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10 Songs That Did Better Than The Original Version

By Chris O'Kelley
10 Songs That Did Better Than The Original Version

There are just some songs that can’t be topped. They are just that good.  Here are 10 songs that did better than the original version.

Before we take a look at these top covers it needs to be said that it’s really hard taking a song and making it bigger than it was.  For example, one of the biggest hits of Dolly Parton’s career was “I’ll Always Love You.”  She had a massive hit with that song.  It was covered in just about every language possible.  Didn’t think it could get any bigger.  Then came the movie, The Bodyguard, and Whitney Houston covered the song and made it an even bigger hit!

How Big Was Whitney’s Cover?

  • In 1994 it debuted at #1
  • Stayed #1 for 14 weeks
  • Certified diamond by the RIAA, making Houston’s first diamond single (Selling 7 Million), the third female artist who had both a diamond single and a diamond album, and becoming the best-selling single by a woman in the U.S.
  •  She won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1994 for “I Will Always Love You”
  • It ended up selling 20 million copies

These Were Great Covers But Didn’t Make The List

  • Pretty Woman.  Recorded by Roy Orbison, but Van Halen had the hit
  • With A Little Help From My Friends. Original by The Beatles, hit by Joe Cocker
  • Killing Me Softly.  The original was by Roberta Flack, But The Fugees had a massive hit with it
  • Shameless By Billy Joel became one of Garth Brooks’ biggest hits

Now, let’s look at 10 songs that did better than the original version.

 

 

  • #10-Marvin Gay Heard It Through The Grapevine

    Marvin Gaye’s 1968 version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” was actually the third version of the song to be released, but is by far the most successful.

  • #9-Red Red Wine, UB40

    Neil Diamond in 1967, “Red Red Wine” didn’t achieve international success until it was covered by British reggae band UB40 in 1983.

  • #8-Tainted Love-Soft Cell

    First performed by soul singer Gloria Jones in 1964, it attained worldwide fame in 1981 thanks to British duo Soft Cell, who replaced the original’s guitars, bass, and drums with synthesizers and rhythm machines.

  • #7-Knoking On Heavens Door-Guns And Roses

     Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.  Guns And Roses had a massive hit in 1987

  • #6-Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O’Connor

    With her 1990 cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Sinead O’Connor took what was an obscure track from one of Prince’s side projects and made it a worldwide smash, with her haunting version going to No. 1 all over the globe and selling over 3.5 million copies.

  • #5-I Love Rock N Roll, Joan Jett

    The song was written and recorded by the London-based band the Arrows in 1975.  Joan Jett recorded it 1982 and it went number one for 7 weeks

  • #4-Georgia On My Mind-Ray Charles

    Original Artist: Frankie Trumbauer and Hoagy Carmichael, Cover Artist: Ray Charles

  • #3-Proud Mary, Tina Turner

  • #2-The Man Who Stole The World, Nirvana

    David Bowie Did The Original, Cover by Nirvana

  • #1, I'll Always Love You, Whitney Houston

    Original by Dolly Parton and The biggest cover ever By Whitney Houston

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