Iconic cover songs transform musical history

Many iconic musical tracks are actually covers that have become so definitive they are often associated with the performing artist rather than the original songwriter.

In the R&B genre, notable examples include Luther Vandross's rendition of Dionne Warwick's "A House is Not a Home," Isaac Hayes's interpolation of the Carpenters' "(They Long to Be) Close to You," and Whitney Houston's famous version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." Other significant R&B covers include Prince's take on Bonnie Raitt's "I Can’t Make You Love Me" and Troop's version of Michael Jackson's "All I Do is Think of You."

In the broader music landscape, Johnny Cash's acoustic version of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" and Jimi Hendrix's electrified reimagining of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" are cited as transformative recordings that redefined the original works.