Paul McCartney’s genius as a songwriter extends far beyond his work with The Beatles, revealing itself most clearly in how other artists have transformed his compositions across genres and generations. This remarkable collection of covers demonstrates McCartney’s rare ability to write songs that function as both complete artistic statements and flexible frameworks for reinterpretation. When Joe Cocker turned “With A Little Help From My Friends” into a soulful anthem, or when Guns N’ Roses gave “Live and Let Die” a hard rock edge, they weren’t just covering songs—they were unlocking different emotional possibilities that McCartney had embedded in the original compositions. The breadth of artists drawn to his work, from Aretha Franklin’s gospel-tinged “Eleanor Rigby” to Beyoncé’s contemporary reimagining of “Blackbird,” speaks to the universal resonance of his melodic and lyrical craftsmanship.
What makes McCartney particularly fascinating as a songwriter is his willingness to write specifically for other artists’ strengths while maintaining his distinctive voice. Songs like “A World Without Love” for Peter & Gordon and “Come And Get It” for Badfinger weren’t Beatles cast-offs but carefully crafted compositions that suited those acts perfectly. His collaboration with Elvis Costello on “Veronica” and his work with Michael Jackson on “Girlfriend” show an artist constantly evolving and adapting his approach to different musical contexts. Even when writing for others, McCartney’s melodic sensibility—that ability to find the hook that sticks in your mind—remains unmistakably present, whether it’s the yearning quality of “Yesterday” that En Vogue brought to R&B or the infectious rhythm of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” that Celia Cruz infused with Latin flavor.
The lasting power of McCartney’s songwriting becomes evident when artists as diverse as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Andre 3000 find something meaningful in his catalog. These aren’t novelty covers or tribute performances—they’re genuine artistic connections where musicians recognize something in McCartney’s work that speaks to their own creative vision. From Little Richard’s rock and roll interpretation of “I Saw Her Standing There” to k.d. lang’s haunting take on “Golden Slumbers,” each cover reveals new layers in songs that seemed perfectly complete in their original form. This ongoing dialogue between McCartney’s compositions and successive generations of artists suggests something profound about his approach to songwriting: he creates musical spaces that invite inhabitation rather than mere imitation, proving that truly great songs don’t just endure—they continue to grow.
Many of us grow up assuming the hit version of a song is the original. This playlist celebrates those surprising musical genealogies: well-known songs that were originally recorded by someone else, often with little fanfare. Here are the stories behind the transformations—where they started, and how they became iconic.
“Don’t Leave Me This Way” – Thelma Houston / Originally by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes (1975) Houston’s disco anthem actually began life as a Philly soul track sung by Teddy Pendergrass. Thelma took it to the dancefloor—and to #1.
“War” – Edwin Starr / Originally by The Temptations (1970) This protest song started as an album cut by The Temptations. Starr’s rawer, angrier take made it a searing hit during the Vietnam era.
“Strawberry Letter 23” – The Brothers Johnson / Originally by Shuggie Otis (1971) Otis’ dreamy, psychedelic original flew under the radar until producer Quincy Jones supercharged it with funk for The Brothers Johnson.
“I Feel for You” – Chaka Khan / Originally by Prince (1979) Prince wrote it, recorded it, and released it on his 1979 self-titled album. Chaka Khan added Stevie Wonder’s harmonica and Melle Mel’s rap, creating a genre-blurring smash that gave the song a second life—and a much bigger audience.
“Louie Louie” – The Kingsmen / Originally by Richard Berry (1957) Berry’s calypso-tinged rhythm & blues song became an unintelligible rock ‘n’ roll classic in the hands of teenage garage rockers.
“Pass The Koutchie” – Musical Youth as “Pass the Dutchie” / Originally by Mighty Diamonds (1981) Musical Youth’s version cleaned up the ganja references but kept the groove. A British reggae hit born from a roots original.
“Tainted Love” – Soft Cell / Originally by Gloria Jones (1964) This Northern Soul favorite was ignored in the U.S. until Soft Cell’s chilly synth-pop cover turned it into an international sensation.
“You Are So Beautiful” – Joe Cocker / Originally by Billy Preston (1974) Preston’s gospel-inflected original was co-written with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys. Cocker slowed it down into a tearjerking ballad.
“The First Cut Is The Deepest” – Rod Stewart / Originally by P.P. Arnold (1967) Before Cat Stevens, the song’s writer, sang it himself, P.P. Arnold delivered a powerful version. Stewart’s cover gave it global traction.
“Red, Red Wine” – UB40 / Originally by Neil Diamond (1967) Diamond’s mournful original was a slow ballad. UB40’s reggae version confused even him—he didn’t recognize his own song on the radio.
