August 17th 2024.
Believe it or not, all of these popular songs are actually covers! We've all experienced that moment when we're singing along to a song, thinking it's an original, only to find out that it's actually a cover version. Some of the most well-known and beloved covers include Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," The Beatles' "Twist and Shout," Adele's "Make You Feel My Love," Amy Winehouse's "Valerie," and Bananarama's "Venus."
But every now and then, a cover version can surpass the original and become even more successful, causing people to forget that the original version even existed. This has happened numerous times in the history of pop music, resulting in some of the biggest names and their most famous songs being overshadowed. Below, we've compiled a list of some of these cases. Let us know if you were aware of any of them!
Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" was the song that launched her singing career in 1997. It quickly climbed the charts worldwide and reached number two in the UK. However, many people were surprised to learn that it was actually a cover of a song called "Brændt" by Danish singer Lis Sorenson, released in 1993. The original version was written by a trio of songwriters, but it was Natalie's version that became a phenomenon and solidified her place in the music industry.
Another example is Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," which became one of the defining hits of the 1980s. However, not many people know that it was actually written in 1964 by Ed Cobb. The song was originally recorded by Gloria Jones, who was in the car with T Rex's Marc Bolan on the night of his fatal crash. Despite Jones re-recording the song with Bolan in the 1970s, it failed to chart in the UK. It wasn't until Soft Cell recorded their own version that the song became a worldwide smash and made them a household name.
Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is another example of a cover overshadowing the original. Released in 1983, it became one of the quintessential 80s songs and a top 10 hit worldwide. However, it was actually written and recorded four years earlier by singer-songwriter Robert Hazard. His demo showed that the lyrics were originally written from a male perspective, and Cyndi had a bigger influence on the final version than people may have realized. The original version had a different sound, more in line with the power pop and new wave acts of the late 1970s.
One of the most surprising covers is the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha," which became one of the breakout hits of the 2000s and launched the career of Nicole Scherzinger. What many people don't know is that the catchy chorus was actually lifted from another song called "Swass," released in the late 1980s by Sir Mix-a-Lot. In 2004, Tori Alamaze recorded a full version of "Don't Cha," but it failed to chart outside of the US. She eventually gave up her rights to the song, and it was then offered to Sugababes and Paris Hilton before being given to the Pussycat Dolls.
Another iconic cover is Aretha Franklin's "Respect," which she released in 1967 and is still widely celebrated as one of the best pop songs of all time. However, the song was actually written and recorded by Otis Redding, the King of Soul, in 1965. Originally a ballad, Otis changed the tempo and lyrics, and it was featured on his album "Otis Blue." Aretha's version, with its gender-swapped lyrics and added bridge, became a huge hit and reached number 10 in the UK.
Lastly, we have Toni Basil's "Mickey," which was a huge hit in the early 1980s. Many people may be shocked to learn that it was actually a cover of a song called "Kitty" by a group called Racey. Toni Basil's version was a more upbeat and energetic take on the song, which helped it become a worldwide success and solidify her place as a pop icon.
As you can see, cover versions have played a significant role in shaping the music industry and have even overshadowed the original versions in some cases. It's always interesting to learn about the history behind the songs we love and how they came to be. Which of these covers surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below!
Believe it or not, every single one of these songs is actually a cover! We've all experienced that moment when we're singing along to a beloved song, only to find out it's not the original version. Some of the most iconic covers of all time include Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," The Beatles' "Twist and Shout," Adele's "Make You Feel My Love," Amy Winehouse's "Valerie," and Bananarama's "Venus."
But sometimes, a cover version can surpass the original and become a huge success on its own. In fact, there have been numerous instances in pop music where the original version has been overshadowed by a cover. It's happened more times than you'd think, and even some of the biggest names in music have had their own compositions forgotten because of a cover version's immense popularity. Let's take a look at some of the most notable examples.
One of the most famous covers of all time is Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn." The song launched her singing career in 1997 and became an immediate hit worldwide. However, many people were surprised to learn that it was actually a cover. The original version was recorded by Danish singer Lis Sorenson in 1993 under the title "Brændt." Before that, it was written by a trio of songwriters, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Phil Thornalley. Scott later reclaimed the song and recorded it in English with his band Ednaswap in 1995. Two years later, Phil worked with Natalie on her version, which topped charts across Europe and solidified her as a successful pop artist for the next decade.
Another example is Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," a defining hit of the 1980s that was actually written in 1964 by songwriter Ed Cobb. It was first recorded by Gloria Jones, who later re-recorded it with her boyfriend Marc Bolan, but both versions failed to chart in the UK. It wasn't until the late 1970s when Marc Almond of Soft Cell discovered the song's popularity in the Northern soul scene and decided to record their own version. The rest is history, as "Tainted Love" became a worldwide smash and made Soft Cell a household name.
You may be surprised to learn that one of Cyndi Lauper's biggest hits, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," was a cover. Released in 1983, the song was an anthem of the decade and solidified Cyndi's place in pop music. However, it was originally written and recorded by singer-songwriter Robert Hazard four years earlier. His demo showed that the lyrics were originally written from a male perspective, and Cyndi had a hand in shaping the final version. The song's power pop and new wave sound was also changed to fit Cyndi's style, making it one of the quintessential songs of the 80s.
Another popular cover is the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha," which became a breakout hit of the 2000s and launched Nicole Scherzinger's pop and TV career. However, the song was actually written by Busta Rhymes and Cee-Lo Green, who lifted the catchy chorus from a song called "Swass" by Sir Mix-a-Lot. Tori Alamaze recorded the first full version of "Don't Cha," but it failed to gain much success. The song was then offered to Sugababes and Paris Hilton, who both turned it down. Eventually, it landed in the hands of the Pussycat Dolls and became a worldwide success.
One of Aretha Franklin's most famous recordings, "Respect," was actually a cover as well. The Queen of Soul's version is still widely celebrated and recognized as one of the greatest pop songs of all time. However, the original version was written and recorded by Otis Redding, the King of Soul. Originally a ballad, Otis took the song's skeleton from a band called the Singing Demons and transformed it into a more upbeat and powerful anthem. Aretha's version, with its gender-swapped lyrics and added bridge, reached number 10 on the UK charts.
Lastly, we have Toni Basil's "Mickey," which became a huge hit in the 1980s and is still a popular party song today. However, many people were shocked to find out that it was a cover. The original version was recorded in 1979 by a band called Racey, but it failed to make an impact. It wasn't until Toni Basil's version, with its cheerleader-inspired music video, that the song became a worldwide success.
So, next time you're belting out one of these iconic songs, remember that it may not be the original version. Covers have the power to become even bigger and more beloved than the originals, and these are just a few examples of their success. Did you already know about some of these covers? Let us know!
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[Generative AI is experimental.]
