Who recorded it, who wrote it
Songs credited to the wrong artist
Famous versions the public takes for the original — or for the performer’s own song. Filter by what’s wrong: a cover mistaken for the original recording, a song written by someone else, or authorship that was contested.
115 songs. No lyrics, just the credit.
A Message to You, Rudy
Credited to The Specials — first recorded by Dandy Livingstone
A Whiter Shade of Pale
Recorded by Procol Harum — written by Gary Brooker and Keith Reid, with Matthew Fisher (co-author, established 2009)
After Midnight
Credited to Eric Clapton — first recorded by J.J. Cale
Angel from Montgomery
Credited to Bonnie Raitt — first recorded by John Prine
At Last
Credited to Etta James — first recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
Credited to Led Zeppelin — first recorded by Joan Baez
Baby, Please Don't Go
Credited to Them — first recorded by Big Joe Williams
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
First recorded by Cher · written by Sonny Bono
Beyond the Sea
Credited to Bobby Darin — first recorded by Roland Gerbeau
Bitter Sweet Symphony
Recorded by The Verve — written by Richard Ashcroft
Black Betty
Credited to Ram Jam — first recorded by James "Iron Head" Baker and Clear Rock
Black Magic Woman
First recorded by Fleetwood Mac · written by Peter Green
Blinded by the Light
First recorded by Bruce Springsteen · written by Bruce Springsteen
Blue Suede Shoes
First recorded by Carl Perkins · written by Carl Perkins
Blue Velvet
Credited to Bobby Vinton — first recorded by Tony Bennett
Both Sides, Now
Credited to Joni Mitchell — first recorded by Dave Van Ronk and the Hudson Dusters
Bring It On Home
Credited to Led Zeppelin — first recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson II
Call Me the Breeze
Credited to Lynyrd Skynyrd — first recorded by J. J. Cale
City of New Orleans
Credited to Arlo Guthrie — first recorded by Steve Goodman
Cocaine
Credited to Eric Clapton — first recorded by J. J. Cale
Cry Baby
Credited to Janis Joplin — first recorded by Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters
Cups (When I'm Gone)
Credited to Anna Kendrick — first recorded by Lulu and the Lampshades
Dazed and Confused
First recorded by Jake Holmes · written by Jake Holmes
Delta Dawn
Credited to Helen Reddy — first recorded by Alex Harvey
Devil with a Blue Dress On
Credited to Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels — first recorded by Shorty Long
Different Drum
Credited to Linda Ronstadt / The Stone Poneys — first recorded by The Greenbriar Boys
Don't Leave Me This Way
Credited to The Communards — first recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Credited to The Animals — first recorded by Nina Simone
Don't Turn Around
Credited to Ace of Base — first recorded by Tina Turner
Dueling Banjos
Credited to Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell — first recorded by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith with Don Reno
Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
Credited to The Blues Brothers — first recorded by Solomon Burke
Everybody's Talkin'
Credited to Harry Nilsson — first recorded by Fred Neil
Everything I Own
First recorded by Bread · written by David Gates
Evil Ways
Credited to Santana — first recorded by Willie Bobo
Feeling Good
Credited to Nina Simone — first recorded by Cy Grant
Fever
Credited to Peggy Lee — first recorded by Little Willie John
Fly Me to the Moon
Credited to Frank Sinatra — first recorded by Kaye Ballard
For Once in My Life
Credited to Stevie Wonder — first recorded by Jean DuShon
Georgia on My Mind
Credited to Ray Charles — first recorded by Hoagy Carmichael
Girl You Know It's True
Credited to Milli Vanilli — first recorded by Numarx
Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon
First recorded by Neil Diamond · written by Neil Diamond
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Credited to Cyndi Lauper — first recorded by Robert Hazard
Gloria
Credited to Laura Branigan — first recorded by Umberto Tozzi
Goo Goo Muck
Credited to The Cramps — first recorded by Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads
Green, Green Grass of Home
Credited to Tom Jones — first recorded by Johnny Darrell
Hallelujah
First recorded by Leonard Cohen · written by Leonard Cohen
Heartbeats
Credited to José González — first recorded by The Knife
Hooked on a Feeling
Credited to Blue Swede — first recorded by B. J. Thomas
Hound Dog
Credited to Elvis Presley — first recorded by Big Mama Thornton
Hurt
First recorded by Nine Inch Nails · written by Trent Reznor
I Can See Clearly Now
Credited to Jimmy Cliff — first recorded by Johnny Nash
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
Credited to Joan Jett & the Blackhearts — first recorded by The Arrows
I Will Always Love You
First recorded by Dolly Parton · written by Dolly Parton
I'm a Believer
Recorded by The Monkees — written by Neil Diamond
If You Don't Know Me by Now
Credited to Simply Red — first recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Iko Iko