“Brand New Cadillac” – The Clash / Originally by Vince Taylor and His Playboys (1959) This rockabilly obscurity became a snarling punk track on London Calling. Vince Taylor later served as an inspiration for David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona.
“Take Me To The River” – Talking Heads / Originally by Al Green (1974) Green’s swampy soul gave way to Talking Heads’ jittery art-funk. An old-school spiritual reborn in new wave style.
“The Tide Is High” – Blondie / Originally by The Paragons (1967) Jamaican rocksteady meets NYC cool. Blondie took this mellow gem and gave it a global pop sheen.
“Brandy” – Barry Manilow as “Mandy” / Originally by Scott English (1971) English’s sad and simple original got a new name and new polish. Manilow’s grand version topped the charts.
“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” – The Animals / Originally by Nina Simone (1964) Simone’s pleading ballad became a snarling British Invasion hit. Her nuanced sorrow gave way to the raw edge of rock.
“Bette Davis Eyes” – Kim Carnes / Originally by Jackie DeShannon (1974) The original was breezy and piano-driven. Carnes and her producer Val Garay turned it into new wave noir.
“Heaven Must Have Sent You” – Bonnie Pointer / Originally by The Elgins (1966) Pointer’s disco version revived a Motown deep cut and put it back on the charts over a decade later.
“Love Buzz” – Nirvana / Originally by Shocking Blue (1969) Nirvana turned this obscure Dutch psych-rock tune into a distorted grunge landmark. Their debut single.
“Piece Of My Heart” – Big Brother & The Holding Company / Originally by Erma Franklin (1967) Aretha’s sister recorded it first, but Janis Joplin made it a fiery centerpiece of her legend.
“It’s Oh So Quiet” – Björk / Originally by Betty Hutton (1951) A novelty big-band number revived by Björk into a theatrical showstopper. Old Hollywood meets Icelandic art-pop.
“China Girl” – David Bowie / Originally by Iggy Pop (1977) Co-written with Bowie, Iggy’s version was skeletal and raw. Bowie’s version added synth gloss and MTV appeal.
“Good Lovin'” – The Young Rascals / Originally by The Olympics (1965) The Olympics had the groove, but The Rascals turned it into a garage-rock rave-up and a #1 hit.
“Valerie” – Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse / Originally by The Zutons (2006) The Zutons wrote it as a bluesy rock song. Winehouse made it retro-soul perfection.
“Police On My Back” – The Clash / Originally by The Equals (1967) A stomping, paranoid track from Eddy Grant’s first band. The Clash turned it into a punk fugitive anthem.
“After Midnight” – Eric Clapton / Originally by J.J. Cale (1966) Cale’s laid-back shuffle was juiced up with guitar licks by Clapton, who kept the songwriter’s cool intact.
“On Broadway” – The Drifters / Originally by The Cookies (1962) Songwriters Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil gave this to a girl group first, but The Drifters made it a city-slick R&B classic.
“Love Hurts” – Nazareth / Originally by The Everly Brothers (1960) Gentle heartbreak became hard rock agony. Nazareth’s arena wail made the song a power ballad staple.
“I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts / Originally by The Arrows (1975) Jett saw it on UK TV and recorded a fiercer, snarling version that girls (and boys) everywhere could scream along to.
“Without You” – Nilsson / Originally by Badfinger (1970) Badfinger’s version was plaintive; Nilsson’s was operatic. He didn’t just sing it—he wailed it.
“Superman” – R.E.M. / Originally by The Clique (1969) A psychedelic pop obscurity turned indie-rock cult classic. One of R.E.M.’s rare early tracks not written by the band.
These songs remind us that inspiration doesn’t always strike where the spotlight shines. Sometimes greatness is borrowed—and reinvented.
The year 1960 often gets passed over in rock history—a transitional time between the first burst of rock and roll and the cultural and musical revolutions just a few years away. But to call it sleepy is to miss the point. In fact, many of the year’s hits still reverberate today, not just as nostalgic touchstones but as enduring standards. “The Twist” by Chubby Checker launched a dance phenomenon that would ripple through pop culture for years. And “Save the Last Dance for Me” by the Drifters remains a masterclass in balancing heartbreak and sweetness—still played at weddings and in soundtracks, still finding new generations of listeners.
Ballads carried a lot of weight in 1960, and few did it better than Elvis Presley’s aching “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” or Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely,” which showcased his operatic vulnerability. Country narratives crossed into the mainstream with Marty Robbins’ “El Paso,” a story song that unspooled like a Western in miniature. At the other end of the spectrum, Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs’ “Stay” packed teenage yearning into a lean, irresistible one minute thirty-five seconds. And “Wonderful World” by Sam Cooke, though modest in ambition compared to some of his later work, remains a model of warmth and accessibility—a song that’s managed to feel timeless for more than six decades.
