CURIOSITIES
The most beautiful covers ever
Sometimes a cover manages to be more successful than the original song. Some of these songs have climbed the charts after being recorded by other artists or other band.
From rock to metal to country and pop: many musicians have created new versions of historical songs, creating real masterpieces.
For many of these songs we even forgot who the author or musician was who made the original version. Do you agree with this list?
When cover are as (or more) successful than the original song: here are some of the most famous cases
Sometimes a cover manages to be so successful. Some of these songs, in fact, have climbed the charts after being recorded by other artists or other band. From rock to metal to country and pop: so many musicians have created new versions of historic songs, reaizing true masterpieces. For many of these songs, sometimes we do not remember who the author or musician was who made the original version. Here are some of the best covers ever made.
I Will Always love You - Whitney Houston (Original version: Dolly Parton)
The version of Whitney Houston is part of the soundtrack of the famous film The Bodyguard. Thanks to this song, in 1994 Whitney Houston won two Grammy Award: Recording of the Year and Best Female Pop Performance. In contrast, the original version of Dolly Parton was released in 1974.
Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Guns N' Roses (Original version: Bob Dylan)
Impossible to determine which version is the most beautiful Knockin' On Heaven's Door. Bob Dylan released the original song in 1973 and this version was included in the film Pat Garrett & Billy Kid.
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (Original version: Leonard Cohen)
Jeff Buckley 's version has remained in everyone's heart. Recorded in 1994 and included on the only album released by the U.S. singer-songwriter, the version of Buckley was an incredible success in 2007, 10 years after the death of its performer. The original song, on the other hand, was released in 1984.
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Marilyn Manson (Original version: Eurythmics)
Sweet Dreams is one of the most famous songs of Eurythmics, but cover of Marilyn Manson has also entered history. The new version has a much more aggressive sound and was included on the 1995 album Smells Like Children.
Beggin' - Måneskin (Original version: Four Seasons)
Beggin' had two incredibly successful covers: the first by Madcon (2007) and the second by Måneskin. The version of the Italian band reached the top spot on the world chart of Spotify, received the Billboard Music Award to the best song rock of 2022 and most importantly, it obtained 35 platinum records and one diamond record.
Respect - Aretha Franklin (Original version: Otis Redding)
In 2021, the version of Aretha Franklin took the top spot on the list of the 500 best songs of all time compiled by the magazine Rolling Stone. The original song was recorded in 1965 by singer soul Otis Redding .
You Really Got Me - Van Halen (Original version: The Kinks)
The Van Halen version remains the cover most famous version of this song, written and recorded in 1965 by Kinks. In its original version, the song was ranked 82nd on the list of the 500 best songs ever by Rolling Stone.
Torn - Natalie Imbruglia (Original version: Ednaswap)
Torn is the song that gave planetary success to Natalie Imbruglia. The Australian singer's version has been certified with 6 platinum and 7 gold records.
I Love Rock 'n' Roll - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (Original version: Arrows)
Joan Jett saw Arrows sing I Love Rock 'n' Roll during a TV show while she was touring England with Runaways. She later recorded her own version of the song with the Blackhearts, reaching the number one position on Billboard Hot 100 and remaining at the top for a full seven weeks.
Dancing on my Own - Calum Scott (Original version: Robyn)
The original version and the Calum Scott cover are totally different: the first version has an electronic sound typical of synth pop, while Calum Scott 's cover has been reinterpreted in an acoustic version, with a much slower melody, becoming a ballad. The interpretation of Calum Scott boasts nearly 500 million views on YouTube.
Tainted Love - Soft Cell (Original version: Gloria Jones)
The original version of Tainted Love was by Gloria Jones, but Soft Cell 's cover was much more successful than the original. Although they are still active, Soft Cell have never again made a song of comparable fame to their cover of Tainted Love.
Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cindy Lauper (Original version: Robert Hazard)
There is no comparison: the Cindy Lauper cover is definitely much more famous than the original song, to the point that very few people are aware that this song was originally recorded by another performer.
Rankings
25/04/2024
The well-known US magazine Rolling Stone in 2021 has updated the list of the 500 most beautiful songs of all time.
The ranking was first published on December 11, 2003 and was compiled by a jury chosen by the editorial staff, composed of 172 musicians, music critics and experts in the recording industry. Subsequently, the ranking was changed twice: the first in 2010, the second in 2021, when 254 songs that were previously not present were added.
Obviously, there is nothing more subjective than music: these songs are considered the best according to the criteria defined by Rolling Stonemagazine, but each of us has his own personal ranking of the best songs ever. Here, however, is the Top 20 of Rolling Stone.
Rankings
23/04/2024
In 2008, 'Rolling Stone' compiled a list of the 100 best singers of all time.
This ranking was compiled 15 years ago by 180 people, including several musicians (e.g. Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Justin Timberlake, George Michael, Keith Richards), journalists and music experts.
On 1 January 2023, however, 'Rolling Stone' published an update of the ranking that revolutionised the list, especially with regard to the Top Ten. As the well-known US magazine was keen to point out, this ranking does not only take into account technical and vocal abilities (it is not a list of the best voices of all time), but also the originality of the vocal timbre, the record catalogue, the writing ability and the musical legacy of the singers in question. Here are the top 20 positions.