Top 10 Songs That Were MASSIVE Hits For Multiple Artists

#10: “All Along the Watchtower”

Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix

Is there a better example of turning a song on its head than Jimi Hendrix’s take on “All Along the Watchtower”? Don’t get us wrong– Bob Dylan’s original was a lyrical tour de force. But Jimi brought a level of energy that transformed it into something entirely new. Both songs are among each artist’s most listened-to tracks of all time, and Dylan has performed it live more than any other song he's ever written. It also became Hendrix’s highest-charting single in the U.S., and the only Top 40 Billboard hit he ever managed. In many ways, it’s the gold standard for how to produce a cover song.

#9: “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”

Gladys Knight & the Pips and Marvin Gaye

Most people know this legendary track due to the timeless version that sent Marvin Gaye to the top of the charts for seven weeks in 1968. However, even though he technically recorded it before Gladys Knight & the Pips, it was her version that was released first. Knight also went to No. 1 on the R&B charts. In fact, it was Motown’s biggest-selling single ever at the time. It has indeed been covered by several notable artists in the time since, but these two versions are the ones that have broken through in the biggest way!

#8: “Tainted Love”

Gloria Jones, Soft Cell and Marilyn Manson

A great song will stand up no matter what the arrangement consists of. For “Tainted Love,” its original form was as the B-side to a commercial flop by Gloria Jones, “My Bad Boy’s Coming Home.” The song would eventually pick up steam, though, when the new wave makeover by Soft Cell hit the top spot in the UK charts in 1981. This led to renewed interest in Jones’s original. The song fit so comfortably into the synth-pop stylings of the time that people were shocked to learn that it originally came out in the early ‘60s. When Marilyn Manson got his hands on it in 2001, it once again returned to the charts globally.

#7: “Mad World”

Tears for Fears and Michael Andrews feat. Gary Jules

Tears for Fears were truly one of the great pop acts of the 1980s. But for as much as they found a run of success later in the decade, 1982’s “Mad World” started it all. Released as a single off of their first album, “The Hurting,” it was very clearly a sign of the good things that were to come. However, when Michael Andrews and Gary Jules re-recorded the track for the 2001 film “Donnie Darko,” it took on a totally new level of cultural significance. This version was a smash hit, taking the original and revamping it into something bleak yet beautiful. These days, in many ways, it has become the most recognizable version of Tears for Fears’ initial composition.

#6: “I Shot the Sheriff”

Bob Marley and Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton covering a bona fide classic of the reggae genre was probably not on too many people’s bingo cards in the mid ‘70s. When Bob Marley and the Wailers put out “I Shot the Sheriff” in 1973, it was instantly acclaimed as one of his strongest releases to date. It took British guitar maestro Eric Clapton about a year to follow it with his own version. And lo and behold, it became his only No. 1 hit in the U.S. to date. Clapton kept the spirit of Marley’s work alive, introducing the Jamaican legend’s music to an entirely new audience without losing any of the soul that drives its rhythm.

#5: “Proud Mary”

Creedence Clearwater Revival and Ike & Tina Turner

Creedence Clearwater Revival had about four years of domination on the charts before eventually calling it a day in 1972. It’s hard to nail down any one song as their definitive moment, but “Proud Mary” isn’t just in the conversation for hitting No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. It became a huge hit for Ike & Tina Turner two years later, hitting No. 4 on the U.S. chart, subsequently becoming a signature song for Tina. They even won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group. Tina would go on to re-record “Proud Mary” for several live albums in the years that followed.

#4: “Always On My Mind”

Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Willie Nelson and Pet Shop Boys

Few songs have had this many iterations from such a wide array of genres as the legendary “Always On My Mind.” It was first released by Brenda Lee in 1972, reaching No. 45 on the U.S. country charts. Over the course of the next few decades, it would be recorded by more than 300 other artists. Standout commercial performers include Elvis Presley, who turned it into a Top 10 hit; and Willie Nelson, who went to number one on the country charts and won a Grammy. Perhaps the most utterly transformative version came from Pet Shop Boys, who topped the UK charts with it in 1987 by adding their unique synth-pop flair.

#3: “Respect”

Otis Redding & Aretha Franklin

Ask anyone who the first artist to record the song “Respect” was, and many would say Aretha Franklin. But as much as Franklin revamped the song into the defiant anthem it is today, it was actually first put out by Otis Redding. His version didn’t have the famous “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” refrain that Aretha later added, but it still became a huge crossover hit for Redding. Make no mistake, though, the song as we all know and love it today truly came alive when Franklin got hold of it. It instantly turned her into a star, and Otis himself was quick to admit that she had perfected his composition.

#2: “Hallelujah”

Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley

Leonard Cohen struck gold when he put pen to paper and wrote “Hallelujah”... eventually. It took him quite a long time to get it right. But as much as his raw and honest-sounding version is incredible, it was Jeff Buckley who brought it into a totally different stratosphere. After hearing the former Velvet Underground member John Cale’s version in 1991, Buckley was inspired to create what is considered one of the most beautiful covers of all time. It wasn’t an instant hit, but after his untimely death in 1997, it became a standard in modern music. These days, hearing someone record a version of “Hallelujah” is as common as can be; and you can thank Cohen and Buckley for that!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Killing Me Softly with His Song,” Roberta Flack and Fugees

An R&B Classic Updated for a Modern Audience

“Smooth Criminal,” Michael Jackson and Alien Ant Farm

A Funk-Metal Cover That Fires Up the Original Jam

“Twist and Shout,” The Isley Brothers and The Beatles

One of the Finest ‘60s Dancefloor-Fillers

“Hound Dog,” Big Mama Thornton and Elvis Presley

A Long-Running No. 1 Hit for Two Legendary Artists

“With a Little Help from My Friends,” The Beatles and Joe Cocker

The Beatles Get Injected With a Healthy Dose of Soul

#1: “I Will Always Love You”

Dolly Parton & Whitney Houston

According to the myth, Dolly Parton wrote the song “I Will Always Love You” on the same day she wrote “Jolene.” That’s one seriously productive evening by any metric. The song was one of the best-selling tracks of 1974, becoming one of Parton’s most adored compositions. When Whitney Houston decided to cover it for the soundtrack of the 1992 film “The Bodyguard,” it brought Dolly’s initial creation to a whole new era. This version soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, holding that spot for fourteen weeks. It was also a sensation internationally, hitting No. 1 in the vast majority of countries it charted in.

What do you think is a song that can hit in any genre? Let us know in the comments below.