Some songs are timeless; some tracks are forgotten; however, very seldom do we come across a track that is too good to be not recreated. This curiosity and love for music gives birth to cover songs. Today, our editor shares a list of the best cover songs.
The list consists of popular English songs which some not-so-popular artists recreate, while others are covered by some of the biggest names in the music industry, giving a new life to the original tracks.
We shall consider popular English songs and one of their best cover versions for the list of best cover songs. Cover versions by the same artist are not included on this list; this entails re-recordings, acoustic covers, and live performances by the same artist/band. This said, tracks like “Taylor Swift’s Love Story”, “Radiohead’s Creep (Acoustic Version)”, and “Eagles’ Live Hotel California” are excluded from the list as the latter tracks deserve their own list. Additionally, songs performed in biopics such as “Rocket Man by Taron Egerton” and “Like a Rolling Stone by Timothee Chalamet” are excluded. Also, performances on reality TV shows such as The Voice are not included.
So, without further ado, we’ll start with the list of best English cover songs.
The Sound of Silence
Original Artist: Simon & Garfunkel
Original Release Year: 1964
Cover Artist: Disturbed
Cover Year: 2015
The cover version of “The Sound of Silence” by Disturbed, an American heavy rock metal band is a slow, soft metal rendition of the classic pop track. This track features soft, yet intense vocals with a gravitating voice that transposes the listener into an alternate dimension.
The slow progression of the song makes this track one of the most beloved cover versions of the 21st century. By the time the song ends, the song’s genre from a pop track shifts to an alternate rock track.
The Temple of the King
Original Artist: Rainbow
Original Release Year: 1975
Cover Artist: Axel Rudi Pell
Cover Year: 2004
“The Temple of the King” by Axel Rudi Pell is a beautiful cover version of the beloved Rainbow track. This song is featured on Axel Rudi Pell’s studio album, Ballads III. The album majorly consists of cover tracks of some of the most famous powered or soft rock ballads of all time.
The song is a simple rendition without any changes in the lyrics and musical arrangement. However, the intensity of this cover version is more energetic than the original song featured on Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. With louder music, more intense vocals, and ever-familiar words; The Temple of the King is a brilliant cover version.
Hurt
Original Artist: Nine Inch Nails
Original Release Year: 1995
Cover Artist: Johnny Cash
Cover Year: 2002
“Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails was an instant hit with the listeners of hard rock music. However, in 2002, Johnny Cash, an American country singer, covered “Hurt” with clearer and more gravitating vocals, softer music, and an acoustic arrangement of the instruments.
The song and its lyrics fit perfectly with Nine Inch Nails album – The Downward Spiral, aptly depicting sadness, loneliness, and self-destruction. Nevertheless, the chorus hits perfectly motivating the listener to get up and get going despite everything that’s going on within and around them.
For Johnny Cash’s cover of Hurt, Nine Inch Nails’ foreman Trent Reznor said, “that song isn’t mine anymore”. This gave the track a bounce back along with, in all essence, “Hurt” was reincarnated by Johnny Cash.
The Man Who Sold the World
Original Artist: David Bowie
Original Release Year: 1970
Cover Artist: Nirava at MTV Unplugged
Cover Year:1993
“The Man Who Sold the World”, in all honesty, I presumed that the song was one of Nirvana’s. However, like most millennials, it was years later that I found out the original track was recorded by one of the greatest showmen ever, David Bowie.
David Bowie’s version of the track was a pop-rock track with signature David Bowie elements such as distant and overlaying vocals, and soft music with experimental musical arrangements. And, then 23 years later, Kurt Cobain sang The Man Who Sold the World at MTV Unplugged show in New York with an acoustic arrangement.
The cover version is simply magical; there are no words to describe the profoundness of this rendition. All I can say is listen to it and fall in love with Kurt Cobain’s vocals all over again.
Stand by Me
Original Artist: Ben E. King
Original Release Year: 1961
Cover Artist: John Lennon
Cover Year: 1975
“Stand by Me” is perhaps the only song on this list that is acknowledged by every music enthusiast as a great song by Ben E. King and John Lennon.
The original song is one of the greatest songs of all time. The song is so popular that several world-renowned artists have covered “Stand by Me” over the last five decades. However, none of these covers stand out as much as John Lennon’s. The former The Beatles’ foreman had a quite successful career as a solo artist, and “Stand by Me” stands out as one of his all-time greatest.
