And for anyone who's wondering, David Bowie sang the original Man Who Sold The World, and it was covered by Lulu, Nirvana, Midge Ure and loads of others. I think it was cut out due to copyright but it's weird how the Nirvana bit was kept in
Yeh probably just a little editing mistake/copyright issue with the video Or maybe the Bowie clip was missing from the original compilation that Joel’s reacting to? Nevermind, no big deal :)
Neat story behind Guess Who's "American Woman". Randy Bachman was playing a riff between sets, the band came on stage and started jamming along. Burton Cummings ran on stage and totally improvised the lyrics. A kid was making a bootleg recording and the band asked him for the cassette...to get the lyrics.
Freddie Mercury said somewhere in an interview I watched, that ''The Great Pretender'' is a song, that he always wanted to cover, but he couldn't have done it with Queen, because he describes Queen as a band with only original stuff.. So he did a cover of it, in his solo career! :)
I used freak my kids out when they brought home "new" songs by bands they liked, and I knew the song, and had it on vinyl in my collection by the original artists😂
My nephew saying he heard a great new band, the whole tape was awesome. .... CCR's Greatest Hits. I had to point out the very title of the album should have told him they were not a new band, after all how can these be greatest hits if they are new songs. It took me 2 hours to stop laughing at that one.
And to call them bad recordings. Recording quality of the 60s was good in my book. The bad stuff was 1920s and 1930s. Where some recordings was so bad that you couldn't tell who was a good singer at the time. The 60s had all those lush 007 soundtracks. And they sound better than any cd today.
@@johnmarcinko2484 also, stop doing something that most young youtubers do. Assume and guess about things without any fact checking. The worst are those 1 hit wonder videos. And then it's bands that had at least 22 hits around the world. If america knows 1 song with lets say Pet Shop Boys or Aha, you cant do them as a 1 hit wonder. America is one country, not the world. And in the rest of the world these bands have had loads of hits. 22 hits doesn't make you s 1 hit wonder just because 1 guy knows 1 song. Its so cringe to see that. And comes across as lazy as fuck.. Know the subject before stating facts. Your channel will be judged on it.. 😎
The Guess Who is a solid rock band from Canada worth investigating if you haven't come across them before. When they eventually split up, the resulting branches were Randy Bachman's Bachman-Turner Overdrive(BTO) and Burton Cummings solo gig. The Guess Who had great hits in: No Sugar, These Eyes, and Laughing. BTO had the legendary "Takin' Care of Business" and "You Aint Seen Nothin' Yet." Cummings had impressive hits with "Stand Tall," "I Will Play a Rhapsody," and "I'm Scared." Bachman plays a straight forward hard driving guitar. Cummings plays complex and magical melodies on his piano. Worth a listen.
@@screwyootube1 Kravitz made it to #2 in Canada and #3 in the USA. He also won the Grammy for this song. It's a decent cover. Cummings definitely gave more life in his performance though; he seemed way more invested.
BTO was not a "resulting branch" of The Guess Who's breakup. Randy Bachman started BTO in 1972, a few years before tGW's hits dried up (and about two years after he got fired from the group, which he co-founded in 1962.) Honestly, with all the criticism that this kid receives for not knowing jack about what he talks about, apparently many of those who are hoping to "school" him on the subjects don't seem to know much more than he does.
And additionally, the woman that “man” was laying his hands on was Grace Slick, who sang the original (with The Great Society) and the cover (with Jefferson Airplane).
I would not say he doesn’t know anything. But, I wouldn’t call it a cover if it is your own song. Even if you are doing it with a different group. Even, if you wrote it but did not release it first (Prince).
Two notes; Leadbelly is one of the most important and iconic figures in American music. Goodnight Irene and Rock Island Line are two of his best known songs. "Lead" is pronounced like the metal, not like the verb. You should look him up. A fascinating story. The picture of the original version of Somebody to Love shows Grace Slick and Janis Joplin. There's no guy in the picture. The Great Society was Grace Slick's first band, and their album also featured White Rabbit, another iconic Slick composition. Grace joined the Airplane after their first album, first appearing on their breakout album, Surrealistic Pillow. I don't know why the picture for the Great Society shows Janis Joplin. She wasn't in that band.
Well, because Grace and Janis were besties, I guess. At least, they were both in the Haight-Ashbury scene back in the day. Janis was not "pretty," but calling her a guy is a step beyond the pale. She's a goddamn legend.
The really cool thing about Hurt was Trent wrote it from the perspective of a young man whose life was spiraling out of control but when Johnny Cash looked at the lyrics he ended up viewing them through the lens of an old man at the end of his life. So both versions hit hard for different reasons.
Trent wrote the song from the perspective of a young man whose life was spiraling out of control due to drug abuse ... before he became addicted, which made the song even more personal. It wasn't until after Trent saw the music video for Johnny Cash's version that he said, "It's not my song anymore."
Trent actually wasn't happy when he heard that Johnny Cash had covered "Hurt" because the song was very personal to Trent. Once he heard Cash's version, he was quoted as saying, "That's Johnny's song now" because he was so moved Cash's rendition.
So much same hahahahaha! The Knocking on Heaven's Door one freaking killed me. 🤣🤦🏼♀️ I was born in 70 so I knew the importance of Dylan of course but I was also a huge guns and roses fan my senior year. Even though I outgrew GNR 30 years ago and I'm a die-hard deadhead now, every time I hear Knocking on Heaven's door it will always be followed by "Ay, ay, ay, ay YEAH!" 🤣🤣🤣
On a little harsher note, this guy obviously did no research, and just reacts in a dim, "If it didn't happen in my lifetime, it didn't happen" manner. If you're going to represent yourself as an expert, develop some expertise, for Pete's sake. I won't be back.
@@cynthiamull129 But they are really at a disadvantage today as it is way harder to come up with something original. We have nearly a centuries worth of recorded music plus interpretations of compositions of 5 to 6 centuries. At a certain point everything you do is a remix/cover/reinterpretation, if you know or want it or not
Not knowing the Guess Who leaves such a void in Canadian rock music. Without them, we would never have had Bachman-Turner-Overdrive or Burton Cummings. You need to take time to appreciate these artists
@@HelenaHandBaskett1 Stop using "underrated" if you don't know what it means. It makes you sound stupid. Burton Cummings is well acknowledged as a great singer.
Yes! Maaan, it annoys me so much how it's so unbelievable to some people that Elvis could have pinched his most famous song. He and loads of other famous white musicians recycled music written and performed by black artists.
@@gebo1667 Elvis stole almost everything, his stage presence. That body shaking thing plus the songs. He was doing on stage what black artists could do, and hit the big time. 🤬 not saying he couldn't sing, but it was a big let down to find out what he did.
Santana's "Black Magic Woman", Judas Priest's "The Green Manalishi", and the Rezillos' "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" were all songs that I first heard in these cover versions, only to learn later (in the last case *decades* later) that they were all originally done by Fleetwood Mac!
Man, if you've never heard the original American Woman by Guess Who, drop everything and listen to it NOW. It's one of the greatest rock and roll guitar licks of all time.
Yes! It's a bit embarrassing that this Dude dismisses it so lightly. A super catchy riff with an extraordinary lead guitar Hook. I read a story that the Guitarist started up the riff during an intermission to break some new strings in - then Drums kicked in and the Singer started ad libbing about, among other things, American Women. These Guys were on tour from the UK during the Vietnam War, and were having to deal with an unprecedented level of horny Groupies due to the Draft removing young Men from their neighbourhoods. It is an interesting Tale, look it up :)
Im always impressed by the organization of Joel’s team. They always know in which video that specific song was referenced before. Joel always has great insights into the songs and I feel like would be amazing if it all were compiled and generating data driven ideas for the channel . . . Im sorry I’m such a nerd
First: you're not a nerd Second: it's pretty cool how they're able to find the originals (and Joel gives good insight because he's been doing music for almost 11 years now), but it just goes down to compiling simple research. The editing daily is the thing I marvel at the editors for, because it take so much time to not only edit the clips that Joel watches if he's not reacting to an existing video on top of editing the actual video daily. No wonder he has more than one
@@goodmorningkay I work with data so my point of view is more data focused and the nerd comment was about me bringing it in a music video. I’m aware of Joel’s background, I was just giving a compliment to him and his team haha
So many of these I had the same reaction: "That's a cover?!" Then upon hearing the original: "Oh. I knew that. I literally grew up listening to this." 🤦♀️
Early 80's baby, raised on my baby boomer parent's music, and many of these did not surprise me. There were a couple that I had forgotten they were a cover til I heard the original. And then there were one or two that DID surprise me! The reason older music sounds better is because of audio texture, and dynamics. Newer music is compressed and flat. It's also all auto tuned, so notes are perfect, and have no vibrato to it.
When you grew up in a weird in between space, so you remember all of the songs. Mind Frick. Thanks for my daily dose of 👵⚰️, Joel. Even though I'm not a lot older than you. Lol
As someone who was born over 60 years ago, I keep thinking, "sweet, sweet summer child." For most of these songs I grew up with the older version and I've never even heard some of the later versions.
I'm with you. I remember when the Blondie cover of The Tide is High came out. I knew it was a cover then. The band he started with...Sorry, never heard of them. What got me in here was Queen, my favorite band. I thought he was going to play an original Queen song that's been covered over and over. I can say that when Freddie did 'The Great Pretender', that was a very famous song and EVERYONE knew it was a cover at the time he did it.
@@CharleneCTX I had some great musical mentors: My brother is 5 years older than me and turned me on to Deep Purple and Pink Floyd before I really should have been listening to that stuff. I can remember my baby sitter playing old Crosby, Stills & Nash, Herman's Hermits, and The Dave Clark Five 45s, and I have an uncle 15 years older than me who actually went to Woodstock and introduced me to bands like Fleetwood Mac (original lineup), King Crimson and Yes.
"Cat Stevens singing isn't the best" - huh. It's a take. Not sure that Stevens ever used auto tune but I would describe his voice as distinct and unique unlike 90% of mainstream releases that sound exactly the same. If anyone can suggest a conversion of Stevens that is better than the og I'd love to hear it.
I think the reason people talk about Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt (apart from the fact that it's an incredible cover) is because it was the last song he ever recorded, and he chose THAT.
Mr Big doing a classic Cat Stevens song was ridiculous at the time and not nearly as good as the iconic hit of the 70’s. Couldn’t disagree more. Cat Stevens voice is beautiful and unique to all pop folk music. Edit: so cool to see a comment of mine getting so many likes. 🥹👍
@@mikephilpot9857 Mr. Big was moderately successful at the end of the 80's glam-rock scene (which they were often tied to without actually being glam-rock). Their biggest hit was "To Be With You." Chances are, you've heard that song before. However, I will 100% agree that Mr. Big probably should not have attempted to cover the great Cat Stevens.
Cat Stevens ( Yusuf Islam ) wrote loads of great songs and a lot of them have been covered, but never bettered the original in my opinion. Totally disagree with Joel about his voice not being too good. Also it's Lead (Belly ) as in the metal not lead (Belly) as in out in front lol
I heard a lot of these as my young aunt, MBHS '74 was always around in my childhood. After her divorce that year, Mom threw over her pop music for Jimmy Buffett. The fact that she lost all her albums to date in the divorce & aftermath didn't help. "Dad", insofar as I knew him was a 1%er motorcycle hoodlum, and we were gone as I was four. She has told me she saw Herman's Hermits at the Hollywood bowl...
That's EXACTLY the biggest takeaway from this video. Cat Stevens version of that song is definitely the best, and he's a great singer.. All in all, I guess it's my age [53] but more times than not, if I didn't know both versions of the song, it was the ORIGINAL I knew, and not the cover..
Joel, having just watched this video, I can honestly say I've never felt so old in my life. Every time you said, "That was a cover?!" I could feel myself shriveling up a like a raisin.
You think you feel old? I grew up in the 60's-70's, and we were listening to music from the 40's onward. Most of the "old stuff" in this video was "current" for us. There is apparently a lot of music Joel has never heard that he is missing out on.
