10 Cover Songs Done By 90s Artists That Were Better Than The Original

When you hear a great song on the radio, do you ever wonder if it's an original or a cover? Many times we think artists are performing this song for the first time when really it has been around for decades.

This includes some of your favorite 90s artists who have completely nailed these classics, so much that they have made it their own.

10. "Yesterday" Boyz II Men

While you remember Boyz II Men singing the beautiful ballad in 1994, they weren't the first to lend their voices to it.

In fact this song has been covered more than 2200 times by greats including Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

The original song was recorded by The Beatles in 1965.

9. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" Britney Spears

In 2000 do you remember Britney Spears opening the 2000 MTV VMA with her cover of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" before launching into "Oops! I Did It Again"? That was definitely a highlight of the year for music.

Do you remember another 90s artist that covered this song? In 1991 Vanilla Ice also covered "Satisfaction" and it was something else.

This classic Rolling Stones song was originally released in 1965 and went straight to the top of the charts, peaking at 19th position with 7 weeks on Billboard's list.

8. "And I Love Her" Diana Krall

In the 90s and early 2000s Diana Krall was at the peak of her game winning two Grammy Awards in 2000, one in 2002 and one in 2003.

So her covering this classic song was music to our ears.

Original released by The Beatles in 1964 it spent 9 weeks on the chart and peaked in the 12th position on Billboard.

7. "Summertime" Sublime

Most of us spent much of the 90s rocking out to Sublime, so it's no surprise that they covered a popular song and added their own spin to it.

In 1996, they released "Summertime" and it was music to our ears.

Originally recorded by Abbie Mitchell in 1935, Janis Joplin covered the song and brought it to new heights. Sonny and Cher also did a version as well as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and The Zombies.

6. "Last Kiss" Pearl Jam

For what would be Pearl Jam's biggest hit, it's hard to believe that it was actually a cover. In 1998, the band revamped Wayne Cochran's original version of the song to get them to number two on the Hot 100 of the Billboard charts.

5. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson became an amped up version of Alice Cooper for Generation X. With his ability to appeal to your teenage angst and his lavish stunts that shocked and appalled your parents, he was the perfect entertainer for the generation.

“I wanted to do the song because I really liked the lyrics and I thought that they were overlooked when the song was released originally by The Eurythmics,” Manson shared in an AOL chat room in 1996.

4. "Imagine" Neil Young

As one of the best songs ever written, it's no surprise that "Imagine" has been covered more times than we can count. In 2001, Neil Young lent his talents to this classic song and it's exactly what you imagine it would be.

Originally released by John Lennon in 1971, it has since been covered by Diana Ross, Elton John, Ray Charlies, David Bowie and Queen.

3. "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole

With his cheerful mashup of "Over The Rainbow" and Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" this is one of the most recognizable covers of the song and has made Top Lists for the years to come.

Originally sung by Judy Garland for The Wizard of Oz, it is a song that has been covered many times since it was released in 1939.

2. "Cry Me a River" Bjork

In 1990 Bjork performed her rendition of this jazzy number and did it justice for the original.

Originally recorded by Julie London in 1955, it has been covered many times by famous faces.

This song was also covered by Barbra Streisand, Joe Coker and Aerosmith to name a few.

1. "Blackbird" Sarah McLachlan

As one of the most iconic songs in music, it's no surprise that Sarah McLachlan covered it in 2002.

Originally recorded by The Beatles in 1968, it's also been covered by Eddie Vedder, Bobby McFerrin and most recently Dave Grohl at the 2016 Oscar Awards show.

Inspiration: Mental Floss / ThoughtCo