Which bands became massively popular for covering songs rather than recording originals?
10.06.2025 01:27
“What About Love” was written by Brian Allen, Sheron Alton and Jim Vallance.
“Hallelujah” was written by Leonard Cohen. “Hallelujah” has also been covered by Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bolton, Bono, Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Judith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, K.D. Lang, Willie Nelson, Pentatonix, Elvis Presley, Regina Spektor, Rufus Wainwright, and pretty much every singer under the sun!
Paul Carrack wrote “Love Will Keep Us Alive.”
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I will furthermore reveal the remarkable song that became the last hit single for both Roy Orbison and Cyndi Lauper, and the last number one single for Celine Dion. Can you guess the title? If so, can you guess who wrote in, and why?
“Mr. Tambourine Man” was written by Bob Dylan.
Monkees
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My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean) was the Beatles’ first single, a traditional song.
Grand Funk Railroad
"Easy to Be Hard" was written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni for the “Hair” musical.
Why do old men think young women and girls would want them over guys their own age?
“Proud Mary” was written by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival at the time.
Sha Na Na was ever and always a cover band!
“Hungry” and “Kicks” were written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
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“Baby It’s You” was written by Burt Bacharach, Barney Williams and Mack David.
“I’m a Believer” was written by Neil Diamond.
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” was credited to singer Gary Brooker, lyricist Keith Reid and organist Matthew Fisher but the melody is unmistakably Bach’s “Air on the G-String”!
“Lucille” was a cover of a Little Richard song.
In the comments Rick Deguchi mentioned that most of Linda Ronstadt’s hits were covers.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
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"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" was written by Anne Bredon and originally recorded by Joan Baez.
Disturbed
Johnny Cash
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And now, without further ado, here are artists who didn’t write some of their best songs…
HONORABLE MENTION: Alien Ant Farm, Big Bang, Tony Bennett, Bowling for Soup, BTS, Captain & Tennille, Cher, Patsy Cline, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Connie Francis, iKON, KISS, Manfred Mann and The Earth Band, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Ricky Martin, Monsta X, Patti Page, Rascal Flatts, Ratt, Sha Na Na, Stray Kids, Seventeen, Barbra Streisand
Three Dog Night is a rarity among great rock bands in that it never, to my knowledge, wrote one of its greatest hits…
Why do I feel so tired all the time even after a good night’s sleep?
Jimmy Webb wrote “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Wichita Lineman” as noted by Ronny Hoff in the comments.
“Because You Loved Me” was written by Diane Warren.
Sergei Rachmaninoff deserves a credit for “All By Myself.”
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The Blues Brothers were a cover band comprised of SNL stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
"Speed King" borrows from Haydn’s “String Quartet in C.”
“Long, Long Time” was written by Gary White.
DEEP PURPLE
by Michael R. Burch
Guns ’N’ Roses
“Private Dancer” was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.
Some of the best songs and biggest hits below were written by professional songwriters like Paul Anka, Chuck Berry, Jackson Browne, Leonard Cohen, Sam Cooke, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Holly Knight, Cole Porter, Little Richard, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Smokey Robinson, Neil Sedaka, Pete Seeger, Paul Simon, J.D. Souther, Jim Vallance, Tom Waits, Diane Warren, Hank Williams Sr., Brian Wilson and Neil Young.
“The Show Must Go On” was written by Leo Sayer.
“You’re So Vain” was written by Carly Simon. “You’re So Vain” has also been covered by Liza Minnelli and Faster Pussycat
“Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by Little Willie Littlefield.
“Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)” was written by Allen Toussaint.
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“Blinded by the Light” was written by Bruce Springsteen.
Rod Stewart
“I Get a Kick Out of You” was written by Cole Porter.
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“When Will I Be Loved” was a country-rock version of a song written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers. It became Ronstadt’s first #1 song on the country charts.
“Eli’s Coming” was written by Laura Nyro.
Cheap Trick
“Twist and Shout” was written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was a hit for the Top Notes and the Isley Brothers.
“A Love So Beautiful” was written by Roy Orbison.
Shirelles
Aerosmith
Blondie
The Who
Eric Clapton
“Kentucky Woman” was written and originally performed by Neil Diamond. It was Deep Purple’s second single in 1968 and reached #38 in the USA.
"Whole Lotta Love" was nicked from “You Need Love” by Willie Dixon, which Robert Planet later admitted. A court ruled in Dixon’s favor.
“Love Will Keep Us Alive” was written by John Capaldi, Paul Carrack and Peter Vale.
“Red, Red Wine” was written by Neil Diamond.
“Georgia on My Mind” was written by Hoagy Carmichael and made popular by Ray Charles.
“Heartbreak Hotel,” his first #1 hit, was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden.
“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” was written by Jim Steinman, who is most famous for his collaborations with Meatloaf.
Bon Jovi
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was written by veteran songwriter Diane Warren.
“I Write the Songs” was actually written by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys! This dichotomy was mentioned in the comments by Nigyl Nissan.
“We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Let Me Be the One” and “Rainy Days and Mondays” were written by Paul Williams.
Carly Simon
“Puppy Love” was written by Paul Anka.
Milli Vanilli
“You Belong to Me” was written by Carly Simon. “You Belong to Me” has also been covered by Chaka Khan (feat. Michael McDonald) and Jennifer Lopez.
“Johnny B. Goode” and “Little Queenie” were written by Chuck Berry.
“Send In the Clowns” was written by Stephen Sondheim.
