
Why the Best Cover Songs Succeed From Fast Car to Heartbeats, there's no formula to making a successful cover song. But the best covers answer two important questions.
By
John Mirisola
September 18, 2023
Every great cover song answers two questions: why this song, and why this performance?
When theyre successful, a good cover manages to comment on the original song-its brilliance, its mood, even its shortcomings-while also highlighting the new performers own voice and creative interpretation. As a result, the best cover songs are great music and great music criticism all rolled into one.
Consider one of the undisputed best: Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley.
Why this song? Its Leonard Cohens masterpiece, refined over years, but dated by his '80s synth-driven style. Yet every word, every chord change is a testament to the songs greatness. And why this aching, elemental lightning strike of a performance by one of the nineties most luminous voices and most tragic figures? Because, well, see the previous sentence.
This is only one example, but the paths to creating a great cover song are as wide-ranging as any artists influences and imagination. In this playlist, we look at a small sampling of successful cover songs from the past six decades, and explore the many ways that artists have made something fresh and memorable from songs we might still remember.
1. Fast Car, Luke Combs (Originally by Tracy Chapman)Some moments in a classic recording are sacred-like when the snare drum first enters Tracy Chapmans Fast Car at the lyric, I remember when we were driving. Country singer Luke Combss faithful cover preserves the essence but introduces subtle tweaks-vocal twang, production polish-turning a queer Black womans 1988 folk-rock anthem into a country radio staple and one of 2023s songs of the summer. I never expected to find myself on the country charts, Chapman told Billboard in July, but I'm honored to be there. I'm happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced Fast Car.
2. All Along the Watchtower, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Originally by Bob Dylan)Bob Dylans original version of All Along the Watchtower, simply arranged with a trotting acoustic trio behind him, presents a striking cast of characters: the jaded joker, the pragmatic thief, the princes who watch the vagrants approach from high above it all. Every scene in Dylans rendition is like a silent, close-up shot in black and white. Jimi Hendrixs cover, recorded just a year later, is a panoramic, technicolor masterpiece to rival the original. Hendrix builds upon the cryptic spookiness at the songs core with lush studio overdubs, miles of reverb, and that unmistakable guitar, howling like the wind.
Lost John Coltrane Record Still Sounds Like Freedom
Ethnomusicologist Emmett G. Price III unpacks the enduring power of Coltrane and Dolphys lost collaboration, and the sound so bold and liberated that some critics dismissed it as anti-jazz.
3. My Favorite Things, John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy (Originally by Rodgers and Hammerstein for The Sound of Music)Like Hendrix with All Along the Watchtower, John Coltrane began playing this now-famous show tune just a year after The Sound of Music debuted on Broadway. This freewheeling interpretation became a prime example of the artists ability to turn melodies and chords inside-out and upside-down, transforming the familiar into the utterly new. On this 1961 recording, Coltrane is joined by Eric Dolphy, whose flute adds another level of strangeness to the familiar tune, making the immediately recognizable melody that much sweeter when it finally emerges.
4. Born Under Punches, Ang lique Kidjo (Originally by Talking Heads)On their classic 1980 album, Remain in Light, Talking Heads channeled the trance-like rhythms of Afrobeat and Fela Kuti, an influence thats unmistakable from the opening seconds of Born Under Punches, says Nick Balkin, director of editorial services at Berklee. Beninese singer Ang lique Kidjo's 2018 version [produced by Jeff Bhasker '99] breathes new life into the track, honoring the original while infusing it with the spirit of her African roots.
5. I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston (Originally by Dolly Parton)Is the cover greater than the original? Is the original greater than the cover? In this instance, both exist in a rare, perfect harmony. With her spellbinding vocal performance, Houston earns the right to call this a signature song-even as it has remained one of Partons most cherished tracks throughout her career. The two versions somehow amplify one another rather than replacing each other. As one YouTube commenter puts it: Listen to Dollys original version when your heart is breaking, listen to Whitneys version when youre ready to move on.
6. Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash (Originally by Anita Carter)It was in 1963 that Johnny Cash first reworked Anita Carters folk ballad (Loves) Ring of Fire (cowritten by future wife June Carter), picking up the pace and giving it a proper backing band with its trademark horns and shuffling drums and cooing back-up singers. With his classic baritone speak-singing, it almost sounds like Cash is less interested in defining love than describing the fire. This version became authoritative, overshadowing Carters earnest, sentimental original in cultural memory.
7. Ring of Fire, Social Distortion (Originally by Anita Carter, by way of Johnny Cash)Punk covers have a way of revealing a songs core. In Social Distortions version of Ring of Fire, Cashs version loses its mariachi trumpets in the flames of chugging distortion, but what emerges is a streamlined, snarling testament to the songs durability. Through every sonic transformation, in those chords, in those words, the same cynical romance burns, burns, burns.
8. Hurt, Johnny Cash (Originally by Nine Inch Nails)Perhaps eve
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...