10 songs you didn’t know were cover songs

Most of us start our musical journey by covering our favorite songs, and it doesn’t end there. Here are 10 cover songs by professional musicians that you may not have even known were covers!

The Animals – “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964)

This iconic tune is actually a traditional folk song called “Rising Sun Blues,” and although the original author is unknown, early performances date back to the 16th century.th Century, with the oldest known recording of the song by Tom Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster dating back to 1933.

The Animals’ lead singer Eric Burdon said he first heard the song in a club in Newcastle, sung by folk singer Johnny Handle.

They were touring with Chuck Berry at the time and decided to include it in their set to stand out from other acts.

Their version was recorded in one take in May 1964 and began with Hilton Valentine’s famous A minor chord arpeggio and featured Burdon’s gravelly lead vocals.

With their interpretation, which has been described as the first folk-rock hit, The Animals reached number one in the UK, the US and Canada.

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Blondie – “The Tide Is High” (1980)

“The Tide Is High” gained popularity in the 1980s through Blondie’s forays into reggae, but was originally written in 1967 by Jamaican group The Paragons.

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein heard the song on a compilation cassette they bought in London and fell in love with its catchy melody.

They thought it would be the perfect song for their album Autoamerican (1980) and that’s exactly what they achieved: their third single landed at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

In a 2022 interview, Stein revealed that “The Tide Is High” was actually his favorite song Blondie ever recorded.

Enough said.

Sinead O’Connor – “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)

Although it may be common knowledge to many fans, this heartbreaking ballad was originally written by Prince and recorded as a demo before being released in 1985 with his side project The Family.

This version leaned more towards the neo-soul style and only really gained popularity when O’Connor released her passionate version on her second studio album. Album I don’t want what I don’t have in 1990.

The song was a worldwide hit, topping the charts in numerous countries, including O’Connor’s native Ireland, Australia, Germany and the USA. It was certified platinum in Austria and the UK.

There are differing opinions as to whether Prince liked her version or not, but regardless, there is no doubt that Sinead created her own version.

Soft Cell – “Tainted Love” (1981)

Originally written by Ed Cobb and recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964, this Motown-inspired jam featured a fast tempo, excellent backing vocals, and electric lead guitar from the legendary Glen Campbell himself.

“Tainted Love” was the B-side of Jones’ 1965 single “My Bad Boy’s Comin’ Home”, which, to be honest, was a bit of a flop and failed to chart in either the US or the UK.

British electronic duo Soft Cell swapped guitars for synthesizers in September 1981, topping the charts and selling over a million copies in the UK that same year.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” (1981)

In 1975, British rock band The Arrows recorded “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” and released it as a B-side on RAK Records. The song was actually a response to the Rolling Stones’ “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll But I Like It” from the previous year.

In 1976, Joan Jett saw the band play the song while touring with her group The Runaways during her weekly television series (titled Arrows), and it wasn’t long before manager Kim Fowley got them to learn it.

Jett recorded a version of it in 1979 with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols, and it was released on vinyl as the B-side of “You Don’t Own Me” (which, funnily enough, was also a cover song).

A few years later, the song was re-recorded with the Blackhearts and released as a single, where it stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks.

Johnny Cash – “Ring of Fire” (1963)

Johnny Cash has undoubtedly had a number of hits, and few are bigger than “Ring of Fire.”

When it was released in 1963, it topped the country charts for seven weeks, was certified gold by the RIAA in 2010, and has sold over 1.2 million digital copies.

Rolling Stone named “Ring of Fire” the best country song of all time and in 1999 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

What many people may not know, however, is that Cash neither wrote the song nor recorded the first version of it.

It was written by none other than his second wife, June Carter Cash, with help from songwriter and Hank Williams’ former manager, Merle Kilgore.

The original recording, entitled “(Love’s) Ring of Fire,” was recorded by June’s sister Anita Carter on her 1962 album Old and new folk songs.

The two were not yet married at the time and June actually wrote the song about her infatuation with Cash while they were on tour together.

He reportedly had a dream about the song in which he heard “Mexican horns,” so he decided to re-record it, and the rest is history.

Beyoncé – “If I Were a Boy” (2008)

Originally sung by American singer BC Jean and co-written with Toby Gad in 2008, this introspective pop ballad was successful after Beyoncé recorded her version that same year.

Jean pitched the song to her record label at the time, hoping to include it on her first 12-track album, but it was rejected, prompting Gad to reach out to some established artists.

Known for co-writing and producing songs with the likes of John Legend and Fergie, Gad introduced Beyoncé to “If I Were a Boy” and she loved it.

She recorded her own version for her album I am Sasha Fierce with Gad at Roc the Mic Studios and Strawberry Productions in NYC and at GAD Studios in Ibiza.

It is known that BC Jean was quite upset when it was revealed that Beyoncé had released a version of her song and that it was first brought to her attention by a stranger.

George Harrison – “I’ve been concentrating on you” (1987)

This song was originally written by Rudy Clark and recorded in 1962 by American R&B singer James Ray under the title “I’ve Got My Mind Set on You”.

It is reported that George Harrison first heard the song in 1963 while visiting his sister in rural Illinois.

During his time there, he regularly visited various record stores and bought various albums. Eventually, he came across Ray’s version by chance.

In 1987, he began recording his version in his home studio and it was released on his album that same year. Cloud seventhrough his label Dark Horse Records.

It was a huge hit, reaching number one in countries such as Australia, Ireland, Canada and Belgium. To date, it remains the last time a former Beatle reached the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100.

UB40 – “Red Red Wine” (1983)

UB40 released “Red Red Wine” on their cover album Work of love in 1993 and was incredibly successful.

It topped the US Billboard and UK singles charts and also reached number one in countries such as Canada and New Zealand.

What some people may not know is that this reggae pop song is actually a Neil Diamond song that appeared on his second album in 1967. Only for you.

According to Terence Wilson, former singer and trumpeter of UB40 (better known by his stage name Astro), the group only knew Tony Tribe’s 1969 version and had no idea that Neil Diamond was the original singer.

While UB40’s interpretation has a lighter reggae style, Diamond’s was more of a dark acoustic ballad – nevertheless, both versions are great.

Aretha Franklin – “Respect” (1967)

This powerful tune may have helped catapult Aretha Franklin to superstardom, but it was originally written and recorded by none other than the King of Soul – Otis Redding.

Redding’s version appeared on his third studio album, Otis Bluewhich came out in September 1965 and was incredibly successful (even outside his usual fan base).

Franklin had been playing a version of “Respect” in their live performances for years, but in 1967 they recorded the song with the help of producer Jerry Wexler at the famous Atlantic Studios in New York.

The two versions are completely different, and some significant changes in the text helped to completely turn the narrative on its head; the result was that Franklin’s version became an anthem of feminism and civil rights in the 1970s.

The song is considered one of the best R&B songs of all time, won two Grammys in 1968 and was inducted into the band’s Hall of Fame in 1987.