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We’ve all had that moment of musical déjà vu—singing along to a beloved tune, convinced it’s an original masterpiece, only to discover it’s been moonlighting as a cover song all along. It’s like finding out your grandma’s secret cookie recipe is actually straight off the back of a chocolate chip bag. Let’s uncover some of these undercover hits that have fooled our ears for years.
Spotify Playlist Of Songs Mentioned In The Article
“Twist and Shout” – The Beatles (1963)
The Beatles ripped through “Twist and Shout” in 1963 with a throat-shredding lead vocal by John Lennon. Their high-energy rendition became the only million-selling Beatles single that was a cover song, peaking at #2 on the U.S. charts. Most fans assumed the song was a Beatles original, especially after seeing the Fab Four perform it on The Ed Sullivan Show. In truth, “Twist and Shout” was first recorded in 1961 by a Philadelphia R&B vocal group called the Top Notes, in a Latin-tinged arrangement produced by a young Phil Spector.
The Top Notes’ original version of “Twist and Shout” failed to chart. Songwriter Bert Berns was so disappointed with Spector’s production that he re-produced the song for the Isley Brothers, who scored a Top 20 hit with it in 1962. The Isley version’s gospel-soul fire was the template the Beatles followed. Today, few remember the Top Notes’ first try, though it was the domino that started it all.
“Hound Dog” – Elvis Presley (1956)
Elvis Presley’s 1956 recording of “Hound Dog” sold around 10 million copies and topped the pop, R&B, and country charts. With its snarling vocal and driving beat, Presley’s version became a rock ’n’ roll staple and is often thought to be original. But before Elvis performed it on national television, blues singer Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton recorded the song in 1952.
Written by the then-unknown team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Thornton’s version topped the R&B charts for seven weeks in 1953. Her performance had a slower tempo and a biting tone entirely different from Elvis’s energetic spin. Although Presley’s version is more famous, Thornton’s came first—and with considerably more bark.
“I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (1981)
Joan Jett’s 1981 recording of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for seven weeks. Her snarling vocals and gritty delivery made it an anthem, but the song was originally written and recorded by a British band called The Arrows in 1975.
The Arrows’ original version, co-written by Alan Merrill, was more glam than punk and failed to chart in the U.S. The band performed it on a UK TV show, where Jett first heard it while on tour. She recorded it twice, with the second version becoming her breakout hit. The song changed genders and attitudes in translation, but the melody stayed true.
“Tainted Love” – Soft Cell (1981)
Soft Cell’s synth-laced version of “Tainted Love” topped charts in 17 countries in 1981 and became a club classic. But the song was originally recorded in 1964 by soul singer Gloria Jones.
Jones’s original version, written by Ed Cobb, was an up-tempo Motown-style track that went largely unnoticed at the time. It later gained a cult following in the UK’s Northern Soul scene. Soft Cell slowed it down, added a drum machine, and turned it into an electro lament. The song’s DNA stayed the same; the wardrobe changed completely.
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” – Cyndi Lauper (1983)
Cyndi Lauper’s debut single was a feminist-pop juggernaut in 1983, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Most assumed Lauper wrote the song herself, but it was originally penned and demoed by Robert Hazard in 1979—from a male perspective.
Hazard’s original version was never commercially released during his lifetime and had a more rock-oriented tone. Lauper overhauled the lyrics, flipped the viewpoint, and injected a dose of camp and color. What started as a dude’s observation about party girls became a female empowerment anthem—and an MTV staple.
“Blinded by the Light” – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (1976)
“Blinded by the Light” reached No. 1 in the U.S. in 1977 with a keyboard-heavy arrangement and famously misheard lyrics. It was actually written and first recorded by Bruce Springsteen in 1973 for his debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Springsteen’s original version was wordy and acoustic-driven, never charting as a single. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band reworked the structure and added synth lines to give it a prog-rock sheen. Ironically, this made Springsteen a No. 1 songwriter years before he topped the charts as a performer. Sometimes, your big break arrives wearing someone else’s shoes.
“Hard to Handle” – The Black Crowes (1990)
The Black Crowes introduced themselves to the world with a swaggering cover of “Hard to Handle” in 1990. Originally recorded by Otis Redding in 1968, the song was released posthumously after his death in a plane crash.
Redding’s original version mixed brass and bravado, peaking modestly on the R&B charts. The Crowes replaced horns with guitars and gave it Southern rock grit. Their version peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Redding may have written it, but the Crowes gave it a second life on rock radio.
“Bette Davis Eyes” – Kim Carnes (1981)
Kim Carnes’s smoky-voiced rendition of “Bette Davis Eyes” spent nine weeks at No. 1 in 1981 and won multiple Grammy Awards. Yet the song had been around since 1974, written and first recorded by Jackie DeShannon.
DeShannon’s original version had a jaunty, honky-tonk feel and failed to make an impact. Carnes and producer Val Garay slowed the tempo, added synthesizers, and let the moodiness simmer. The transformation was so complete that Bette Davis herself sent them thank-you notes. Not bad for a cover of a flop.
“Black Betty” – Ram Jam (1977)
Ram Jam’s hard-rock version of “Black Betty” hit No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. But the song dates back much further—as far back as African-American work songs.
Blues musician Lead Belly recorded a famous version in 1939, although he didn’t claim authorship. His take was acoustic and hypnotic, recorded for the Library of Congress. Ram Jam electrified it, added a relentless beat, and stirred controversy. It became a rock radio staple, even if no one could quite explain what a Black Betty was.
“RESPECT” – Aretha Franklin (1967)
Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” hit No. 1 in 1967 and earned two Grammy Awards, becoming a feminist and civil rights anthem. But the song was originally recorded by Otis Redding in 1965.
Redding’s original version was a man’s plea for recognition at home. Franklin flipped the script, reworked the arrangement, and added the iconic R-E-S-P-E-C-T chorus. Her version eclipsed the original so thoroughly that even Redding admitted, “that girl stole my song.” She did—and then she upgraded it.
“Whole Lotta Love” – Led Zeppelin
No list of cover songs is complete without mentioning Led Zeppelin, a band that feasted greatly on other artists for inspiration. Problem was, Zeppelin had a deserved reputation for plagiarizing songs nearly whole cloth. “Whole Lotta Love,” the opening track from their smash-hit album Led Zeppelin II is a perfect example.
Muddy Waters released “You Need Love“, on Chess Records, with lyrics by “Blind” Willie Dixon in 1962. The song failed to chart, and was eventually withdrawn by the record company in England. Later on, Led Zeppelin released their version, using a nearly identical melody and lyrics that were copies of the original. Credited to the entire band, Jimmy Page takes credit for the bulk of the music and says Robert Plant penned lyrics for the song.
“I think when Willie Dixon turned on the radio in Chicago twenty years after he wrote his blues, he thought, ‘That’s my song [Whole Lotta Love].’ … When we ripped it off, I said to Jimmy, ‘Hey, that’s not our song.’ And he said, ‘Shut up and keep walking.’”
Robert Plant, in court records.
Dixon sued, and the case was eventually settled out of court, with Dixon was credited on subsequent releases of the song as a co-writer. Rumors of a substantial financial settlement have abounded, but with the matter sealed, it’s almost impossible to know with any certainty. There are at other least seven known instances of Led Zeppelin settling and revising writing credits with other artists, and there are probably more.
