Bette Midler's recording of Wind Beneath My Wings is more popular than every previously recorded version of the song.

Luther Vandross=A House Is Not A Home: So Amazing: Anyone Who Had A Heart: all by Dionne Warwick...Superstar: The Carpenters

Jackson 5=Who's Loving You by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles

Gladys Knight and The Pips and Marvin Gaye=I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles

Whitney Houston-I Will Always Love You by Dolly Porton

The Beatles=Twist and Shout by The Isley Brothers

Twist And Shout was originally by the Top Notes, not the Isleys

namepeace said:

MickyDolenz said:

Aretha Franklin ~ Respect (Otis Redding)

Stevie Wonder ~ All I Do (Tammy Terrell)

Whitney Houston ~ The Greatest Love Of All (George Benson)

Brothers Johnson ~ Strawberry Letter 23 (Shuggie Otis)

Run DMC ~ Walk This Way (Aerosmith)

These, and of course,

(as Huey mentioned) Chaka Khan -- I Feel For You (Prince)

Sinead O'Conner -- Nothing Compares 2 U (The Family)

[Edited 4/21/15 14:07pm]

I dont think Run DMCs "Walk This Way" is more popular; it just reminded us all how DOPE Aerosmith is.

UncleJam said:

namepeace said:

These, and of course,

(as Huey mentioned) Chaka Khan -- I Feel For You (Prince)

Sinead O'Conner -- Nothing Compares 2 U (The Family)

[Edited 4/21/15 14:07pm]

I dont think Run DMCs "Walk This Way" is more popular; it just reminded us all how DOPE Aerosmith is.

Not so sure about that. Run-DMC's peak chart position was higher than that of the orginal, and it hit the top 10 of the hip-hop singles charts. Granted, the latter didn't exist when the original came out, but the original wouldn't have had a chance of a reverse crossover.

namepeace said:

Not so sure about that. Run-DMC's peak chart position was higher than that of the orginal, and it hit the top 10 of the hip-hop singles charts. Granted, the latter didn't exist when the original came out, but the original wouldn't have had a chance of a reverse crossover.

It's also been said that doing the collabo with Run DMC resurrected Aeromith's career.

Fats Domino ~ Blueberry Hill (Gene Autrey)

Janis Joplin ~ Piece Of My Heart (Erma Franklin)

Pussycat Dolls ~ Don't Cha (Tori Alamaze feat. Da Brat)

James Brown ~ I Got You (Yvonne Fair as I Found You)

Bill Haley & The Comets ~ Rock Around The Clock (Sunny Dae & The Knights)

Michael Jackson ~ Girlfriend (Wings)

The Righteous Brothers ~ Unchained Melody (Todd Duncan)

David Bowie ~ China Girl (Iggy Pop)

Billy Idol ~ Mony Mony (Tommy James & The Shondells)

Kim Carnes ~ Betty Davis Eyes (Jackie DeShannon)

Eric Clapton ~ Cocaine (J.J. Cale)

Bow Wow Wow ~ I Want Candy (The Strangeloves)

The Bangles ~ If She Knew What She Wants (Jules Shear)

[Edited 4/27/15 15:05pm]

Hall & Oates ~ Family Man (Mike Olfield feat. Maggie Reilly)

Paul Young ~ I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down (Ann Peebles)

Naked Eyes ~ Always Something There To Remind Me (Lou Johnson)

Boyz II Men ~ It's So Hard to Say Goodbye To Yesterday (C.G. Cameron)

Earth Wind & Fire did this one

RJOrion said:

Run DMC/Aerosmith version was far more impactful and popular to a wider audience than the original...i dont even think that's debatable...the drum breakdown/break-beat got scratched and looped and rapped over, at house parties and block parties, but hardly anyone in the black community was checking for that song until RunDMC redid the video and song with Aerosmith [Edited 4/26/15 13:35pm]

I completely agree with you guys...but when I think of the song's "popularity"...you still hear Aerosmith's version on classic rock stations on a daily basis. Cant remember the last time I heard the Run DMC version.

There's this original:



and this cover:

MickyDolenz said:

namepeace said:

Not so sure about that. Run-DMC's peak chart position was higher than that of the orginal, and it hit the top 10 of the hip-hop singles charts. Granted, the latter didn't exist when the original came out, but the original wouldn't have had a chance of a reverse crossover.

It's also been said that doing the collabo with Run DMC resurrected Aeromith's career.

Truth. They were tossed onto the dustbin of the 1970's before that.

Great White ~ Once Bitten Twice Shy (Ian Hunter)

Rod Stewart ~ The Motown Song (Larry McNally)

The Bangles ~ Hazy Shade Of Winter (Simon & Garfunkel)

original:

cover:

original:

cover:

MickyDolenz said:

Hall & Oates ~ Family Man (Mike Olfield feat. Maggie Reilly)

maybe off topic:


but Family Man is a great song (by both artists).

If I should choose I would pick the cover by Hall & Oates.

But here in Europe (Denmark)... the original by Mike Oldfield was a major hit, the Hall & Oates version was not.. (afaik).

MickyDolenz said:

Pointer Sisters ~ Fire (Robert Gordon)

Written by Springsteen and he was doing it live prior to the Pointers' release. Here's a performance from Toronto, 1984:

Glen Campbell ~ Southern Nights (Allen Toussaint)

I think one of the most CONFUSING years in music is when Lovers of Country & Pop music had to decide if they liked Trisha Yearwood's version of "How do I live" or Leann Rimes's version....I still love them both, but I must admit I always liked Leann's more...Trisha did take home the Grammy for the song but I think Leann's version made her richer...

Chancellor said:

I think one of the most CONFUSING years in music is when Lovers of Country & Pop music had to decide if they liked Trisha Yearwood's version of "How do I live" or Leann Rimes's version....I still love them both, but I must admit I always liked Leann's more...Trisha did take home the Grammy for the song but I think Leann's version made her richer...

Is one really that more popular than the other though? It's like the John Michael Montgomery/All 4 One songs I Swear & I Can Love You Like That. They were out around the same time.

I think Luther Vandross was the master of taking a song and making it his and his only. His version of the Temptations' "Since I Lost My Baby" is the quintessential version.