 |
|
| Song |
|
Original or First Hit Version* |
|
Best Cover Version** |
|
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|
| A Groovy Kind Of Love |
Diane And Annita (1965) |
Mindbenders (1965) |
| Abracadabra |
Steve Miller Band (1982) |
Sugar Ray (1999) |
| Achilles Last Stand |
Led Zeppelin (1976) |
Dream Theater (1995) |
| After Midnight |
J. J. Cale (1970) |
Eric Clapton (1970) |
| After The Gold Rush |
Neil Young (1970) |
Harris / Parton / Ronstadt (1999) |
| Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) |
Kurt Weill (1930) |
Doors (1967) |
| All Along The Watchtower |
Bob Dylan (1967) |
Jimi Hendrix (1968) |
| All I Really Want To Do |
Bob Dylan (1964) |
Cher (1965) |
| America |
Simon and Garfunkel (1968) |
Yes (1972) |
| American Woman |
Guess Who (1970) |
Lenny Kravitz (1998) |
| Astronomy |
Blue Oyster Cult (1974) |
Metallica (1998) |
| Babe I'm Gonna Leave You |
Joan Baez (1962) |
Led Zeppelin (1969) |
| Baby It's You |
Shirelles (1961) |
Smith (1969) |
| Backdoor Man |
Howlin' Wolf (1960) |
Doors (1970) |
| Back in N.Y.C. |
Genesis (1974) |
Jeff Buckley (1998) |
| Back In The High Life Again |
Steve Winwood (1987) |
Warren Zevon (2000) |
| Battle of Evermore |
Led Zeppelin (1971) |
Heart (2003) |
| Because the Night |
Patti Smith (1978) |
10,000 Maniacs (1993) |
| Big Yellow Taxi |
Joni Mitchell (1970) |
Counting Crows (2002) |
| Billie Jean |
Michael Jackson (1982) |
Chris Cornell (2007) |
| Black Magic Woman |
Fleetwood Mac (1968) |
Santana (1970) |
| Blinded By The Light |
Bruce Springsteen (1973) |
Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1976) |
| Blue Bayou |
Roy Orbison (1963) |
Linda Ronstadt (1977) |
| Blue Suede Shoes |
Carl Perkins (1955) |
Elvis Presley (1956) |
| Blueberry Hill |
Gene Autry (1941) |
Fats Domino (1956) |
| Born Under a Bad Sign |
Albert King (1967) |
Cream (1968) |
| Break on Through (to the Other Side) |
Doors (1967) |
Stone Temple Pilots (2000) |
| California Girls |
Beach Boys (1965) |
David Lee Roth (1985) |
| California Sun |
Joe Jones (1961) |
Rivieras (1964) |
| Can't Find My Way Home |
Blind Faith (1969) |
Electronic (2001) |
| Cat Scratch Fever |
Ted Nugent (1977) |
Pantera (2003) |
| Chains |
The Cookies (1962) |
Beatles (1963) |
| China Girl |
Iggy Pop (1977) |
David Bowie (1983) |
| Cinnamon Girl |
Neil Young (1969) |
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs (2006) |
| Cocaine |
J. J. Cale (1976) |
Eric Clapton (1977) |
| Come Dancing |
Kinks (1983) |
Matchbox 20 (2007) |
| Come On (let the good times roll) |
Earl King (1960) |
Jimi Hendrix (1968) |
| Come On Eileen |
Dexy's Midnight Runners (1983) |
Save Ferris (1997) |
| Come Together |
Beatles (1969) |
Aerosmith (1978) |
| Crossroads |
Robert Johnson (1936) |
Cream (1968) |
| Cruise Control |
Dixie Dregs (1977) |
Dream Theater (1995) |
| Crying In The Chapel |
Darrell Glenn (1953) |
Elvis Presley (1965) |
| Cum On Feel The Noize |
Slade (1973) |
Quiet Riot (1983) |
| Dancing In The Moonlight |
Thin Lizzy (1977) |
Smashing Pumpkins (1993) |
| Dancing In The Street |
Martha & the Vandellas (1964) |
Van Halen (1982) |
| Day Tripper |
Beatles (1965) |
Otis Redding (1966) |
| Dedicated To The One I Love |
"5" Royales (1957) |
Mamas & Papas (1967) |
| Der Kommissar |
