# Who is the most-covered musical artist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849 "2018-03-01T19:58:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/1 "2018-03-01T19:58:34Z")
We’ve had many past threads about the best, worst, better than the original, bigger hit than the original, and so forth. But what about the artist or band who’s had the most covers recorded by other artists or bands? (They don’t have to have written the songs, just recorded the original version.) Seems like just about everybody has a Chuck Berry song somewhere in their catalog, so I think he’s a strong contender. Lots of folks have gone to the CCR well, as well. I’ve heard versions of Lodi, Who’ll Stop The Rain, Have You Ever Seen The Rain, Fortunate Son, and of course Proud Mary, among several others. I don’t know if a definitive answer can even be determined There are hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of little-known artists out there with albums none of us have ever heard, which surely contain plenty of covers. But we can guess. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/2 "2018-03-01T20:01:48Z")
My guess would be the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/3 "2018-03-01T20:01:53Z")
I am throwing out Bob Dylan…just because. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/4 "2018-03-01T20:42:22Z")
Bo Diddley Willie Dixon Muddy Waters ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/5 "2018-03-01T21:28:43Z")
[Here are the most covered songs:](http://mentalfloss.com/article/20811/most-covered-songs-in-music-history) > [@](#): > > **“Yesterday” has been covered more than 2200 times,** with Joan Baez, Liberace, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, En Vogue, and Boyz II Men among the many (many) artists to put their own spin on the song. Plus, you know you’ve made it as a band when even Daffy Duck gets in on the action. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/6 "2018-03-01T21:33:34Z")
My vote goes for whoever first recorded “Amazing Grace”. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/7 "2018-03-01T22:44:06Z")
I’ll throw in my vote for Hoagy Carmichael (Georgia On My Mind, Stardust, and many others.) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/8 "2018-03-01T22:51:48Z")
Well, if “recorded by others” is the criterion, I nominate Francis Scott Key. His “Star Spangled Banner” is performed regularly by numerous artists every day and recorded, though retransmission without the express written consent of Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League or the National Basketball Association is prohibited. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/9 "2018-03-01T23:51:27Z")
Bach? ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/10 "2018-03-02T00:42:08Z")
Leonard Cohen? Seems like nearly everyone and their brother has done Hallelujah. Or maybe it just feels that way because of American Idol and the other shows of that genre. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/11 "2018-03-02T01:47:01Z")
Let’s see: Richard Himber & His Ritz-Carlton Orchestra, for the original recording of _(Walking in a) Winter Wonderland_. Over 200 times. Nope, gotta be the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/12 "2018-03-02T01:51:09Z")
The Beatles are the most obvious choice, but I’m going with Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/13 "2018-03-02T02:19:01Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > The Beatles are the most obvious choice, but I’m going with Dylan. Again, I concur. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/14 "2018-03-02T02:26:46Z")
There are a lot of great Dylan covers, but there’s no way I could imagine that Dylan is more covered than the Beatles. I don’t even see how it’s possible, given the ubiquity of “Yesterday” covers. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/15 "2018-03-02T02:30:18Z")
I suspect that prople prefer to cover Dylan because, let’s face it, it’s easier to improve upon the original recording. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/16 "2018-03-02T02:49:11Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Bach? “Ahhhh… Bach!” ---
**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:** [March 2, 2018, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/17 "2018-03-02T03:00:35Z")
It’s definitely The Beatles. And I don’t think anyone else is even close. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/18 "2018-03-02T03:21:32Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > It’s definitely The Beatles. And I don’t think anyone else is even close. Maybe someone could put [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cover_versions_of_Beatles_songs)into a spreadsheet, and report back? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/19 "2018-03-02T03:28:44Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Bach? From what I can glean from classical music business media (yes, there is such a category), popularity bounces between Beethoven and Bach, with Mozart and Handel right behind. Allegedly, Beethoven’s Fifth is the world’s most recognized melody. And it has a 150 year head start on Chuck Berry. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849/20 "2018-03-02T03:32:12Z")
I’d say the musicians that were part of the orchestra of The Titanic. They’re covered by 2 miles of salt water. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-covered-musical-artist/809849.md?page=2)