Top 30 Cover Songs HATED by the Original Artist

#30: “Hard Sun” (2009)

Eddie Vedder

Gordon Peterson’s brief music career under the stage name Indio yielded the 1989 one-hit wonder “Hard Sun.” Really, the folk rock ballad was mostly a hit in his native Canada. Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder did remember “Hard Sun” fondly enough to contribute a cover to the 2007 film “Into the Wild.” Unfortunately, Peterson was so irritated by this interpretation, complete with lyric changes, that he sued Vedder for copyright infringement in 2009. The case was dismissed on the grounds that Universal Music granted permission for the soundtrack cover. Thus, Peterson also sued the label, who settled for an undisclosed amount. These lawsuits may be perceived as petty, but Indio took the legal and artistic deception hard.

#29: “Baker Street” (1992)

The Undercover

1970s soft rock didn’t get much more infectious than Gerry Rafferty’s career-defining “Baker Street.” The electro-dance outfit Undercover adapted it to the 1990s with their debut single. Some took umbrage with the hit’s rave-worthy reworking of such a sweeping and self-reflexive anthem, including Rafferty himself. He told The Sun in 2003 that he found the cover “totally banal” and even “a sad sign of the times.” His once-promising career was stunted by his disdain for commercial music, as well as the alcohol use disorder that inspired “Baker Street.” He wouldn’t even let it be used in advertising. Ironically, Rafferty also expressed appreciation for the royalties that the song and its successful covers brought. Artistically speaking, though, he was underwhelmed by Undercover’s big break.

#28: “Leaving on a Jet Plane” (1979)

The Barron Knights

John Denver’s career soared with the melancholy folk ballad “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” One can imagine he wasn’t amused when British comedy rockers The Barron Knights made the stomach-turning spoof “Heavin’ on a Jet Plane.” Well, neither Denver nor guitarist Peter “Peanut” Langford left that to the imagination. The latter recounted to PA Media in 2020 that the Knights were once in Australia around the same time as Denver, who told a DJ that he hated the parody. Granted, he hadn’t heard it. He was just so upset about the idea of the crass bastardization that he threatened to pull his music from a publisher if they aired “Heavin’.” It’s not exactly radio-friendly anyway, but Denver’s outrage kept it from taking off.

#27: “The Show Must Go On” (1974)

Three Dog Night

Despite its festive style, Leo Sayer’s breakout hit “The Show Must Go On” featured a thoughtful lyric about regret and showbiz. Three Dog Night’s version not only indirectly undermined the message with an even more boisterous and experimental sound. They dramatically changed the lyric’s climax, with the final refrain “I won’t let the show go on” becoming the more optimistic-sounding “I must let the show go on.” In a 2016 interview with Rock Cellar, Sayer explained that he was in fact lamenting the artifice of a public persona. Three Dog Night seemingly misinterpreted this, but Sayer politely commended them when they met. As it turns out, though, his initial praise of the cover was just for show itself.

#26: “Under the Bridge” (1998)

All Saints

The funk rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers found a transformative hit in a ballad about loneliness and substance dependency. Six years later, the British girl group All Saints radically reinterpreted “Under the Bridge” with an R&B twist. They also showed Anthony Kiedis some respect by removing the most tragically personal passages. However, the RHCP frontman found this more crucial to the song than its iconic composition. In Jeff Apter’s book “Fornication,” Kiedis slammed All Saints’ version as superficial and void of grit. He plainly said, “[I]t looked like they didn't know what they were singing about.” All Saints’s personal urban experience may liven up “Under the Bridge,” but this take ironically isolates the original’s confession and identity.

#25: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1972)

Roberta Flack

Many recognize Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” as one of the most romantic songs of the ‘70s. But the first time ever we heard the ballad was when Ewan MacColl wrote it as a traditionalist folk number for future wife Peggy Seeger in 1957. The original singer mentioned in interviews that she was put off by Flack’s slow, self-indulgent aggrandizement. Seeger came to embrace this interpretation, but her husband reportedly never did. MacColl resented that Flack popularized such a personal piece, and really didn't like anyone appropriating his work. He collected recordings of covers in an album dubbed “The Chamber of Horrors.” It's not exactly the most loving tribute to a lovely classic he and Seeger originated.

