Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Guns N' Roses | The Odyssey Online
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Arts Entertainment

Did You Know your favorite song's a cover?

From The Clash to The Killers, here are 10 covers you thought were originals!

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Did You Know your favorite song's a cover?
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clash_21051980_12_800.jpg

We all have a favorite band including the bands we like. Many artists tend to cover bands that have inspired them or influenced their music.

From The Clash to The Killers, here are 10 covers that became so popular, you may have thought they were originals.

Shadowplay - The Killers

Joy Division's end came in 1980 after the tragic suicide of Ian Curtis. The band formed "New Order," an English synthpop and rock band in his honor.

New Order put out a music video for their 2001 single, "Crystal," which revolves around a fictional band named "The Killers."

The widely successful 2000s American rock band known as The Killers got their name from this music video as Joy Division and New Order are huge influences of their music. The band later covered Joy Division's "Shadowplay" on their album "Sawdust."

Original Version: "Shadowplay" - Joy Division

Landslide - The Smashing Pumpkins

Stevie Nicks wrote the song "Landslide" in 1975 and performed it with her band Fleetwood Mac. The song was featured on the band's self-titled debut album and since then has been covered by many well-known bands.

The Smashing Pumpkins recorded an acoustic cover of "Landslide" in 1994. This cover became one of The Smashing Pumpkins most known tracks.

Stevie Nicks even approved of the cover, which peaked at three on the US Alternative charts and 30 on the US Billboard charts.

Original Version: "Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac

Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Guns N' Roses

The Bob Dylan song, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" has been covered by many well-known artists like Guns N' Roses and Eric Clapton. The Guns N' Roses cover is so well-known and loved that it is the first version that pops up when Googled!

The critical reception was worldwide as it reached No. 1 in Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands, 2 in the UK, and 18 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in 1990! The cover still remains a classic and is a Guns N' Roses fan favorite.

Original Version: "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Bob Dylan

Take Me To The River - Talking Heads

"Take Me To The River" is a song written by Al Green in 1974. The Talking Heads, an American rock band of the '80s recorded a cover of the song for their second album, More Songs About Buildings and Food.

Brian Eno co-produced the single, which reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979. The single also reached success in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Original Version: "Take Me To The River" - Al Green

Love Rollercoaster - Red Hot Chili Peppers

The American funk and R&B band known as the Ohio Players featured their song "Love Rollercoaster" on their 1975 album, Honey. "Love Rollercoaster" became a US number-one hit and the album reached Gold status.

In 1996, the Red Hot Chili Peppers covered "Love Rollercoaster" for the soundtrack of the "Beavis and Butt-head Do America" movie. RHCP's version includes original rap-based verses and additional lyrics from backup singers.

RHCP's version of the song became a hit, peaking at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and at No. 22 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart!

Original Version: "Love Rollercoaster" - Ohio Players

American Woman - Lenny Kravitz

The Guess Who, a Canadian rock band released "American Woman" in November of 1969. The song has been covered by a numerous amount of artists, but it is well-known for its Lenny Kravitz cover.

Kravitz released his version of "American Woman" in 1999 for the film, "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me." Kravitz version is known to be slower and softer than the original.

In 1999, Kravitz and his band were joined by the Guess Who to perform "American Woman" live at the MuchMusic Video Awards.

Original Version: "American Woman" - The Guess Who

The Man Who Sold The World - Nirvana

David Bowie released "The Man Who Sold The World" in 1970 on his third album, which had the same title.

During Nirvana's famous "MTV Unplugged" appearance, the grunge band covered "The Man Who Sold The World." The cover received a wide amount of airplay on alternative rock stations and was covered during their live shows.

Kurt Cobain even ranked the album "The Man Who Sold The World" as No. 45 out of his top 50 favorite albums. The cover was later included in Nirvana's greatest hits compilation.

David Bowie praised the cover saying, "I was simply blown away when I found that Kurt Cobain liked my work, and have always wanted to talk to him about his reasons for covering 'The Man Who Sold the World' and that "it was a good straightforward rendition and sounded somehow very honest. It would have been nice to have worked with him, but just talking with him would have been real cool."

Original Version: "The Man Who Sold The World" - David Bowie

All Along The Watchtower - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Another Bob Dylan classic that is known for its Jimi Hendrix cover is "All Along The Watchtower." The Jimi Hendrix version was released six months after Bob Dylan's original recording.

The Hendrix cover became a Top 20 single in 1968 and was later ranked 47th in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

When speaking of Hendrix's cover, Dylan stated, "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way... Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

Original Version: "All Along The Watchtower" - Bob Dylan

Blinded By the Light - Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

The more popular and well-known version of "Blinded By The Light" is by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, who give the song a synthesized rock sound.

The band has covered three Bruce Springsteen that have given them charted hits. These songs include "Blinded By The Light," "For You," and "Spirit in the Night."

Manfred Mann's version of Springsteen's song reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian RPM charts. The cover is Springsteen's only No. 1 single as a songwriter.

Original Version: "Blinded By The Light" - Bruce Springsteen

I Fought the Law - The Clash

"I Fought The Law" is a 1960s classic written by Sonny Curtis of The Crickets. The song became a top-10 hit once the Bobby Fuller Four popularized it with their cover.

The Clash, an English rock band from London covered the track in 1979 after hearing the song in San Francisco while recording their second album.

The Clash's version of "I Fought The Law" gained them exposure in the United States as it was the first single the band released in the states.

Original Version: "I Fought The Law" - The Crickets

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