The Original Cover

#5 Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Bob Dylan
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0
Guns N' Roses
Bob Dylan
The original
born in 1941
released as a single in 1973
This song is musically similar to Neil Young's "Helpless", which was recorded in 1969 and features on the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young album, Déjà Vu.
Guns N' Roses
The cover
formed in 1985, Los Angeles (California)
from the album Use Your Illusion II, released in 1990
They played it in 1992 at a tribute concert for Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, who had died of AIDS. 72,000 people attended the concert, which was held in London's Wembley Stadium. In case you're wondering, towards the end of the end of this version, the man on the telephone says, "You just better start sniffin your own rank subjugation Jack, 'cause it's just you and your tattered libido, the bank and the mortician, forever man and it wouldn't be luck if you could get out of life alive."
#4 Black Magic Woman
Fleetwood Mac
0
0
Santana
Fleetwood Mac
The original
formed in 1967, London
released as a single in 1968
The royalties generated by Santana's cover of this song helped sustain the song's writer, Peter Green, after he left Fleetwood Mac. Green gave most of his money away when he left the band, and would have found himself destitute later in the '70s if he didn't get checks from his old hits.
Santana
The cover
formed in 1966, San Francisco
from the album Abraxas released in 1970
This was a hit for Santana, but few people know that this song is actually a cover of a 1968 Fleetwood Mac song that hit #37 in the UK. Peter Green, who was a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, wrote the lyrics.
#3 With a Little Help from My Friends
The Beatles
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0
Joe Cocker
The Beatles
The original
formed in 1960, Liverpool
from their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
When Ringo Starr was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, he performed this song with many of the evening's participants, including Joan Jett, Miley Cyrus, Dave Grohl, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.
Joe Cocker
The cover
born in 1944, Sheffield (England)
recorded in 1968 and performed live at Woodstock in 1969
When Cocker died in 2014 at age 70, Paul McCartney issued this statement regarding his version of this song: "It was just mind-blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem, and I was forever grateful for him for having done that."
#2 Dream On
Aerosmith
9
1
New Messiah
Aerosmith
The original
formed in 1970
from their self-titled debut album released in January of 1973
This song was not an immediate hit, but it took to the charts three years later after the band hit it big. In December 1975, after their single "You See Me Crying" didn't chart, Aerosmith's manager David Krebs convinced Columbia Records to re-release "Dream On", and it went to #6. The album was reissued in 1987 and 1993, after their albums Permanent Vacation and Get A Grip exposed them to a new audience who had not heard their early work.
New Messiah
The cover
Tampa (Florida) based hard rock band
this song will be included in their forthcoming album, and it is available for download on Spotify, Apple music, iTunes, and many other sites
New Messiah features C. Will Harden on guitars and Craig Cefola (Dukes, Wheelhouse Junction) on drums. The debut album "Voice of Choice" includes 20 cover songs that showcase several singers including the legendary drummer Tom Hunting (Exodus). Among the vocalists are Rob Dukes, Jack Gibson, Deibys Artigas, Esté, Darryl "MDC" McDaniels, Mitch Saul and James Arthur.
#1 Ride like the wind
Christopher Cross
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4
Saxon
Christopher Cross
The original
born in 1951
from his self-titled debut album released in February 1980
It didn't have any words. We were living in Houston at the time, and on the way down to Austin to record the songs, it was just a beautiful Texas day. I took acid. So I wrote the words on the way down from Houston to Austin on acid.
Saxon
The cover
formed in 1977
from the Destiny album released in 1988
Christopher Cross: Sure. I've heard it. It was cool and I'm always flattered when people do covers. I like covers generally that are different. In other words, Saxon's was cool, but it was pretty much like the record. It was harder edge, but it sounded like the record.

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