#24: “Oye Como Va” (1970)

Santana

One of the many staples that Tito Puente contributed to Latin music is the catchy 1962 masterpiece “Oye Cómo Va.” It then exploded into the global mainstream through Santana’s sophomore album “Abraxas.” Consequently, many assumed that the seminal Latin rock band originated the song. Already disgruntled by the genre shift, Puente encountered so many misconceptions from minor fans that he’d regularly announce at concerts, “We don’t play Santana music.” Well, that resentment died down when the royalty checks started coming in. Puente then expressed gratitude to Santana for elevating his legitimacy with a composer credit and helping to popularize Latin music. Granted, he also would have appreciated more credit from those who didn’t read the liner notes for “Abraxas.”

#23: “My Prerogative” (2004)

Britney Spears

After getting kicked out of New Edition for problematic behavior, Bobby Brown asserted his independence in 1988 with “My Prerogative.” The premise of rising above the judgment of others surely resonated with notoriously scrutinized pop star Britney Spears. Sadly, her cover underperformed and was largely dismissed by critics, including Brown himself. In a 2025 interview for the podcast “Club Shay Shay,” he unpromptedly referred to Spears’s “My Prerogative” as “a butchery.” He further claimed that this convinced him to vet samples and covers of his work before permitting their release. Brown then faced backlash from fans, given the personal struggles that made Spears a credible interpreter of the song. Whether this makes Brown a hypocrite, hey, it’s his prerogative.

#22: “The Boys of Summer” (2003)

The Ataris

Don Henley has a reputation for being aggressively protective of his music. He’s led much of the critical and even legal backlash against those who dip into the Eagles. Never mind a solo catalogue highlighted by the heartland rock anthem “The Boys of Summer,” which also immortalized the pop-punk outfit The Ataris in 2003. Of course, Henley hated their style so much that their original material was poisoned as far as he was concerned. This sparked a feud that has been linked to the band’s subsequent commercial decline. At least Henley rather remarkably spared them a lawsuit. Still, “The Boys of Summer” making then breaking The Ataris is a sad testament to an otherwise respected artist’s spiteful side.

#21: “Africa” (2018)

Weezer

Steve Lukather and Steve Porcaro have mixed feelings about Toto’s biggest commercial hit, but are more united on Weezer. The iconic alt-rockers covered “Rosanna” and “Africa” in 2018 in response to a social media push for the latter. Toto gave their blessing by promoting the single and making their own cover of “Hash Pipe.” But seven years after Weezer’s “Africa” became its own massive hit, Lukather confessed to not being a fan. He and Porcaro had earlier mentioned in interviews that they suspected Rivers Cuomo of disliking the original, and covering it only as a lucrative joke. While Porcaro hasn't confirmed his personal feelings about Weezer’s “Africa,” there may be justice in it being so lucrative that Cuomo is stuck with it.

#20: “I’ll Sill Love You” (1976)

Ringo Starr

The Beatles were still fighting long after the band had broken up. In 1970, George Harrison was recording “All Things Must Pass” when he laid down a piece called “Whenever.” However, he only went as far as the demo, and the song never made it to the finished album. He then tried giving the song to other artists, and even produced a few versions himself, but nothing was ever released. Fast-forward to 1976, when former Beatle Ringo Starr recorded the song for his album “Ringo’s Rotogravure.” While details have never been made public, Harrison was reportedly not pleased with Ringo’s iteration, and even took legal action against his former bandmate. So much for that touching tribute.

#19: “I Will Survive” (1996)

Cake

A staple of late ‘70s disco, “I Will Survive” has endured thanks to its empowering lyrics and funky sound. And while Gloria Gaynor’s version is soulful and powerful, Cake’s is dry, sarcastic, almost cynical, featuring frontman John McCrea’s signature monotone vocals. Cake also replaces the disco instrumentation with a minimalist rock setup, stripping down the production and the bombast. It’s a change, to be sure. And while some may like it, Gaynor was not a fan. But not because it sounds so different. No, Cake actually altered some lyrics and even introduced an f-bomb; and it was this profanity that Gaynor did not enjoy.