Falco (1981) |
After the Fire (1982) |
| Dizzy Miss Lizzy |
Larry Williams (1958) |
Beatles (1965) |
| Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood |
Nina Simone (1964) |
The Animals (1965) |
| Downtown Train |
Tom Waits (1985) |
Rod Stewart (1990) |
| Dreams |
The Allman Brothers Band (1969) |
Molly Hatchet (1978) |
| Drift Away |
Doby Gray (1973) |
Uncle Kracker (2003) |
| Drive My Car |
Beatles (1965) |
Humble Pie (1975) |
| Drown In My Own Tears |
Lulu Reed (1954) |
Ray Charles (1956) |
| Everybody Plays The Fool |
Main Ingredient (1972) |
Aaron Neville (1991) |
| Feelin' Alright |
Traffic (1968) |
Joe Cocker (1970) |
| Fire |
Jimi Hendrix (1967) |
Red Hot Chili Peppers (1989) |
| For Once in My Life |
Jean DuShon (1966) |
Stevie Wonder (1968) |
| Get Ready |
Temptations (1966) |
Rare Earth (1969) |
| Ghost Riders in the Sky |
Vaughn Monroe (1949) |
Johnny Cash (1979) |
| Good Golly Miss Molly |
Little Richard (1958) |
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969) |
| Good Morning Little School Girl |
Sonny Boy Williamson (1937) |
Ten Years After (1969) |
| Green Manalishi |
Fleetwood Mac (1972) |
Judas Priest (1979) |
| Hallelujah |
Leonard Cohen (1985) |
Jeff Buckley (1994) |
| Hanky Panky |
Raindrops (1963) |
Tommy James & the Shondells (1963) |
| Hard To Handle |
Otis Redding (1968) |
Black Crows (1989) |
| Havana Affair |
Ramones (1976) |
Red Hot Chili Peppers (2003) |
| Have a Cigar |
Pink Floyd (1975) |
Primus (1992) |
| Hazy Shade Of Winter |
Simon & Garfunkel (1968) |
Bangles (1987) |
| Heard It Through The Grapevine |
Gladys Night & the Pips (1967) |
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970) |
| Heart Shaped Box |
Nirvana (1993) |
Evanescence (2003) |
| Helter Skelter |
Beatles (1968) |
Aerosmith (1991) |
| Here Comes the Sun |
Beatles (1969) |
Richie Havens (1971) |
| Hey Hey What Can I Do |
Led Zeppelin (1970) |
Hootie & the Blowfish (2000) |
| Hey Joe |
The Leaves (1965) |
Jimi Hendrix (1966) |
| Higher Ground |
Stevie Wonder (1973) |
Red Hot Chili Peppers (1989) |
| Honey Don't |
Carl Perkins (1956) |
Beatles (1964) |
| Honey Hush |
Joe Turner (1953) |
Johnny Burnette Trio (1956) |
| Hooked On A Feeling |
B. J. Thomas (1968) |
Blue Swede (1974) |
| Hound Dog |
Big Mama Thornton (1953) |
Elvis Presley (1956) |
| Hurt |
Nine Inch Nails (1994) |
Johnny Cash (2003) |
| Hush |
Billy Joe Royal (1967) |
Deep Purple (1968) |
| I Can Hear Music |
Ronettes (1966) |
Beach Boys (1968) |
| (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction |
Rolling Stones (1965) |
Otis Redding (1965) |
| I Just Want To Make Love To You |
Muddy Waters (1954) |
Foghat (1977) |
| I Fought The Law |
The Crickets (without Holly) (1961) |
The Clash (1978) |
| I Put a Spell on You |
Screamin' Jay Hawkins (1956) |
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968) |
| I Shot the Sheriff |
Bob Marley (1973) |
Eric Clapton (1974) |
| I Thank You |
Sam & Dave (1968) |
ZZ Top (1980) |
| I Wanna Be Sedated |
Ramones (1978) |
The Offspring (2003) |
| I Want Candy |
The Strangeloves (1965) |
Bow Wow Wow (1982) |
| I Will Survive |
Gloria Gaynor (1978) |
Cake (1996) |
| If You Don't Know Me By Now |
Harold Melvin & Blue Notes (1972) |
Simply Red (1989) |
| (I'm A) Road Runner |
