The History of Cover Songs
From jazz standards to viral YouTube sensations, cover songs have shaped music history for over a century. Here's how covers became a cornerstone of popular music.
What Makes a Great Cover?
A cover song is more than just playing someone else's music. The best covers bring something new to the table—a fresh perspective, a different genre, an emotional depth the original might not have explored.
Some covers stay faithful to honor the original. Others completely reinvent songs, sometimes becoming more famous than the originals themselves. Both approaches have given us some of music's greatest moments.
A Century of Cover Songs
The Jazz & Standards Era
In the early days of recorded music, the concept of an "original" song barely existed. Jazz standards were performed by countless artists, each adding their own interpretation. Songs like "Summertime" and "My Funny Valentine" became immortal through hundreds of versions.
Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra built entire careers on interpreting songs written by others.
Rock and Roll Revolution
Elvis Presley never wrote a song, yet became the King of Rock and Roll through his electrifying covers. The Beatles started as a cover band, and many early rock hits were actually covers of R&B songs by Black artists.
Elvis's "Hound Dog" was originally recorded by Big Mama Thornton. The Beatles' first UK #1 "Please Please Me" album contained 6 covers.
The Reinvention Era
Artists began radically reimagining songs across genres. Soft rock songs became punk anthems. Disco remixes introduced covers to dance floors. The era gave us some of the most iconic genre-bending covers ever recorded.
Jimi Hendrix transformed Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" so completely that Dylan started playing Hendrix's version.
MTV & The Internet Age
Unplugged sessions showcased stripped-down covers. Tribute albums became a phenomenon. Meanwhile, early internet forums and file sharing introduced fans to obscure cover versions from around the world.
Johnny Cash's "Hurt" (originally by Nine Inch Nails) and Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" became definitive versions of those songs.
The YouTube & Streaming Era
Cover songs exploded online. Unknown artists went viral overnight. Talent shows made covers the gateway to stardom. Today, more people discover new music through covers than ever before.
Pentatonix, Boyce Avenue, and Postmodern Jukebox built empires on YouTube covers. The Weeknd's career started with mixtapes featuring covers.
Covers That Changed Music
| Song | Famous Cover By | Impact |
|---|---|---|
I Will Always Love You Original: Dolly Parton | Whitney Houston (1992) | One of the best-selling singles of all time |
Hurt Original: Nine Inch Nails | Johnny Cash (2002) | Trent Reznor said it's not his song anymore |
Hallelujah Original: Leonard Cohen | Jeff Buckley (1994) | The version most people know today |
Tainted Love Original: Soft Cell | From Gloria Jones (1964) | Soft Cell's version is itself a cover |
Tossin' and Turnin' Original: Bobby Lewis | The Beatles' covers era | Beatles played 200+ covers before fame |
Nothing Compares 2 U Original: Sinead O'Connor | From Prince (1984) | Written by Prince, made famous by O'Connor |
Why Cover Songs Matter
Artistic Interpretation
Covers allow artists to express their unique vision through familiar songs, creating new art from existing work.
Cultural Bridge
Covers introduce songs to new audiences across generations, genres, and cultures, keeping great music alive.
Career Launching
Many legendary artists started with covers. It's often the first step for new musicians to connect with audiences.
Explore Today's Best Covers
The tradition continues. Discover incredible cover versions from talented artists around the world on CoversApp.