# Songs you totally thought were by somebody else **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [July 22, 2024, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612 "2024-07-22T15:19:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/1 "2024-07-22T15:19:24Z")
Looks like the last time we did this, at least according to ‘similar to…’ was 2009: [Songs you would have sworn were sung by somebody else.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-have-sworn-were-sung-by-somebody-else/512239) …so seems like enough time has gone by: let’s do the wrong song again… Though, since my song choice dates back to a 2006 release, I searched the other thread to make sure mine wasn’t mentioned there (especially by me!). Anyway, I just heard ‘[Joker and the Thief](https://youtu.be/Nr0SqIAFohk)’ by Wolfmother and it reminded me that, the first time I heard the song I was convinced it was done by Jack White, in one of his band incarnations after the White Stripes broke up (the song was released before the White Stripes broke up I think, but I didn’t first hear the song until a couple years later). The singer sounds just like Jack White, and it just sounds like the type of song he would write. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/2 "2024-07-22T15:30:59Z")
I believed Feeling That Way/Anytime was a collaborative effort between Journey and Chicago. Well, it sounded like it to _me_… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/3 "2024-07-22T15:40:25Z")
I don’t know what the song was, but on the car radio the other day, I heard who I would have sworn was Stevie Nicks singing a song I never heard of. When I glanced at the console, I saw that it was some other more recent singer whose name escapes me at the moment. A little off-topic, but way back in the day, I would have sworn on a bible that Chris Cross was a female singer. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/4 "2024-07-22T15:44:27Z")
The very first time I heard Cheap Trick’s _“Surrender”_ (on my crummy AM car radio while driving down the freeway) I thought it was a new song by The Who. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/5 "2024-07-22T16:04:13Z")
I always thought I’m Not In Love was Paul McCartney singing. It’s 10cc. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/6 "2024-07-22T16:20:08Z")
McCartney was very prolific with other people’s tunes: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QjtD8A-MWBc/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-B4AC0AWKAgwIABABGH8gHigTMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBzaWYtF1nkE8KeG6dUjK7taXWeKQ "Jigsaw - Sky High [HQ]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjtD8A-MWBc) And all kinds of Gilbert O’Sullivan tunes. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/7 "2024-07-22T16:23:54Z")
_Love is Like Oxygen_ by The Sweet, thought it was ELO _Stuck in the Middle With You_ by Stealer’s Wheel, thought it was Dylan _Oh Sheila_ by Ready for the World, thought it was Prince (until just last week!) I’m sure there are plenty more that I’m not thinking of, but those spring immediately to mind. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/8 "2024-07-22T16:26:19Z")
_Brown Eyed Girl_ was Mick Jagger on loan from the Stones. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/9 "2024-07-22T16:26:41Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I heard who I would have sworn was Stevie Nicks singing a song I never heard of. When I glanced at the console, I saw that it was some other more recent singer whose name escapes me at the moment. Going to guess Goldie Boutilier. I played a song of hers for my wife who is a big Stevie Nicks fan. Instead of digging it, she got bitter about Boutilier stealing Nicks’ style 😃 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2-weJSyo00s/maxresdefault.jpg "Goldie Boutilier - Cowboy Gangster Politician (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-weJSyo00s) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/10 "2024-07-22T16:35:12Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Instead of digging it, she got bitter about Boutilier stealing Nicks’ style 😃 No doubt. Not just the singing style but the music. When I heard the music start I half expected to hear: _Now here you go again_ _You say you want your freedom…_ ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/11 "2024-07-22T16:39:00Z")
For a long time I thought this was later David Bowie. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6oqJ0JpMj6I/maxresdefault.jpg "Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oqJ0JpMj6I) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/12 "2024-07-22T16:43:29Z")
I thought that when I first heard it, too. He’s the guy from Orange Juice, and he later had a stroke and wrote a book about the experience. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/13 "2024-07-22T16:48:14Z")
Sounds like the lovechild of Stevie Nicks and Natalie Merchant ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/14 "2024-07-22T16:49:15Z")
“Fancy” by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX (2014): When I first heard it on the radio, I thought for certain that it was Gwen Stefani rather than Charli XCX singing. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/15 "2024-07-22T16:50:49Z")
Growing up, I thought “A Little Help From My Friends” was actually by Joe Cocker since he was the one singing it on the Wonder Years, first time I’d ever heard the song. When I realized The Beatles wrote it, I remember having to persuade my brother not only that Joe Cocker was covering the song, but that the Beatles _weren’t_. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/16 "2024-07-22T16:53:38Z")
My first time hearing “Criminal” by Fiona Apple, I thought it was Sheryl Crow. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/17 "2024-07-22T17:12:38Z")
Oh, right, I thought Meredith Brooks’ Bitch was done by Alanis Morrissette. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/18 "2024-07-22T17:30:37Z")
Back in 1993 or so, everyone though Stone Temple Pilots’ “[Plush](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5UOC0C0x8Q)” was a new Peral Jam track. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/19 "2024-07-22T17:34:40Z")
When I frst heard them I thought On the Dark Side was by Bruce Springsteen and Black Velvet was by Pat Benatar. But no, they were by John Cafferty and Alannah Myles. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612/20 "2024-07-22T17:39:58Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Going to guess Goldie Boutilier. Actually, I’m pretty sure it was Miley Cyrus. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-totally-thought-were-by-somebody-else/1004612.md?page=2)