- 6/18/2025
When artists reimagine songs, sometimes they create versions that eclipse the originals! Join us as we count down covers that completely transformed their source material through superior production, emotional depth, or cultural impact. These renditions didn't just borrow—they revolutionized!
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00:00When the rain is blowing in your face
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo
00:06And today we're counting down our picks for the covers that were so good
00:09Because they outdid the original production, energy, and or cultural resonance
00:14To make you feel my love
00:19Original, James Ray with Hutch Davy Orchestra and Chorus
00:27Cover, George Harrison
00:28Delving into early 1960s music history, George Harrison covers a song with a timeless hook
00:40He might bring more of a 1980s sound, but the essence of this great tune remains
00:45Harrison has a way of making this such a catchy and inviting version
00:49It's gonna take time, a lot of precious time
00:55The stellar vocals only make the chorus more memorable
00:58It just goes to show that the former Beatle could bring some magic to somebody else's song
01:02It's gonna take patience and time
01:05To do it, to do it, to do it
01:08In one of his last big hits as a solo artist, the musician reminds everyone that he delivers as well as his contemporaries
01:15It's the kind of music that's both sweet and unabashedly sincere
01:19Number 9, Blinded by the Light
01:27Original, Bruce Springsteen
01:29Cover, Manfred Mann's Earth Band
01:32This is another case of a song that took on a life of its own after the cover
01:43It's one of the few Bruce Springsteen works that didn't take off as an original
01:47Many years later, Manfred Mann's Earth Band made it a 1970s rock staple
01:52This includes the often misinterpreted lyrics in the chorus
02:02No matter what you hear them say, you have to admit that this song is entertaining
02:06There isn't much Springsteen left in the second version
02:09But it's still a fun experience that's endured in pop culture
02:12You might have heard it one too many times
02:21And that is only because of its massive popularity
02:24Number 8, Mad World
02:26Original, Tears for Fears
02:28Cover, Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules
02:31Some people remember the song best from movies like Donnie Darko
02:42The cover is guaranteed to make you sad
02:45Or at least put you in a melancholic mood
02:47Michael Andrews and Gary Jules created the perfect rendition of a 1980s single
02:57The original Tears for Fears track doesn't have the same poignancy despite the compelling lyrics
03:02In the older version, there's much more reliance on sounds that contrast with the more serious message
03:08Andrews and Jules found a way to access the dramatic themes
03:18Taking you to another place and letting each note linger in your head
03:22Number 7, Tainted Love
03:30Original, Gloria Jones
03:32Cover, Soft Cell
03:33What would the 1980s have been without this Soft Cell hit?
03:44The duo brought synths to an old standard recorded by many artists like Gloria Jones
03:49With this cover from 1981, the band gives a dose of funky attitude to a track from the 1960s
04:00You'd be forgiven for needing to dance or tap your feet throughout this version
04:04To this day, the single has all the trademarks of a fantastic and fun pop tune from the era
04:15It's the kind of bouncy rhythm that'll be bopping around your head for hours
04:19While this new wave collective didn't have many hits, they certainly left an impact with this one
04:24Number 6, Nothing Compares to You
04:33Original, The Family
04:34Cover, Sinead O'Connor
04:36In her most famous recording, Sinead O'Connor pours her heart out in a piece written by Prince
04:48It's the kind of track that can alter your state of mind in a few notes
04:57O'Connor gives the performance of her career in a profound love song
05:01It almost sounds like she's reading from a diary, making this feel even more personal
05:06You have to wonder if it was Destiny that brought her to the single and helped make her an even bigger star
05:18She manages to tear your heart out with some heartfelt lyrics
05:21While it might have been written by one of the best artists ever, the vocalist makes this version her own
05:27Number 5, Valerie
05:33Original, The Zutons
05:35Cover, Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse
05:38You may or may not remember The Zutons and their song Valerie
05:48Producer Mark Ronson then made it more famous as a cover
05:51But he needed a talented singer to bring it to life
05:54Amy Winehouse just so happened to be the perfect choice
06:03The collaborators brought a throwback sound to the single
06:05Ronson supplies Winehouse with some awesome instrumentation to back her up