The song is so profound in the music industry that it not only gave fame to Ben E. King but also made John Lennon popular in third-world nations. Needless to say, both versions – the original and John Lennon’s cover are very popular amongst music enthusiasts.
Yellow
Original Artist: Coldplay
Original Release Year: 2000
Cover Artist: Emily Linge
Cover Year: 2023
Long before A Sky Full of Stars, Paradise, and Hymn for the Weekend, Coldplay released one of the best songs of the new millennia – “Yellow” from their album Parachutes. This song is one of the greatest songs by Coldplay, not to say my favourite Coldplay track.
Over the last 23 years, “Yellow” has been covered by several artists in numerous languages. A Mandarin rendition of “Yellow” gained significant popularity after being featured in Crazy Rich Asians. So, it was an obvious pick for our list. However, I faced a major challenge while picking the best cover version for “Yellow”.
Then, a few weeks ago, thanks to YouTube recommendations, I stumbled upon Emily Linge’s cover version of “Yellow”. This cover is just as good as the original, if not better. The song simply allows our mind to play Chris Martin’s vocals in the background. This song is truly one of the best cover songs.
Come Together
Original Artist: The Beatles
Original Release Year: 1969
Cover Artist: Joe Cocker
Cover Year: 2007
Joe Cocker’s rendition of “Come Together” is one of his most iconic works. It is well-known that The Beatles are the most covered band of all time. So, for this list, I have opted for the best-of-the-best, and my favourite cover of The Beatles track is the track featured in Across the Universe motion pictures.
In this cover version, the pitch range of the vocals is very different from those of John Lennon, and the instrument arrangement is more on the denser note on the original track.
Joe Cocker’s cover is so good that people listening to it for the first time would think that it is his track. Nevertheless, it is the opening track on the last studio album by The Beatles, so, eventually, everyone finds out the origin; still, the cover is truly exceptional.
Killing Me Softly with His Song
Original Artist: Roberta Flack
Original Release Year: 1973
Cover Artist: Usha Uthup in an interview
So, this is not an official cover by the versatile Indian playback singer Usha Uthup; yet it is one of the best cover versions of “Killing Me Softly with His Song”. The most popular version of this song is already a cover in itself, but, with a slightly different lyrical arrangement. Hence, I am associating Roberta Flack as the original artist.
The song was originally recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1971, yet it failed to reach the masses. In 1973, Roberta Flack recorded and released the song which was then covered by Usha Uthup in an interview.
The Usha Uthup cover version of the song is simply magical. Usha Uthup is very popular in India and the Indian sub-continent, and she used to sing songs by every singer under the sun. She used to sing songs by The Beatles, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, The Beach Boys, and every other band/artist; due to her versatility, the vocals in this cover version sound very similar to that of Roberta Flack’s. Usha Uthup’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is one of the best cover songs.
Skyfall
Original Artist: Adele
Original Release Year: 2012
Cover Artist: Usha Uthup at TEDx Pune
Cover Year: 2014
The year was 2012, while everyone was waiting for the world to end (Yeah, now it seems like a joke), but back then, every teenager was convinced that the world was going to end. And, with that, a new James Bond film was hitting the theatres – Skyfall. Like any other Bond film, the title track needed to be as magnificent as the movies. However, when the track was released, no one predicted it to be the best Bond track of all time.
The original song, “Skyfall”, is performed by Adele for the motion pictures. Instantly, “Skyfall” was covered by numerous artists globally. However, no one even came close to being as good as Adele; until Usha Uthup sang it at TEDx Pune in 2014.
As mentioned previously, Usha Uthup’s versatility and amazing vocal range almost replicate Adele’s version of “Skyfall”. Again, this entry on the list is not an official cover; however, when the song sounds as good as the original, I had to include it on the list of best cover songs.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Original Artist: Bob Dylan
Original Release Year: 1973
Cover Artist: Guns N’ Roses
Cover Year: 1991
Very few cover tracks surpass the popularity of an already popular song. This extraordinary phenomenon occurred in the 1990s when Guns N’ Roses’ “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” gained immense popularity amongst rock and roll enthusiasts.
The original track was performed for the 1973 motion pictures Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid by legendary American artist Bob Dylan. The song’s original composition fits aptly with the western/country genre of the film. However, Guns N’ Roses put their spin on the track and transformed it into a hard rock anthem.
Thereafter, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” is one of the signature Guns N’ Roses tracks. The cover song is so good that first-time listeners often associate Guns N’ Roses as the original artist.
