# Great Artist Who Admired Other Great Artist's Song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242 "2019-11-10T13:34:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/1 "2019-11-10T13:34:23Z")
Jim Morrison really liked The Beatles’ “Come Together” ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/2 "2019-11-10T14:33:43Z")
NPR music critic Bob Boilen wrote a book a few years ago called “Your Song Changed My Life”, where he interviewed musicians about what songs from other musicians inspired them. I picked it up at our local library a while back. Lots of great stories… worth checking out if you’re interested in this kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/3 "2019-11-10T16:19:01Z")
There must be plenty of these, but the only one that immediately springs to my mind is that Paul McCartney admired the Beach Boys album _Pet Sounds_ and especially “God Only Knows.” > [@](#): > > YOU WERE ONCE QUOTED AS SAYING SOMETHING LIKE “GOD ONLY KNOWS” IS THE GREATEST SONG EVER WRITTEN. > > PAUL: “It’s a really, really great song—it’s a big favorite of mine. I was asked recently to give my top ten favorite songs for a Japanese radio station…I didn’t think long and hard on it, but I popped that [“God Only Knows”] on the top of my list. [Thinks for a moment] It’s very deep. > [Quotes the lyrics to “God Only Knows”] > Very emotional, always a bit of a choker for me, that one. There are certain songs that just hit home with me, and they’re the strangest collection of songs…but that is high on the list, I must say.” > > [Paul McCartney Comments](http://albumlinernotes.com/Paul_McCartney_Comments.html) If you go back a ways, and interpret “song” relatively loosely, Johannes Brahms was apparently an admirer of Johann Strauss’s “The Blue Danube.” > [@](#): > > When Strauss’s stepdaughter, Alice von Meyszner-Strauss, asked the composer Johannes Brahms to sign her autograph-fan, he wrote down the first bars of The Blue Danube, but adding “Leider nicht von Johannes Brahms” (“Alas! not by Johannes Brahms”). > > [The Blue Danube - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Danube) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/4 "2019-11-10T16:46:31Z")
A long time ago I saw David Bromberg perform in concert. Opening act was a new guy, Leon Redbone. Anyway, Bromberg had covered and recorded _Mr Bojangles_. Someone in the audience shouted “Mr Bojangles!” and Bromberg began strumming the tune and talking about the song’s history. His band was offstage, taking a break. After talking about the song and how much he liked it, he decided not to do it. He told the crowd that we needed to see Jerry Jeff Walker do the song, as it was his and he did it best. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/5 "2019-11-10T17:49:02Z")
Bob Dylan covered Tom Paxton’s “Annie’s Going To Sing Her Song,” and it was released on his Self-Portrait album. No higher praise than that. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/6 "2019-11-10T17:57:22Z")
Brian Wilson was obsessed with The Ronettes’ “Be my Baby”. Not so much the song itself, but the recording as produced by Phil Spector. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/7 "2019-11-10T18:06:12Z")
The song [Supernaut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernaut_(song)) by Black Sabbath was a favorite of Frank Zappa and John Bonham. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/8 "2019-11-10T20:01:40Z")
Jimmy Page on Link Wray’s “Rumble”: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RLEUSn8y9TI/hqdefault.jpg "Jimmy Page Listening to Rumble.avi") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLEUSn8y9TI) ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/9 "2019-11-10T20:15:33Z")
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett are mutual fans, and have performed and recorded together. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/10 "2019-11-10T20:15:44Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > The song [Supernaut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernaut_(song)) by Black Sabbath was a favorite of Frank Zappa and John Bonham. Huh, cool. Maybe not so much admired, but inspired/motivated/dared… After Paul McCartney heard Pete Townshend in a radio interview bragging about the insane noisiness of a recent single (“I Can See For Miles”), PM thought, well, toss it - I’ll show him what noise is, and got inspired enough to pen “Helter Skelter”. Apparently session drumming great Jim Keltner “still cries” whenever hearing The Band’s “The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down”. Quite understandable - an awesome, moving number. Lennon regarded “Got to Get You Into My Life” as his favourite Paul number and Paul thought “If I Fell” was his favourite John number. David Yow was a huge Slint fan.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/11 "2019-11-10T23:55:34Z")
John Lennon said he loved ELO’s “Showdown” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/12 "2019-11-11T02:02:24Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > The song [Supernaut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernaut_(song)) by Black Sabbath was a favorite of Frank Zappa and John Bonham. Zappa was also a great fan of Queen’s “Killer Queen”. He played it in a radio show he hosted. ETA: another one I remember: Bruce Springsteen talked a lot about the impact and influence “Like A Rolling Stone” had on him. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/13 "2019-11-11T08:42:18Z")
Elvis Costello’s George jones covers were one of the few covers jones himself liked to the point they played them together occasionally and jones’s (and others) support in the 70s and early 80s is why an Irish new wave artist sings at the grand ol opry occasionally… ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/14 "2019-11-11T11:21:26Z")
Adam Duritz is a huge fan of Ben Folds, including mentioning him in the song “Monkey.” Ben Folds is a fan of Elliot Smith, and eulogized him in the song “Late” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/15 "2019-11-11T14:59:49Z")
Lots of musos are Joy Division fans, and have done covers - The Cure, Bauhaus, [Radiohead](https://youtu.be/cedNya7e8Uc?t=71), [NIN](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeAiRM1CVUY), frigging [Moby](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v_oNz6I8l8) but that’s not who I came to mention I knew John Frusciante was a Joy Division fan because he likes doing [the odd brilliant cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3OPzOx3kkg). I did not know he (along with some RHCPs) put on [an entire concert of just Joy Division covers](https://youtu.be/DKzmux7TvfA). ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/16 "2019-11-11T16:27:36Z")
Pete Townshend was a great admirer of ABBA. He referred to SOS as a perfect pop song and studied it obsessively. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/17 "2019-11-11T16:45:06Z")
Ive seen an interview with Dave Grohl who said that without The Pixies, there would not have been Nirvana. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/18 "2019-11-11T16:47:52Z")
Frank Sinatra once called George Harrison’s Something the perfect love song ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/19 "2019-11-11T21:58:44Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Ive seen an interview with Dave Grohl who said that without The Pixies, there would not have been Nirvana. I remember Kurt Cobain always mentioning the Melvins and the Meat Puppets as being a big influence on the band as well. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvins) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat\_Puppets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_Puppets) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242/20 "2019-11-12T00:10:21Z")
A whole host of artists loved Warren Zevon’s music. Among the artists that have covered his songs, co-written songs with him, or played on his albums because they wanted to: Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen Jackson Browne Neil Young Bonnie Raitt Ry Cooder David Lindley All the Eagles Linda Ronstadt, who had hits with ‘Carmelita’ and ‘Hasten Down the Wind’ And many others. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artist-who-admired-other-great-artists-song/843242.md?page=2)