Musical Acts Whose Biggest Hit is a Cover or is Heavily Sampled from Another Song

Sometimes, a musical act comes around with a song that's either heavily sampled from another act or an outright cover, and that song becomes their biggest claim to fame.

The Top Ten

Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby (sampled from Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie)

Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He became internationally famous in 1990 with the hit single Ice Ice Baby, the first hip hop single to top the Billboard charts. In addition to music, he has worked in real estate and hosted... read more

You know it, your mama knows it, your pastor knows it, and your creepy 7th-grade social studies teacher who stares at the little girls' flip-flops knows it. It's Ice Ice Baby.
Vanilla Ice can't seem to (nor does he want to) disassociate his name from this song. But don't you think the bass line sounds familiar? Apparently, Queen and David Bowie thought so too, as the bass line was clearly ripped from their Under Pressure, much to Mr. Van Winkle's dismay (yes, that's really his last name).
After a long court battle, Queen and David Bowie received songwriting credits for one of the most laughed-at rap songs ever made.
Fun fact: When Eminem first heard Ice Ice Baby, he considered quitting rap because he thought the song was the most embarrassing thing he'd ever heard.
Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U (written by Prince)

Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor was an Irish singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra. She gained global recognition with her 1990 cover of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U. Throughout her career, she was known for her powerful voice and outspoken... read more

Nothing Compares 2 U is probably her biggest thing, with her second biggest being an infamous SNL performance where she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II.
But did you know that it was originally a Prince song?
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You (original by Dolly Parton)

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, producer, and model. Guinness World Records recognized her as the most awarded female artist of all time, with 411 career awards as of 2006, and named her the most awarded female act in 2009.... read more

Totally forgot about this one! I Will Always Love You was originally by Dolly Parton.

Her version takes my breath away. Sorry, Dolly.
Lil Meerkat - Bezos I (sampled from Money for Nothing by Dire Straits)

Ameeer Pipi, known by his stage name Lil Meerkat, is a Canadian rapper and singer-songwriter. He became known for his unconventional take on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." In December 2018, he released his debut studio album, Weeaboo Paradise, Vol. 1.
Elvis Presley - Hound Dog (original by Big Mama Thornton)

Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor, widely dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll" and regarded as a pivotal cultural icon of the 20th century. His energetic musical interpretation and provocative performance style, bridging racial music traditions in a shifting era, both fueled his fame... read more

Hound Dog is, arguably, his biggest hit. It wasn't written by him, as it originally came out in 1953 and was written by Big Mama Thornton.
It's often because Elvis' version was more popular that some have labeled him racist (yeah, seriously).
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (original by Leonard Cohen)

Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley (November 17, 1966 - May 29, 1997), who was raised as Scott "Scottie" Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Buckley was born in Anaheim, California, into a musical family. His mother, Mary Guibert, was a classically trained musician, and his father... read more

Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah was written and originally recorded by Leonard Cohen in 1984.
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - I Love Rock 'n Roll (original by The Arrows)

They love rock and roll and have loaded copious dimes into the jukebox over the years thanks to their 1982 hit. However, they wouldn't have had that hit if it weren't for the original writer of the song, Alan Merrill, of a lesser-known glam band called The Arrows.
The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony (sampled from The Last Time by The Rolling Stones)

The Verve were an English rock band formed in Wigan in 1990. The founding members were lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong joined the band later in the band's history.... read more

This one's actually pretty upsetting. The Verve acquired the right to sample the Andrew Oldham orchestral version of the Rolling Stones' song The Last Time. With this, they made the '90s anthem Bittersweet Symphony.
The Verve and the Stones originally agreed to split the royalties 50/50, but following the song's immense popularity, The Rolling Stones (former business manager Allen Klein in particular) demanded 100% of the royalties and the song's credit. They ultimately got that wish.
While The Verve continues to perform this song live today, they do not use the iconic string backing track and instead opt to give it an original sound.
The most ironic part of the whole situation is that the writer of the orchestral sheet music, David Whitaker, did not receive any credit whatsoever.
Quiet Riot - Cum On Feel the Noize (original by Slade)

Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band that was founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni. The group initially went by the name Mach 1, then changed it to Little Women, and finally settled on Quiet Riot in May 1975.... read more

Quiet Riot's biggest hit was Cum On Feel the Noize, a cover of a Slade song of the same name.
While their fans may know other good songs of theirs, such as The Wild and the Young from QR III, many people mostly know them for this Slade cover.
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want to Have Fun (original by Robert Hazard)

Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and LGBT rights activist. Her career has spanned more than 40 years. She gained fame in the 1980s with her debut album She's So Unusual, which included hits such as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

Girls just wanna have fun! And boy, did Cyndi have a lot of fun raking in the money with this infectious 1980s pop anthem!
Oops, no, the original was a 1970s punk song by the writer, Robert Hazard.

The Newcomers

?
Geri Halliwell - It's Raining Men (original by The Weather Girls)

Geraldine Estelle Halliwell, known professionally as Geri Halliwell or Ginger Spice, is an English pop singer-songwriter, fashion designer, author, and actress. She gained international fame in the 1990s as a member of the Spice Girls, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. She later pursued... read more

Her biggest song is a cover of It's Raining Men by The Weather Girls.
Boy, did it become her real hit.
?
Samantha Jade - Heartless (original by Kanye West)

Her top song is actually a cover of Donna Summer's I Feel Love.
R.I.P. Donna Summer, the queen of disco (1948-2012).

The Contenders

Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower (original by Bob Dylan)

Jimi Hendrix was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though his mainstream career lasted only about four years from 1966 to 1970, he's widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in popular music.... read more

He covered a song called All Along the Watchtower. I forget who the original artist of that song is.

