Hey, that’s mine!

Cover songs that became more popular than the originals

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You stumble into first period just as the bell rings and slump into your seat. You’re wearing the same sweatshirt you slept in the night before (for all of two hours), your hair is a rat’s nest and you can barely keep your eyes open, you’re so tired. It might’ve been worth it if that project you stayed up all night to finish had only your name on it. But it doesn’t. Of course, you had to put the names of your group members—who didn’t help at all.

While the frustration of having others take credit for your work is a familiar feeling for high schoolers, it’s also surprisingly common in the music industry. Artists often cover songs written by other musicians—and sometimes, the cover becomes more famous than the original. The cover artist receives the glory and praise for a song they didn’t write while the original artist is forgotten.

Join staffers Julie Dannevig and Fiona Gillen in their podcast “Hey, that’s mine!” as they unearth the original artists of songs you probably didn’t even know were covers. From “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse (originally by The Zutons) to “If I Were a Boy” by Beyonce (originally by BC Jean), it’s time to give credit where credit is due—and listen to some rockin’ music along the way.