Which bands became massively popular for covering songs rather than recording originals?
12.06.2025 15:10
“Poor Poor Pitiful Me” was written by Warren Zevon.
“The Loco-Motion” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Manfred Mann
The Who
Sergei Rachmaninoff deserves a credit for “All By Myself.”
Deep Purple started out wanting to be a "Vanilla Fudge clone" according to Ritchie Blackmore.
How do you deal with neighbors who are always telling you what to do?
Milli Vanilli (pictured above) gets a dishonorable mention for not actually singing the songs they covered!
Their album Girl You Know It’s True went 6x platinum and they not only didn’t write the songs, they didn’t sing a single note!
“Cum On Feel The Noize” was written by Slade members Noddy Holder and Jim Lea.
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“Turn, Turn, Turn” was written by Pete Seeger in 1959 and was based on the Bible, specifically the third chapter of Ecclesiastes.
Three Dog Night may be the most successful major band that usually covered songs written by others, and theirs was an eclectic ensemble of songwriters.
“Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman belong here. They wrote songs for a looong list of top names back in the 70s including New World, Sweet, Gary Glitter, Mud, Racey, Suzi Quatro and Smokie. They were instrumental in bringing many bands and solo musicians onto the charts, including Patti Smith and Lita Ford, and they provided number one hits in the US for Toni Basil, Nick Gilder and Pat Benatar.” — Bogdan Kadziola in the comments
“Darlin’” and “Time to Get Alone” were written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
Sam Cooke had his start as the lead singer of the Soul Stirrers, recording gospel songs like “Peace in the Valley.” Aretha Franklin also had her start in gospel and was influenced by Sam Cooke to pursue a career in mainstream popular music.
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was written by veteran songwriter Diane Warren.
“Rock Me Baby” was written by blues legend B. B. King.
“Mama Mia,” “Dancing Queen,” “Fernando,” “SOS,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, “Ring Ring,” “Honey Honey,” “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do,” “The Name of the Game” and “Waterloo” were either written primarily by Stig Anderson or he contributed and was credited as a songwriter. Anderson contributed so much to the group that he’s been called “the fifth member of ABBA.” It should be noted that other members of the band also contributed to the songs in question.
Bruce Springsteen
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Pentatonix is an a cappella cover band.
“Dizzy Miss Lizzie,” “Bad Boy” and “Slow Down” were written by Larry Williams.
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
What's the point of gender reassignment surgery which doesn't change a person's chromosomes?
“She’s a Lady” remains Tom Jones’s biggest hit in the United States.
“Hurt” was written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.
UB40
How can I decorate my house creatively?
“Ol’ 55” was written by Tom Waits.
“Up on the Roof” and “Some Kind of Wonderful” were written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Chiffons
“I’m Gonna Love You Too” was written by Buddy Holly.
Sha Na Na was ever and always a cover band!
“I Write the Songs” was actually written by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys! This dichotomy was mentioned in the comments by Nigyl Nissan.
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Blondie
“Tumbling Dice” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Bon Jovi
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“I Wanna Be Your Man” was written by Lennon/McCartney.
“Lighting Strikes” was written by Richard Supa.
“Love Is a Battlefield” was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman.
Richard Harris
"Liar" was written by Russ Ballard of Argent.
“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” was written by Jim Steinman, who is most famous for his collaborations with Meatloaf.
“Already Gone” was written by Jack Tempchin and Robb Strandlund.
Trivia fans may be interested to know that Three Dog Night introduced Hoyt Axton, John Hiatt, Dave Loggins, Randy Newman and Paul Williams to the larger musical world. Also, that Hoyt Axton’s mother was Mae Boren Axton, who co-wrote Elvis Presley’s first #1 hit, “Heartbreak Hotel,” and introduced the 19-year-old Elvis to Col. Tom Parker, his longtime manager.
Counting Crows
Drifters
Michael Jackson
Tom Jones
My original answer did not include individual singers, but I received so many excellent suggestions in previous comments that I have expanded it. And solo singers do, of course, employ bands. Session musicians form bands, however temporary. Again, I am interpreting the question broadly. If that freaks someone out, no one is forcing them to read — so “no harm, no foul” as we used to say in pickup basketball games.
