5 Musical Covers That Are Better Than the Original
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Share on XShare on RedditCopy ArticleAdd us as a preferred sourceCover songs have been around since the early days of the music industry, when songs were often recorded by multiple performers or musicians had access to sheet music that allowed them to play their own versions of songs at home.
Cover songs essentially allow artists to reinterpret a song in a way that makes it unique to them while still retaining elements of the original. Cover songs have been around since the early days of the music industry, when songs were often recorded by multiple performers or musicians had access to sheet music that allowed them to play their own versions of songs at home. Cover songs essentially allow artists to reinterpret a song in a way that makes it unique to them while still retaining elements of the original.
So what happens when a cover version not only interprets the original but actually winds up being better than it? These songs can become even bigger hits, giving new life to the original and additional recognition to the artist who decided to try something new with it. So what happens when a cover version not only interprets the original but actually winds up being better than it?
These songs can become even bigger hits, giving new life to the original and additional recognition to the artist who decided to try something new with it. When Whitney Houston needed a new song for her 1992 movie The Bodyguard, she used an old song instead. "I Will Always Love You" was originally written and performed by Dolly Parton in 1973, but became a huge hit for Houston and ended up landing at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and staying there for 14 weeks.
When Whitney Houston needed a new song for her 1992 movie The Bodyguard, she used an old song instead. "I Will Always Love You" was originally written and performed by Dolly Parton in 1973, but became a huge hit for Houston and ended up landing at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and staying there for 14 weeks. In 2023, Parton described hearing Houston's cover for the first time while driving her car, and said she needed to pull over to listen to it.
"I couldn’t believe my little country sad song could even be done like that," Parton said. "That was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in my entire life." In 2023, Parton described hearing Houston's cover for the first time while driving her car, and said she needed to pull over to listen to it. "I couldn’t believe my little country sad song could even be done like that," Parton said.
"That was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in my entire life." A song by Bob Dylan that hinted at impending doom became a barreling rock masterpiece with the guitar of Jimi Hendrix. A month after Dylan's version was released, Hendrix and his band went to the studio in January 1968 and crafted “All Along the Watchtower,” recording more than 25 takes before the unique cover was complete and ready for Hendrix's album Electric Ladyland.
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