Jr. Walker & the All Stars (1965) |
Humble Pie (1973) |
| I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday |
Bobby Mitchell (1957) |
Fats Domino (1959) |
| I'm A Man |
Spencer Davis Group (1967) |
Chicago (1969) |
| In the Flesh? |
Pink Floyd (1979) |
Dream Theater (1995) |
| In the Midnight Hour |
Wilson Pickett (1965) |
The Young Rascals (1966) |
| It Ain't Me Babe |
Bob Dylan (1964) |
The Turtles (1965) |
| It's My Life |
Talk Talk (1984) |
No Doubt (2004) |
| It's My Party |
Lesley Gore (1963) |
Bryan Ferry (1973) |
| Jailhouse Rock |
Elvis Presley (1957) |
Jeff Beck Group (1969) |
| Jolene |
Dolly Parton (1974) |
The White Stripes (2004) |
| Journey To The Center Of The Mind |
The Amboy Dukes (1968) |
Ramones (1994) |
| Kansas City |
Little Willie Littlefield (1952) |
Wilbert Harrison (1959) |
| Kashmir |
Led Zeppelin (1975) |
Jeff Buckley (2001) |
| Keep a Knockin' |
Louis Jordan (1941) |
Little Richard (1957) |
| Kentucky Woman |
Neil Diamond (1967) |
Deep Purple (1968) |
| Kick Out The Jams |
MC5 (1969) |
Rage Against The Machine (2000) |
| Kid A |
Radiohead (2000) |
John Mayer (2001) |
| Knockin' On Heavens Door |
Bob Dylan (1973) |
Guns N' Roses (1991) |
| La Bamba |
Ritchie Valens (1958) |
Los Lobos (1987) |
| Landslide |
Fleetwood Mac (1975) |
Smashing Pumpkins (1994) |
| Last Kiss |
Wayne Cochran (1961) |
Pearl Jam (2003) |
| Let's Spend the Night Together |
Rolling Stones (1967) |
David Bowie (1973) |
| Light My Fire |
Doors (1967) |
Jose Feliciano (1968) |
| Little Wing |
Jimi Hendrix (1967) |
Derek & The Dominos (1970) |
| Live And Let Die |
Paul McCartney & Wings (1971) |
Guns N' Roses (1991) |
| Long Tall Sally |
Little Richard (1956) |
Beatles (1964) |
| Look At Little Sister |
Hank Ballard & The Midnighters (1959) |
Stevie Ray Vaughan (1985) |
| Louie Louie |
Richard Berry (1957) |
The Kingsmen (1963) |
| Love Hurts |
The Everly Brothers (1960) |
Nazareth (1975) |
| Love in Vain |
Robert Johnson (1938) |
Rolling Stones (1969) |
| Love Potion #9 |
Clovers (1959) |
Searchers (1964) |
| Love Song |
The Cure (1989) |
311 (2004) |
| Lucille |
Little Richard (1957) |
The Everly Brothers (1960) |
| Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds |
Beatles (1967) |
Elton John (1974) |
| Mad Worlds |
Tears For Fears (1982) |
Gary Jules (2001) |
| Maggie's Farm |
Bob Dylan (1965) |
Rage Against the Machine (2000) |
| Me And Bobby McGee |
Kris Kristofferson (1970) |
Janis Joplin (1971) |
| Mony Mony |
Tommy James (1968) |
Billy Idol (1987) |
| Move It On Over |
Hank Williams Sr. (1947) |
George Thorogood (1978) |
| Mr. Tambourine Man |
Bob Dylan (1964) |
The Byrds (1965) |
| Mustang Sally |
Sir Mack Rice (1965) |
Wilson Pickett (1966) |
| My Back Pages |
Bob Dylan (1964) |
The Byrds (1967) |
| My Blue Heaven |
Gene Austin (1928) |
Fats Domino (1956) |
| Night Time (Is The Right Time) |
Nappy Brown (1957) |
Ray Charles (1959) |
| No Quarter |
Led Zeppelin (1973) |
Tool (2000) |
| Not Fade Away |
Buddy Holly (1957) |
Rush (1973) |
| Nothing Compares to U |
Prince (1984) |
Sinead O'Connor (1990) |
| Oh Girl |
The Chi-Lites (1972) |
Paul Young (1990) |
| Oh Pretty Woman |
Roy Orbison (1964) |
Van Halen (1982) |
| Once Bitten Twice Shy |
Ian Hunter (1975) |
Great White (1990) |
| One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer |
