Five Songs You Didn't Know Were Covers

Rebecca Varidel
13th Jan 2019

There's a whole swag of songs we know and love, and associate with one artist, but most of us didn't know that they were covers. Want to know about the originals? Bet you do. Here's our top five:

Whatta Man 

In 1993 Whatta Man became a huge success when it was covered by Salt 'N' Peppa (feat. En Vogue) and the next year its fame spread even further when in 1994 the Whatta Man video won MTV Video Music Awards for Best Dance Video, Best R&B Video, and Best Choreography. 25 years on Whatta Man is making a dance music come back, but it was back in 1968 that it was first written by Dave Crawford and recorded by Linda Lyndell.

Respect

It was only a couple of years after the original recording of Respect that Aretha Franklin (RIP) in 1967 recorded the song for which perhaps - among a plethora of other amazing tunes - she became most associated. The song was also pretty cool when she belted it out in Blues Brothers. But get this so was the 1965 recording by song writer Otis Redding.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Girls Just Want To Have Fun has become somewhat of a feminist anthem and been covered more times than you can count on your fingers and tones. It is best known as the first solo single for Cyndi Lauper whose version was released in 1983, but it was first written and recorded four years earlier by Robert Hazard.

The Horses

This song featured in the 1996 Tom Cruise movie Jerry Maguire, is now the best known song for Aussie singer Darryl Braithwaite after he went solo. Certified platinum by ARIA, Braithwaite recorded the Rickie Lee Jones and Walter Becker song in 1990. Outside of his gig as lead singer of band Sherbert, his other best known solo cover was of Your My World.

The Loco-motion

One of the most enduring songs of dance music, our little Aussie icon, singer Kylie Minogue brought The Loco-motion to the forefront at 80s snd 90s dance parties. Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, it had earlier reached No. 1 on the American charts twice, in 1962 by American pop singer Little Eva, and in 1974 by Grand Funk.

And if these five tunes are missing from your playlists, recommend they are also worth a 2019 revisit too. By any of these artists.