Elvis Presley
“Joy To The World” and “Never Been to Spain” were written by Hoyt Axton.
#MUSIC #ROCK #MRBMUSIC #MRBROCK
Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman
THE BEATLES
HONORABLE MENTION: Alien Ant Farm, Big Bang, Tony Bennett, Bowling for Soup, BTS, Captain & Tennille, Cher, Patsy Cline, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Connie Francis, iKON, KISS, Manfred Mann and The Earth Band, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Ricky Martin, Monsta X, Patti Page, Rascal Flatts, Ratt, Sha Na Na, Stray Kids, Seventeen, Barbra Streisand
Grateful Dead
Billy Joe Royal
“Good Times” was written by Sam Cooke.
“Doh Wah Diddy Diddy” was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and originally recorded by The Exciters.
“Think Twice” was co-written by Peter Sinfield of King Crimson and Bucks Fizz producer Andy Hill.
“On Broadway” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Lalena” was written and performed by Donovan.
Patti Smith
“House of the Rising Sun” was a traditional folk/blues song.
"Try a Little Tenderness" was written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, and Harry M. Woods; it had previously been performed by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Otis Redding (with an arrangement by Isaac Hayes and backed by Booker T. and the M.G.’s). Three Dog Night used the Isaac Hayes arrangement for its cover of the song.
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” was written by Cole Porter.
Heart
“Better Be Good to Me,” “One of the Living” and “(Simply) The Best” were written or co-written by Holly Knight.
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “You’re My Soul and Inspiration” were written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
Paul Revere and the Raiders
"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" was written by Anne Bredon and originally recorded by Joan Baez.
Shirelles
Eric Clapton
“Everybody’s a Masterpiece” was written by George S. Clinton and Richard Reicheg.
“Hallelujah” was written by the famous songwriting team of Roger Greenway and Roger Cook. It was Deep Purple’s fifth consecutive single to be a cover song.
“I Was Made For Loving You” was written by songwriter pros Desmond Child and Vini Poncia.
“Because You Loved Me” was written by Diane Warren.
“Lucille” was a cover of a Little Richard song.
“Proud Mary” was written by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival at the time.
As for major individual artists, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, George Jones, George Strait, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Rihanna didn’t write any of their major hits, to my knowledge. Elton John wrote music but Bernie Taupin typically composed his lyrics. I have seen the great Janis Joplin included in such lists incorrectly, because she wrote “Mercedes Benz” by herself and “Down on Me” with Eddy Head, and those are two great songs. Aretha Franklin usually recorded songs written by others, but she wrote the excellent “Think” which rose to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Rock Steady,” which reached #9.
“Crazy” was written by Desmond Child with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
“Not Fade Away,” “Oh Boy” and “Rave On” were originally performed by Buddy Holly and his band the Crickets. “Oh! Boy” and “Rave On” were both written by Sonny West and Bill Tilghman.
Some of the best songs and biggest hits below were written by professional songwriters like Paul Anka, Chuck Berry, Jackson Browne, Leonard Cohen, Sam Cooke, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Holly Knight, Cole Porter, Little Richard, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Smokey Robinson, Neil Sedaka, Pete Seeger, Paul Simon, J.D. Souther, Jim Vallance, Tom Waits, Diane Warren, Hank Williams Sr., Brian Wilson and Neil Young.
"Out in the Country" was written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols.
“The Sound of Silence” was written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon and Garfunkel.
Jimmy Webb wrote the much-lampooned “MacArthur Park” as noted by Ronny Hoff in the comments.
“I Drove All Night” was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg in the style of Roy Orbison, and Orbison recorded the song in 1987 but did not release it before his death the following year. Orbison’s demo was later engineered and produced by Jeff Lynne of ELO fame and it became a hit in 1992, reaching number seven in the UK and earning a Grammy in the US. In the meantime “I Drove All Night” was covered in 1989 by Cyndi Lauper and it became her last top ten single, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Celine Dion released her cover in 2003 and it reached number one in Canada, Belgium and Sweden, and number two on the US Dance Club chart. It would be her last number one single.