Zombie
Original Artist: The Cranberries
Original Release Year: 1994
Cover Artist: Bad Wolves
Cover Year: 2018
“Zombie” is an iconic track by The Cranberries that truly defines the 1990s. The song is quite popular amongst millennials. The song is about social injustice and its repercussions, which the common people face. Essentially, the song is about the harm caused to innocent lives when two powerful ideas clash.
The American band Bad Wolves covered “Zombie” in 2018, the cover version of this song is an alternate rock song. The song starts slow, featuring mellow vocals and soon transforms into a cry for help. Bad Wolves’ “Zombie” is undoubtedly one of the best cover songs.
Hotel California
Original Artist: Eagles
Original Release Year: 1976
Cover Artist: Passenger
Cover Year: 2016
Well, without a doubt, “Hotel California” is one of the greatest rock songs ever. Irrespective of the meaning of the song, Hotel California, it is one of the finest pieces of music written in the rock and roll age. It means that numerous artists have covered this track over the last five decades. Hence, picking the best cover version of Hotel California was not easy.
However, after several good and some not-so-bad, I finally felt that Passenger’s cover of “Hotel California” is just as good as the one by the Eagles.
Passenger’s iconic high-pitched vocals add a flair to the original song, though not needed, it makes the song a bit more pop. The musical arrangements are apt, and this cover song overall feels wholesome to listen to.
Something Stupid
Original Artist: Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra
Original Release Year: 1967
Cover Artist: Lola Marsh for Better Call Saul
Cover Year: 2018
Frank Sinatra is one of the greatest singers to have ever lived. Several of his tracks have garnered fame and gained immense popularity. I feel one of his underrated tracks is “Something Stupid”, which he sang with his daughter Nancy Sinatra.
“Something Stupid” has been covered by several artists over the last 55 years. However, none of those are as good as the original until the Israeli pop band Lola Marsh covered it for the hit TV series Better Call Saul.
The cover version of this song is so iconic that the new generations assume that Lola Marsh is the original artist for this song. Hence, Lola Marsh’s cover of “Something Stupid” is one of the best cover songs.
Lose Yourself
Original Artist: Eminem
Original Release Year: 2002
Cover Artist: Imagine Dragons at TRF Gala
Cover Year: 2024
Irrespective of your age and musical preferences, everyone knows Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”. The song is an inspiration to rappers, musicians, and songwriters globally.
Naturally, several artists have tried to recreate the iconic rap track; a few have succeeded in doing so, and the rest have failed. The song isn’t just about remembering the lyrics, the delivery and respect of the highest quality are required to recreate this anthem.
Imagine Dragon’s cover of “Lose Yourself” is a pre-known recording of the track. Instead, it was an impromptu performance at the TRF Gala in 2024, where an audience member had requested the performance for a $25,000 charity.
The cover is iconic as the band, including the lead singer Dan Reynolds, had no time to prepare or look at the lyrics. The song was delivered impeccably; the performance even garnered a round of applause from the audience.
Though none of the versions could be as good as Eminem’s, the performance by Imagine Dragon does come close.
Beggin’
Original Artist: The Four Seasons
Original Release Year: 1967
Cover Artist: Måneskin
Cover Year: 2017
“Beggin’” is one of the most covered songs. The original song is quite an exceptional track on its own; however, The Four Seasons’ track did not gain much popularity during its initial release. Over time, with several cover versions, the song now holds a staple position in clubs’ playlists globally.
The Måneskin version is one of the most recent ones, and it is perhaps one of the best cover songs of all time. The 2017 recording is fast, electric, and energetic. Perhaps Måneskin’s version of “Beggin’” is even better than the original.
FAQs about Cover Songs
What is a cover song?
A cover song or cover track is a re-recording or live performance of a song by an artist/band who is not the originally credited singer/artist of that particular song.
What are cover artists?
Cover artists are singers and bands that perform existing songs with the same or different musical arrangements/vocals/song speed, and sometimes even add their touch to it. An example of a cover artist is A*Teens – an ABBA cover band.
What are some of the best cover songs?
Some of the best cover songs are:
- Wicked Game by Daisy Gray
- Highway to Hell by Sershen&Zaritskaya
Here’s the YouTube Playlist link: Best Cover Songs Playlist on YouTube
With this, I end the list of the best cover songs. What do you think of our list? Do let us know about other cover versions that are as good as the original, if not better.
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