Woah there, easy on Cat Stevens, his voice is so magical. Put any of his albums on, turn the lights down, close the shades and just listen. I would recommend Father and Son, or Morning Has Broken to whet your pallet.
Absolutely! Cat Steven’s is an amazing song writer and vocalist. I feel the same about Neil Diamond. Much as I like the UB40 and Monkees covers, I prefer the originals.
WOW! You really missed some covers that were better than the originals: Bangles - Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon and Garfunkel) White Lion - Radar Love (Golden Earring) Krokus - Ballroom Blitz (Sweet) Just to name a few
Several times in this video, he says, "This is a cover?" The original: multi-platinum, number 1 in the charts, performed by one of the biggest bands/singers of all time.
Yeah, but the dude looks like he was born this millennium, so his musical upbringing is, let's say, lacking the 'Golden Era' of pop music. And by that, I mean the time where most pop musicians wrote their own stuff, instead of a producer having them come over to provide vocals for some studio track, before moving to the next gig.
@@ZombieDowneyJr Ah... Nice and comfortable there! By t he way, most of the songs I didn't know were covers, were a. crap b. songs I didn't know anyway. c. covers of other crap songs I didn't know anyway.
7:30 It's not a Queen song, it's from Freddie Mercury's second solo album, he covered it because he felt it fit him so well being 'The Great Pretender'
Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody made me sit up and go "WHAT?!" I remember being blown away a few years ago when I learned that Johnny Cash's Hurt was a NIN cover. First, he really made it his own, but second... *Johnny Cash covered Nine Inch Nails, WHAT?!*
Just thought I'd add a couple of things: "I'm a Believer" was performed by The Monkees, but it was written by Neil Diamond, just like "Red Red Wine". "Love Hurts", like many Everly Bros songs, was written by Boudleaux Bryant (most also with his wife Felice, but not this one), but another great and famous version was done by Graham Parsons & The Fallen Angels featuring Emmylou Harris. "The Locomotion", performed by Little Eva, was written for her by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Sure, Great Society did "Somebody to Love" before Jefferson Airplane did it, but it's Grace Slick both times and the song was written by her brother-in-law, so is that even a cover? "Lead Belly" is pronounced like "Led Belly" -- his real surname was Ledbetter.
I'm so old! I was familiar with most of the originals and not even aware of some of the remakes! I'm glad you included "it's not even Blondie's" or "Harry Nilsson's." Still, I was shocked that Willie Nelson wasn't mentioned in association with Always on my Mind and that Eric Clapton wasn't mentioned in association with Knockin' on Heaven's Door!
Yeah, I remember back in the 90s listening to a radio countdown of the best county songs of all time and Willie’s version of this ended up #1. It is a great version, from one of my all time favorites. I saw him a couple summers ago still putting on a great show at 89!
Yeah: It’s definitely a generational thing: I’m 51 and most of these were of no surprise to me. However: I’m glad I finally know the name of the original song by The Rolling Stones that The Verve covered!
Great Pretender is Freddie's solo cover... And Cat Stevens has amazing songs and voice, amazing compositions... Cats in the Cradle, the first cut is the deepest... father and son
@@kittykatwolf8294 Beauty in all things is in the eye of the beholder, many of the singers I enjoy are not considered 'great' vocalists, David Lee Roth, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Brian Johnson, Rod Stewert. Their voices or styles are unconventional and to some jarring, but their passion and energy are undeniable.
Badfinger was the most Beatle-esque non-Beatles band ever. They even worked for the Beatles' Apple Records. I always suspected John Lennon of taking Without You and giving it his drinking buddy Harry. It was also one of the 2 most tragic bands along with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Two members hanged themselves.
Grace Slick, who sang the cover of Somebody to Love for Jefferson Airplane, also sang the original version written by her brother in law Darby Slick and recorded by The Great Society. So both versions of the song you heard here are sung by the same vocalist but in two different bands at two different times.
@@stephenmerchant9532 If you make a very different version of a song you made are you covering your own song? How many band members do you have to switch for it to be a cover? Many questions arise.
@Silverion well there are two distinct ways of looking at this. If you release a live/in concert version of your own song , since they tend to be a little different, are you covering your own song? I'd say no. If you release a completely different take of your own song, is it a cover (ie. Clayton's acoustic version of Layla)? That's where it gets sticky
Yeah some of the songs here were originally given to other artists (like She’s The One) but I wouldn’t call them covers technically. If I sing a Bowie song, that’s a cover. If I record a song by Joe Shmoe he has written for me, it’s not a cover just because he had it recorded by some other guy before.
Yeah, but it was written by the members of Ednaswap, so even though it's not the original version, it's arguably the "definitive" (unless you feel either of the covers outdid it, of course).
@@ericforsyth That is true, but if they let someone else record it first, isn't their version still a cover? Maybe not! It's a grey area 🤣 I honestly like Natalie Imbruglia's version best :)
The fact that I heard both the cover and OG version of Torn for the first time on one of roomie's videos, and he somehow went into an existential crisis out of shock both tmes has me rolling 🤣🤣🤣
@@ericforsyth but if someone writes a song for somebody else i dont think you can "take it back" just because it is succesful. Then a lot of songs would change "owners"
Not in my case. When Lenny released this song I was 6 years old, and the people I knew already knew it was a cover, because the Guess Who version was quite successful here in Brazil and because of the film "American Beauty" that was released one year later.
Not at all. It is sad so many people don’t explore the extensive range of music now available at their fingertips. So many people have opinions about things they never considered - music is just another variation on a theme of self inflated “experts”. I am 62 and there is so much more to learn.
It's fun to see a younger generation hear iconic covers, of iconic originals. How you don't know The Guess Who, or Shocking Blue's original Venus, or The Platters, is unfathomable to me. I grew up listening to the originals, and the covers. 💜
Was surprised to not see Killing Me Softly With His Song on this list. Most people are familiar with The Fugees' and Roberta Flack's versions, but most people are not aware that Lori Lieberman is the original artist of the song. It also has a pretty depressing story about how Lori's label tried to erase her tie from the song and even went after Don McLean (who's song Empty Chairs was the inspiration for Lori to write the song) when he let some of the backstory slip.
No "expert" on pop music should be ignorant of number one hits or the groups that had them. They even know the one hit wonders and their stories. The Guess Who was huge in 1970.
@@russellhorsefield9199 The Who are aa great British group. One of the greatest bands of all time. The Guess Who was a great Canadian group. One of its members founded BTO.
Something about the older versions being so distant is making me feel extremely sad and nostalgic at the same time, it is hard to contain the fact that such emotions transcend time in such a profound manner through generational relatability. That is what makes them timeless.
I think I totally have reached old dude status. I knew almost all the originals, and have most of the original versions on vinyl, but didn’t recognize more than half of the covers. Grabbing my bass, and heading back to the studio…
All songs as a list 0:05 Red red Wine 0:28 Bitter Sweet Symphony 0:42 Wild World 1:05 Waiting For Tonight 1:27 Get My Mind Set on You 1:45 American Woman 2:04 Self Control 2:48 Ain't Nobody 3:08 Venus 3:54 Girl you know it's true 4:21 Love is all Around 4:36 If I Were a Boy 4:52 Sailing 5:16 It's my Life 5:38 Hound Dog 6:04 Always on my Mind 6:35 Torn 6:56 I'll be Your Baby Tonight 7:16 The Great Pretender 7:36 I'm a Believer 7:53 Love Hurts 8:16 The Tide is High 8:45 Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You 9:05 The Man Who Sold the World 9:22 Hallelujah 9:46 Babe I Love Your Way 10:06 Everlasting Love 10:22 The Unchained Melody 10:40 It's Oh So Quiet 10:53 Nothing Compares 2 U 11:16 Ring of Fire 11:44 I Love Rock 'n' Roll 12:05 You Can't Hurry Love 12:27 Without You 13:15 Knockin' on Heaven's Door 13:35 Don't Turn Around 13:49 Behind Blue Eyes 14:13 Only Love Can Break Your Heart 14:35 Games People Play 15:03 She's the One 15:22 Everytime You Go Away 15:36 The Game of Love 15:58 The Loco-Motion 16:21 Somebody to Love 16:39 Where Did You Sleep Last Night 17:09 Mad World 17:28 Hurt
If you missed the The Guess Who you missed a lot. They were a super popular band rivaling the Beatles. Burton Cummings is still killing it. They lost their umph when Randy Bachman had to leave abruptly for health reasons, only later to form Bachman Turner Overdrive. They are worth a listen.
Fascinated by this! Some I knew the original before you revealed it (having grown up in the 80's), but some I didn't remember until you did the reveal and I was like "OH! I remember listening to this over and over". Lol
@@shimmipenguin1764 yeh he for sure has a huge bias towards mainstream pop music as that is his favourite and he is definitely less knowledgeable on other genres I’m the opposite lol my knowledge of pop is severely lacking but classic rock, emo rock, metal…I’m golden lol Guess we all have our areas where we shine and others…not so much lol Joels knowledge base for pop is pretty impressive :)
Like "Red, Red Wine", the Monkee's "I'm a Believer" was written by Neil Diamond. "Locomotion" was written by the great Carole King. As she was writing it in her home her housekeeper, and budding singer, started singing it back in another room and the career of Little Eva was born.
Possibly another interesting bit of trivia I found out just the other day. Roberta Flack didn't write nor was the first to perform "Killing Me Softly", I'm not a huge fan of the genre though I recognize how excellent the song is, including The Fugees cover. Lori Lieberman, who I never heard of until researching the song, came up with the idea after being emotionally moved at a Don McLean concert while he was singing "Empty Chairs"... she scribbled some notes on a napkin of the idea that popped into her head and called a songwriter friend who worked it out. If you're interested Lori's version is on RUclips, it lacks the soul that both Flack and Hill bring to it, but she has a very sweet voice. ☮
Oh, to add... I never cared about Don McLean much either, but I HAD to hear the song that inspired another great song, "Empty Chairs' is also a great song and I can see why it moved Lori so much, should have gotten more attention than "American Pie" in my opinion!
The Monkees' I'm a Believer one of the few versions that was improved on the original (in this case by Neil Diamond). Can't say that about Red Red Wine though.
@@Mike_H76 Thanks for the trivia! I should make time to discover more Don McLean songs. The two I like the most so far are "Till Tomorrow" and "Castles in the Air."
The Who's original "Behind Blue Eyes" is lightyears better than any cover, in my opinion. It has an almost ethereal vibe to it. The vocals are absolutely fantastic; both emotionally vulnerable and performed with a technical mastery. The instrumentals tie it together beautifully by setting a very fragile atmosphere.
ABSOLUTELY!!!! Because it is THIER song, recorded with THIER emotion, no cover can EVER be "better" than an original, no repainting of Leonardo's Mona Lisa is better, no recarving of Michaelangelo's David is better, and no cover song is EVER better than an original, its all ART! some may prefer looking at or hearing other interpretations, but they are NEVER "better". They are hollow interpretations.
I loved this! Thanks for putting it altogether, I enjoyed hearing and seeing your reaction in the corner, that made it fun in itself. I knew that most of them were covers, but was shocked by some - especially ''Torn', always thought it was an original.
“I’m a Believer” was written by Neil Diamond for the Monkees. He recorded it after the Monkees, but should get some credit in your videos. Also, Willie Nelson did the most popular cover of “ Always on My Mind” (at least in the US) and also won a Grammy. Surprised not to see it referenced here.
I could be wrong, but I believe Neil Diamond originally recorded "I'm a Believer" and used his recording to sell the song. Since he sold the song to be used by the Monkees, he was unable to release his recording until later.
@@smdias65 You could be totally right. I saw him in concert years ago where he poked fun at the fact that other artists had made some of his songs more popular than he had. He sang this and "Red, Red Wine" which UB40 made so popular. He then sang a cover of Tracy Chapman's song, "Fast Car". He's a great entertainer and talented. Some folks can write, some can perform. He does both :-)
Locomotion went to number one by three different artists, three decades in a row. And if you want to hear a song that sounds different. Five O'Clock World by Hal Ketchum sounded so different that even though I'd heard the original, it didn't click until someone said something :P Also, I love the fact that Nine Inch Nails was so impressed with Cash's cover that they've basically said it's his song now :D
Being born in Winnipeg, I am obligates to point out the lead singer of The Guess Who, Burton Cummings and that he did have a fantastic voice and we'll leave it at that. That said; the guitarist, Randy Bachman (of BTO) is an absolute gem of a human being.