“Never,” “All Eyes,” “There’s the Girl,” “Tall. Dark, Handsome Stranger,” and “I Love You” were written
“Eli’s Coming” was written by Laura Nyro.
“Rag Doll” was written by Holly Knight, Richard Vallance, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
Paul Williams wrote three hit songs for The Carpenters and three more for Three Dog Night.
“Words of Love,” “That’ll Be The Day,” “Peggy Sue” and “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” were written by Buddy Holly and originally performed by Holly with his band the Crickets. The Beatles were originally the Beetles, an obvious tip of the cap to the Crickets. John Lennon and Paul McCartney credited Holly with inspiring them to write songs.
Pat Benatar
Carole King
The Blues Brothers were a cover band comprised of SNL stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
“You’re So Vain” was written by Carly Simon. “You’re So Vain” has also been covered by Liza Minnelli and Faster Pussycat
“You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” was written by Smokey Robinson.
The Beatles started out as a cover band and never stopped covering songs: 21 of their first 46 recorded tracks were cover songs.
Cheap Trick
“Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby,” “Honey Don’t” and “Matchbox” were written by Carl Perkins.
Please note that I am not “condemning” anyone for recording songs they didn’t write, as someone suggested in previous comments. I am simply answering a question that I find interesting. Some of the best songs ever recorded were covers, including the magnificent “Without You” by Harry Nilsson (originally written and recorded by Badfinger) and any number of covers by Elvis, Whitney, Celine, et al.
Milli Vanilli
“Pieces of April” and “Til’ the World Ends” were written by Dave Loggins.
Monkees
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and mentioned by John Aughinbaugh in the comments.
“Don’t Know Much” by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Difficult To Cure” was an uptempo guitar-based reworking of Beethoven's “Ode To Joy.”
As I go, I will reveal which two famous singers lied like dogs, thanks to their songwriters!
“One” was written by the great Harry Nilsson.
Santana
“Not Fade Away” was written by Buddy Holly. It was the first song the Stones performed on The Mike Douglas Show in the US in 1964.
“Spanish Harlem,” one of my all-time favorite songs, was written and first performed by Ben E. King. Aretha changed the lyrics slightly to make the girl a bit darker, if I remember correctly.
My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean) was the Beatles’ first single, a traditional song.
“Love is a Rose” was written by Neil Young.
“A Change Is Gonna Come,” “Chain Gang,” “Cupid” and “Shake” were written by Sam Cooke.
“Jersey Girl” was written by Tom Waits.
“Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by Little Willie Littlefield.
Three Dog Night, circa 1972. Back L–R: Joe Schermie, Floyd Sneed, Michael Allsup and Jimmy Greenspoon. Front L–R: Danny Hutton, Cory Wells and Chuck Negron.
“Amazing” was written by Richard Supa and Steven Tyler.
I will furthermore reveal the remarkable song that became the last hit single for both Roy Orbison and Cyndi Lauper, and the last number one single for Celine Dion. Can you guess the title? If so, can you guess who wrote in, and why?
Yes
“Your Song” was written by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
Eagles
“I Really Want to Know You” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“The Tide Is High” was written by John Holt and performed by his Jamaican group The Paragons.
“Like a Rolling Stone” was written by Bob Dylan and had the perfect title for the band.
“Go Away Little Girl” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“Shambala” was written by Daniel Moore.
“Black and White” was a 1954 folk song written by David I. Arkin (the father of actor Alan Arkin) and Earl Robinson.
The band also borrowed from Bach, Rossini, Strauss and Tchaikovsky.
“Long, Long Time” was written by Gary White.
Righteous Brothers
“Take It Easy” was the Eagles’ debut hit and it was co-written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey.
“I Drove All Night” was a remarkable song, being the last hit single for Roy Orbison and Cyndi Lauper, and the last number one single for Celine Dion.
Carole King is one of the world’s best and most prolific songwriters.
The English version of “Ring Ring” was translated by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody.