The sense of genre boundaries being tested is another hallmark of the year. Ray Charles brought gospel, blues, and pop together on his definitive reading of “Georgia on My Mind,” while Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” helped lay the foundation for Motown’s impending ascent. Fats Domino’s “Walking to New Orleans” fused New Orleans rhythm with a subtle orchestral flourish, and Bobby Darin’s “Beyond the Sea” added a cosmopolitan swagger to the charts. These weren’t experiments for their own sake—they were evolutions of form, often rooted in deep tradition.
Rock’s wilder edges were still alive, though not always in the spotlight. Ike and Tina Turner’s “A Fool in Love” marked Tina’s explosive debut on the national stage—raw, commanding, and impossible to ignore. Instrumentals also carved out real estate, from the cinematic calm of Percy Faith’s “Theme From ‘A Summer Place’” to the proto-surf energy of The Ventures’ “Walk Don’t Run.” And in the novelty corner, “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” and “Alley Oop” proved that humor and absurdity had a place in the pop ecosystem.
So while 1960 may not have produced a defining movement, it certainly produced defining songs. These weren’t just placeholders between rock and roll’s rise and the British Invasion—they were records that resonated, sometimes quietly at first, but with a staying power that’s hard to deny. Whether filtered through covers, samples, soundtracks, or simple endurance, many of these tracks are still with us. It wasn’t a year of reinvention—but it was a year of remarkable staying power.
The year 1961 didn’t roar in with a musical revolution—but in hindsight, that’s part of its charm. Instead, it offered a series of small but significant steps toward what would become a much louder, wilder, and more politically charged musical landscape. If the ’50s laid the foundation for rock and R&B, then ’61 felt like a transitional hallway: not quite out of the doo-wop era, but inching toward soul, girl groups, and the unmistakable rise of youth-driven pop. Listen closely, and you can hear a generation beginning to test its voice.
The playlist for this year paints a picture of variety and crossover. Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” combines gospel roots with a pop sensibility, creating a timeless anthem of emotional resilience. Meanwhile, The Marcels inject a doo-wop jolt into “Blue Moon,” turning a Rodgers and Hart chestnut into something utterly of the moment. And “Shop Around” by The Miracles helps define the early Motown sound—polished, melodic, and unmistakably urban—hinting at the empire Berry Gordy was quietly building in Detroit.
Pop and R&B weren’t the only sounds of 1961. The jazz world was still vibrant, and John Coltrane’s take on “My Favorite Things” stretched the familiar into something exploratory and modal, giving the Broadway tune a hypnotic new dimension. Similarly, Art Blakey’s “A Night in Tunisia” offered a fiery reminder that hard bop was far from finished. This year wasn’t just about three-minute singles on AM radio; it also made room for longer-form musical statements that spoke to listeners seeking complexity.
And then there were the voices—so many distinct, unforgettable voices. Roy Orbison’s near-operatic Crying and Patsy Cline’s aching “Crazy” each showed that vulnerability could be commercially viable. The same went for Etta James, whose rendition of “At Last” remains one of the most iconic vocal performances ever recorded. Elsewhere, the lighter side of pop was thriving with Neil Sedaka’s “Calendar Girl” and Bobby Vee’s “Take Good Care of My Baby,” songs built for teenagers who were beginning to see themselves as a cultural force.
Taken together, the music of 1961 reflects a moment in flux: the last glimmers of the 1950s still lingered, but the seeds of what would define the 1960s were clearly being planted. Whether it was Ray Charles fusing gospel and R&B on “Hit the Road Jack,” or the early stirrings of girl-group grandeur from The Marvelettes and The Shirelles, this was a year where nothing yet dominated—but everything seemed possible.
Or more accurately, with three: “Law of the Land” (Temptations), “The Laws Have Changed” (New Pornographers), and “You Can’t Rule Me” (Lucinda Williams). A trifecta of declarations, all suggesting that whether you’re enforcing the law or dodging it, someone’s about to get into trouble.
This playlist is my musical tribute to International Be Kind To Lawyers Day — a real holiday, celebrated annually on the second Tuesday in April, for reasons that are presumably legal. It’s not just about lawyers, though. This 30-track journey follows the trajectory of a full-blown legal drama: rules are established, rules are broken, crimes are committed, time is served, lawyers are called, and justice is… complicated.
We meet a few Fun Lovin’ Criminals, some Smooth Criminals, and even those who insist they’re just Criminal Minded. The lawbreakers get caught — there’s fighting, testifying, jail time, and at least one unfortunate visit to the Court of the Crimson King (which, I suspect, is not a traffic violation court).
