Songs whose cover version was more popular than the original

Nope, originally from the Spencer Davis Group (with Steve Winwood) afaik, and that version - with Pete York at drums - is still the best.

If I am not mistaken, Steve Winwood wrote it and yes, it was the Spencer Davis group that recorded it. Regardless, it may be the best version in your opinion, but your opinion is just that, your opinion. That is why I qualified it by IMHO......In my humble opinion!
 
Since this is a comparison thread now let me add that I prefer the original to the cover in almost every instance, with exception of every remake of a Dylan song. On a couple personal notes the original version of True Colors is a devastatingly sad song. It's about her long time boyfriend who eventually "came out". I couldn't begin to think what Phil was singing about in his version. Now Boys of Summer by the Atari's is just trash. The "boys" in the song aren't really there. They are a reference to youth. The song is about lost love and lost youth. He's singing about them in their youth and how he will still love her when they are old, "after the boys of summer have gone". It was the Song of the Year and on the Album of the Year. It's my all time my favorite song. That vapid quasi punk Atari's version just happens to also be their only hit. Also Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is hands down the best version. If you know the song but haven't heard the original you're missing out. His is a very deep and sad song.
 
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"Crossroads"---Cream over Robert Johnson.
"You shook me"---Led Zeppelin over Muddy Waters.
"All along the watchtower"---The Jimi Hendrix Experience over Bob Dylan.
"Words of love"---The Beatles over Buddy Holly.
"Boys"---The Beatles over The Shirelles.
"With a little help from my friends"---Joe Cocker over The Beatles.
"Feeling allright"---Joe Cocker over Traffic.
"The house of the rising sun"---The Animals over...whoever performed it first.
"Blackbird"---Crosby, Stills & Nash over The Beatles.
"Mighty Quinn"---Manfred Mann over Bob Dylan.
"After midnight"---Eric Clapton over J.J. Cale.
"Respect"---Aretha Franklin over Otis Redding.
"Statesboro blues"---The Allman Brothers Band over Blind Willie McTell.
"Wild thing"---The Jimi Hendrix Experience over The Troggs.
"Last kiss"---Pearl Jam over Wayne Cochran.
"Rockin' all over the world"---Status Quo over John Fogerty.
"Suzy Q"---Creedence Clearwater Revival over Dale Hawkins.
"Babe I'm gonna leave you"---Led Zeppelin over Joan Baez.
"Summertime"---Big Brother & The Holding Company over Abbie Mitchell/George Gershwin.
"Cause we've ended as lovers"---Jeff Beck over Syreeta/Stevie Wonder.
 
"Before You Accuse Me" was written and recorded by Bo Diddley. I first heard it on the Cosmo's Factory album. I think that Eric Clapton had the biggest hit.
 
Yes, Bermuda said more popular than the original, not who did it better.

Songs along the lines of "I Love Rock N Roll" which is always associated with Joan Jett, even though it's a cover. I certainly had no idea when the song came out it was a cover. And even some 30 years later, you're still more likely to hear the Joan Jett version over the original on the radio.

Another would be (at least in the United States) "Cum On Feel the Noize" which was a huge hit for Quiet Riot, and few, if anyone, knew it was a cover when the song was popular on MTV. Though I suspect in England/Europe, it may have been a different story.

Some many be perspective.

I don't think Judas Priest's version of "Diamonds and Rust" was necessarily more popular than Joan Baez's original in terms of sales, but if one follows hard rock more than folk music, one is likely to hear the Priest version more often.

The Green Manalishi was a hit for Fleetwood Mac in England, but not the USA. Judas Priest made the song more well known state side, though not actually a hit song.

Of course, most songs in the early days of Rock and Roll were covers, as record companies initially discouraged bands from writing/recording too much of their own material.

In his autobiography, music mogul Clive Davis said when he interviewed people for record company positions, he would always ask the person to come up with 3 songs that were not hits but could be hits if they were re-done by another singer. He often pushed his artists to use materials written by others.
 
I don't know where the notion of comparison came from , not all the members here are from the same place. Some versions of songs would have had more exposure over the original depending on where you live.. but no one does To Make You Feel my Love like Dylan.. that's my popular 2 cents. Hallelujah is one for you folks. who did the most popular? depends doesn't it?
 
If I am not mistaken, Steve Winwood wrote it and yes, it was the Spencer Davis group that recorded it. Regardless, it may be the best version in your opinion, but your opinion is just that, your opinion. That is why I qualified it by IMHO......In my humble opinion!
Well, the question was: Which was more popular? And the version that almost everybody knows, is that of the Spencer Davis Group, not the Chicago-Version. The original version reached #10 in the billboard charts, the Chicago-Version reached #49 in the charts. Big difference, I'd say. ;-)
 
Another would be (at least in the United States) "Cum On Feel the Noize" which was a huge hit for Quiet Riot, and few, if anyone, knew it was a cover when the song was popular on MTV. Though I suspect in England/Europe, it may have been a different story.

You're not wrong. I wasn't aware of the Quiet Riot cover, just the original version by Oasis...

Kidding (about Oasis - dreadful cover). But here in the UK, Slade were a number 1 hit and Quiet Riot didn't chart.
 
Well, the question was: Which was more popular? And the version that almost everybody knows, is that of the Spencer Davis Group, not the Chicago-Version. The original version reached #10 in the billboard charts, the Chicago-Version reached #49 in the charts. Big difference, I'd say. ;-)

Not to beat a dead horse, but you used the word "best" not more popular, so I picked up on that.....
 
how about most anything that Three Dog Night did?

Hotn Axton's "Joy To The World"
Paul Williams' "Old Fashioned Love Song"
Harry Nilsson's "One"
Leo Sayer's "The Show Must Go On"
Laura Nyro's "Eli's Coming"
 
Van Halen Giggalo over Louis Prima but to be honest I did not look up how popular the Prima version was.
 
I can't really think of songs that were more popular than the originals but if I put a mind to it, I like to think this guy, Sungha Jung does a much more preferable version of Wrecking ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncGcwqESXP8

And I think he would have been perfect playing with Amy Winehouse on this song, because I think she really took the awareness of this song, which I like better than the original.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuanbnnzXQ4
 
how about most anything that Three Dog Night did?

Hotn Axton's "Joy To The World"
Paul Williams' "Old Fashioned Love Song"
Harry Nilsson's "One"
Leo Sayer's "The Show Must Go On"
Laura Nyro's "Eli's Coming"

+1

And "Momma Told Me Not to Come", written by Randy Newman for Eric Burdon.

I also prefer Jeff Beck's version of "Cause We've Ended as Lovers" to the original.
 
You're not wrong. I wasn't aware of the Quiet Riot cover, just the original version

. But here in the UK, Slade were a number 1 hit and Quiet Riot didn't chart.

I figured that.

And so funny, because here, at least in the 80's. Quiet Riot was huge, and Slade was never more than footnote.
 
Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In by The Rezillos (popularised as a result of it featuring on the very famous Golf Cart stunt on Jackass).

Originally Fleetwood Mac. Totally different. Bizarre hearing the original (which is NOT punk at all needless to say)
 
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