John Lee Hooker (1967) |
George Thorogood (1977) |
| Only You |
Cues (1954) |
Platters (1954) |
| Paranoid |
Black Sabbath (1970) |
Megadeth (1994) |
| Piece Of My Heart |
Erma Franklin (1967) |
Big Brother & Holding Company (1968) |
| Please Mr. Postman |
The Marvelettes (1961) |
Beatles (1963) |
| Proud Mary |
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969) |
Ike & Tina Turner (1971) |
| Quinn The Eskimo |
Bob Dylan (1967) |
Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1968) |
| Real Wild Child (Wild One) |
Johnny O'Keefe & The Deejays (1958) |
Iggy Pop (1986) |
| Reason to Believe |
Tim Hardin (1966) |
Rod Stewart (1971) |
| Red Red Wine |
Neil Diamond (1968) |
UB40 (1984) |
| Redemption Song |
Bob Marley (1980) |
Joe Strummer & the Mescalaros (2003) |
| Refugee |
Tom Petty (1980) |
Melissa Etheridge (2005) |
| Respect |
Otis Redding (1965) |
Aretha Franklin (1967) |
| Revolution |
Beatles (1968) |
Stone Temple Pilots (2001) |
| Rhythm of the Rain |
The Cascades (1963) |
Dan Fogelberg (1990) |
| Rocking In The Free World |
Neil Young (1989) |
Pearl Jam (live) (2003) |
| Roll Over Beethoven |
Chuck Berry (1956) |
Beatles (1963) |
| Rollin' And Tumblin' |
Muddy Waters (1950) |
Cream (1966) |
| Ruby Baby |
Drifters (1956) |
Dion (1963) |
| Sabbra Cadabra |
Black Sabbath (1974) |
Metallica (1998) |
| School Day |
Chuck Berry (1957) |
AC/DC (1975) |
| Sea of Love |
Phil Phillips (1959) |
The Honeydrippers (1984) |
| Shake Rattle & Roll |
Big Joe Tuner (1954) |
Bill Haley & the Comets (1954) |
| Shakin' All Over |
Johnny Kidd & the Pirates (1960) |
The Guess Who (1965) |
| Shapes Of Things |
The Yardbirds (1966) |
Gary Moore (1983) |
| Signs |
Five Man Electical Band (1970) |
Tesla (1990) |
| Simple Man |
Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973) |
Shinedown (2004) |
| Sleep Walk |
Santo & Johnny (1959) |
Brian Setzer Orchestra (1998) |
| Smokestack Lightning |
Howlin' Wolf (1956) |
Quicksilver Messenger Service (1968) |
| Smokin' In The Boys Room |
Brownsville Station (1974) |
Motley Crue (1985) |
| So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star |
Byrds (1967) |
Tom Petty (1986) |
| Somebody To Love |
The Great Society (1966) |
Jefferson Airplane (1967) |
| Spoonful |
Howlin' Wolf (1960) |
Cream (1966) |
| Stand By Me |
Ben E King (1961) |
John Lennon (1975) |
| Statesboro Blues |
Blind Willie McTell (1928) |
Allman Brothers Band (1971) |
| Stay |
Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs (1964) |
Jackson Browne (1977 - Live) |
| Summertime Blues |
Eddie Cochran (1958) |
The Who (1970) |
| Susie Q |
Dale Hawkins (1957) |
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968) |
| Sweet Dreams |
Eurythmics (1983) |
Marilyn Manson (1995) |
| T for Texas |
Jimmy Rodgers (1928) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd (1976) |
| Take Me To The River |
Al Green (1974) |
Talking Heads (1978) |
| Tainted Love |
Gloria Jones (1964) |
Soft Cell (1981) |
| Taxman |
Beatles (1966) |
Franz Ferdinand (2005) |
| The Air That I Breathe |
Albert Hammond (1972) |
Hollies (1974) |
| The Crying Game |
Dave Berry (1964) |
Boy George (1992) |
| The First Cut Is The Deepest |
Cat Stevens (1967) |
Sheryl Crow (2004) |
| The Letter |