Check out the Professor of Rock's interview with Bachman and the story behind "Taking Care of Business". Bachman is a great storyteller! Very entertaining.
1972's Live At The Paramount contains the ultimate version of American Woman. Nearly 30 years later, from their Running Back Through Canada tour, they released the version they did in Winnipeg, where Randy switches guitars mid-solo due to a broken string.
The Guess Who is an incredible band. You seriously need to listen to more of them. The most successful version of Always On My Mind was Willie Nelson's. Back in the day, everybody did Unchained Melody, but nobody ever topped The Righteous Brothers. I grew up with Knocking On Heavens Door being a Clapton song.
@WizardofAhhhs 75 I guess I'm showing my age...old enough to remember Dylan's version, lol. It's still my favorite version of the song, too, and one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar.
@@wizardofahhhs759 no, he didnt. not sure he ever wrote a song for anyone else ? lots of people covered his songs. it used to be that yesterday by the beatles and blowing in the wind by dylan were the 2 most covered songs (at least rock songs). i think happy birthday is the most covered song of all - LOL. i almost always liked dylan's version better.
He doesn't have his hands on her neck. That is Grace Slick on the left, lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, and on the right is Janice Joplin. Two of the greatest performers to ever bless us with their talents.....
@@starrystarrynight52 For a guy who has a YT channel about music he seems to be amazingly ignorant. Then again, based on his performance in the video maybe this is a reaction video channel.
11:20 I was at the local Farmers’ Market less than an hour ago and there was a guitarist there singing and playing. He played _Ring of Fire_ and changed it to “Onion Ring of Fire” for one of the later repeats of the chorus.
And it was all music my parents grew up with. I wonder how many times they were listening to the radio in the 90s and couldn't remember where they heard the song before. This was all before lyric look up websites were a thing.
Cool video, thanks! Couple notes: "Where did you sleep last night" is better known as "In the Pines" and the best known recording is my Leadbelly -- pronounced Lead like the metal, not lead as in .. follow me. Also, "Torn" was first recorded by Lis Sorenson, not Endswap. Though it was in Danish. I've been keeping a list of covers that are more popular than the originals. Many of these were already on my list, but I was able to add a few thanks to this video. Thanks for that! I'm up to almost 50 songs. Some of these I didn't add only because anybody older than about 35 definitely knew they're covers.
You put a smile in my soul during the Nazareth clip when you approvingly said "Okay... cool voice!" I feel that Nazareth doesn't get the respect they are owed- especially when half of the 80's hair band scene were clearly influenced by them.
Scottish metal band, influenced by a Canadian rock Band; do approve. My favourite Nazareth track was actually their cover of Randy Newman’s “Guilty”. It never made it to North America; it was bumped for “Love Hurts”, which is just a shame, to me. Second favourite is probably their Joni Mitchell cover of “This Flight Tonight”. They had some fantastic originals, but the love they gave to their covers...
and "Always Something There to Remind Me" by Naked Eyes (1983). Originally by Dionne Warwick (1963). "House of the Rising Sun" is a folk song. When you hear it sung by a woman it takes on a different meaning.
I never knew that bon jovi's you give love a bad name wasn't an original. It was originally released like 6 months earlier by bonnie tyler as "if you were a woman (and i was a man)." Absolutely love her version as well.
"Somebody to Love" was actually sung by Grace Slick in both songs shown in the video. She just left The Great Society and took the song with her to Jefferson Airplane...
@@soundtechincorporated6694 there is no comparison to the Queen song in this video. They are two completely different songs. The song featured here is “(do you want) somebody to love” NOT “(find me) somebody to love”. This song was covered by Jefferson Airplane from an original by The Great Society. The point that Dinah was making is that the singer (Grace Slick) is actually singing it in both versions since she took the song with her from The Great Society to Jefferson Airplane & should probably not really be considered a cover as such.
What’s crazy is that Joel grew up with some of the covers not realizing they were covers…I grew up with a lot of the originals (because my dad listens to oldies and classic rock all the time…)so I didn’t know the covers existed until now.
Nothing compares to U was originally written BY Prince, FOR The Family. He also gave it to Sinead O'Connor and sung it himself. That's why he was in the picture. He also wrote for a hell of a lot of other artists, including some surprising ones.
He didn't give the song to Sinead and only found out she had covered it when he heard her version. He was so taken by it that he tried to recruit her to join The Revolution. His approach to that was way too sexual and freaked Sinead out, who still believes he was trying to sexually assault her.
Old enough to know a lot of these originals first. Some surprises but in a lot of cases I didn't even realize the cover wasn't the original. (Radio, you didn't always hear artists names.) But I grew up with blues, retro, and during 70s.
The Platters version was a huge hit, Freddie just made a tribute to this hit, and freddies version didnt make it big at the time it was re-released. The 55s version is a icon in the 20th pop history
@@spikeconleyHardly. There is no surer way to undermine your credibility on the topic than to claim Rod Stewart's version is better than Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) version. Especially considering that he wrote it and released it second the same year as a now unknown singer P.P. Arnold. Who's version is far better than Rod Stewart's.
@@mattmarzula There is no surer way to undermine your own credibility by stating something subjective is actually objective. And who wrote it and released it first has absolutely nothing to do with which one sounds better. Stevens is a great writer and singer. Stewart's voice suits this song better, not to mention the fact that Stevens' left an awkward lyric in there that Stewart smoothed out.
Yeah, Hurt was a very interesting cover, in that while it was a NIN song, Trent Reznor heard Cash's performance and was quoted as saying that the song wasn't his anymore. It's a great song with heavy meaning, but the rough, weathered tones of Cash's voice just bring it to a whole new level of power.
was going to make that exact same point, great NIN/Reznor song pretty much owned by Cash's performance. One of the last of the original Rubin collabs he did before sadly passing away
Yeah, when I heard it was a NIN cover, I just thought of Reznor as a whiny kid singing it, but Cash gives it such gravitas, due to his voice and the life he has lead.
Personally I seem to prefer youth and the angst that comes with it to old age and regret that seems to follow... So I don't even prefer the originals of Hurt and Mad World, I like to pretend the covers do not even exist :D
Tbf I didn’t like either of them singing it was just too droney and boring, I like NIN and Johnny Cash in their other works but this song is just a no for me
The Guess Who's American Woman album is just so freakin good. With songs like Talisman (an accoustic masterpiece), No Sugar Tonight , When FRiends Fall Out and No Time.
Always On My Mind. So many people covered it. The original artist, Brenda Lee, was fantastic... But NOBODY does it like Willie Nelson. Its one of the greatest covers ever recorded.
I've found this on Wikipedia about the Pet Shop Boys version: "In 1987, the Pet Shop Boys performed a synth-pop version of "Always on My Mind" on Love Me Tender, a television special on ITV in the United Kingdom. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death, the programme featured various popular acts of the time performing cover versions of his songs. The Pet Shop Boys' performance was so well-received that the duo decided to record the song and release it as a single". But I think that when a song is a great song , it remains a great song even if you change arrangement. Am I in wrong?
I like Willie's version, but to me, Elvis' version is better. I love it. I despise the Pet Shop Boys version. They stripped the heart and soul out of it and turned it into trash.
I will always love you was Dolly Parton, then covered by the all amazing Linda Ronstadt, and that version was covered again by Whitney Houston at the request from Kevin Costner,( pound for pound of America 's finest actors), for the bodyguard, Whitney's release of the 1972 country song spent 16 weeks at no.1 , decades before Beyonce
Im old, 40. So, I did know most of these are covers, expect was surprised or just didn't know that George Harrison, OG Tide is High, Torn and the Satana Cover were covers. My mom grew up in the 60s and 70s. and Cat Stevens voice is fine for him singing his own songs. That 'he' is she Janis Joplin fake choking Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane.
i was hoping someone would point janis out or else i’d have to lol and yes cat stevens has a cool voice and it suits the arrangements and everything imo
@@urskakrumpak yeah, LOL..I know what you mean! yeah, what makes those artists known, is they don't sound the same, many are good singers without being 'industry' cookie cutter clone voices.
Like Alan Merrill said, it was a knee-jerk response to the Rolling Stones "It's only rock n roll (but I like it), it felt for Alan as an apology. Alan Merrill met Jagger socially a few times, and knew Jagger hanging Prince Rupert Lowenstein, and jet setters people, aristocracy. "I Love Rock N Roll" was a song a about the song, Alan Merrill's interpretation as younger man. "Okay! I love rock n roll. And one thing, too. Alan Merrill did the whole song himself, it was Merrill solo composition. Jakes name is on only In return for Hooker paying his airfare to the UK from Japan in 1974, Merrill says he agreed to give Hooker a co-writing credit for the song, nothing else. “Jake won the lottery with that air ticket,” Merrill jokes. Giving away a 50-percent royalty on one of the most-recorded songs of all time has to hurt, but Merrill is philosophical about it. “Jake saw that I could bring something to the band when he paid for my airfare. If I hadn’t hooked up with Arrows maybe I wouldn’t have written the song, and everything would be very different for me now - financially, anyway.” Alan Merrill, sadly missed, and loved by so many. Died for covid 2020. He was such a gem, and so nice person...RIP, you goofball, we miss you.. BTW. Joan Jett covered it first 1979 with Sex Pistols guys, Steve Jones and Paul Cook.
'Great Pretender' is NOT by Queen, it is by Freddie Mercury performing as a solo artist. Freddie did some great solo music, including 'Living on my Own' and the duet, 'Barcelona'.
another "queen" remake is I can hear music - which appears on Queen Preordained (a Freddie "solo" song he is credited as Larry Lurex and Roger and Brian play on the track) - a song previously recorded by the Beach Boys. But originally performed by the Ronettes written by Phil Spector et al
Longtime Queen and Freddie fan, but never liked his version of "Great Pretender". It was like he vomited all over the original. To think that there was someone out there (the guy who made this vid) who thought that this classic song was a "Queen" (Freddie) original just makes me shake my head. I mean, I get it, he's much younger, but I hate knowing we live in a world where young folks don't know The Platters' "The Great Pretender". (Insert "okay, Boomer" comments here, although I'm slightly younger than the Boomers 😄)
That was one of a few that I was surprised I didn’t know. I was getting ready for him to say the Willie Nelson version was the original! I consider myself fairly well versed in music, and the history of it. But clearly, there’s still a lot I don’t know! 🤣
Neil Diamond also wrote "I'm A Believer." (He is a PROLIFIC songwriter.) Before the Righteous Brothers version, many "Unchained Melody" recordings were up-tempo doo-wop. Three of Reba McIntyre's signature songs-The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia, Kathy's Clown, and Fancy-are covers. (Vicki Lawrence, Everly Brothers, and Bobbie Gentry respectively.)
The "lead" in Lead Belly's name was pronounced like the metal. His given name was Huddie Ledbedder. He is also the origin of the modern term "woke". It's too bad that the term has been so misused. It comes from his song "Scottsboro Boys". Great video. Thanks for releasing it.
I can hardly handle hearing songs from the 70's it takes me so deep. Every things changed so much. Miss real music, singing and the freedoms of the 60's 70's and 80's
The Great Society was Grace Slick's band before she joined Jefferson Airplane. She wrote both "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit" and originally performed them with the Great Society and brought both songs with her to Jefferson Airplane.
She wrote White Rabbit, but not Somebody To Love. That song was written by her then brother-in-la, Great Society guitarist Darby Slick (as "SomeONE To Love" despite it never saying someone in the lyrics).