And let’s not forget the lawyers themselves. They’re gun-toting in one song, love-struck in another, and altogether overburdened. But in honor of their service — and in defense of their billable hours — we end on a note of redemption: “Return to Innocence” by Enigma. Because if music has taught us anything, it’s that legal complications can always be resolved in just over four minutes.
So, whether you’re in the mood to break the law, beat the rap, or rap to the beat of the Fat Boys (or Snoop, Freddie Gibbs, Boogie Down Productions…), press play and pass the gavel. And if you happen to know a lawyer, consider saying something nice. After all, they know where all the paperwork is buried.
The year 1957 stands as a pivotal moment in the evolution of popular music, where rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm and blues, and even a touch of jazz converged to create a soundtrack that would resonate for decades. The hits of the year showcase not only the diverse range of genres but also the rise of some of the most influential voices in music history. A prime example is The Crickets’ “That’ll Be the Day,” a track that embodies the early rock ‘n’ roll spirit, blending Buddy Holly’s unmistakable vocal delivery with a catchy, driving beat. It’s a song that helped shape the sound of the era.
Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” is another cornerstone of 1957, with its infectious energy and rebellious attitude. Presley was at the height of his powers, blending rock, blues, and a hint of swagger that would influence generations of performers. Meanwhile, Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill” offered a smoother, more melodic contrast. Domino’s effortless combination of rhythm and blues with pop sensibility helped bridge the gap between different audiences, securing his place as one of the genre’s pioneers.
But 1957 wasn’t just about rock ‘n’ roll—it was a year that embraced the full spectrum of American music. Take Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O (Banana Boat Song),” a calypso tune that brought Caribbean sounds to mainstream audiences. Similarly, the soulful ballad “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke introduced a voice that would soon come to define soul music. Cooke’s ability to combine gospel roots with pop elegance opened the doors for future R&B artists.
The variety of sounds continued with tracks like “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis and “Lucille” by Little Richard, both of which pushed the boundaries of what rock music could be with their raw energy and wild performances. On the other end of the spectrum, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s rendition of “Summertime” added a jazzy sophistication to the year’s musical offerings, reminding listeners that timeless standards still had a place in the changing musical landscape.
Ninety fifty-seven was a year when rock ‘n’ roll solidified its place in popular culture, while artists from various genres continued to innovate and inspire. Whether through the heartfelt croon of Johnny Mathis on “Chances Are” or the rough-edged blues of Muddy Waters’ “Got My Mojo Working,” the music of this year still echoes today as a testament to a time when creativity flourished across musical boundaries.
Don and Phil Everly were rock and roll pioneers, combining elements of different musical traditions and creating a distinctive sound that inspired generations of artists. Their songs are timeless classics, full of emotion and harmony.
The Everly Brothers started their musical career singing with their parents on the radio in the 1940s. They learned the art of close harmony singing from their father, Ike, who was a master of the thumbpicking guitar style of western Kentucky. They also absorbed influences from the folk, country, and blues music of their region, as well as from the pop and R&B hits of the day. They began writing and recording their own songs in 1956, and soon caught the attention of Chet Atkins, who helped them get a deal with Cadence Records. Their first hit, “Bye Bye Love”, written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, was released in 1957 and reached No. 1 on the country and pop charts. It was followed by a string of hits, many of them also written by the Bryants, such as “Wake Up Little Susie”, “All I Have to Do Is Dream”, and “Bird Dog”. The Everly Brothers’ songs captured the joys and sorrows of teenage life, with catchy hooks, witty lyrics, and expressive vocals.
In 1960, the Everly Brothers moved to Warner Bros. Records, where they had more creative freedom and control. They wrote some of their own songs, such as “Cathy’s Clown” and “When Will I Be Loved?”, and also recorded songs by other writers, such as “Let It Be Me” and “Crying in the Rain,” the latter being the third top ten pop songwriting credit for Carole King. They experimented with different sounds and styles, incorporating elements of rockabilly, country, and pop. The Everly Brothers’ music was influential to many artists, especially in the 1960s, when the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel, and many others cited them as an inspiration.
The Everly Brothers’ legacy is undeniable and enduring. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Musicians Hall of Fame. They have received numerous awards and honors, such as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Trustees Award, and the BMI Icon Award. They have sold over 80 million records worldwide, and have had over 30 top 40 hits.
If you are a fan of the Everly Brothers, or if you want to discover their music for the first time, I invite you to listen to this playlist that I have curated. It includes some of their most popular and memorable songs, as well as some of their lesser-known gems. I hope you enjoy the Everly Brothers’ harmony and history, and appreciate their contribution to music.