“Early Yes one-upped Vanilla Fudge with long covers of I See You (6:47), Every Little Thing (5:47), Something’s Coming (7:09), No Opportunity Necessary (4:45), Everydays (6:05), and America (10:30).” — Don Campbell in the comments.
“When Will I Be Loved” was a country-rock version of a song written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers. It became Ronstadt’s first #1 song on the country charts.
Celine Dion
“I Wasn’t Born To Follow” was written by Carole King and covered by the Byrds in the movie Easy Rider. Suggested by Michael Macbean in the comments.
“Call me the Breeze” was written by JJ Cale.
J.D. Souther either wrote or co-wrote a number of Eagles’ hits, including “Heartache Tonight,” “Victim of Love,” “New Kid in Town,” “How Long (Has This Been Going On)” and “Best of My Love.”
by Michael R. Burch
“You Belong to Me” was written by Carly Simon. “You Belong to Me” has also been covered by Chaka Khan (feat. Michael McDonald) and Jennifer Lopez.
“Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)” was written by Allen Toussaint.
“T for Texas” was written by Jimmy Rodgers.
"The Flame" was a power ballad written by British songwriters Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham.
“Peaceful Easy Feeling” was written by Jack Tempchin.
“Paint it Black” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richard and originally performed by the Rolling Stones.
Partridge Family
“Big Yellow Taxi” was written by Joni Mitchell.
"Blue Bayou" was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and originally performed by Roy Orbison.
Three Dog Night is a rarity among great rock bands in that it never, to my knowledge, wrote one of its greatest hits…
“Don’t Bring Me Down” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“Peasant Valley Sunday” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“Georgia on My Mind” was written by Hoagy Carmichael and made popular by Ray Charles.
“I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You”) was written by country legend Hank Williams Sr.
THE ROLLING STONES
“Long Tall Sally” was written by Little Richard, Robert "Bumps" Blackwell and Enotris Johnson.
“My Back Pages” was written by Bob Dylan and suggested by Paul Smith in the comments.
“The Show Must Go On” was written by Leo Sayer.
“Livin’ on the Edge” was written by Mark Hudson, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
Michael Bolton
“Tell Him” was written by David Foster and performed as a duet with Barbara Streisand.
“Red, Red Wine” was written by Neil Diamond.
Otis Redding
“Chains” was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King.
“Roll Over Beethoven,”“Rock & Roll Music” and “Sweet Little Sixteen” were written by Chuck Berry, the Shakespeare of early rock ’n’ roll.
“All By Myself” was written by Eric Carmen.
“Black Night,” the band’s first original single, was not all that original. According to Roger Glover, it “was nicked from the bass line in Ricky Nelson's ‘Summertime’ and then proceeds to play the bassline riff on his grand piano.”
“Because the Night” was written by Bruce Springsteen.
“Summertime Blues” was written and recorded by Eddie Cochran (and covered by many other artists). Suggested by Michael Gibbs in the comments.
“Help!” was the band’s fourth single, a cover of a Beatles song.
“Pink” was written by Glen Ballard, Richard Supa and Steven Tyler.
“Mr. Tambourine Man” was written by Bob Dylan.
“Somewhere Out There” by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
Grand Funk Railroad
“Puppy Love” was written by Paul Anka.
Barry Manilow
"Til There Was You" written by Meredith Wilson for his musical The Music Man.
“It’s So Easy” and “That’ll Be the Day” were written by Buddy Holly, who performed the songs with his band the Crickets.
“Kentucky Woman” was written and originally performed by Neil Diamond. It was Deep Purple’s second single in 1968 and reached #38 in the USA.
Lynn Anderson
Most bands have done cover songs, but these famous bands covered more than most: Three Dog Night (never wrote any of their biggest hits), Deep Purple (their first five singles were covers), the world’s most successful cover band, the Beatles (21 of their first 46 recorded tracks were cover songs), the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.
“Both Sides Now” was written by Joni Mitchell.
“River Deep, Mountain High” was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.
"Sure as I'm Sitting Here" was written by John Hiatt.
Doobie Brothers
And now, without further ado, here are artists who didn’t write some of their best songs…
“Bring It on Home to Me” was written by Sam Cooke.
