Musicians Who Scored The Ultimate Honor When Their Covers Outperformed The Original Singers

Some incredibly talented musicians, including the likes of Dolly Parton and Leonard Cohen, have written countless classics over the years, but they weren't the singers who thrust these particular jams to their highest heights. In many notable cases, artists have covered songs to such success that many may not even realize songs like "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," "All Along the Watchtower," and "Hallelujah" were originally performed by anyone other than Joan Jett, Jimi Hendrix, and Leonard Cohen, respectively. In that vein, we've compiled a short list of country classics, rock 'n' roll legendary performances, touching ballads, and just plain fun hits that outperformed the originals.

In all of these cases, the subsequent performers turned something good into something great, helping immortalize their legacy. The musicians who covered songs with their own unique spin found widespread popularity, outperforming the legendary or forgotten original writers behind these tracks you're sure to recognize.

It's a tough challenge to cover a song from one of the most prolific country artists of all time, but the quality of "Two Doors Down" provides the runway needed for success. Dolly Parton released the track in 1977 on her album "Here You Come Again." But after Zella Lehr's version, released that same year, became a success on the country charts, Parton rerecorded the track as a single and changed up her unique country style to give the song a pop flair.

You may remember "Two Doors Down" from its memorable, descriptive story: "Two doors down, they're laughin' and drinkin' and having a party / Two doors down, they're not aware that I'm around / But I here I am crying my heart out, feeling sorry / They're having a party two doors down." The song was provided to Lehr through RCA Records in Nashville, and since her version came out before Parton's, the memorable song was able to find success with Lehr's vocals. Though Parton obviously held one-of-a-kind longevity in country music, Lehr was able to get her flowers at the peak of her career, competing with and even briefly besting the legendary artist.

"All Along the Watchtower" was originally released on Bob Dylan's 1967 album "John Wesley Harding." But the cryptic, poetic song soon found new life, finding major chart and critical success that the original never had when Jimi Hendrix released his cover in 1968. While Dylan's original version was quiet and folky, Hendrix took the song — filled with his signature electric guitar playing, a driving groove, and his gritty, versatile vocals — into classic rock stardom.

Whether it's the iconic solos or Hendrix's delivery of the memorable lines — "All along the watchtower / Princes kept the view / While all the women came and went / Barefoot servants too" — his version is hard to forget. Nowadays, it's more of a fun fact that Dylan wrote it, rather than the other way around. To put it simply, it's become Hendrix's song — his most successful one ever, at that. "All Along the Watchtower" spent nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 20, and has remained relevant since. The definitive classic rock tune still gets played today, with over 840 million streams on Spotify alone.

"Dancing in the Moonlight" is a memorable dance track with a complex story, and it seems to vault further into popularity with each major recording. Originally written by Sherman Kelly for his band Boffalongo in 1970, the song wasn't given a fair shake, as the group broke up soon after. King Harvest recorded a cover soon after in 1972, and "Dancing in the Moonlight" became a classic hit, now streamed over 470 million times on Spotify.

Though the silly and unstoppably joyous song is arguably best recorded under King Harvest, it became an even bigger hit in 2000 when English band Toploader gave it their best shot with a new take on the track. The electric and groovy rendition modernized the song, and it became a hit once again. Toploader's version holds over 1.1 billion streams on Spotify alone. The tune and its infectious chorus ("Everybody's dancing in the moonlight / Everybody's feeling warm and bright / It's such a fine and natural sight / Everybody's dancing in the moonlight") are hard not to like, and it's safe to say that "Dancing in the Moonlight" will remain an easy listen for years to come — no matter who sings it.

"Well I heard there was a secret chord / That David played, and it pleased the Lord / But you don't really care for music, do ya?" These opening lines are among the most iconic of 20th-century ballads, and they open a song that's been covered by countless artists — and for good reason. But when you think of "Hallelujah," you likely aren't thinking of its original writer. Leonard Cohen penned the song over a number of years, writing an estimated 180 or more verses before its release in 1984 on "Various Positions."

A decade later, Jeff Buckley's rendition of "Hallelujah," released on his album "Grace," enchanted listeners with his rapturous voice, which also sang verses that didn't make the original song. His version is more stripped-back and quiet and delivers a more haunting take on the song that balances love and heartbreak. Despite its lack of charted acclaim, "Hallelujah" became one of Buckley's most successful songs to date, holding over 430 million streams on Spotify — more than double the amount of the original. (Here's how we ranked all of the covers of Cohen's Hallelujah.")

Is there anyone who hasn't heard "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"? It seems almost programmed into everyone's listening knowledge, as its driving melody can be recalled at a moment's notice. But this most famous rendition is not the original. It was written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of the English band Arrows and released as a B-side to a single in 1975. Despite its anthemic quality that seemed primed for the charts, the track didn't find much success.

When Joan Jett discovered and then covered the song in 1979 with members of the Sex Pistols, success was still elusive, but she finally recorded it with the Blackhearts in 1981, and the track vaulted into stardom. The tune hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for an impressive seven weeks, and it has remained in unforgettable status ever since. Though it took a couple tries, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" seems to be an inevitable song — a defining track of rock history that just needed the perfect situation to reach its meteoric success.