Is a cover song ever better than the original? I suppose it depends on your particular taste, which version you heard first, how much you like the artists and a lot of other variables.

Stevie Nicks just released her rendition of a Buffalo Springfield song and it got me thinking about how many other artists have had hits with songs that are covers, so I composed a small list.

Take a listen!

• Joan Jett I Love Rock N Roll

  Originally done by the band Arrows, “I Love Rock N Roll” was written by Arrows’ guitarist/singer Alan Merrill. Joan happened to catch the band on a TV show when she was touring England. She added the song to her live shows and eventually recorded it. It went to number 1 in 1981. Alan Merrill was an early causality of the covid 19 pandemic and passed away in March of 2020.

   

   

• George Harrison Got My Mind Set On You

  When George Harrison made his first trip to the US in 1963 to visit his sister in Illinois, he took home an armload of records. One of those was an album by James Ray. The Beatles had already been covering a James Ray song when they played live. Many years later, Harrison decided to do his own version and put the song on his Cloud Nine album. It was the last number 1 hit for George.

• Manfred Mann's Earth Band Blinded by the Light

  I bet Bruce Springsteen didn’t see this coming. For me, Bruce‘s debut album, Greetings From Asbury Park, is a masterpiece. “Blinded by the Light” is the opening track. How did the guys with the huge ’60’s hit The Mighty Quinn come up with the idea to run this through the Manfred Mann musical filter? And fyi, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band version of “Blinded by the Light” is the only Springsteen song to reach number 1.

• Counting Crows Big Yellow Taxi

  The original composer, singer, songwriter, musician, lyricist, genius is Joni Mitchell. It’s actually sad this multi-generational environmental hymn is as relevant today as it was when it was recorded back in 1971.  It’s been covered by hundreds of people but Counting Crows got it back in the  mainstream in 2002.

• Smash Mouth I'm A Believer

  This was written by… Neil Diamond. Yes, that Neil Diamond. He wrote the song as a country tune but somehow it made its way to the made for tv boy band of that time, the Monkees. They took it to number 1 and it lives on in ’60’s infamy. The band Smash Mouth was asked to record the song for the movie Shrek.

• Stevie Nicks For What It's Worth

  Stephen Stills wrote “For What It’s Worth” in response to a protest on the Sunset Strip that turned violent. He pretty much wrote it, played it live at a club with Buffalo Springfield, recorded it and it was on the radio all in a matter of a few days. Again, a song that’s unfortunately still relevant. Stevie Nicks just released her take on “For What It’s Worth”.

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