Disturbed
Carly Simon
“Wonderful World” was written by Sam Cooke, Herb Alpert and Lou Adler. “Wonderful World” has also been covered by Herman’s Hermits, Otis Redding, Johnny Nash and the trio of Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel and James Taylor.
“A Love So Beautiful” was written by Roy Orbison.
“Please Mr. Postman” was written by Robert Bateman, Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman and Brian Holland. The song was a hit for the Marvelettes.
Glen Campbell
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” was credited to singer Gary Brooker, lyricist Keith Reid and organist Matthew Fisher but the melody is unmistakably Bach’s “Air on the G-String”!
“After Midnight” and “Cocaine” were written by JJ Cale.
ABBA
“Baby Please Don’t Go” was written by legendary blues guitarist Big Joe Williams.
Linda Ronstadt
Animals
“You Belong to Me” was co-written by Carly Simon and Michael McDonald.
“Ring of Fire” was written by June Carter. Ironically, in Johnny Cash’s biggest hit, “I Walk the Line,” he promised to always be faithful to his wife. But his second-biggest hit, “Ring of Fire,” was written by his mistress at the time, who later became June Carter Cash.
“Rock Me on the Water” was written by Jackson Browne.
Johnny Cash
“Hush” was written by Joe South and originally performed by Billy Joe Royal. “Hush” was Deep Purple’s first single in 1968 and reached #4 in the USA. It was the band’s highest-charting single, along with “Smoke on the Water.”
Kiss
“Twistin’ the Night Away” was written by Sam Cooke.
“Back in the U.S.A” was written by Chuck Berry.
“Heat Wave” was written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Paul Williams wrote three hit songs for Three Dog Night.
“Hush” and “Down in the Boondocks” were written by Joe South.
Rod Stewart
“What About Love” was written by Brian Allen, Sheron Alton and Jim Vallance.
“Johnny B. Goode” and “Little Queenie” were written by Chuck Berry.
Quiet Riot
“We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Let Me Be the One” and “Rainy Days and Mondays” were written by Paul Williams.
“Woodstock” was written by Joni Mitchell.
“My Way” was originally a French song called "Comme d’habitude” composed by Jacques Revaux with French lyrics by Giles Thibaut and Claude Francois. Paul Anka wrote the English lyrics.
“You’re No Good” was a rock version of the R&B song written by Clint Ballard Jr.
Paul Carrack wrote “Love Will Keep Us Alive.”
There are also great songs penned by songwriting teams like Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the Bee Gees, George and Ira Gershwin, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney, and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” was written by Bob Dylan.
The songs above were suggested by Geoff Morton in the comments.
Led Zeppelin was mentioned in previous comments by Robert Shirley as “one of the world’s biggest bands and biggest ‘borrowers.’ Their covers and borrowing have been greatly chronicled.”
“You Give Love A Bad Name,” “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “Bad Medicine,” “I’d Die for You” and “Keep The Faith” were written by professional songwriter Desmond Child in collaboration with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora
“Alison” and “Girls Talk” were written by Elvis Costello.
“Money (That’s What I Want)” was written by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford.
“This Is It” was written by Paul Anka with Michael Jackson. Paul Anka was suggested by T. Stephen Cornelius in the comments.
Aretha Franklin
“Different Drum” was written by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees and it became her first hit.
“An Old-Fashioned Love Song,” “The Family of Man” and “Out in the Country” were written by Paul Williams.
“I Hate Myself For Loving You” was written by professional songwriter Desmond Child with Joan Jett
“Mama Told Me Not to Come” was written by Randy Newman.
Home Free is an a cappella cover band.
AC/DC
Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Whole Lotta Love" was nicked from “You Need Love” by Willie Dixon, which Robert Planet later admitted. A court ruled in Dixon’s favor.
“(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden” was written by Joe South, who was suggested in the comments by Chuck B. To show what a small world it is, when Lynn Anderson appeared on the Johnny Carson show, he asked her the name of a young country artist to keep an eye on. Lynn named Beth Harris, who is now my wife, Beth Harris Burch. Beth moved to Nashville and cut an album, but her manager ripped her off and she decided to retire and become a full-time mom to our son Jeremy.
