Covering an already legendary song is no easy feat. Not only did these four artists manage to meet the mark, but their renditions have since become just as famous as the original recordings. Let’s look at four of the most emotional cover songs ever performed. Get the tissues ready!
1. “Hurt” by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash was an incredible singer and musician all the way to the end, and one of his most popular late-career works has to be his cover of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails. It’s not the kind of song you’d expect a country legend to tackle. And yet, he did it with flying colors.
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It’s a heartwrenching song on its own, but Cash added the context of being an aging legend with more regrets than he could count.
2. “With A Little Help From My Friends” by Joe Crocker
It’s hard to not get a little emotional and amped up when the Joe Cocker rendition of this Beatles song comes on the radio. The original version is quite clean and well-produced, while Cocker’s version is messy, emotional, and a stellar example of the late singer’s incredible vocal ability. It’s the kind of song that can lift you out of a funk with ease.
3. “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
Is this the greatest cover of all time? That’s debatable. But Jeff Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is one of the most emotional cover songs ever performed. And that song, in particular, has been covered way too many times. Nobody did it quite like Jeff Buckley did.
4. “Solitary Man” by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash makes this list again with his cover of “Solitary Man” by Neil Diamond. First and foremost, this is a great example of how good Johnny Cash was at covering songs from a wealth of genres.
There are stark differences between Neil Diamon’s version and Cash’s cover, but Cash lends his own brand of sorrow to “Solitary Man” in a way that no one else could. It’s one of the best covers from his American Recordings records.
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