Two Times The Charm
A song hits once, then pops up again—totally fresh, totally different. It’s wild how one track can live two lives and still stick in your head.
“I Will Always Love You” By Dolly Parton & Whitney Houston
Dolly’s 1974 farewell ballad melted hearts, but Whitney Houston’s 1992 powerhouse cover from The Bodyguard exploded worldwide. Crowning the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, it transformed the tender original into a vocal showcase. Dolly earned millions; Whitney earned legendary status. Everyone remembers that final note.
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You (Official 4K Video) by Whitney Houston
“Respect” By Otis Redding & Aretha Franklin
In 1965, Otis Redding’s soul plea flipped into Aretha’s 1967 feminist anthem. She added the iconic “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” hook, electrified the beat, and owned it. Her version topped the charts, won two Grammys, and redefined empowerment. Aretha didn’t just cover it—she rewrote history with a microphone and fierce intent.
Aretha Franklin | Respect | 1967 | Best Version by Black Music Archive LIVE!
“The Tide Is High” By The Paragons & Blondie
When the Paragons went with the Jamaican original in 1967, it eased in with mellow reggae. Then, when 1980 came around, Blondie did a cover that ramped up the rhythm. It also incorporated synth-pop elements and topped the charts in the US and UK. Debbie Harry’s vocals added bite.
Blondie - The Tide Is High by BlondieMusicOfficial
“Tainted Love” By Gloria Jones & Soft Cell
Gloria Jones’s 1965 track faded into obscurity until Soft Cell reimagined it in 1981. With synth-driven gloom and tight beats, their version became a global hit, topping charts in 17 countries. What flopped once now throbbed with nightclub melancholy. Irony? It was recorded in less than a week.
Soft Cell - Tainted Love (Official Music Video) by Soft Cell
“Nothing Compares 2 U” By The Family & Sinead O’Connor
Prince’s project, The Family, was quietly released in 1985, but Sinead O’Connor turned it into heartbreak incarnate in 1990. Her tear-streaked video haunted MTV. It topped the charts globally, giving her instant fame. Prince wrote it, but Sinead owned it with sincerity and that one raw tear.
Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U (Official Music Video) [HD] by Sinéad O'Connor
“Hound Dog” By Big Mama Thornton & Elvis Presley
Big Mama Thornton’s 1952 bluesy original snarled with grit, selling half a million copies. Elvis cleaned it up in 1956, rocked it out, and held Billboard’s top spot for 11 weeks. Teen hysteria followed. But Thornton’s fierce bark? That’s where the hound started chasing fame.
Elvis Presley "Hound Dog" (October 28, 1956) on The Ed Sullivan Show by The Ed Sullivan Show
“Valerie” By The Zutons & Mark Ronson Ft Amy Winehouse
The Zutons rocked it first in 2006, but Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse turned it retro gold in 2007. Her vocals swung with soul, sass, and smoky magic. She recorded it with soul—it shows. Today, many assume it was always Amy’s. That says everything.
Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse - Valerie (Official Video) by Mark Ronson
“I Fought the Law” By The Crickets & The Bobby Fuller Four
Sonny Curtis wrote it for The Crickets in 1960—barely noticed. Then, in 1965, The Bobby Fuller Four gave it punch and rebel charm. Their Top 10 hit added grit. Later, The Clash made it punk. But Bobby’s version? Slick, defiant, unforgettable. The law never stood a chance.
I Fought The Law (Extended 4K Version) Bobby Fuller by MEMORY_LANE
“Higher Ground” By Stevie Wonder & Red Hot Chili Peppers
Funk met fire in this unlikely crossover. Stevie Wonder’s 1973 version preached redemption over clavinet-driven funk. The Red Hot Chili Peppers erupted onto the scene in 1989 with thundering bass and ferocity. Funk to alt-rock with spiritual grit intact. Each version hits but in radically different places.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Higher Ground by Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Girls Just Want To Have Fun” By Robert Hazard & Cyndi Lauper
Robert Hazard’s 1979 demo read like frat-boy fantasy. Cyndi Lauper transformed it into a colorful feminist anthem in 1983, reaching No two on the Billboard chart. Electric visuals and quirky confidence fueled its rise. It wasn’t just fun; it was liberation in neon tights. She changed the game.
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Official Video) by Cyndi Lauper
“Piece Of My Heart” By Erma Franklin & Janis Joplin
Erma Franklin first belted it in 1967, and it reached the R&B charts with soulful restraint. Then, in 1968, Janis Joplin crashed and turned it into a psychedelic scream. Her version hit No 12 and became iconic. Joplin lived it. That raw howl? It still stings.
Janis Joplin - Piece of My Heart (live Gröna Lund 1969) by Susan King
“Killing Me Softly” By Lori Lieberman & Roberta Flack
Start with goosebumps. That’s what Roberta Flack’s 1973 version delivered. Though Lori Lieberman introduced it in 1972, Flack’s gentle, polished rework soared to No 1 for five weeks. Inspired by a Don McLean concert, the song tells of emotional dissection. Every note? Soft, deep, unforgettable.
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly With His Song (Official Video) by RHINO
“Lady Marmalade” By Labelle & Moulin Rouge Cast
Fierce and flamboyant, Labelle’s 1974 classic flaunted a saucy “Voulez-vous coucher” line that pushed pop boundaries. Fast-forward to 2001—Aguilera, Pink, Mya, and Lil’ Kim unleashed a glam revival for Moulin Rouge! Both versions hit No 1, dripping with attitude. Nobody ever whispers this chorus.
