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100 Greatest Cover Songs and Remakes

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.

Criteria: These cover songs/remakes 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 have to be neither the first recorded nor the first released version of particular song.

Last Updated: 2022-05-15
Greatest Cover Songs and Remakes
Cover Songs collage image
Legend:
Song - Original Artist with first recording (year) | Great Cover Version/Remake (year)
  1. Respect - Otis Redding (1965) | Aretha Franklin (1967)
  2. Rock Around the Clock - Sonny Dae and His Knights (1954) | Bill Haley & His Comets (1954)
  3. Louie Louie - Richard Berry (1957) | The Kingsmen (1963)
  4. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight & the Pips (1967) | Marvin Gaye (1968)
  5. Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton (1953) | Elvis Presley (1956)
  6. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On - Big Maybelle (1955) | Jerry Lee Lewis (1957)
  7. All Along The Watchtower - Bob Dylan (1967) | Jimi Hendrix (1968)
  8. Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan (1965) | The Byrds (1965)
  9. Good Rocking Tonight - Roy Brown (1947) | Wynonie Harris (1948)
10. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - The Undisputed Truth (1972) | The Temptations (1972)
11. The House of the Rising Sun - Traditional | The Animals (1964)
12. Walk This Way - Aerosmith (1975) | Run-D.M.C. (1986)
13. I Love Rock 'N' Roll - Arrows (1975) | Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (1982)
14. Somebody To Love - The Great Society (1966) | Jefferson Airplane (1967)
15. Twist And Shout - Top Notes (1961) | The Beatles (1963)
16. Midnight Train to Georgia - Jim Weatherly (1972, "Midnight Plane to Houston") | Gladys Knight & the Pips (1973)
17. Tainted Love - Gloria Jones (1964) | Soft Cell (1981)
18. I Only Have Eyes for You - Dick Powell & Ruby Keeler (1934) | The Flamingos (1959)
19. Nothing Compares to U - The Family (1985) | Sinead O'Connor (1990)
20. Blueberry Hill - Sammy Kaye with Tommy Ryan (1940) | Fats Domino (1956)
21. Me And Bobby McGee - Roger Miller (1969) | Janis Joplin (1971)
22. Georgia on My Mind - Hoagy Carmichael & His Orchestra (1930) | Ray Charles (1960)
23. Dazed and Confused - Jake Holmes (1967) | Led Zeppelin (1969)
24. Black Magic Woman - Fleetwood Mac (1968) | Santana (1970)
25. Killing Me Softly with His Song - Lori Lieberman (1972) | Roberta Flack (1973)
26. All Shook Up - David Hill (1956, "I'm All Shook Up") | Elvis Presley (1956)
27. Wild Thing - Wild Ones (1965) | The Troggs (1966)
28. That's All Right - Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (1947) | Elvis Presley (1954)
29. Surfin' U.S.A. - Chuck Berry (1958, "Sweet Little Sixteen") | The Beach Boys (1963)
30. I Got You (I Feel Good) - Yvonne Fair & James Brown Band (1962, "I Found You") | James Brown (1965)
31. The Twist - Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (1959) | Chubby Checker (1960)
32. The Train Kept-A-Rollin - Tiny Bradshaw (1951) | The Johnny Burnette Trio (1956)
33. Mystery Train - Little Junior's Blue Flames (1953) | Elvis Presley (1955)
34. La Bamba - Traditional | Ritchie Valens (1958)
35. At Last - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (1941) | Etta James (1960)
36. Killing Me Softly with His Song - Lori Lieberman (1972) | Fugees (1996)
37. I Can't Stop Loving You - Don Gibson (1957) | Ray Charles (1962)
38. War - The Temptations (1970) | Edwin Starr (1970)
39. Kansas City - Little Willie Littlefield (1952) | Wilbert Harrison (1959)
40. Unchained Melody - Todd Duncan (1955) | The Righteous Brothers (1965)
41. Crying in the Chapel - Darrell Glenn (1953) | The Orioles (1953)
42. Turn, Turn, Turn - The Limeliters (1962, "To Everything There Is a Season") | The Byrds (1966)
43. Try A Little Tenderness - Ray Noble and His Orchestra (1932) | Otis Redding (1966)
44. Suspicious Minds - Mark James (1968) | Elvis Presley (1969)
45. Torn - Lis Sørensen (1993, "Brændt") | Natalie Imbruglia (1995)
46. Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen (1985) | Jeff Buckley (1994)
47. White Christmas - Bing Crosby (1942) | The Drifters (1954)