I was not aware All Along the Watchtower was a cover. That's cool!
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal (original by Michael Jackson)

Alien Ant Farm is an American rock band that formed in Riverside, California, in 1996. The band's name originates from an idea by original guitarist Terry Corso, who envisioned the Earth as being seeded by extraterrestrial entities from other dimensions. They have released five studio albums and have... read more

Okay, but it was ten million times better than Michael Jackson's version.

UPDATE: I've come to appreciate this song! Thanks for showing me the light!
Coldplay - Talk (sampled from Computer Love by Kraftwerk)

Coldplay is a British rock band formed in 1996. The group includes Chris Martin (lead vocals, piano), Jonny Buckland (lead guitar), Guy Berryman (bass), and Will Champion (drums, backing vocals). Their manager, Phil Harvey, is often referred to as the unofficial fifth member.... read more

This one ranks lowest due to a technicality: Viva La Vida neither samples nor is a cover of another song. But, if you ask Joe Satriani, he'd tell you that it was an outright ripoff.
In 2009, he sued the British band for Viva La Vida's similarities with his 2004 song If I Could Fly, which are hard to deny upon good examination.
The Beach Boys - Surfin' USA (based on Sweet Little Sixteen by Chuck Berry)

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The original lineup included brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. They are widely recognized for their vocal harmonies and innovative studio work, especially on... read more

They were surfin' USA, and then the wave carried them into trouble.
Basically, Brian Wilson took instrumental influence from Chuck Berry's Sweet Little Sixteen. And by influence, I mean he copied the instrumental outright and called it his own. Berry's publisher, of course, sued the band and got Berry a writer's credit on the song.
I'm considering this a case of sampling. Deal with it.
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (sampled from Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder)

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 - September 28, 2022), known professionally as Coolio, was an American musician, rapper, actor, chef, and record producer. He achieved mainstream success in the mid-1990s with his debut album It Takes a Thief, which featured the hit single Fantastic Voyage. His 1995... read more

And now for a little bit of irony. Coolio was pissed off at Weird Al for his parody of Gangsta's Paradise, Amish Paradise, claiming that it took away from the serious nature of the song.
Then, he turned around and allowed post-hardcore band Falling in Reverse to cover it, giving it a much more ridiculous sound than the Weird Al parody.
Trust me, Falling in Reverse's cover is terrible.

Coolio's biggest song, Gangsta's Paradise featuring L.V., heavily samples Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise.
Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls (sampled from Stand by Me by Ben E. King)

Kisean Paul Anderson, known professionally as Sean Kingston, is a Jamaican-American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He released his debut album Sean Kingston in 2007, which featured the chart-topping single Beautiful Girls. Kingston gained popularity for his blend of reggae, pop, and... read more
Submarine Man - Groove Boat (sampled from Love Boat Theme)

Water Handblast, born Ardy Robert Andrews, is better known by his stage name Submarine Man. He is an American rapper known for his heavily Auto-Tuned vocals and lyrics that often centre on unusual themes, including foot fetishes. His distinctive style has earned him a niche following online.
Kanye West - Stronger (sampled from Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk)

Ye (born Kanye Omari West. June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. He is regarded as one of the most influential and controversial artists of the 21st century.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West initially gained fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella... read more

He samples popular songs, but most of them have major changes or are just better in general. He didn't rap Daft Punk lyrics - he rapped over it.
If that counts, I'll dare you to put Eminem and Nas on the list.

"Stronger" sampled "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk, which itself sampled Edwin Birdsong's "Cola Bottle Baby."
Soft Cell - Tainted Love (original by Gloria Jones)

Soft Cell are an English synth-pop band who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The group consisted of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball until Ball's death in 2025. They are best known for their international hit Tainted Love, released in 1981, and reunited several times after initially... read more

Tainted Love was a Gloria Jones cover.
Marilyn Manson would also go on to cover this song.
Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe (based on the traditional folk song)

If you've ever been to a '90s-themed party, chances are you've heard that fun little dance/country song Cotton-Eyed Joe.
The Swedish band Rednex actually covered a traditional American folk song that dates back to 1861 for their only worldwide hit. And, boy, what a hit it was.

I love Cotton Eye Joe so much! It's actually one of the few country songs I like.
The Ataris - The Boys of Summer (original by Don Henley)
Crazy Town - Butterfly (sampled from Pretty Little Ditty by Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Crazy Town is an American rap rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1995 by Bret "Epic" Mazur and Seth "Shifty Shellshock" Binzer. The band is best known for its 2000 hit single "Butterfly," which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The success of the single helped their debut album The... read more

Their biggest hit, "Butterfly," samples a song from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Yup, Butterfly heavily sampled Pretty Little Ditty by RHCP.
Mariah Carey - I'll Be There (original by The Jackson 5)

Mariah Carey, born March 27, 1970, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She's one of the best-selling female artists in music history, with 19 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
She's often regarded as a sex symbol through her songs and videos, and has been noted in the press... read more
Natalie Imbruglia - Torn (original by Ednaswap)

Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian and British singer-songwriter, model, and actress. She first gained fame on the Australian soap opera Neighbours before launching a music career. Her debut album, Left of the Middle (1997), included the hit single Torn, which became an international success.

Her only big song, Torn, was a cover of Ednaswap's song of the same name.
Pharrell Williams - Blurred Lines (sampled from Got to Give It Up by Marvin Gaye)

Pharrell Lanscilo Williams, born April 5, 1973, known professionally as Pharrell, is an American singer, rapper, and record producer. Williams and Chad Hugo formed the record production duo the Neptunes, known for producing hip-hop, R&B, and pop music. He is also the lead vocalist of the band N.E.R.D... read more