I remember reading that when Johnny Cash made the "Hurt" cover, Trent Reznor (the lead singer of Nine Inch Nails) listened to Cash's version and loved it. He thought first it was a little odd, as it wasn't in the same style as their version, but he loved Johnny Cash's version and even said: "It's incredibly flattering as a writer to have your song chosen by someone who's a great writer and a great artist"
Not quite, Reznor made some comments about it. The song was deeply personal to him and he didn't like the cover one bit... Then the paycheck came in and he changed his opinion, stating it was no longer his song and the song now belonged to Cash. Depending on who was asking Reznor would either admit the money was a factor or just praise Johnny Cash. Think it took Reznor some time to see the cover as a gift instead as something that was taken form him.
Cash was as much a musical historian as a performer. When his daughter decided to pursue a career in country music, he made her a list of folk and country songs he pretty much insisted she learn. When Cash covered Kris Kristopherson's Sunday Morning Coming Down on his television show, the TV execs insisted he change the line "Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned" he looked directly into the camera and sang it as it was written. This dedication to the original writer had its limits though. When he covered John Prine's Sam Stone, Cash insisted on changing the line " Jesus Christ died for nothing, I suppose" bc it went against Cash's faith. Prine said if it had been anyone else other than Cash he would have insisted it be sung as it was written.
@@cassia-andor6445 I am not jealous at all? I am just saying that this is low effort content and that there is nothing to be grateful about in this Its like fast food not gourmet
@@pretentioushab you clearly appreciate it enough to be watching… Low(er) effort video compared to other types of videos or not, he and his team still put the effort in every day to create content for us and I think that deserves appreciation :) Edited because apparently I can’t spell 😬😅
Many of Elvis' early hits were covers. "Blue Suede Shoes" was originally a Carl Perkins song. Many of the Beatles early songs were covers too. The early British rock 'n' roll artists, like the Beatles, The Who, the Rolling Stones were fans of American Blues and R&B (what the American music industry called "race music") and many of their hits either drew inspiration from or were covers of American music.
@@fredhughes4115 many were original recordings, however it is now believed Elvis had only minimal influence in the songs he was credited as co-writer due to contract arrangement with the studio. It is said Elvis would not record original songs if he was not credited as a contributing writer. I guess it makes sense because arranging musical phrasing is similar to lyrical phrasing.
About Self Control cover: Ive got this playlist with some 80's music and retrowave, and I had to add the real version of Self Control, its completly better than the cover (which I always though was the original, and I deleted from the playlist some time ago, because meeeh, its boring) 80s > retrowave > synthpop > funk > disco (spotify) Thats what I love about this videos reviewing music, I always find new music thanks to Joel! And well, daily videos back is what the world needed these days hehe
![Gucci Mane & Sexyy Red - You Don't Love Me [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/j7IBqyFKT4c/mqdefault.jpg)
![Megan Thee Stallion - Bigger In Texas [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QxTkZTLWdo4/mqdefault.jpg)
And for anyone who's wondering, David Bowie sang the original Man Who Sold The World, and it was covered by Lulu, Nirvana, Midge Ure and loads of others. I think it was cut out due to copyright but it's weird how the Nirvana bit was kept in
Thanks. I was kind of like 'was it missed out accidentally or was the Nirvana one the original and I missed the cover?'
I had to look it up!
Yeh probably just a little editing mistake/copyright issue with the video
Or maybe the Bowie clip was missing from the original compilation that Joel’s reacting to?
Nevermind, no big deal :)
thank u!
I thought I missed something and kept pushing the video back a couple times to see what the heck was going on lol
A part of me died inside when Joel referred to Mercury’s solo career as Queen.
Same
YES literally
He literally only knows mainstream pop
So true
Same here 😂
I love how Joel is such a paradox--he knows so much about pop music but so little at the same time
You can never know too much about any type of music; once you think you know a lot, there’s still a lot you still don’t know.
@@arturoromero951 Yes, the more one learns, the more one realizes (or should!) how much more there IS to learn. It's great to have goals :)
He really needs to hush!
What got me was when he pronounced Lead Belly (Led Belly) as if it was Leed Belly !!! ???
@@Superman679 Ha! Me, too😂.
Neat story behind Guess Who's "American Woman". Randy Bachman was playing a riff between sets, the band came on stage and started jamming along. Burton Cummings ran on stage and totally improvised the lyrics. A kid was making a bootleg recording and the band asked him for the cassette...to get the lyrics.
Freddie Mercury said somewhere in an interview I watched, that ''The Great Pretender'' is a song, that he always wanted to cover, but he couldn't have done it with Queen, because he describes Queen as a band with only original stuff.. So he did a cover of it, in his solo career! :)
Love Queen, with Freddie and also with Adam Lambert!! I also love Freddie's solo work and his work with Montsy.
As an old guy, I was only aware of the Supreme's version.
Correction-- The Platters
And yet, it's amazing how well this song fits FM life ups and downs.
Never knew that he covered that song, not that I'm interested, I'd rather stick with the original than ever hear his version of it.
I used freak my kids out when they brought home "new" songs by bands they liked, and I knew the song, and had it on vinyl in my collection by the original artists😂
The way things get re-cycled, you can do it to the grand-kids 😉
Currently doing this to my 9 year old. How do you know every song in the world 😂
Yes, we sing every single word of the song and they look at us like we are witches and wizards 😂
My nephew saying he heard a great new band, the whole tape was awesome. .... CCR's Greatest Hits.
I had to point out the very title of the album should have told him they were not a new band, after all how can these be greatest hits if they are new songs.
It took me 2 hours to stop laughing at that one.
@@gordowg1wg145 I've already done that with Billie Eilish who sang Beatles' Something.
Joel REALLY needs to learn more about 1970s Rock and Pop - the great sound of live instruments and singing, plus the variety of songwriting styles.
He knows some. Like ABBA, Elton John, and Queen which he has mentioned in several of his videos. He loves ABBA. He just doesn't know a lot.
And to call them bad recordings. Recording quality of the 60s was good in my book. The bad stuff was 1920s and 1930s. Where some recordings was so bad that you couldn't tell who was a good singer at the time. The 60s had all those lush 007 soundtracks. And they sound better than any cd today.
It would also stop him from releasing videos saying “you didn’t know these were covers” when all but 2 or three are very well-known as covers
He just needs to do better research ( a lost art)...
@@johnmarcinko2484 also, stop doing something that most young youtubers do. Assume and guess about things without any fact checking. The worst are those 1 hit wonder videos. And then it's bands that had at least 22 hits around the world. If america knows 1 song with lets say Pet Shop Boys or Aha, you cant do them as a 1 hit wonder. America is one country, not the world. And in the rest of the world these bands have had loads of hits. 22 hits doesn't make you s 1 hit wonder just because 1 guy knows 1 song. Its so cringe to see that. And comes across as lazy as fuck.. Know the subject before stating facts. Your channel will be judged on it.. 😎
The Guess Who is a solid rock band from Canada worth investigating if you haven't come across them before. When they eventually split up, the resulting branches were Randy Bachman's Bachman-Turner Overdrive(BTO) and Burton Cummings solo gig.
The Guess Who had great hits in: No Sugar, These Eyes, and Laughing.
BTO had the legendary "Takin' Care of Business" and "You Aint Seen Nothin' Yet."
Cummings had impressive hits with "Stand Tall," "I Will Play a Rhapsody," and "I'm Scared."
Bachman plays a straight forward hard driving guitar.
Cummings plays complex and magical melodies on his piano.
Worth a listen.
And for cryin' out loud, The Guess Who's American Woman was a #1 hit, whereas Kravitz's missed the top 40 altogether.
@@screwyootube1 Kravitz made it to #2 in Canada and #3 in the USA. He also won the Grammy for this song. It's a decent cover. Cummings definitely gave more life in his performance though; he seemed way more invested.
BTO was not a "resulting branch" of The Guess Who's breakup. Randy Bachman started BTO in 1972, a few years before tGW's hits dried up (and about two years after he got fired from the group, which he co-founded in 1962.)
Honestly, with all the criticism that this kid receives for not knowing jack about what he talks about, apparently many of those who are hoping to "school" him on the subjects don't seem to know much more than he does.
"Undun"...
Didn't know about TGW and BTO connection.
That "man" in the "want somebody to love" photo was Janis Joplin, and it's pronounced Leadbelly, as in the metal. He is one of the seminal bluesmen.
Yes, annoyingly he hadn't heard of one of the great Bluesmen
I wept on the inside both times...
And additionally, the woman that “man” was laying his hands on was Grace Slick, who sang the original (with The Great Society) and the cover (with Jefferson Airplane).
* doesn't know squat
I would not say he doesn’t know anything. But, I wouldn’t call it a cover if it is your own song. Even if you are doing it with a different group. Even, if you wrote it but did not release it first (Prince).
Cat Stevens' voice is beautiful, full, rich and a decent range. You can listen to his voice for a long time and not get sick of it.
I love his voice. I can listen to him all day long. I even love the stuff he's done since becoming Muslim.
There is no Cat Stevens as of 1977 i think. He is now Yussuf Islam. What a waste.
Thank you! Plus his version of Wild World is far better than Mr Bigs version.
Cat Stevens' music and voice is amazing.
Yeah, whoever the child hosting the video is, he knows nothing about music. He should pick a different topic.
I personally prefer Cat Steven’s original of “Wild World”, it has a beautiful earnestness to it.
I didn't even know about the Mr. Big cover until this video.
@@DTD110865 Me either.. and no reason to ever hear more of that cover version! :-) I'll stick to the original on that one !
the tremolos and the mavericks covered his here comes my baby
Yep
I prefer the Maxi Priest reggae version, it has a nice flow.
Two notes;
Leadbelly is one of the most important and iconic figures in American music. Goodnight Irene and Rock Island Line are two of his best known songs. "Lead" is pronounced like the metal, not like the verb. You should look him up. A fascinating story.
The picture of the original version of Somebody to Love shows Grace Slick and Janis Joplin. There's no guy in the picture. The Great Society was Grace Slick's first band, and their album also featured White Rabbit, another iconic Slick composition. Grace joined the Airplane after their first album, first appearing on their breakout album, Surrealistic Pillow. I don't know why the picture for the Great Society shows Janis Joplin. She wasn't in that band.
Well, because Grace and Janis were besties, I guess. At least, they were both in the Haight-Ashbury scene back in the day. Janis was not "pretty," but calling her a guy is a step beyond the pale. She's a goddamn legend.
@TheEvilDrR best remembered as a legend,until you actually hear Janis sing....
@@biglongcadillac I've heard uncountable songs sung by Janis. Live, studio, whatever.
All I can say to you is: whatever, man.
I was looking for this comment. Thank you
The really cool thing about Hurt was Trent wrote it from the perspective of a young man whose life was spiraling out of control but when Johnny Cash looked at the lyrics he ended up viewing them through the lens of an old man at the end of his life. So both versions hit hard for different reasons.
Trent even liked Johnny's version so much that he gave him the rights to it.
@@seanwilkinson7431oh yeah. He even cried when he heard Johnny’s version
Trent wrote the song from the perspective of a young man whose life was spiraling out of control due to drug abuse ... before he became addicted, which made the song even more personal. It wasn't until after Trent saw the music video for Johnny Cash's version that he said, "It's not my song anymore."
Trent actually wasn't happy when he heard that Johnny Cash had covered "Hurt" because the song was very personal to Trent. Once he heard Cash's version, he was quoted as saying, "That's Johnny's song now" because he was so moved Cash's rendition.
Johnny Cash was also singing about the loss of his wife while Trent's life was out of control due to drugs
I love how every time you say, "I didn't know this was a cover." I am saying, "I didn't know they covered this." 😆😆😆
So much same hahahahaha!
The Knocking on Heaven's Door one freaking killed me. 🤣🤦🏼♀️
I was born in 70 so I knew the importance of Dylan of course but I was also a huge guns and roses fan my senior year. Even though I outgrew GNR 30 years ago and I'm a die-hard deadhead now, every time I hear Knocking on Heaven's door it will always be followed by "Ay, ay, ay, ay YEAH!" 🤣🤣🤣
@@christihendricks2584 😂😂😂
Same
@@christihendricks2584 70s child as well, and I was like duh.....original is Clapton....bzzzzzzt! wrong answer!