#18: “The Rite of Spring” (1913)

“Fantasia” (1940)

Unlike other covers, orchestral works are often performed verbatim, with virtually zero alterations. That certainly wasn't the case with “Fantasia.” Disney's team adapted Igor Stravinsky's “The Rite of Spring,” but they rearranged the order of the movements and made substantial cuts to the original work, reducing it from 30+ minutes to about 20. There's also the visual element to consider, as Disney changed the piece from a primitive and brutal pagan ritual to a story about dinosaurs. Suffice to say, Stravinsky was not a fan, which is especially painful as he was the only composer from the movie that was still alive at the time. He called the new musical arrangement execrable and the accompanying visuals unresisting imbecility. The man has a way with words!

#17: Elvis Costello (1978-80)

Linda Ronstadt

It's no surprise that versatile folk artist Linda Ronstadt is a fan of Elvis Costello. The surprise that the feeling wasn't mutual came out after she interpreted four of his songs. Ronstadt covered “Alison” in 1978, then “Party Girl,” “Girls Talk” and “Talking in the Dark” for one 1980 album. She was even faithful to their new wave style. Nonetheless, Costello told Record World that the covers were “like sheer torture,” and that the whole “Mad Love” album was “a waste of vinyl.” He later expressed regret for this harsh reaction to a more mainstream artist paying her respects. Ronstadt's “Alison” and “Mad Love” were ultimately successful, though she told Billboard that she understood Costello’s frustration with someone else claiming his art.

#16: “Mrs. Robinson” (1992)

The Lemonheads

It’s a big ask to cover “Mrs. Robinson,” one of the most popular and celebrated songs ever made. It’s an even bigger ask to make a grungy version of it. The Lemonheads were approached to do a cover of the song to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “The Graduate,” with the band being quite hot at the time thanks to the album “It’s a Shame About Ray.” Paul Simon reportedly hated the cover, as did the Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando. However, Simon later appeared on “The Howard Stern Show” and claimed that it was so-so. He’s coming around!

#15: “No Man’s Land” (2014)

Joss Stone feat. Jeff Beck

Reportedly a favorite of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, “No Man’s Land” is a powerful anti-war song about a young man who dies in World War I. Though respectful of the dead, the song's message is clear: war is futile, and we shouldn’t glorify it. This entire message was altered in Joss Stone’s cover, which was made as the Official Poppy Appeal Single for The Royal British Legion in 2014. You see, she completely omitted the back half of the song, which contains the core anti-war message. It’s a sentimental tribute to war, rather than a poignant reflection on its futility. Many people, including original songwriter Eric Bogle, were not happy with the alterations– and the singer even wrote an entire piece in The Guardian expressing his disappointment.

#14: “My Little Red Book” (1966)

Love

This is one of those cases when a cover becomes even more popular than the original. “My Little Red Book” was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and recorded by Manfred Mann. But the single did not perform, failing to reach the Hot 100. Enter the band Love, whose cover reached No. 52. This was a completely different version, transforming the song from Bacharach’s jazzy, lounge-pop origins into a raw garage rock anthem. They also altered its signature chord changes, simplifying Bacharach’s unusual progressions into a more straightforward rock song. Bacharach reportedly hated these changes, claiming that “they [played] the wrong chords.” However, he did concede that the song brought him some credibility in the world of rock and roll.

#13: “Blinded by the Light” (1976)

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

Bruce Springsteen arguably broke out with the underdog anthem “Blinded by the Light.” But it's better-known as the signature song of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Unfortunately, the Boss wasn't impressed with the drastic prog-rock rearrangement. On “VH1 Storytellers,” he expressed his dismay over the cover commercially outpacing the original by mocking an infamous change to the lyric. While the original chorus boasted, “Cut loose like a deuce,” in reference to a deuce coupe, many thought Chris Thompson sang something besides “Revved up like a deuce.” In a 2025 interview with Guitar Player, Thompson recalled Springsteen telling him directly that he hated Earth Band’s “Blinded by the Light.” Both versions are still considered classics, even if one visionary doesn't see it that way.