06:10The second she starts singing, the vocalist and her personality shine through and make you happier
06:21You can imagine this rendition being a hit in multiple eras with its timeless production values
06:26Number 4, Hurt
06:35Original, Nine Inch Nails
06:37Cover, Johnny Cash
06:39I hurt myself today
06:43Diehard Nine Inch Nails fans might think otherwise
06:47But Johnny Cash completely owns this cover of Hurt
06:50It's a fantastic and devastating trip down memory lane for the country star
06:54Trent Reznor's lyrics sound completely natural coming from Cash
06:58He knows how to interpret the alternative rock song into something much different and stripped down
07:02With a guitar and piano, the production feels sparse and especially intense
07:14The performer gives his all in one of his final recordings before his death in 2003
07:19And you could have it all
07:22My empire of dirt
07:28Along with the moving music video
07:30The newer rendition became its own work of art
07:33I would find a way
07:38Number 3, Respect
07:43Original, Otis Redding
07:45Cover, Aretha Franklin
07:46Otis Redding is one of the great voices in R&B history
07:54He first recorded Respect in the early 1960s
07:57But then Aretha Franklin covered it
07:59The classic song became something of a signature for the latter of the world
08:08While the two are both legends
08:10The second version stands as a truly generational record
08:13Franklin's cover has the kind of energy that you can't replicate
08:24You could argue that she changed the meaning of the words when she did it
08:28With the artist making it a rally cry for women everywhere
08:31If anyone could redefine a song
08:38It was certainly one of the best voices of her era
08:40Number 2, All Along the Watchtower
08:47Original, Bob Dylan
08:48Cover, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
08:51It's one of many classics written by Bob Dylan
09:00The legendary songwriter is well known for his compositions
09:03But many artists have covered him to even greater success
09:06You could argue that this song needed someone like Jimi Hendrix to revolutionize it
09:11From a purely technical standpoint
09:20The Hendrix version is much more exciting and powerful
09:23The opening, percussion, and the electric guitar solo add up to an amazing production
09:27It's the kind of track that you want to turn up
09:30With the booming instruments ringing in your ears
09:32No reason to get excited
09:35But we think how it's full
09:38Dylan knows how to write
09:41And his counterpart knows how to kick it up a notch
09:44Before we unveil our top pick
09:53Here are some honorable mentions
09:55Proud Mary
09:56Original, Creedence Clearwater Revival
09:59Cover, Ike and Tina Turner
10:01The Turners make this into a high-flying funk and rock experience
10:12How I Could Just Kill a Man
10:20Original, Cypress Hill
10:22Cover, Rage Against the Machine
10:24In a fully loaded cover
10:32Rage turns the song into an explosive production
10:35It's My Life
10:44Original, Talk Talk
10:46Cover, No Doubt
10:47Gwen and the band revamp an 80s classic to a 2000s audience
10:58Who is My Life
11:00Don't You Forget
11:03Torn
11:06Original, Lee Sorensen
11:07Cover, Natalie Imbruglia
11:09Imbruglia's heartbreaking cover helps us navigate our emotions
11:18I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn
11:23Crazy
11:24Original, Willie Nelson
11:26Cover, Patsy Cline
11:28Crazy for feeling so blue
11:31Cline's version is something of a groundbreaking take on country
11:36I'm crazy for feeling so lonely
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11:58Number 1, I Will Always Love You
12:03Original, Dolly Parton
12:04Cover, Whitney Houston
12:06Even with Dolly Parton's essential contributions
12:17It's hard to imagine I Will Always Love You without Whitney Houston
12:20And I will always love you
12:28Houston covered the song for the Bodyguard soundtrack
12:31Her voice reaches staggering heights as she builds to the chorus
12:34Delivering a powerhouse performance
12:36Each note and lyric is elevated with the performer's pristine vocals
12:40There are also the iconic notes that she unleashes in a last chorus
12:50Few people can stretch their voice
12:52Or make you feel the raw emotion of a song every time you hear it
12:56This particular artist is in that category
13:03With this being one of her defining works
13:06It's so famous that you could argue some people don't even know Parton wrote it
13:10Did we forget another cover that blew the original out of the way?
13:19Let us know in the comments below
13:21I'm on the law and I'm the law one
13:24I'm on the law and I'm the law one
13:27I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law and I'm on the law
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