*sigh* covers of covers
On a little harsher note, this guy obviously did no research, and just reacts in a dim, "If it didn't happen in my lifetime, it didn't happen" manner. If you're going to represent yourself as an expert, develop some expertise, for Pete's sake. I won't be back.
Cat Stevens has a gorgeous voice and is a musical genius.
Thank you!
100%...younger people have zero point of reference with all the auto tuned crap that passes for music nowadays
hot lookin too in my eyes thought he was lovely back in the 70s
The kids today are only doing covers because they can’t make their own music.
@@cynthiamull129 But they are really at a disadvantage today as it is way harder to come up with something original. We have nearly a centuries worth of recorded music plus interpretations of compositions of 5 to 6 centuries. At a certain point everything you do is a remix/cover/reinterpretation, if you know or want it or not
Cat Stevens is awesome, that was Janis Joplin, and the monster hit version of “You are always on my mind” was Willie Nelson.
Written by Willie specifically for Elvis
@@terrellgibson3984 False. Willie had no hand in its writing.
"Wayne Carson responded that the song was not written for Presley but for every man."
Not knowing the Guess Who leaves such a void in Canadian rock music. Without them, we would never have had Bachman-Turner-Overdrive or Burton Cummings. You need to take time to appreciate these artists
I highly recommend everyone into rock music to give them a listen.
And Burton Cummings has one of the most underrated voices in rock music.
One of the few I actually knew about
I was flabbergasted when he did not know the Guess Who. I suppose being Canadian we just think people know our artists like we do. But the Guess Who!?
@@HelenaHandBaskett1 Stop using "underrated" if you don't know what it means. It makes you sound stupid. Burton Cummings is well acknowledged as a great singer.
There must've been copyright issues with the David Bowie original of "The Man Who Sold The World"
Yeah, I was wondering why Bowie's version didn't come up
Wished they didn't cut out his reaction as well.
Yeah, I was wondering if that was an editing mistake or due to a copyright claim.
If they had to take it down, they really should’ve taken down Nirvana’s song as well if they weren’t going to explain anything about it.
Feels more like an error on edition
Big Mama Thornton is considered to be one of the originators of rock n roll . It's sad that more people don't know who she is!
The Big Mama Thornton lyrics make a lot more sense than Elvis' version.
Yes! Maaan, it annoys me so much how it's so unbelievable to some people that Elvis could have pinched his most famous song. He and loads of other famous white musicians recycled music written and performed by black artists.
@@gebo1667 I completely agree... especially when they were black women. It seemed to happen a lot. 😡
I know who she is, she was awesome! 😍
@@gebo1667 Elvis stole almost everything, his stage presence. That body shaking thing plus the songs. He was doing on stage what black artists could do, and hit the big time. 🤬 not saying he couldn't sing, but it was a big let down to find out what he did.
Santana's "Black Magic Woman", Judas Priest's "The Green Manalishi", and the Rezillos' "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" were all songs that I first heard in these cover versions, only to learn later (in the last case *decades* later) that they were all originally done by Fleetwood Mac!
Judas has a lot of great covers... Diamonds and Rust, Better by You, Better than Me...
@@brunokbcao And Green Manalishi was better in the original. Peter Green was a phenomenal guitar player.
Man, if you've never heard the original American Woman by Guess Who, drop everything and listen to it NOW. It's one of the greatest rock and roll guitar licks of all time.
Yes, a Canadian Band that I ALWAYS get it mixed up with The Who. 😂
Burton Cummings has one of the great rock voices.
Not to mention Guess Who basically morphed into Bachman Turner Overdrive.
Yes! It's a bit embarrassing that this Dude dismisses it so lightly. A super catchy riff with an extraordinary lead guitar Hook.
I read a story that the Guitarist started up the riff during an intermission to break some new strings in - then Drums kicked in and the Singer started ad libbing about, among other things, American Women. These Guys were on tour from the UK during the Vietnam War, and were having to deal with an unprecedented level of horny Groupies due to the Draft removing young Men from their neighbourhoods. It is an interesting Tale, look it up :)
@@searayser On tour from the UK, or in the UK? Because they're Canadian, not British
Im always impressed by the organization of Joel’s team. They always know in which video that specific song was referenced before. Joel always has great insights into the songs and I feel like would be amazing if it all were compiled and generating data driven ideas for the channel
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Im sorry I’m such a nerd
First: you're not a nerd
Second: it's pretty cool how they're able to find the originals (and Joel gives good insight because he's been doing music for almost 11 years now), but it just goes down to compiling simple research. The editing daily is the thing I marvel at the editors for, because it take so much time to not only edit the clips that Joel watches if he's not reacting to an existing video on top of editing the actual video daily. No wonder he has more than one
@@goodmorningkay I work with data so my point of view is more data focused and the nerd comment was about me bringing it in a music video. I’m aware of Joel’s background, I was just giving a compliment to him and his team haha
@@danielatavares1451 no I get it not hate ;D
Are you being sarcastic? The editor forgot to include David Bowie for the man who sold the world
199th like
So many of these I had the same reaction: "That's a cover?!"
Then upon hearing the original:
"Oh. I knew that. I literally grew up listening to this." 🤦♀️
Early 80's baby, raised on my baby boomer parent's music, and many of these did not surprise me. There were a couple that I had forgotten they were a cover til I heard the original. And then there were one or two that DID surprise me!
The reason older music sounds better is because of audio texture, and dynamics. Newer music is compressed and flat. It's also all auto tuned, so notes are perfect, and have no vibrato to it.
When you grew up in a weird in between space, so you remember all of the songs. Mind Frick. Thanks for my daily dose of 👵⚰️, Joel. Even though I'm not a lot older than you. Lol
I was thinking the same thing lol
YES
Dose of grandma coffin?
same! thzt was great, i need a playlist with these songs 🤣
90’s kids. It’s the same as having been on both sides of the internet, being a child in a world without it but growing up in a world alongside it.
As someone who was born over 60 years ago, I keep thinking, "sweet, sweet summer child." For most of these songs I grew up with the older version and I've never even heard some of the later versions.
I'm with you. I remember when the Blondie cover of The Tide is High came out. I knew it was a cover then. The band he started with...Sorry, never heard of them. What got me in here was Queen, my favorite band. I thought he was going to play an original Queen song that's been covered over and over. I can say that when Freddie did 'The Great Pretender', that was a very famous song and EVERYONE knew it was a cover at the time he did it.
I lost is when he mispronounced Lead Belly! Kids these days!!!
@@Sabotage_LabsI came to make this observation. I'm not all that old, but Lead Belly is well known around my circles.
I was born in 1965. I played my parents' old 45s when I was growing up so I listened to a variety of music.
@@CharleneCTX I had some great musical mentors: My brother is 5 years older than me and turned me on to Deep Purple and Pink Floyd before I really should have been listening to that stuff. I can remember my baby sitter playing old Crosby, Stills & Nash, Herman's Hermits, and The Dave Clark Five 45s, and I have an uncle 15 years older than me who actually went to Woodstock and introduced me to bands like Fleetwood Mac (original lineup), King Crimson and Yes.
"Cat Stevens singing isn't the best" - huh. It's a take.
Not sure that Stevens ever used auto tune but I would describe his voice as distinct and unique unlike 90% of mainstream releases that sound exactly the same.
If anyone can suggest a conversion of Stevens that is better than the og I'd love to hear it.
I love Cat Stevens! Moon Shadow.
I found better cat stevens version by far
💯
it's an opinion
Agree 100%!!
I think the reason people talk about Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt (apart from the fact that it's an incredible cover) is because it was the last song he ever recorded, and he chose THAT.
Mr Big doing a classic Cat Stevens song was ridiculous at the time and not nearly as good as the iconic hit of the 70’s. Couldn’t disagree more. Cat Stevens voice is beautiful and unique to all pop folk music.
Edit: so cool to see a comment of mine getting so many likes. 🥹👍
Agreed. Cat Stevens is awesome, including his voice. Who is Mr Big? Never heard them, and the clip in this video can’t hold a candle to Cat Stevens.
@@mikephilpot9857 Mr. Big was moderately successful at the end of the 80's glam-rock scene (which they were often tied to without actually being glam-rock). Their biggest hit was "To Be With You." Chances are, you've heard that song before. However, I will 100% agree that Mr. Big probably should not have attempted to cover the great Cat Stevens.
Cat Stevens ( Yusuf Islam ) wrote loads of great songs and a lot of them have been covered, but never bettered the original in my opinion. Totally disagree with Joel about his voice not being too good. Also it's Lead (Belly ) as in the metal not lead (Belly) as in out in front lol
I heard a lot of these as my young aunt, MBHS '74 was always around in my childhood. After her divorce that year, Mom threw over her pop music for Jimmy Buffett. The fact that she lost all her albums to date in the divorce & aftermath didn't help. "Dad", insofar as I knew him was a 1%er motorcycle hoodlum, and we were gone as I was four. She has told me she saw Herman's Hermits at the Hollywood bowl...
That's EXACTLY the biggest takeaway from this video. Cat Stevens version of that song is definitely the best, and he's a great singer.. All in all, I guess it's my age [53] but more times than not, if I didn't know both versions of the song, it was the ORIGINAL I knew, and not the cover..
Joel, having just watched this video, I can honestly say I've never felt so old in my life. Every time you said, "That was a cover?!" I could feel myself shriveling up a like a raisin.
You think you feel old? I grew up in the 60's-70's, and we were listening to music from the 40's onward. Most of the "old stuff" in this video was "current" for us. There is apparently a lot of music Joel has never heard that he is missing out on.
Born in 49 here.
Yes indeed! Young people have no idea how young they are!
Woah there, easy on Cat Stevens, his voice is so magical. Put any of his albums on, turn the lights down, close the shades and just listen. I would recommend Father and Son, or Morning Has Broken to whet your pallet.
Absolutely! Cat Steven’s is an amazing song writer and vocalist. I feel the same about Neil Diamond. Much as I like the UB40 and Monkees covers, I prefer the originals.
Well, he's a kid and probably thinks Justin Bieber was a great musician. So what could you expect?
I agree. Mr Big on the other hand I can't stand, no matter what they sing.
@@str.77 Yeah, I don't like them either. But Paul Gilbert is one of my favourite guitarists. He put out some serious stuff after Mr. Big was over.
Came looking for this comment. As soon as he implied the Mr. Big version is better than the original...time to stop watching...
WOW! You really missed some covers that were better than the originals:
Bangles - Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon and Garfunkel)
White Lion - Radar Love (Golden Earring)
Krokus - Ballroom Blitz (Sweet)
Just to name a few
Several times in this video, he says, "This is a cover?"
The original: multi-platinum, number 1 in the charts, performed by one of the biggest bands/singers of all time.
Yeah, he's trying to act like he has his own personality.
Yeah, but the dude looks like he was born this millennium, so his musical upbringing is, let's say, lacking the 'Golden Era' of pop music. And by that, I mean the time where most pop musicians wrote their own stuff, instead of a producer having them come over to provide vocals for some studio track, before moving to the next gig.
@gregos_79 Welcome.. my friend... to Jurassic Park..😥🦖
@@ZombieDowneyJr Ah... Nice and comfortable there!
By t he way, most of the songs I didn't know were covers, were
a. crap
b. songs I didn't know anyway.
c. covers of other crap songs I didn't know anyway.
@@skabuoy does he?????? I was born in 1981 and he looks YOUNGER than I do😮
7:30 It's not a Queen song, it's from Freddie Mercury's second solo album, he covered it because he felt it fit him so well being 'The Great Pretender'
Fact
Brilliant and heart-wrenching cover. Freddie was the G.O.A.T.
Yep
I agree it is not his as it was done by the Platters but you get a better version of than Freddy Mercury.
Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody made me sit up and go "WHAT?!"