#12: “You’re My Home” (1974)

Helen Reddy

You can't help but sing along to a Billy Joel ballad. Of course, he’d rather one particular gifted singer hadn’t. Written for Joel’s wife, the sincere piece “You're My Home” was given the full orchestral pop treatment by Helen Reddy. The original artist blasted this interpretation at a concert that he didn't realize was being attended by a representative of Reddy’s. Joel revealed this in a 1998 interview with Uncut magazine, and that the incident nearly led to legal action. Reddy resolved the issue by promising Joel that she would never again cover his music. He hated to admit that his response was more enthusiastic than his feelings about the initial tribute.

#11: “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1991)

Mötley Crüe

The Sex Pistols burst onto the scene with “Anarchy in the U.K.,” a ferocious punk song that introduced a harder, faster and grittier sound to the mainstream. Fifteen years later, it was covered by Mötley Crüe for their compilation album “Decade of Decadence 81–91.” It’s a much glossier production, with a more polished sound and flashy guitar work. The band also altered the lyrics, substituting UK organizations and references for American ones. So, “Anarchy in the USA,” then? John Lydon, AKA Johnny Rotten, did not like these changes, telling NME, “They peppered it with the wrong words ‘cos they didn’t know the full monty. They lost the meaning somewhat.”

#10: “Life on Mars” (1974)

Barbra Streisand

Very few want to criticize Barbra Streisand. David Bowie didn’t have a problem. “Life on Mars” is considered one of his most iconic songs, released as a single at the height of his “Ziggy Stardust” fame. It was also around this time that Barbra Streisand recorded a cover for her album “ButterFly.” She transforms the song from a glam rock ballad into a more theatrical and lush pop piece with sweeping orchestration. Many people hated Streisand’s Broadway gloss, believing that it ruined the song’s surreal and moody atmosphere. And that includes Bowie himself, who called it both “bloody awful” and “atrocious.” Hey, even the legends have a few missteps!

#9: “If I Needed Someone” (1965)

The Hollies

If any band should have thick skin for music covers, it’s The Beatles. It was a different story in 1965, especially as the world hadn’t heard “If I Needed Someone” when the demo leaked to The Hollies. They released their version as a single on the exact day The Beatles debuted the album “Rubber Soul.” George Harrison, the song’s writer, dismissed The Hollies cover and overall sound in an interview with NME. This sparked a public feud between the two British Invasion favorites. The Hollies’ Graham Nash later blamed the backlash for the single’s commercial disappointment, but admitted in his autobiography that the circumstances of the cover were in bad taste. Thankfully, he and Harrison wound up becoming friends.

#8: “Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You)” (1990)

Pet Shop Boys

It doesn't seem like alt-rock pioneers U2 and synth-pop icons Pet Shop Boys would cross paths. Why not throw in Frankie Valli? The crooner never commented on Pet Shop Boys’ mash-up between “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.” U2’s Bono, however, put out a statement asking, “What have we done to deserve this?” Sure, this was a playful reference to another Pet Shop Boys song, but the sentiment was serious. Twelve years later, Neil Tennant told the tabloid The People that he and Bono had made amends. It took a long time for them to find their way out of this petty genre feud. Now we just need to know what Valli thought of the crossover.

#7: “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”

Peter Gabriel

Incidentally, the relationship between Radiohead and Peter Gabriel didn't fade out. It ended abruptly when Gabriel covered one of his fellow art rock legend’s most beloved songs. Before his more solemn interpretation of “Street Spirit” was released, he told NME that he sent it to Thom Yorke. The band was set to in turn do Gabriel’s “Wallflower” for the “Scratch My Back” cover project. Well, he never heard back. Gabriel was later informed that Radiohead were not pleased with his interpretation, though they've never given their side of the story. All Gabriel can say is that he can understand their apprehension toward his artistic liberties. The bigger artistic loss is that the world missed out on Radiohead’s version of “Wallflower.”

