Songs Songs You Didn't Realize Were Covers
It's amazing how different a cover song can be from an original. How many popular songs are out there that were first recorded by somebody else? A new interpretation by a different artist can give a song an entirely different feel, make it seem more relevant, or just intensify the vibe it already had, making it one of the best cover songs ever. Sometimes, an updated version of a song can even turn a commercial flop into a chart-topping hit.
From R&B hits re-recorded by '80s rock stars, to rappers riffing on girl groups, to stripped-down country western takes on brooding industrial ballads and a heaping helping of weird, this list features all kinds of songs you didn't know were covers. Sure, you think Hendrix when you hear "Hey Joe," but who was he covering?
Read on to find out which song remakes are actually cover songs and vote below for the best songs that you didn't know were actually covers of other artists.Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Mickey
It's hard to believe that Toni Basil's '80s pop staple "Mickey" was a cover of an earlier song, but what's even more remarkable is that "Mickey" wasn't originally called "Mickey" at all - recorded in 1979 by the UK group Racey, the song's initial title was "Kitty," and its subject was a woman, not a man.
Aside from their titular love object, Basil's lyrics are pretty much identical to those in the Racey version. (Some people claim Basil chose the name "Mickey" as a wink and nod to Mickey Dolenz, of The Monkees, who she had worked with on the set of the movie Head.)Also Ranked
#15 on The Greatest Songs by '80s One-Hit Wonders
#11 on The Greatest Pop Songs by One-Hit Wonders
#14 on The Greatest Songs by One-Hit Wonders
Superstition
Piece of My Heart