Credited to The Dixie Cups — first recorded by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford and His Cane Cutters
It's All Over Now
First recorded by The Valentinos · written by Bobby Womack
Killing Me Softly with His Song
Credited to Fugees — first recorded by Lori Lieberman
Kingston Town
Credited to UB40 — first recorded by Lord Creator
Land of 1000 Dances
Credited to Wilson Pickett — first recorded by Chris Kenner
Let It Be Me
Credited to The Everly Brothers — first recorded by Les Compagnons de la chanson
Louie Louie
Credited to The Kingsmen — first recorded by Richard Berry
Love Hurts
Credited to Nazareth — first recorded by The Everly Brothers
Mad World
First recorded by Tears for Fears · written by Roland Orzabal
Make You Feel My Love
First recorded by Billy Joel · written by Bob Dylan
Manic Monday
Recorded by The Bangles — written by Prince
Mas que Nada
Credited to Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 — first recorded by Jorge Ben
Me and Bobby McGee
First recorded by Roger Miller · written by Kris Kristofferson
Money (That's What I Want)
Credited to The Beatles — first recorded by Barrett Strong
Monkey Man
Credited to The Specials — first recorded by The Maytals
Mr. Bojangles
Credited to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — first recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker
Mustang Sally
Credited to Wilson Pickett — first recorded by Sir Mack Rice
My Way
Credited to Frank Sinatra — first recorded by Claude François
Need Your Love So Bad
Credited to Fleetwood Mac — first recorded by Little Willie John
Nothing Compares 2 U
First recorded by The Family · written by Prince
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
Credited to The Temptations — first recorded by The Undisputed Truth
Pass the Dutchie
Credited to Musical Youth — first recorded by The Mighty Diamonds
Piece of My Heart
Credited to Janis Joplin — first recorded by Erma Franklin
Red Red Wine
First recorded by Neil Diamond · written by Neil Diamond
Respect
First recorded by Otis Redding · written by Otis Redding
Rhinestone Cowboy
Credited to Glen Campbell — first recorded by Larry Weiss
Rivers of Babylon
Credited to Boney M. — first recorded by The Melodians
Rollin' and Tumblin'
Credited to Muddy Waters — first recorded by Hambone Willie Newbern
Seasons in the Sun
Credited to Terry Jacks — first recorded by Jacques Brel
Seven Bridges Road
Credited to Eagles — first recorded by Steve Young
Some Kind of Wonderful
Credited to Grand Funk Railroad — first recorded by Soul Brothers Six
Sukiyaki
Credited to A Taste of Honey — first recorded by Kyu Sakamoto
Suspicious Minds
Credited to Elvis Presley — first recorded by Mark James
Sway
Credited to Dean Martin — first recorded by La Sonora Matancera with Nelson Pinedo
Tainted Love
Credited to Soft Cell — first recorded by Gloria Jones
Take Me to the River
First recorded by Al Green · written by Al Green
Tennessee Waltz
Credited to Patti Page — first recorded by Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys
The Best
Credited to Tina Turner — first recorded by Bonnie Tyler
The First Cut Is the Deepest
First recorded by P. P. Arnold · written by Cat Stevens
The Girl from Ipanema
Credited to Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto — first recorded by Pery Ribeiro
The House of the Rising Sun
Credited to The Animals — first recorded by Clarence "Tom" Ashley and Gwen Foster
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Credited to The Tokens — first recorded by Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds
The Man Who Sold the World
First recorded by David Bowie · written by David Bowie
The Tide Is High
Credited to Blondie — first recorded by The Paragons
The Train Kept A-Rollin'
Credited to Aerosmith — first recorded by Tiny Bradshaw
Time Is on My Side
Credited to The Rolling Stones — first recorded by Kai Winding and His Orchestra
Torn
Credited to Natalie Imbruglia — first recorded by Lis Sørensen
Try a Little Tenderness
Credited to Otis Redding — first recorded by Jack Payne and His Band
Turn! Turn! Turn!
First recorded by The Limeliters · written by Pete Seeger
Twist and Shout
Credited to The Beatles — first recorded by The Top Notes
Unchained Melody
Credited to The Righteous Brothers — first recorded by Todd Duncan
Valerie
First recorded by The Zutons · written by The Zutons
Wagon Wheel
Credited to Darius Rucker — first recorded by Old Crow Medicine Show
War
Credited to Edwin Starr — first recorded by The Temptations
What a Diff'rence a Day Makes
Credited to Dinah Washington — first recorded by Dorsey Brothers’ Orchestra
When the Levee Breaks
First recorded by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie · written by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy
You Are My Sunshine
Credited to Jimmie Davis — first recorded by The Pine Ridge Boys
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
Credited to Dusty Springfield — first recorded by Pino Donaggio
You Got the Love
Credited to Florence + the Machine — first recorded by The Source featuring Candi Staton
You've Got a Friend
Recorded by James Taylor — written by Carole King