I remember being blown away a few years ago when I learned that Johnny Cash's Hurt was a NIN cover. First, he really made it his own, but second... *Johnny Cash covered Nine Inch Nails, WHAT?!*
I saw The Righteous Brothers Live, and Bobby Hatfield was an amazing singer. Partnered with Bill Medley they were damn hard to top
Just thought I'd add a couple of things: "I'm a Believer" was performed by The Monkees, but it was written by Neil Diamond, just like "Red Red Wine". "Love Hurts", like many Everly Bros songs, was written by Boudleaux Bryant (most also with his wife Felice, but not this one), but another great and famous version was done by Graham Parsons & The Fallen Angels featuring Emmylou Harris. "The Locomotion", performed by Little Eva, was written for her by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Sure, Great Society did "Somebody to Love" before Jefferson Airplane did it, but it's Grace Slick both times and the song was written by her brother-in-law, so is that even a cover? "Lead Belly" is pronounced like "Led Belly" -- his real surname was Ledbetter.
Roy Orbison also covered "Love Hurts"
@@stuartdean7470 - I didn't know that! I'm going to look for that one!
I definitely don't consider either version of "Somebody to Love" a cover, since Grace sung both and was related to the writer.
@@mbmillermo oh, it’s heartbreaking; lots of his music is…
He also missed Grand Funk Railroad's cover of Locomotion as well as Willie Nelson's cover of Always on My Mind.
I'm so old! I was familiar with most of the originals and not even aware of some of the remakes! I'm glad you included "it's not even Blondie's" or "Harry Nilsson's." Still, I was shocked that Willie Nelson wasn't mentioned in association with Always on my Mind and that Eric Clapton wasn't mentioned in association with Knockin' on Heaven's Door!
Yeah, I remember back in the 90s listening to a radio countdown of the best county songs of all time and Willie’s version of this ended up #1. It is a great version, from one of my all time favorites. I saw him a couple summers ago still putting on a great show at 89!
Yeah: It’s definitely a generational thing: I’m 51 and most of these were of no surprise to me.
However: I’m glad I finally know the name of the original song by The Rolling Stones that The Verve covered!
The Clapton version is the one most people know, I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned.
@@paulsengupta971 I actually thought that Clapton version was the original. So, I did learn a thing here.
Great Pretender is Freddie's solo cover...
And Cat Stevens has amazing songs and voice, amazing compositions... Cats in the Cradle, the first cut is the deepest... father and son
'Cats in the Cradle' is Harry Chapin.
Was looking for this. I was shocked he said Cat Stevens wasnt a great singer! Muppet.
Hahahaha. Cat Stevens is not a great singer! LMAO
@@kittykatwolf8294 Beauty in all things is in the eye of the beholder, many of the singers I enjoy are not considered 'great' vocalists, David Lee Roth, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Brian Johnson, Rod Stewert. Their voices or styles are unconventional and to some jarring, but their passion and energy are undeniable.
@@laurentco Its all relative I guess.
Badfinger was the most Beatle-esque non-Beatles band ever. They even worked for the Beatles' Apple Records. I always suspected John Lennon of taking Without You and giving it his drinking buddy Harry. It was also one of the 2 most tragic bands along with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Two members hanged themselves.
And influenced Soundgardens BadMotorFinger album 🤟🏻
Grace Slick, who sang the cover of Somebody to Love for Jefferson Airplane, also sang the original version written by her brother in law Darby Slick and recorded by The Great Society. So both versions of the song you heard here are sung by the same vocalist but in two different bands at two different times.
Is it really a cover if you sang it originally lol?
@@stephenmerchant9532 If you make a very different version of a song you made are you covering your own song? How many band members do you have to switch for it to be a cover? Many questions arise.
@Silverion well there are two distinct ways of looking at this. If you release a live/in concert version of your own song , since they tend to be a little different, are you covering your own song? I'd say no. If you release a completely different take of your own song, is it a cover (ie. Clayton's acoustic version of Layla)? That's where it gets sticky
And she's being faux strangled by Janis Joplin, not a guy. SMH
Yeah some of the songs here were originally given to other artists (like She’s The One) but I wouldn’t call them covers technically.
If I sing a Bowie song, that’s a cover. If I record a song by Joe Shmoe he has written for me, it’s not a cover just because he had it recorded by some other guy before.
Torn was actually first recorded by Danish singer Lis Sørensen in 1994 before Ednaswap :)
Yeah, but it was written by the members of Ednaswap, so even though it's not the original version, it's arguably the "definitive" (unless you feel either of the covers outdid it, of course).
@@ericforsyth That is true, but if they let someone else record it first, isn't their version still a cover? Maybe not! It's a grey area 🤣
I honestly like Natalie Imbruglia's version best :)
The fact that I heard both the cover and OG version of Torn for the first time on one of roomie's videos, and he somehow went into an existential crisis out of shock both tmes has me rolling 🤣🤣🤣
The danish version was actually released in 1993
@@ericforsyth but if someone writes a song for somebody else i dont think you can "take it back" just because it is succesful. Then a lot of songs would change "owners"
Anyone else getting worried they are getting old when the majority of versions you know are the originals and not the covers?! 😳
Not in my case. When Lenny released this song I was 6 years old, and the people I knew already knew it was a cover, because the Guess Who version was quite successful here in Brazil and because of the film "American Beauty" that was released one year later.
Not at all. It is sad so many people don’t explore the extensive range of music now available at their fingertips. So many people have opinions about things they never considered - music is just another variation on a theme of self inflated “experts”. I am 62 and there is so much more to learn.
No
I was totally surprised he had never heard of some of the original versions.
I’m 43
I always say, you know you are old when the songs you listened to -- and sometimes danced to -- are now muzak at the supermarket. I feel old.
It's fun to see a younger generation hear iconic covers, of iconic originals. How you don't know The Guess Who, or Shocking Blue's original Venus, or The Platters, is unfathomable to me. I grew up listening to the originals, and the covers. 💜
True
This, and how to pronounce Lead Belly.
To say Cat Stevens has bad voice, the nerve!
@@oooyeee1 well I mean Roomie looks at it from a different perspective
He did grow up in 90's Sweden IIRC, which would explain a lot
Was surprised to not see Killing Me Softly With His Song on this list. Most people are familiar with The Fugees' and Roberta Flack's versions, but most people are not aware that Lori Lieberman is the original artist of the song. It also has a pretty depressing story about how Lori's label tried to erase her tie from the song and even went after Don McLean (who's song Empty Chairs was the inspiration for Lori to write the song) when he let some of the backstory slip.
lol 'Robert Flack'
The Guess Who is Canadian rock music royalty. "American Woman" was a huge hit for them, but was only one of many.
Who later become BTO.
It was a number one hit in the USA
@@russellhorsefield9199
The guitarist left to form BTO. The guess who continued on with our him
No "expert" on pop music should be ignorant of number one hits or the groups that had them. They even know the one hit wonders and their stories. The Guess Who was huge in 1970.
@@russellhorsefield9199
The Who are aa great British group. One of the greatest bands of all time. The Guess Who was a great Canadian group. One of its members founded BTO.
Something about the older versions being so distant is making me feel extremely sad and nostalgic at the same time, it is hard to contain the fact that such emotions transcend time in such a profound manner through generational relatability. That is what makes them timeless.
I think I totally have reached old dude status. I knew almost all the originals, and have most of the original versions on vinyl, but didn’t recognize more than half of the covers. Grabbing my bass, and heading back to the studio…
I've definitely reached your status. I knew almost all of them, too, and I finally found these graphic effects nauseating lol.
All songs as a list
0:05 Red red Wine
0:28 Bitter Sweet Symphony
0:42 Wild World
1:05 Waiting For Tonight
1:27 Get My Mind Set on You
1:45 American Woman
2:04 Self Control
2:48 Ain't Nobody
3:08 Venus
3:54 Girl you know it's true
4:21 Love is all Around
4:36 If I Were a Boy
4:52 Sailing
5:16 It's my Life
5:38 Hound Dog
6:04 Always on my Mind
6:35 Torn
6:56 I'll be Your Baby Tonight
7:16 The Great Pretender
7:36 I'm a Believer
7:53 Love Hurts
8:16 The Tide is High
8:45 Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You
9:05 The Man Who Sold the World
9:22 Hallelujah
9:46 Babe I Love Your Way
10:06 Everlasting Love
10:22 The Unchained Melody
10:40 It's Oh So Quiet
10:53 Nothing Compares 2 U
11:16 Ring of Fire
11:44 I Love Rock 'n' Roll
12:05 You Can't Hurry Love
12:27 Without You
13:15 Knockin' on Heaven's Door
13:35 Don't Turn Around
13:49 Behind Blue Eyes
14:13 Only Love Can Break Your Heart
14:35 Games People Play
15:03 She's the One
15:22 Everytime You Go Away
15:36 The Game of Love
15:58 The Loco-Motion
16:21 Somebody to Love
16:39 Where Did You Sleep Last Night
17:09 Mad World
17:28 Hurt
Bless you! I scrolled for so long looking for this comment. ❤
Thank you ❤
😮😮u0 h😢😂😢
Thanks for this list. Nothing new to me in this video
This should be tagged to appear at the top.
If you missed the The Guess Who you missed a lot. They were a super popular band rivaling the Beatles. Burton Cummings is still killing it. They lost their umph when Randy Bachman had to leave abruptly for health reasons, only later to form Bachman Turner Overdrive. They are worth a listen.
definitely good but they were never on the beatles level
I like his little "sick voice tho" he states as he listens to the original American Woman and learns about the Guess Who
"rivaling the Beatles" - WTF??
@@AndyMatts44 about like Philip Rivers rivals Tom Brady
@@AndyMatts44 lol the same way Phillip Rivers rivaled Tom Brady :)
Fascinated by this! Some I knew the original before you revealed it (having grown up in the 80's), but some I didn't remember until you did the reveal and I was like "OH! I remember listening to this over and over". Lol
I think Joel has an extensive library of music in his head, even the most bizarre versions of pop.
absolutely! dont know what joel is upto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lol wdym
Too bad he ONLY knows pop songs then
@@shimmipenguin1764 yeh he for sure has a huge bias towards mainstream pop music as that is his favourite and he is definitely less knowledgeable on other genres
I’m the opposite lol my knowledge of pop is severely lacking but classic rock, emo rock, metal…I’m golden lol
Guess we all have our areas where we shine and others…not so much lol Joels knowledge base for pop is pretty impressive :)
Like "Red, Red Wine", the Monkee's "I'm a Believer" was written by Neil Diamond.
"Locomotion" was written by the great Carole King. As she was writing it in her home her housekeeper, and budding singer, started singing it back in another room and the career of Little Eva was born.
Possibly another interesting bit of trivia I found out just the other day. Roberta Flack didn't write nor was the first to perform "Killing Me Softly", I'm not a huge fan of the genre though I recognize how excellent the song is, including The Fugees cover.
Lori Lieberman, who I never heard of until researching the song, came up with the idea after being emotionally moved at a Don McLean concert while he was singing "Empty Chairs"... she scribbled some notes on a napkin of the idea that popped into her head and called a songwriter friend who worked it out.
If you're interested Lori's version is on RUclips, it lacks the soul that both Flack and Hill bring to it, but she has a very sweet voice. ☮
Oh, to add... I never cared about Don McLean much either, but I HAD to hear the song that inspired another great song, "Empty Chairs' is also a great song and I can see why it moved Lori so much, should have gotten more attention than "American Pie" in my opinion!
The Monkees' I'm a Believer one of the few versions that was improved on the original (in this case by Neil Diamond). Can't say that about Red Red Wine though.
What about Vincent by Don? @@Mike_H76
@@Mike_H76 Thanks for the trivia! I should make time to discover more Don McLean songs. The two I like the most so far are "Till Tomorrow" and "Castles in the Air."
The Who's original "Behind Blue Eyes" is lightyears better than any cover, in my opinion. It has an almost ethereal vibe to it. The vocals are absolutely fantastic; both emotionally vulnerable and performed with a technical mastery. The instrumentals tie it together beautifully by setting a very fragile atmosphere.
But that segment was . . . a choice.
Nah
The Who were amazing vocalists, indeed.
ABSOLUTELY!!!! Because it is THIER song, recorded with THIER emotion, no cover can EVER be "better" than an original, no repainting of Leonardo's Mona Lisa is better, no recarving of Michaelangelo's David is better, and no cover song is EVER better than an original, its all ART! some may prefer looking at or hearing other interpretations, but they are NEVER "better". They are hollow interpretations.