Moulin Rouge - (lady marmalade) scene by Mac Mooney
“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” By The Supremes & Kim Wilde
In 1966, The Supremes injected Motown rhythm into this tale of lingering heartbreak. Jump to 1986—Kim Wilde revamped it into a glossy, synth-laced power track that topped the US charts, too. Retro soul turned dancefloor hit. Different decades, same ache. One message—“Let me go,” screamed louder.
Kim Wilde - You Keep Me Hangin' On by Kim Wilde
“Blue Suede Shoes” By Carl Perkins & Elvis Presley
Perkins wrote this gem after hearing a dancer obsess over his shoes. In 1956, it lit the rockabilly flame. Elvis’s version, released weeks later, carried swagger and hip-shaking charm. Perkins’s version charted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, while Elvis’s version, included on his chart-topping debut album.
Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes 1956 (COLOR and STEREO) by Yelserp22
“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” By Bob Dylan & Guns N’ Roses
Nobody delivers existential sorrow quite like Dylan. His 1973 track, written for a Western film, whispered farewell. Guns N’ Roses cranked it to eleven in 1991, packing electric solos and epic vocals. One is a last breath. The other? A full-bodied scream to the heavens.
Guns N' Roses - Knockin' On Heaven's Door (The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert) HD by RATSREVUS
“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” By Robert Hazard, Cyndi Lauper & Miley Cyrus (Live Cover)
Miley Cyrus’s cover during her Backyard Sessions uncovered new emotion. But the pioneer was Hazard’s 1979 demo. Then came Lauper’s 1983 version that shimmered with neon independence. Miley’s 2010 acoustic version brought introspection. All highlight freedom, but one dances while the other pauses.
Miley Cyrus - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Music Video by secretsmiley2009
“All Along The Watchtower” By Bob Dylan & Jimi Hendrix
Crackling with tension, Dylan’s 1967 version hinted at apocalypse. Hendrix’s 1968 reinvention, however, was volcanic. He tore through the song with wailing guitar and stormy vocals, redefining it entirely. Dylan himself began performing Hendrix’s version live. That’s not imitation—it’s the ultimate rock endorsement.
“With A Little Help From My Friends” By The Beatles & Joe Cocker
Ever seen Woodstock? Then you’ve heard Joe Cocker transform this Beatles’s sing-along into a spiritual experience. Originally delivered lightheartedly by Ringo in 1967, it became a gospel-infused epic in Cocker’s 1968 hands. Two friends, two tones—one playful, the other soul-baring. It still gives me chills.
Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends (From "Live in Berlin") by GIGS
“Jolene” By Dolly Parton & The White Stripes (Cover)
Heartbreak never sounded so polite. Dolly’s 1973 original begged, pleaded, and broke hearts softly. But when The White Stripes covered it live in the 2000s, Jack White flipped it into a desperate, electrified wail. Acoustic simplicity met rock frenzy. Same woman, different kind of fight.
The White Stripes - Jolene (Official Music video) by The White Stripes
“Hallelujah” By Leonard Cohen & Jeff Buckley
Start with poetry; Cohen’s 1984 original whispered biblical lament and poetic layers. Then came Jeff Buckley’s 1994 coverBybreathy, aching, transcendent. His haunting vocals earned cult status, redefining the song for new generations. It’s not just heard; it’s felt. Buckley turned quiet reverence into a divine ache.
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (Official Video) by Jeff Buckley Music
“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” By Hank Williams & Elvis Presley
Crickets chirped in Hank Williams’s 1949 version, laced with tearful twang and aching loneliness. Elvis took the torch in 1973 during his Aloha from Hawaii concert and let it simmer through velvet vocals. Williams mourned, Elvis soothed. One of the country’s saddest songs gained a second, softer soul.
ELVIS PRESLEY - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (New Edit) by Fabrica Elvis XXI
“I Will Survive” By Gloria Gaynor & Cake (Cover)
Empowerment anthems rarely flip like this. Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 disco classic danced through heartbreak and triumph. Cake’s 1996 alt-rock version slowed the tempo, injected sarcasm, and added a monotone snarl. Both defiant, both unforgettable. Survival sounds different when sung through sequins...or with a smirk.
CAKE - I Will Survive (Official HD Video) by CAKE
“The Man Who Sold The World” By David Bowie & Nirvana
David Bowie’s 1970 psychedelic reflection oozed with mystery and synth. But Nirvana’s 1993 MTV Unplugged version stripped it bare, revealing intimacy and chilling emotion. Kurt Cobain’s voice cracked with rawness. Bowie called it “a good cover”. That’s modest. Cobain practically reintroduced the song to its own creator.
Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World (MTV Unplugged) by Nirvana
“Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” By Eurythmics & Marilyn Manson
Synth-pop turned sinister. The Eurythmics made it catchy and enigmatic in 1983. Marilyn Manson twisted it into a 1995 industrial horror show—grimy, growling, unforgettable. From shoulder pads to shock rock, it morphed dramatically. Same eerie core, two wildly different nightmares. Sweet dreams? Maybe not anymore.
Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams (Live acoustic) HQ AUDIO by Mystik Spiral
