general meaning including any performance or recording by someone other than the original artist or composer of a previously recorded, commercially released song. For sake of this list, versions of songs which fit the newer definition of cover version but not the original one are referred to as remakes.