Box Tops (1967) |
Joe Cocker (1970) |
| The Loco-Motion |
Little Eva (1962) |
Grand Funk (1974) |
| The Man Who Sold The World |
David Bowie (1971) |
Nirvana (1993) |
| The Tracks of My Tears |
The Miracles (1965) |
Linda Ronstadt (1967) |
| Think |
The "5" Royales (1957) |
James Brown (1961) |
| This Magic Moment |
The Drifters (1960) |
Jay & The Americans (1969) |
| Time Is On My Side |
Irma Thomas (1964) |
Rolling Stones (1964) |
| Tom Sawyer |
Rush (1981) |
Deadsy (2002) |
| Train Kept A Rollin' |
Tiny Bradshaw (1951) |
Yardbirds (1965) |
| Tuesday's Gone |
Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973) |
Metallica (1998) |
| Turn The Page |
Bob Seger (1976) |
Metallica (1998) |
| Turn, Turn, Turn |
Pete Seeger (1962) |
The Byrds (1966) |
| Twist And Shout |
Top Notes (1961) |
Beatles (1963) |
| Up Around the Bend |
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970) |
Hanoi Rocks (1989) |
| Voodoo Child (slight return) |
Jimi Hendrix (1968) |
Stevie Ray Vaughan (1984) |
| War |
Edwin Starr (1970) |
Bruce Springsteen (1985) |
| War Pigs |
Black Sabbath (1976) |
Faith No More (1989) |
| We Can Work It Out |
Beatles (1965) |
Stevie Wonder (1970) |
| We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place |
The Animals (1965) |
Blue Oyster Cult (1978) |
| What'd I Say |
Ray Charles (1959) |
Jerry Lee Lewis (1961) |
| (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding |
Nick Lowe (1974) |
Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1979) |
| While My Guitar Gently Weeps |
Beatles (1968) |
Jeff Healey Band (1999) |
| Whiskey In The Jar |
The Dubliners (1967) |
Metallica (1998) |
| Who Do You Love |
Bo Diddley (1956) |
Quicksilver Messenger Service (1969) |
| Whole Lotta Love |
Led Zeppelin (1969) |
King Curtis (1971) |
| Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On |
Big Maybelle (1955) |
Big Star (1978) |
| Wild Night |
Van Morrison (1971) |
John Mellencamp (1994) |
| Wild Thing |
Wild Ones (1965) |
The Troggs (1966) |
| Wish You Were Here |
Pink Floyd (1975) |
Widespread Panic (2000) |
| With A Little Help From My Friends |
Beatles (1967) |
Joe Cocker (1969) |
| Without You |
Badfinger (1970) |
Harry Nilsson (1971) |
| Woodstock |
Joni Mitchell (1970) |
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970) |
| Wonderwall |
Oasis (1995) |
Ryan Adams (2004) |
| You Can't Always Get What You Want |
Rolling Stones (1969) |
Rusted Root (1998) |
| You Keep Me Hangin' On |
Supremes (1966) |
Vanilla Fudge (1967) |
| You Really Got A Hold On Me |
The Miracles (1963) |
Beatles (1963) |
| You Really Got Me |
Kinks (1964) |
Van Halen (1978) |
| You Shook Me |
Muddy Waters (1962) |
Led Zeppelin (1969) |
| You're No Good |
Betty Everett (1963) |
Linda Ronstadt (1974) |
| You've Got A Friend |
Carol King (1971) |
James Taylor (1971) |
|
*Original or First Hit Version - In some cases the "original" version was a flop, and shortly after, a major artist recorded the song and had a hit, (especially in the 1950s & '60s). Most of these are the first "well known" versions
of the song even if it wasn't the very first.
**Best Cover Version - Not necessarily "better" than the original hit, but the best of all the covers done of the song.
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