#6: “Ol’ 55” (1976)

Eagles

It's one thing for Tom Waits to dismiss the particular way another artist adapts his music. But his response to the Eagles’ soft rock twist on the jazz-folk ballad “Ol’ 55” was just the beginning of the rant. In a 1975 radio interview, Waits harshly described the cover as “a little antiseptic.” A year later, he told NME that he just didn't like the Eagles in general. “As exciting as watching paint dry” were his exact words. Even if the Eagles “Ol’ 55” was technically more upbeat than Waits’s, he felt that it lacked creativity. Granted, Glenn Frey once mentioned at a concert that the royalty checks helped him and Waits make peace.

#5: “You Really Got Me” (1978)

Van Halen

The Kinks was an interesting way to follow the screaming guitar solo “Eruption” on Van Halen’s debut album. You’d think that the original artists would appreciate such maverick rock as much as anyone. But in 2010, Dave Davies told Classic Rock magazine that he found this rendition of “You Really Got Me” to be artlessly technical. He was further disheartened by a concertgoer believing that The Kinks were the ones doing the covering. At least Ray Davies found Van Halen’s “You Really Got Me” to be good for a laugh. Considering that this version is as popular as the original, one could say that the Davies brothers just didn't really get it.

#4: “Behind Blue Eyes” (2003)

Limp Bizkit

Despite its scathing reviews, Limp Bizkit’s cover of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes” was a commercial success, and is one of the band’s highest-charting singles on the Hot 100, released at the height of their fame. There was an attempt at vulnerability here, with stripped-down instrumentation and melodic vocals that were a far cry from the band’s usual efforts. Regardless, the song was not received well by critics, or Pete Townshend. In an interview with Uncut in 2005, Townshend referred to that “Durst fellow” and called his cover “[an] embarrassing effort, and one that discredits a fine song.”

#3: “These Boots” (1985)

Megadeth

The idea of Megadeth covering Nancy Sinatra is just hilarious. They covered her seminal song “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” for their debut album “Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!,” although they intended it more as a parody than a straight cover. As such, they included some, shall we say, raunchier lyrics. The song’s writer and producer Lee Hazlewood called it a “perversion” of the original, and demanded that the band omit it from future reissues of the album. Frontman Dave Mustaine later called out Hazlewood, saying that he happily collected royalties for a decade before issuing his complaint. Funnily enough, Megadeth later did a proper cover of the song, with the correct lyrics, for the 2018 remaster of the album.

#2: “Summer Breeze” (1993)

Type O Negative

The soft rock icons Seals and Crofts are way off-key from Type O Negative. As much as their doom metal cover of “Summer Breeze” sounds like a parody, it's still pretty toned-down. The song was originally rewritten as an eight-minute-long, lyrically lewd epic under the title “Summer Girl.” But when the demo reached Seals and Crofts, they were deeply offended. Thus, a shorter, more faithful version of “Summer Breeze” was recorded for the album “Bloody Kisses.” The “Summer Girl” demo was leaked shortly thereafter. This hidden gem is definitely not for soft rock enthusiasts, but it’s nice to know that Type O Negative had enough respect for the original artists to more-or-less clean up their act.

#1: “Dazed and Confused” (1967)

The Yardbirds / Led Zeppelin

Innovative songwriter and guitarist Jimmy Page has long faced allegations of plagiarism. Even Led Zeppelin’s debut album was tainted by a belated writing credit to Anne Bredon for “Babe I'm Gonna Leave You.” But “Dazed and Confused” was an unprecedented scandal. In 1967, Jake Holmes performed the folk ballad while opening for Page’s band The Yardbirds. They then adapted the song with just enough changes to credit Page as sole songwriter, before Zeppelin made it a signature song. Holmes sued for copyright infringement in 2010, and at last received an “Inspired by” credit. It was the ultimate statement about what a musician thought of a cover. Of course, we could never confuse what Holmes thought about being excluded from the classic he originated.

What are some other cover songs that went too out-of-tune with the original artists? Share their words in the comments.