Covert covers, you can always count on good musicians to copy even better artists. Is that a bad thing? Hell no! Sometimes it’s actually a great thing because otherwise the tracks would never have been as popular as they are today. And most of the times, it’s kind of an honor to be covered when you are already a legend.

So let’s take a look at some epic songs you probably thought were originally written by the artists that made them popular. Maybe you’ll even be surprised by who copied who and what the difference is between the song versions. Check all our covert covers in the Jamuary channel. 

No Doubt – It’s My Life (2003)

The pioneers of postrock Talk Talk scored one of their biggest hit songs in 1984. It’s all about being broken hearted, misunderstood and the will to reclaim your own life. The title of the track says it all. Have a look at the chords for “It’s my Life” by Talk Talk. 

If you’re a millennial growing up in the nineties, this may come as a shock. But No Doubt covered “It’s My Life” in 2003. That doesn’t mean the version of Gwen Stefani is any less good than the original. Actually, both songs share the same fire, the only difference is the genre. Which do you like better, postrock or nineties pop?

The Clash – I Fought the Law (1979)

The Clash is known for their hard sound that blew away the British youth in the late seventies and early eighties. One of their rebellious tracks is “I Fought the Law” by the Crickets (1960). “What?!” Yup, “I Fought the Law” by The Clash is actually written nineteen years earlier by the band founded by one of the best musicians of his time, Buddy Holly. 

It’s funny to hear how rebels change sound, looks, but not words and meaning. So if you decide to jam along with one of the two versions, just remember that either way you have to stand ready when it comes to fighting the law.

Freddie Mercury – The Great Pretender (1987)

We all know Freddie Mercury always had one dream: becoming a legend. And so he did with Queen. For a while, the band was unstoppable until egos started to inflate. After that, things had to settle down and cool off and Mercury took some time off for his solo career.

“The Great Pretender” by Freddie Mercury is one of the songs from that period and yes, it is pretty slick and stylish. The man, the myth was in fact a great pretender, so no wonder he decided to cover a song originally written by The Platters in 1955. Oh yes, “The Great Pretender” by The Platters has a whole other sound than Mercury’s version. So why not jam to both of them?

Nazareth – Love Hurts (1974) 

If you’ve ever been in love, you’ll surely remember the track “Love Hurts” by Nazareth. Most likely, it made sense at one point in your life. But did you know this song was originally written by the Everly Brothers in 1961? Those guys had massive success in the fifties and sixties with songs like “That’ll Be The Day”, “Lucille” and “Bye Bye Love” just to name a few. 

The song sounds like a classic evergreen and that’s because it already was a hit when Nazareth decided to cover it. Check out the chords to “Love Hurts” by the Everly Brothers and see if this version is more to your liking. Happy jamming!

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Teo creates content, which means he writes, a lot, about music, and all things interesting. When it comes to jamming, his weapon of choice is the bass guitar.