Songs That Have Been Re-recorded by the Original Artist or the Artist Who Recorded the Most Popular Cover Version

I had no idea Cher recorded Love Hurts once, let alone twice.

The ‘New Vocal’ version of “Wuthering Heights” on Kate Bush’s The Whole Story compilation soars like an eagle over her twee original on her debut The Kick Inside album.

Etta James recorded multiple versions of At Last. None were as good/great as her original.

“I will Always Love You” by Dolly as covered by Whitney. I still like Dolly’s version better, but many prefer the latter.

Alison Moyet re-recorded Ode to Boy on her album Essex. The original is better, but the re-recording is in a different style, and doesn't suck.

Cyndi Lauper re-recorded who Let in the Rain from Hat Full of Stars on her Japan only album Shine. The original is better.

She also put out an album of acoustic re-recordings The Body Acousting.

I love the front porch blues feel of that version of She Bop.

Dolly also appeared on an acapella cover of Jolene with Pentatonix if that counts, R4

OP: What's wrong with "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper? It's one of the great pop songs of the late 20th century.

Or for that matter, what's wrong with "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler and "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive?

Best re-makes:

"Twist and Shout"---Beatles.

"Unchained Melody"---Righteous Brothers.

Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" works better coming from an older woman, I feel.

Pointer Sisters Dirty Work.

R6 Nothing is wrong with the original versions of these songs. It's the re-recorded versions that are terrible.

R4: Dolly did two versions of that song. The original was in the 1970s, and then in 1982 she sang it at the end of [italic]The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas[/italic].

Cyndi Lauper's re-recording of I'm Gonna Be Strong for her 12 Deadly Cyns compilation has a folksier, more atmospheric vibe than the original version she did in 1980 as part of Blue Angel (her vocal stylings were also more mannered), but I love the rockabilly style of the first recording is simply sublime, and there's a rawness to her vocals that makes the song much more powerful.

Still, both versions are amazing.

R2 I agree!

But I prefer the second version of her video. The one with the red dress and the forest as opposed to the theatrical backlit studio shot video with bad visual effects.

To piggyback on the Wuthering Heights post, I had no idea that Pat Benatar did a cover until a couple of years ago.

It's actually not that bad as a rock ballad.

Blondie recorded a new album of their 70s - 80s hits. But her old lady voice sounded autotuned, rather odd.

Maybe they lost the publishing rights to the originals?

Jimi Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower was better than Bob Dylan's. (Which wasn't bad but Jimi took it to a whole new level, of course.)

Alanis Morissette rerecorded Jagged Little Pills in acoustic

[quote]Dolly did two versions of that song. The original was in the 1970s, and then in 1982 she sang it at the end of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

She also did it as a duet with Vince Gill in 1995.

Whitney Houston's cover of "Greatest Love of All" ended up being more popular than the original by George Benson.

Righteous Brothers had the most popular version of "Unchained Melody." Although, I prefer the 1955 Les Baxter version that sound more like the orchestra version at the end of Ghost.

R16 here, I just thought of another one. Derek and the Dominos version of Little Wing I find superior to Jimi's. Eric Clapton may be an asshole but he frequently got it right.