Absabloodylutely
I loved this! Thanks for putting it altogether, I enjoyed hearing and seeing your reaction in the corner, that made it fun in itself. I knew that most of them were covers, but was shocked by some - especially ''Torn', always thought it was an original.
“I’m a Believer” was written by Neil Diamond for the Monkees. He recorded it after the Monkees, but should get some credit in your videos. Also, Willie Nelson did the most popular cover of “ Always on My Mind” (at least in the US) and also won a Grammy. Surprised not to see it referenced here.
Willie Nelson wrote Always On My Mind.
I could be wrong, but I believe Neil Diamond originally recorded "I'm a Believer" and used his recording to sell the song. Since he sold the song to be used by the Monkees, he was unable to release his recording until later.
@@roachc420 Incorrect. Willie did not write it, but he does have the definitive cover.
@@versapak my bad. He wrote so many other songs in that era, that one just blended in in my brain.
@@smdias65 You could be totally right. I saw him in concert years ago where he poked fun at the fact that other artists had made some of his songs more popular than he had. He sang this and "Red, Red Wine" which UB40 made so popular. He then sang a cover of Tracy Chapman's song, "Fast Car". He's a great entertainer and talented. Some folks can write, some can perform. He does both :-)
I'm old enough to have heard most of the originals. It's fun to hear how people change them up for new generations.
Me too. Was only surprised the Want Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane was a cover, knew all the rest.
Yeah, the picture that you had for The Great Society was of Grace Slick and Janis Joplin (NOT "him"). Grace and Jerry Slick were in
The Great Society.
Yeah, and Grace Slick singing in both. So for me, not so much of a cover.
That total;ly freaked me out, since Janis was one of my favorite singers, I was like -- "What do you mean, "him!"
I kind of got the impression that this guy's an idiot right there
It was a band evolving rather than a completely different band.
@@anon-ed5wf Exactly, the "proto-Airplane"
Locomotion went to number one by three different artists, three decades in a row. And if you want to hear a song that sounds different. Five O'Clock World by Hal Ketchum sounded so different that even though I'd heard the original, it didn't click until someone said something :P Also, I love the fact that Nine Inch Nails was so impressed with Cash's cover that they've basically said it's his song now :D
Also, Locomotion was written by Carole King (when she and hubby Jerry Goffin were songwriters in the Brill Building in the 60s)
Being born in Winnipeg, I am obligates to point out the lead singer of The Guess Who, Burton Cummings and that he did have a fantastic voice and we'll leave it at that. That said; the guitarist, Randy Bachman (of BTO) is an absolute gem of a human being.
Check out the Professor of Rock's interview with Bachman and the story behind "Taking Care of Business". Bachman is a great storyteller! Very entertaining.
1972's Live At The Paramount contains the ultimate version of American Woman. Nearly 30 years later, from their Running Back Through Canada tour, they released the version they did in Winnipeg, where Randy switches guitars mid-solo due to a broken string.
also, randy said american woman is about the statue of liberty.
@@leavingitblank9363 i watched his “every song tells a story” (its here on youtube) and learned some things and enjoyed it completely.
Heh - the "pizza delivery guy" story. Classic. You can see Randy tell the same story on an episode of "Behind the VInyl"
@@leavingitblank9363
The Guess Who is an incredible band. You seriously need to listen to more of them.
The most successful version of Always On My Mind was Willie Nelson's.
Back in the day, everybody did Unchained Melody, but nobody ever topped The Righteous Brothers.
I grew up with Knocking On Heavens Door being a Clapton song.
Knocking on Heaven's Door was always Bob Dylan.
Yes, but I didn't know it for a long time. I listened to harder rock and only heard Claptons version for a long time.
Yeah, I knew Dylan wrote the song but never knew he actually sang it. Dylan wrote a lot of songs for other people.
@WizardofAhhhs 75 I guess I'm showing my age...old enough to remember Dylan's version, lol. It's still my favorite version of the song, too, and one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar.
@@wizardofahhhs759 no, he didnt. not sure he ever wrote a song for anyone else ? lots of people covered his songs. it used to be that yesterday by the beatles and blowing in the wind by dylan were the 2 most covered songs (at least rock songs). i think happy birthday is the most covered song of all - LOL. i almost always liked dylan's version better.
He doesn't have his hands on her neck. That is Grace Slick on the left, lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, and on the right is Janice Joplin. Two of the greatest performers to ever bless us with their talents.....
I just watched this and my jaw hit the floor. Especially when he referred to Janis as "that man!"
I’m just glad someone else noticed it.
@@starrystarrynight52 For a guy who has a YT channel about music he seems to be amazingly ignorant. Then again, based on his performance in the video maybe this is a reaction video channel.
@@suedenim9208 And then the "Lead Belly" comment, lead, not lead, .....
@@starrystarrynight52…yes. This guys a puppy. He knows nothing. He soils legendary talent. A travesty.
11:20
I was at the local Farmers’ Market less than an hour ago and there was a guitarist there singing and playing. He played _Ring of Fire_ and changed it to “Onion Ring of Fire” for one of the later repeats of the chorus.
Oh wow, I didn’t know or realise that there were so many covers in 90’s music.
And it was all music my parents grew up with. I wonder how many times they were listening to the radio in the 90s and couldn't remember where they heard the song before. This was all before lyric look up websites were a thing.
Yeah. I grew up in the nineties and there were a lot of covers.
@@Greenteabook Actually there were websites in the nineties where you could look up lyrics. I lived in the nineties.
Angel of Mine, another 90s hit is also a cover aswell
I actually prefer the original If I Were A Boy, her voice just conveys a whole different feeling which I really love.
Yes I agree more raw , more emotion love it 🥰
If you haven't already, Reba McEntire has a version that is really good.
Thanks Blake I will check it out now
“I will always love you” was originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton
Yep...intended as a farewell to her professional relationship with Porter Wagoner when Parton decided to go as a solo artist.
AND I heard she wrote "Jolene" the same day, mad skills.
@@WhiskeyCurious Jolene doesn't really work with her singing it. A less attractive lady would have more impact.
I once looked up the songs she wrote. She was prolific! And the variety of songs she collaborated with is amazing!
And I honestly still prefer her version.
Cool video, thanks! Couple notes: "Where did you sleep last night" is better known as "In the Pines" and the best known recording is my Leadbelly -- pronounced Lead like the metal, not lead as in .. follow me. Also, "Torn" was first recorded by Lis Sorenson, not Endswap. Though it was in Danish.
I've been keeping a list of covers that are more popular than the originals. Many of these were already on my list, but I was able to add a few thanks to this video. Thanks for that! I'm up to almost 50 songs. Some of these I didn't add only because anybody older than about 35 definitely knew they're covers.
You put a smile in my soul during the Nazareth clip when you approvingly said "Okay... cool voice!" I feel that Nazareth doesn't get the respect they are owed- especially when half of the 80's hair band scene were clearly influenced by them.
Scottish metal band, influenced by a Canadian rock Band; do approve.
My favourite Nazareth track was actually their cover of Randy Newman’s “Guilty”. It never made it to North America; it was bumped for “Love Hurts”, which is just a shame, to me.
Second favourite is probably their Joni Mitchell cover of “This Flight Tonight”. They had some fantastic originals, but the love they gave to their covers...
Another one I love! Though I will always love the Everly Brothers too.
Glaring omission is “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell (1981). Original by Gloria Jones (1964).
And the Marilyn Manson version later.
It is
He’s too young
and "Always Something There to Remind Me" by Naked Eyes (1983). Originally by Dionne Warwick (1963).
"House of the Rising Sun" is a folk song. When you hear it sung by a woman it takes on a different meaning.
Well, a video covering (hehe) all the covers ever would be days long.
Man, I can't believe you don't know so many 70's and earlier bands. They are the foundation of music today.
I was amazed that he new half the bands - he looks too young (other than having parents who would play the music though).
Just like artists from the 40s and 50s, especially blues were the foundation for so much in the 60s. It happens all the time.
Somebody to love he called Janice Joplin a he.
@@francisbruce6774 I didn't catch that. 🙄
Man, I can't believe you don't know the Vulture Bone Flute tunes of 40,000 BC. They are the foundation of music today.
I never knew that bon jovi's you give love a bad name wasn't an original. It was originally released like 6 months earlier by bonnie tyler as "if you were a woman (and i was a man)." Absolutely love her version as well.
"Somebody to Love" was actually sung by Grace Slick in both songs shown in the video. She just left The Great Society and took the song with her to Jefferson Airplane...
That's what I thought. The photos had Grace in both of them. I guess I'm just old enough to recognize her.
You are incorrect. The song written by Grace Slick was very different than the song written by Freddie and performed by Queen.
@@soundtechincorporated6694 That's literally a different song with the same title, not the one referenced here or heard in the video.
In the second picture when he referred to the other person as a "He", that was Janis Joplin, a "She".
@@soundtechincorporated6694 there is no comparison to the Queen song in this video. They are two completely different songs. The song featured here is “(do you want) somebody to love” NOT “(find me) somebody to love”. This song was covered by Jefferson Airplane from an original by The Great Society. The point that Dinah was making is that the singer (Grace Slick) is actually singing it in both versions since she took the song with her from The Great Society to Jefferson Airplane & should probably not really be considered a cover as such.
What’s crazy is that Joel grew up with some of the covers not realizing they were covers…I grew up with a lot of the originals (because my dad listens to oldies and classic rock all the time…)so I didn’t know the covers existed until now.
Me too
Same. The new originals are many of my comfort songs
Same!
Nothing compares to U was originally written BY Prince, FOR The Family. He also gave it to Sinead O'Connor and sung it himself. That's why he was in the picture. He also wrote for a hell of a lot of other artists, including some surprising ones.
Manic Monday was written by Prince. Surprised me when I learned that.
@@davidschaal5594 Yup, Prince was in love with Susanna Hoffs but she friendzoned him, I guess.
Like Prince wrote Manic Monday for Suzannah Hoffs (The Bangles).
He didn't give the song to Sinead and only found out she had covered it when he heard her version. He was so taken by it that he tried to recruit her to join The Revolution. His approach to that was way too sexual and freaked Sinead out, who still believes he was trying to sexually assault her.
Listen the Capital Cities version. A nice surprise.
Old enough to know a lot of these originals first. Some surprises but in a lot of cases I didn't even realize the cover wasn't the original. (Radio, you didn't always hear artists names.) But I grew up with blues, retro, and during 70s.
The Platters version was a huge hit, Freddie just made a tribute to this hit, and freddies version didnt make it big at the time it was re-released. The 55s version is a icon in the 20th pop history
What do you mean better covers of Cat Stevens songs? He was a musical genius, and his unique voice was wonderful, very mellifluous and soothing.
He was a genius, and had a great voice. But Rod Stewart's cover of First Cut is the Deepest was better.
@@spikeconleyHardly. There is no surer way to undermine your credibility on the topic than to claim Rod Stewart's version is better than Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) version. Especially considering that he wrote it and released it second the same year as a now unknown singer P.P. Arnold. Who's version is far better than Rod Stewart's.
Totally agree
He's still a genius with a great voice.
@@mattmarzula There is no surer way to undermine your own credibility by stating something subjective is actually objective. And who wrote it and released it first has absolutely nothing to do with which one sounds better.
Stevens is a great writer and singer. Stewart's voice suits this song better, not to mention the fact that Stevens' left an awkward lyric in there that Stewart smoothed out.
Yeah, Hurt was a very interesting cover, in that while it was a NIN song, Trent Reznor heard Cash's performance and was quoted as saying that the song wasn't his anymore. It's a great song with heavy meaning, but the rough, weathered tones of Cash's voice just bring it to a whole new level of power.
was going to make that exact same point, great NIN/Reznor song pretty much owned by Cash's performance. One of the last of the original Rubin collabs he did before sadly passing away
Trent said it never occurred to him that it could be interpreted as a person near the end of his life.
