Some of our favorite songs of all time are actually country song covers and this is bound to blow your socks off, that’s for sure. Of course, the original songwriters are given all the love (and credit) for these great songs but some other artists have actually made the cover more famous than the original.

What Are Country Song Covers?

So a “cover” of a song is when an artist takes an original song and puts their own twist on it, credits the writers and then releases it as their own. This is way more common in the music industry than you would actually think. Some of the biggest stars in country music have done this!

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA – JANUARY 24: Singer Dolly Parton Performs at Agua Caliente Casino on January 24, 2014 in Rancho Mirage, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images)

In fact, this has been going on for decades. Some of your favorite songs you hear on 92.5 XTU are actually originally performed by a different artist and you may have never known it! Even in writing this article, I discovered quite a few songs that I thought for sure were originals but was shocked to find out they weren’t.

Are These All COUNTRY Song Covers?

Well, kind of. Let me explain. In some cases, the original song was country however the cover song was not. You will see a Dolly Parton original on here that actually became one of the biggest pop songs OF ALL TIME (and I am not exaggerating when saying that).

In another case, you will hear a Johnny Cash song that was actually written by an alternative rock band. The country version, however, I think is much better! My humble opinion.

Headshot of American country singer Johnny Cash (1932 – 2003) singing on stage in a still from the film, ‘Johnny Cash – The Man, His World, His Music,’ directed by Robert Elfstrom, 1969. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

But in most cases, you will find that a song written for country music ends up staying in the genre, just covered and rerecorded by a new country artist!

• The Cover: Rascal Flatt's "Life Is A Highway"

  Obviously, this song is absolutely amazing. Rascal Flatts popularized it especially surrounding the release of Disney Pixar’s Cars back in 2006. The song won Favorite Song In A Movie in the People’s Choice Awards and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Charts.

• The Original: Tom Cochrane

  The Canadian musician released “Life Is A Highway” off his second studio album called Mad Mad World. It hit number one in Canada and sixth on the Billboard Charts in the United States (beating out Rascal Flatts by one spot).

  Fun Fact: It was also covered in 1998 by Chris LeDoux.

• The Cover: Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You"

  It was originally recorded for the movie “The Bodyguard.” She recorded in 1993 and released it in 1994. Ultimately, this song became much bigger than its original and the movie!

• The Original: DOLLY PARTON

  True country fans will know that Dolly Parton originally wrote and performed this song. Parton recently told Kelly Clarkson, that when she first heard Houston’s version she had to “pull over to the side because I honestly thought I’d get in a wreck.”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0bEZH6ZqG4

• The Cover: Willie Nelson's "You Were Always On My Mind"

  When Nelson recorded it and released it in 1982, it quickly topped the Billboard charts and stayed at number one for two weeks. It also won three Grammy’s the following year including Song of the Year, Best Country Song and Nelson won Best Male Country Performance.

• The Original: Elvis!

  The legend himself actually recorded and released “Always On My Mind” ten years prior to Willie Nelson’s version hit the charts. Fun fact, he actually released it shortly after his separation with his wife, Priscilla.

  Actually, Brenda Lee was the very first artist to cut the song however, adjustments were made and Elvis was the first one to make it a hit!

• The Cover: The Chicks' "Landslide"

  What an absolutely BEAUTIFUL song from The Chicks (previously known as The Dixie Chicks). They released this song (or should we say cover) back in 2002 and is the bands only number one single in their history.

• The Original: Fleetwood Mac

  Stevie Nicks absolutely crushed this song with Fleetwood Mac and it is legendary in its own right. As of 2021, it was ranked number 163 on Billboards “500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.”

  A little added bonus, did you know that Smashing Pumpkins also did a cover of this great song? We wanted to add it here for you to compare.

• The Cover: Reba McEntire's "Fancy"

  This song surpassed the original version by reaching the top 10 on the Billboard charts in 1991. For years, she actually used this song as an encore during her live performances.

• The Original: Bobbie Gentry

  The song was originally recorded and released in 1969 as a crossover country/pop hit for Gentry. It reached the top four of the Billboard Top 100.

   

• The Cover: Allison Krauss' "When You Say Nothing At All"

  This song really put Krauss on the map as an artist. It was her first top 10 country hit released only seven years after the original. It was written by Paul Overstreet and Don Shiltz.

• The Original: Keith Whitley

  It took top of the charts in December of 1988 for Whitley. I would say, personally, this is Keith Whitley’s number two greatest song of his career!

• The Cover: Johnny Cash's "Hurt"

  This is actually kind of crazy! Did you know this was a cover? I sure didn’t. When you find out who originally sung this song, you won’t believe it at all! He covered it 2002, towards the end of his career.

• The Original: Nine Inch Nails

  When Trent Reznor, the song’s writer and the band’s front man heart the song he said, “it’s incredibly flattering as a writer to have your song chosen by someone who’s a great writer and a great artist” in an interview with Alternative Press.

• The Cover: Blake Shelton's "Ol' Red"

  The song was originally written by James “Bo” Bohon, Don Goodman, and Mark Sherrill. Blake did his own version of the song in 2002. It peaked at 14 on the charts for Shelton and was the third single of his debut album. 

• The Original: George Jones

  It was recorded for Jones’ 1990 album You Oughta Be Here With Me.

  Also, it was actually covered three years after the original was released by the one and only Kenny Rogers!

• The Cover: Chris Stapleton's "Tennessee Whiskey"

  Perhaps the biggest song of this man’s career was actually a cover, it was written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove. Stapleton’s version was certified DIAMOND (which means selling the equivalent of ten million units).

• The Original: David Allan Coe

  I hate to say it and no disrespect to David Allan Coe but I really believe that Stapleton’s version is much much better. You be the judge though!

Get The XTU Nation Insider Newsletter In Your Inbox

Enjoy the latest Country music & entertainment news, Philly happenings you need to know, plus exclusive contests, games, and more!

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.