One of my favorite things as a fan of music is when I hear a great cover of a song that I love, or when there’s a song I love and I learn that it was actually written by someone else. With both of these situations I find there is almost always a great story involved. I think part of what makes this process so special is that as a songwriter it’s one of the highest honors to have one of your songs covered in a way that expands upon your version of the song. Similarly, for an artist to be able to cover a song by someone they admire, and share their interpretation of the song with the world, is an honor and a great accomplishment. This is a dynamic process that is unique to music and part of what makes it such a great art form.
It’s a special thing when a person takes a song that has been written and performed by another, and “makes it their own.” It’s a tip of the cap, and just as much an art form as songwriting itself. Usually if a song is a “great cover” it’s because it’s a great song. It all begins with the original composition. But sometimes a person hears a song; for example, Jimi Hendrix hears Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” makes his own version, and it goes on to become much better known. In this case, Jimi Hendrix made the song his own. That is the ultimate mark of a good cover. In fact, Dylan prefers Hendrix’s version to his own, saying “I liked Jimi Hendrix’s record of this and ever since he died I’ve been doing it that way,” and adding, “strange how when I sing it, I always feel it’s a tribute to him in some kind of way.”
That interaction between the two artists is what makes this process so special, and it applies to most of the songs on the list below.
At its best, the art of covering a song can be described as “interpreting the song.” It can be a complete reimagination of the song, but it doesn’t have to be. It might be a more finely polished version of the original, or just better executed under the original format. Most of the time, a cover song is a tribute to the original. The coverer conveys in some way that they grasp the sentiment of the original and this is their version, their reaction, their interpretation.
Many of the great songwriters of our time say they don’t know how they wrote some of their greatest songs. It’s as if the song comes from the earth or the sky. They are simply the vehicle for the song to enter our plane of existence. These are the types of songs that end up being great covers.
The criteria I look for in a cover song is roughly:
Do I like the cover?
Do I like the original?
Is it interesting?
Is it better than the original?
Did the coverer make it their own?
Does it feel like a tribute?
Is it timeless?
This is a list of 20 of my favorite covers. Each of these songs has a story: the original version and the cover version. They are all special to me. I hope you get something out of this list. Whether it’s hearing one of these songs for the first time, or perhaps learning that a song you already knew was in fact written by someone else.
1. ‘All Along the Watchtower’ by Jimi Hendrix
Songwriter: Bob Dylan
2. ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ by Janis Joplin
Songwriters: Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster
3. ‘Graceland’ by Justin Townes Earle
Songwriter: Paul Simon
4. ‘Hurt’ by Johnny Cash
Songwriter: Trent Reznor
5. ‘Angel From Montgomery’ by Bonnie Raitt
Songwriter: John Prine
6. ‘You Never Even Called Me By My Name’ by David Allen Coe
Songwriters: Steve Goodman, John Prine
7. ‘Little Wing’ by Stevie Ray Vaughan
Songwriter: Jimi Hendrix
8. ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’ by Nirvana
Songwriter: Unknown (folk standard)
9. ‘Clay Pigeons’ by John Prine
Songwriter: Blaze Foley
10. ‘Crossroads’ by Cream
Songwriter: Robert Johnson
11. ‘Pancho and Lefty’ by Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson
Songwriter: Townes Van Zandt
12. ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’ by Steve Young
Songwriter: Roosevelt Jamison
13. ‘Sam Stone’ by Swamp Dogg
Songwriter: John Prine
14. ‘Racing in the Streets’ by Townes Van Zandt
Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen
15. ‘Long Black Veil’ by The Band
Songwriters: Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin - originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell.
16. ‘Love the One You’re With’ by The Isley Brothers
Songwriter: Stephen Stills
17. ‘Rocky Raccoon’ by Charlie Parr, Nicholas Mrozinski
Songwriters: Lennon - McCartney
18. ‘Down by the River’ by The Meters
Songwriter: Neil Young
19. ‘Let’s All Help the Cowboys (Sing the Blues)’ by Colter Wall
Songwriter: Cowboy Jack Clement - originally recorded by Waylon Jennings.
20. ‘Fast Car’ by Luke Combs
Songwriter: Tracy Chapman
I can’t recommend this playlist enough. I have put one here for those who have Spotify, and Youtube for those who do not. The Youtube playlist has some cool live versions as well. Years of thought and work have gone into creating this list. These are all timeless songs which tell very interesting stories.
Youtube Playlist - GCOAT (greatest covers of all time)
If you enjoyed this, please share with a friend.
~SJ
I'm so glad you included Luke Combs cover of "Fast Cars". He did a great job, but I still love the original best.
John Prine, what a talent!!!!!