Yeah, when I heard it was a NIN cover, I just thought of Reznor as a whiny kid singing it, but Cash gives it such gravitas, due to his voice and the life he has lead.
Personally I seem to prefer youth and the angst that comes with it to old age and regret that seems to follow... So I don't even prefer the originals of Hurt and Mad World, I like to pretend the covers do not even exist :D
Tbf I didn’t like either of them singing it was just too droney and boring, I like NIN and Johnny Cash in their other works but this song is just a no for me
The Guess Who's American Woman album is just so freakin good. With songs like Talisman (an accoustic masterpiece), No Sugar Tonight , When FRiends Fall Out and No Time.
Always On My Mind. So many people covered it. The original artist, Brenda Lee, was fantastic... But NOBODY does it like Willie Nelson. Its one of the greatest covers ever recorded.
I've found this on Wikipedia about the Pet Shop Boys version:
"In 1987, the Pet Shop Boys performed a synth-pop version of "Always on My Mind" on Love Me Tender, a television special on ITV in the United Kingdom. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death, the programme featured various popular acts of the time performing cover versions of his songs. The Pet Shop Boys' performance was so well-received that the duo decided to record the song and release it as a single".
But I think that when a song is a great song , it remains a great song even if you change arrangement. Am I in wrong?
I like Willie's version, but to me, Elvis' version is better. I love it.
I despise the Pet Shop Boys version. They stripped the heart and soul out of it and turned it into trash.
Although Brenda Lee wasn't the first to sing it, Gwen Mcrae released it a few months prior to Brenda
I will always love you was Dolly Parton, then covered by the all amazing Linda Ronstadt, and that version was covered again by Whitney Houston at the request from Kevin Costner,( pound for pound of America 's finest actors), for the bodyguard, Whitney's release of the 1972 country song spent 16 weeks at no.1 , decades before Beyonce
You forgot to mention the original of The man who sold the world. A very great David Bowie song and a great cover as well.
Im old, 40. So, I did know most of these are covers, expect was surprised or just didn't know that George Harrison, OG Tide is High, Torn and the Satana Cover were covers. My mom grew up in the 60s and 70s. and Cat Stevens voice is fine for him singing his own songs. That 'he' is she Janis Joplin fake choking Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane.
i was hoping someone would point janis out or else i’d have to lol
and yes cat stevens has a cool voice and it suits the arrangements and everything imo
@@urskakrumpak yeah, LOL..I know what you mean! yeah, what makes those artists known, is they don't sound the same, many are good singers without being 'industry' cookie cutter clone voices.
@@maximcypher3109 well said
11:47
"What??, This Is A Cover Too??"
Dude, Joan Jett's the queen of Cover songs
Like Alan Merrill said, it was a knee-jerk response to the Rolling Stones "It's only rock n roll (but I like it), it felt for Alan as an apology. Alan Merrill met Jagger socially a few times, and knew Jagger hanging Prince Rupert Lowenstein, and jet setters people, aristocracy. "I Love Rock N Roll" was a song a about the song, Alan Merrill's interpretation as younger man. "Okay! I love rock n roll. And one thing, too. Alan Merrill did the whole song himself, it was Merrill solo composition. Jakes name is on only In return for Hooker paying his airfare to the UK from Japan in 1974, Merrill says he agreed to give Hooker a co-writing credit for the song, nothing else. “Jake won the lottery with that air ticket,” Merrill jokes. Giving away a 50-percent royalty on one of the most-recorded songs of all time has to hurt, but Merrill is philosophical about it.
“Jake saw that I could bring something to the band when he paid for my airfare. If I hadn’t hooked up with Arrows maybe I wouldn’t have written the song, and everything would be very different for me now - financially, anyway.”
Alan Merrill, sadly missed, and loved by so many. Died for covid 2020. He was such a gem, and so nice person...RIP, you goofball, we miss you..
BTW. Joan Jett covered it first 1979 with Sex Pistols guys, Steve Jones and Paul Cook.
'Great Pretender' is NOT by Queen, it is by Freddie Mercury performing as a solo artist. Freddie did some great solo music, including 'Living on my Own' and the duet, 'Barcelona'.
the confusion is that it appears on a Queen compilation album
another "queen" remake is I can hear music - which appears on Queen Preordained (a Freddie "solo" song he is credited as Larry Lurex and Roger and Brian play on the track) - a song previously recorded by the Beach Boys. But originally performed by the Ronettes written by Phil Spector et al
Freddie felt this song described his life the best.
Longtime Queen and Freddie fan, but never liked his version of "Great Pretender". It was like he vomited all over the original. To think that there was someone out there (the guy who made this vid) who thought that this classic song was a "Queen" (Freddie) original just makes me shake my head. I mean, I get it, he's much younger, but I hate knowing we live in a world where young folks don't know The Platters' "The Great Pretender". (Insert "okay, Boomer" comments here, although I'm slightly younger than the Boomers 😄)
@@tomflorio3639 it's pretty obvious if you watch the video as well, that said, very depressing video knowing how it ended in a couple months after...
6:30 Before Pet Shop Boys, Willy Nelson covered 'You were always on my mind'. His voice gave us another really nice version of the song.
That was one of a few that I was surprised I didn’t know. I was getting ready for him to say the Willie Nelson version was the original!
I consider myself fairly well versed in music, and the history of it. But clearly, there’s still a lot I don’t know! 🤣
Willie Nelson? Nope. Elvis? Nope
His is my favourite version.
And Cline's cover of one of his songs was better than his version.
@@screwyootube1yeah, I thought for sure it was the Willie Nelson one that was the original! Fooled me!
Neil Diamond also wrote "I'm A Believer." (He is a PROLIFIC songwriter.)
Before the Righteous Brothers version, many "Unchained Melody" recordings were up-tempo doo-wop.
Three of Reba McIntyre's signature songs-The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia, Kathy's Clown, and Fancy-are covers. (Vicki Lawrence, Everly Brothers, and Bobbie Gentry respectively.)
Good job broe 👍🏼
How can anyone hear "American Woman" and not instantly think of the late 60's??? It has that flavor all over it!!
The "lead" in Lead Belly's name was pronounced like the metal. His given name was Huddie Ledbedder. He is also the origin of the modern term "woke". It's too bad that the term has been so misused. It comes from his song "Scottsboro Boys". Great video. Thanks for releasing it.
I cringed when he said Lead Belly's name.
@@ritamcdonnell-dougherty8144 I came here to say that! I didn’t know if I wanted to cringe or laugh!
This! Thank you.
I'm blown away at how many you didn't know we're covers. Especially when the original was far more popular.
Just showing he’s a child with no real knowledge of music history
@@ladyflimflam I was thinking the same thing.
Yeah, he doesn't even know how to pronounce Lead Belly. Probably never heard of him. Child.
He never heard of The Guess Who? He didn’t even recognize The Who song. : L
I was surprised he didn't know about tears for fears doing 'Mad World' I had never even heard of the cover version.
I can hardly handle hearing songs from the 70's it takes me so deep. Every things changed so much. Miss real music, singing and the freedoms of the 60's 70's and 80's
Haha! @ 11:44 ... now it's "put another Dollar in the jukebox, baby!" due to inflation! 😝
The Guess Who are an amazing band. Burton Cummings is a fine vocalist and one of my favourites.
I actually got to see the Guess Who live years ago. Also saw Burton Cummings live too. I like the Guess Who, but not much of a Burton Cummings fan
The Guess Who are a Classic. I'm shocked he didn't know them!
@@csi2000Weird
Check out The Guess Who's "Isolated vocal track" for No Time and prepare to be AMAZED at his vocals.
@@gardnerberry113 Yeah. I've heard it. It is something else.
I can't disagree more about your Cat Stevens comment. His voice is raw, real, and expressive.
This young guy has a zest for embarrassingly naive comments.
I didn't even know that there was a cover. The original is so famous and good.
@@mikatu Yeah there's np way that cover he played of Wild World was better than the original.
Cat sings sooo well
I prefer the original
The Great Society was Grace Slick's band before she joined Jefferson Airplane. She wrote both "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit" and originally performed them with the Great Society and brought both songs with her to Jefferson Airplane.
She wrote White Rabbit, but not Somebody To Love. That song was written by her then brother-in-la, Great Society guitarist Darby Slick (as "SomeONE To Love" despite it never saying someone in the lyrics).
And that was Janis Joplin with her mitts on Grace’s throat.
Same with Chubby Checker and his band before
@@marylhereyep and Joel said he… like do you not see that’s Janis Joplin? Lol
@@marylhere I got that and I'm not a big fan of that era of music.
The way you talk out the "old" sound reminds me about why I like vinyl
I remember reading that when Johnny Cash made the "Hurt" cover, Trent Reznor (the lead singer of Nine Inch Nails) listened to Cash's version and loved it. He thought first it was a little odd, as it wasn't in the same style as their version, but he loved Johnny Cash's version and even said: "It's incredibly flattering as a writer to have your song chosen by someone who's a great writer and a great artist"
The song has been chosen by Rick Rubin not Johnny Cash.
Not quite, Reznor made some comments about it. The song was deeply personal to him and he didn't like the cover one bit... Then the paycheck came in and he changed his opinion, stating it was no longer his song and the song now belonged to Cash. Depending on who was asking Reznor would either admit the money was a factor or just praise Johnny Cash.
Think it took Reznor some time to see the cover as a gift instead as something that was taken form him.
Cash was as much a musical historian as a performer. When his daughter decided to pursue a career in country music, he made her a list of folk and country songs he pretty much insisted she learn. When Cash covered Kris Kristopherson's Sunday Morning Coming Down on his television show, the TV execs insisted he change the line "Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned" he looked directly into the camera and sang it as it was written.
This dedication to the original writer had its limits though. When he covered John Prine's Sam Stone, Cash insisted on changing the line " Jesus Christ died for nothing, I suppose" bc it went against Cash's faith. Prine said if it had been anyone else other than Cash he would have insisted it be sung as it was written.
Cash bought depth gravitas and feeling to the song Hurt
Somthing only achievable after a lifetime of experience
Can we just appreciate that Roomie makes videos for us everyday?
No
He is literally just looking at vids and getting paid for it what should I appreciate?
@@pretentioushab So, we should be super-jealous and continue to watch his videos anyway?
@@cassia-andor6445 I am not jealous at all? I am just saying that this is low effort content and that there is nothing to be grateful about in this
Its like fast food not gourmet
@@pretentioushab you clearly appreciate it enough to be watching…
Low(er) effort video compared to other types of videos or not, he and his team still put the effort in every day to create content for us and I think that deserves appreciation :)
Edited because apparently I can’t spell 😬😅
Many of Elvis' early hits were covers. "Blue Suede Shoes" was originally a Carl Perkins song. Many of the Beatles early songs were covers too. The early British rock 'n' roll artists, like the Beatles, The Who, the Rolling Stones were fans of American Blues and R&B (what the American music industry called "race music") and many of their hits either drew inspiration from or were covers of American music.
A lot of white artists covered songs by black artists during Elvis’ time so nothing surprises me when I hear things from that time
Fun fact: Blue suede shoes is the only song to be included on The Rolling Stones top 500 songs of all time twice- recorded by two different artists
@@yourcommentisntfunnyv2709 Cool, thanks.
Weren't ALL of Elvis' songs covers?
@@fredhughes4115 many were original recordings, however it is now believed Elvis had only minimal influence in the songs he was credited as co-writer due to contract arrangement with the studio. It is said Elvis would not record original songs if he was not credited as a contributing writer. I guess it makes sense because arranging musical phrasing is similar to lyrical phrasing.
4:26 I too thought of that funny Love, Actually scene instantly when that song plays
About Self Control cover:
Ive got this playlist with some 80's music and retrowave, and I had to add the real version of Self Control, its completly better than the cover (which I always though was the original, and I deleted from the playlist some time ago, because meeeh, its boring)
80s > retrowave > synthpop > funk > disco (spotify)
Thats what I love about this videos reviewing music, I always find new music thanks to Joel! And well, daily videos back is what the world needed these days hehe
there's also the late 90s/early 2000's dance version by infernal (I grew up listening to it don't judge me xD )