48. Keep a Knockin' - Louis Jordan (1941) | Little Richard (1957)
49. Hurt - Nine Inch Nails (1995) | Johnny Cash (2003)
50. Shake Rattle & Roll - Big Joe Tuner (1954) | Bill Haley & the Comets (1954)
51. My Back Pages - Bob Dylan (1964) | The Byrds (1967)
52. I Fought The Law - The Crickets (1960) | The Bobby Fuller Four (1965)
53. Oye Como Va - Tito Puente (1963) | Santana (1970)
54. Evil Ways - Willie Bobo (1967) | Santana (1969)
55. Mustang Sally - Sir Mack Rice (1965) | Wilson Pickett (1966)
56. Drift Away - John Kurtz (1972) | Dobie Gray (1973)
57. Lady Marmalade - The Eleventh Hour (1974) | Labelle (1974)
58. I Feel for You - Prince (1979) | Chaka Khan (1984)
59. La Bamba - Ritchie Valens (1958) | Los Lobos (1987)
60. I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton (1974) | Whitney Houston (1992)
61. Hard To Handle - Otis Redding (1968) | The Black Crowes (1990)
62. C.C. Rider - Ma Rainey (1925, "See See Rider Blues") | Chuck Willis (1957)
63. Little Darlin' - The Gladiolas (1957) | The Diamonds (1957)
64. Blue Monday - Smiley Lewis (1954) | Fats Domino (1956)
65. Stagger Lee - Traditional | Lloyd Price (1958)
66. Every Time You Go Away - Daryl Hall and John Oates (1980, "Everytime You Go Away") | Paul Young (1985)
67. The Greatest Love of All - George Benson (1977) | Whitney Houston (1985)
68. That's What Friends Are For - Rod Stewart (1982) | Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder (1985)
69. Bette Davis Eyes - Jackie DeShannon (1975) | Kim Carnes (1981)
70. Baby Let's Play House - Arthur Gunter (1954) | Elvis Presley (1955)
71. Change the World - Wynonna Judd (1996) | Eric Clapton (1996)
72. Do Wah Diddy Diddy - The Exciters (1963, "Do-Wah-Diddy") | Manfred Mann (1964)
73. Hanky Panky - The Raindrops (1963) | Tommy James & the Shondells (1964)
74. My Prayer - Georges Boulanger (1924, "Avant de mourir") | The Platters (1956)
75. Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins (1955) | Elvis Presley (1956)
76. Drown In My Own Tears - Sonny Thompson with Lula Reed (1952, "I'll Drown In My Tears") | Ray Charles (1956)
77. See You Later, Alligator - Bobby Charles (1955, "Later Alligator") | Bill Haley & His Comets (1955)
78. One Night - Smiley Lewis (1956) | Elvis Presley (1958)
79. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Gertrude Niesen (1933) | The Platters (1958)
80. Devil With A Blue Dress On & Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard (1957, "Good Golly Miss Molly") and Shorty Long (1964, "Devil with the Blue Dress") | Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels (1966)
81. Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) - Dick Holler & the Holidays (1964) | The Swingin' Medallions (1966)
82. Piece Of My Heart - Erma Franklin (1967) | Big Brother & Holding Company (1968)
83. Without You - Badfinger (1970) | Harry Nilsson (1971)
84. Hang On Sloopy - The Vibrations (1964, "My Girl Sloopy") | The McCoys (1965)
85. On Broadway - The Crystals (1963) | The Drifters (1963)
86. Last Kiss - Wayne Cochran (1961) | Pearl Jam (1999)
87. The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss) - Merry Clayton (1963) | Cher (1990)
88. Night Time (Is The Right Time) - Nappy Brown (1957, "The Right Time" ) | Ray Charles (1958)
89. Good Rocking Tonight - Roy Brown (1947) | Elvis Presley (1954)
90. Needles and Pins - Jackie DeShannon (1963) | The Searchers (1964)
91. Burning Love - Arthur Alexander (1972) | Elvis Presley (1972)
92. Memphis - Chuck Berry (1959, "Memphis, Tennessee") | Johnny Rivers (1964)
93. Stranded In The Jungle - Jayhawks (1956) | Cadets (1956)
94. Hearts of Stone - The Jewels (1954) | The Charms (1954)
95. Dedicated To The One I Love - "5" Royales (1957) | The Shirelles (1959)
96. Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Temptations (1971) | The Undisputed Truth (1971)
97. You Keep Me Hangin' On - Supremes (1966) | Vanilla Fudge (1967)
98. Get Together - The Kingston Trio (1964, "Let's Get Together") | The Youngbloods (1967)
99. Cocaine - J.J. Cale (1976) | Eric Clapton (1977)
100. Hello Mary Lou - Johnny Duncan (1960) | Ricky Nelson (1961)



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