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. This was suggested in the comments by Geoff Morton.
“Black Magic Woman” was written by Peter Green, the lead guitarist for Fleetwood Mac.
DEEP PURPLE
Aerosmith
LED ZEPPELIN
“School Days” was written by Chuck Berry.
“All Along the Watchtower” was written by Bob Dylan.
On an amusing note (pardon the pun), Barry Manilow did write songs but didn’t write “I Write the Songs,” which was written by Bruce Johnson of the Beach Boys. Forgiving him for writing that song and giving it to Barry Manilow would test the compassion and grace of a saint.
Jimmy Webb wrote “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Wichita Lineman” as noted by Ronny Hoff in the comments.
Eric Carmen
“Daydream Believer” was written by John Stuart.
“Private Dancer” was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.
“I’m a Believer” was written by Neil Diamond.
THREE DOG NIGHT
“The Lemon Song” was directly lifted from “Killing Floor” by Chester Burnett aka Howling Wolf. Although Led Zep's version did insert Robert Plant's not-so-subtle double entendre involving the dispersal of lemon juice. — James Raines in the comments
Carly Simon
“Five Bridges” was a cover of a song by The Nice.
“Hungry” and “Kicks” were written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Hound Dog” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and recorded in 1952 by Big Mama Thornton.
“Suzanne” was written by Leonard Cohen.
“Twist and Shout” was written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was a hit for the Top Notes and the Isley Brothers.
Carole King
In the comments Rick Deguchi mentioned that many of Elvis’s biggest hits were covers, including “Hound Dog,” “It’s Now or Never,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Suspicious Minds,” “All Shook Up,” “Love Me Tender” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight.”
Tina Turner
The Carpenters
“Baby It’s You” was written by Burt Bacharach, Barney Williams and Mack David.
“One Fine Day” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Procol Harum
“Heartbreak Hotel,” his first #1 hit, was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden.
Frank Sinatra
Osmonds
“Sweet Georgia Brown” was a jazz standard.
Marilyn Manson
“I Get a Kick Out of You” was written by Cole Porter.
“Someone to Watch Over Me” was written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.
Judy Collins
"Speed King" borrows from Haydn’s “String Quartet in C.”
“It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” was written by Paul Anka and originally performed by Buddy Holly and the Crickets.
Elvis was mentioned by T. Stephen Cornelius in the comments as an artist who never wrote his songs, or at least not any famous ones of which I am aware that he wrote on his own.
“Love in Vain” was written by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson.
“Blinded by the Light” was written by Bruce Springsteen.
Guns ’N’ Roses
“Not Fade Away” was written by Buddy Holly and became one of the Grateful Dead’s standards.
Byrds
“Send In the Clowns” was written by Stephen Sondheim.
“Love Will Keep Us Alive” was written by John Capaldi, Paul Carrack and Peter Vale.
“You Send Me” and “Good Times” were written by Sam Cooke.
“Days of Future Passed” was a cover of a Moody Blues song.
“Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” was written by professional songwriter Desmond Child in collaboration with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
“Immortality” was written by the Bee Gees (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb) and performed with the Bee Gees providing backing vocals.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
“Shout” was also a hit for the Isley Brothers.
“River Deep, Mountain High” was the band’s third single, a cover of an Ike & Tina Turner classic written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry.
"Since I've Been Loving You" is nearly identical to “Never” which was written by Bob Mosley and recorded by Moby Grape.
"Easy to Be Hard" was written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni for the “Hair” musical.
“Ooh Baby Baby” was written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore, and originally performed by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
In the comments Rick Deguchi mentioned that most of Linda Ronstadt’s hits were covers.
“Hallelujah” was written by Leonard Cohen. “Hallelujah” has also been covered by Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bolton, Bono, Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Judith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, K.D. Lang, Willie Nelson, Pentatonix, Elvis Presley, Regina Spektor, Rufus Wainwright, and pretty much every singer under the sun!
“War Machine” was written by professional songwriter Jim Vallance.