There are certain songs that we instantly connect to a specific artist even though they're covers.
The most famous example is arguably the power ballad “I Will Always Love You,” recorded by Whitney Houston (and produced by Canada’s David Foster) for the soundtrack to 1992’s The Bodyguard. Houston’s biggest hit, it topped charts around the world and was named Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
But, of course, “I Will Always Love You” was written and recorded by country queen Dolly Parton nearly two decades earlier.
Other cover songs that fared better than the originals include the 1983 UB40 hit “Red Red Wine” (a 1967 Neil Diamond song), Blondie’s 1980 single “The Tide is High” (recorded by the Paragons in 1967) and Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” in 1963 (recorded earlier that year by Anita Carter).
A number of songs originally by Canadians brought success to the artists who covered them – “American Woman” (by The Guess Who) covered by Lenny Kravitz, “What About Love” (by Toronto) covered by Heart and “Hallelujah” (by Leonard Cohen) covered by the likes of Jeff Buckley and k.d. lang.
Wondering what other hit songs were actually covers? Well, we’ve got you covered:
Sinéad O’Connor’s signature song, the emotional ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U,” was written by Prince for The Family, a band he put together for his label, Paisley Park Records. The song was track No. 6 on the group’s self-titled debut album, which was released in 1985.
O’Connor recorded her version in 1989 and included it on her 1990 sophomore album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. Released as the second single, it topped the charts in Canada, the U.S. and in countries around the world. The music video was named Video of the Year at the MTV VMAs and was nominated for three Grammys, including Record of the Year.
This ‘80s rock anthem is easily – and understandably – associated with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Released in 1981, it topped the charts in the U.S. and Canada and became the band’s only No. 1 hit. Jett’s signature song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.
Written by Alan Merrill, the song was originally recorded by British rock band the Arrows in 1975. Jett, on tour with the Runaways in 1976, saw the band perform the song on UK television. She recorded a version in 1979 and then re-did it with the Blackhearts two years later.
This fun song was the first single from Cyndi Lauper’s debut album She’s So Unusual and earned her Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It also came with a video that was named Best Female Video at the MTV VMAs.
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was written and recorded by Robert Hazard in 1979.
No other song is more closely associated with Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia than her 1997 debut single, “Torn,” which became a worldwide hit.
Written by Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Phil Thornalley, it was recorded in 1993 by Danish singer Lis Sørensen and then in 1994 by Ednaswap, a band formed by Cutler and Preven. Singer Trine Rein also covered the song in 1996.
Not many songs can claim to be breakthrough hits for more than one act – but “I Want Candy” was a smash for Bow Wow Wow and Aaron Carter nearly 20 years apart.
Though Carter’s version was often described as a Bow Wow Wow cover, the song was actually first recorded in 1965 by the Strangeloves – a studio act made up of songwriters Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer (Bert Berns is also credited as co-writer). Released as their second single, it was a Top 10 hit in Canada.
Billy Ray Cyrus brought line dancing into the mainstream with “Achy Breaky Heart,” his debut single and a hit on both the country and pop charts. (It was his biggest hit until he was featured on a remix of Lil Nas X’s “Old Time Road” in 2019.”)
The song, written by Don Von Tress, was first recorded by the Marcy Brothers in 1991 as “Don’t Tell My Heart.” They took the song after it was rejected by the Oak Ridge Boys.
“Blinded by the Light” was the first single off Bruce Springsteen’s 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. but failed to make an impression on the charts. But, to this day, it remains the only Springsteen-penned song to top the Billboard Hot 100 – thanks to British rock band’s cover.
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band released their version of “Blinded by the Light” on its 1976 album The Roaring Silence. The song went to No. 1 on charts around the world, including in the U.S. and Canada – and became a rock classic (perhaps most famous for its misheard lyrics “Revved up like a deuce”).
Mention the power ballad “Alone” and someone’s bound to name Heart. Indeed, the Wilson sisters had big success with the song, which Heart released as the first single from their album Bad Animals in 1987. It was a worldwide hit (including No. 1 in Canada).
“Alone” was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who originally recorded it as i-Ten on their 1983 album Taking a Cold Look.
British pop duo Soft Cell had a No. 1 hit in Canada (and Top 10 in the U.S.) with “Tainted Love,” the song for which it became best known.
Penned by Ed Cobb, it was recorded in 1965 by Gloria Jones but didn’t make an impact. She tried again by dropping a new recording of the song in 1976 – but it, too, failed to blow up.
Ask friends who sang “Time Is On My Side” and there’s a good chance they will respond Mick Jagger. That’s because it was the first Top 10 hit in the U.S. for The Rolling Stones when they released it in 1964 (it went to No. 3 in Canada).
The track was written by Jerry Ragovoy (using the pseudonym Norman Meade) and recorded in 1963 by jazz musician Kai Winding, with backing vocals by Dionne Warwick, Dee Dee Warwick and their aunt Cissy Houston (mother of the late Whitney Houston). The following year, “Time Is On My Side” was released by R&B singer Irma Thomas.