My original answer did not include individual singers, but I received so many excellent suggestions in previous comments that I have expanded it. And solo singers do, of course, employ bands. Session musicians form bands, however temporary. Again, I am interpreting the question broadly. If that freaks someone out, no one is forcing them to read — so “no harm, no foul” as we used to say in pickup basketball games.
Trivia fans may be interested to know that Three Dog Night introduced Hoyt Axton, John Hiatt, Dave Loggins, Randy Newman and Paul Williams to the larger musical world. Also, that Hoyt Axton’s mother was Mae Boren Axton, who co-wrote Elvis Presley’s first #1 hit, “Heartbreak Hotel,” and introduced the 19-year-old Elvis to Col. Tom Parker, his longtime manager.
“Love in Vain” was written by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson.
Please note that I am not “condemning” anyone for recording songs they didn’t write, as someone suggested in previous comments. I am simply answering a question that I find interesting. Some of the best songs ever recorded were covers, including the magnificent “Without You” by Harry Nilsson (originally written and recorded by Badfinger) and any number of covers by Elvis, Whitney, Celine, et al.
“(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden” was written by Joe South, who was suggested in the comments by Chuck B. To show what a small world it is, when Lynn Anderson appeared on the Johnny Carson show, he asked her the name of a young country artist to keep an eye on. Lynn named Beth Harris, who is now my wife, Beth Harris Burch. Beth moved to Nashville and cut an album, but her manager ripped her off and she decided to retire and become a full-time mom to our son Jeremy.
“Dizzy Miss Lizzie,” “Bad Boy” and “Slow Down” were written by Larry Williams.
“Livin’ on the Edge” was written by Mark Hudson, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
“It’s So Easy” and “That’ll Be the Day” were written by Buddy Holly, who performed the songs with his band the Crickets.
“Hallelujah” was written by the famous songwriting team of Roger Greenway and Roger Cook. It was Deep Purple’s fifth consecutive single to be a cover song.
“T for Texas” was written by Jimmy Rodgers.
Quiet Riot
“A Change Is Gonna Come,” “Chain Gang,” “Cupid” and “Shake” were written by Sam Cooke.
“The Tide Is High” was written by John Holt and performed by his Jamaican group The Paragons.
“Call me the Breeze” was written by JJ Cale.
“Wonderful World” was written by Sam Cooke, Herb Alpert and Lou Adler. “Wonderful World” has also been covered by Herman’s Hermits, Otis Redding, Johnny Nash and the trio of Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel and James Taylor.
“Ring of Fire” was written by June Carter. Ironically, in Johnny Cash’s biggest hit, “I Walk the Line,” he promised to always be faithful to his wife. But his second-biggest hit, “Ring of Fire,” was written by his mistress at the time, who later became June Carter Cash.
“Hound Dog” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and recorded in 1952 by Big Mama Thornton.
“Hush” and “Down in the Boondocks” were written by Joe South.
“Sweet Georgia Brown” was a jazz standard.
“Somewhere Out There” by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Pieces of April” and “Til’ the World Ends” were written by Dave Loggins.
Sam Cooke had his start as the lead singer of the Soul Stirrers, recording gospel songs like “Peace in the Valley.” Aretha Franklin also had her start in gospel and was influenced by Sam Cooke to pursue a career in mainstream popular music.
“Think Twice” was co-written by Peter Sinfield of King Crimson and Bucks Fizz producer Andy Hill.
Partridge Family
“You Send Me” and “Good Times” were written by Sam Cooke.
THREE DOG NIGHT
“I Hate Myself For Loving You” was written by professional songwriter Desmond Child with Joan Jett
“You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” was written by Smokey Robinson.
“I Really Want to Know You” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Ooh Baby Baby” was written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore, and originally performed by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
“An Old-Fashioned Love Song,” “The Family of Man” and “Out in the Country” were written by Paul Williams.
“Roll Over Beethoven,”“Rock & Roll Music” and “Sweet Little Sixteen” were written by Chuck Berry, the Shakespeare of early rock ’n’ roll.
“Amazing” was written by Richard Supa and Steven Tyler.
“Pink” was written by Glen Ballard, Richard Supa and Steven Tyler.
Procol Harum
On an amusing note (pardon the pun), Barry Manilow did write songs but didn’t write “I Write the Songs,” which was written by Bruce Johnson of the Beach Boys. Forgiving him for writing that song and giving it to Barry Manilow would test the compassion and grace of a saint.
“Please Mr. Postman” was written by Robert Bateman, Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman and Brian Holland. The song was a hit for the Marvelettes.
“Days of Future Passed” was a cover of a Moody Blues song.
“Go Away Little Girl” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“Love Is a Battlefield” was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman.
“I Wanna Be Your Man” was written by Lennon/McCartney.
“You Give Love A Bad Name,” “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “Bad Medicine,” “I’d Die for You” and “Keep The Faith” were written by professional songwriter Desmond Child in collaboration with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora
“Baby Please Don’t Go” was written by legendary blues guitarist Big Joe Williams.
“You’re No Good” was a rock version of the R&B song written by Clint Ballard Jr.
The band also borrowed from Bach, Rossini, Strauss and Tchaikovsky.
“Immortality” was written by the Bee Gees (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb) and performed with the Bee Gees providing backing vocals.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
“The Lemon Song” was directly lifted from “Killing Floor” by Chester Burnett aka Howling Wolf. Although Led Zep's version did insert Robert Plant's not-so-subtle double entendre involving the dispersal of lemon juice. — James Raines in the comments
Carole King
“Early Yes one-upped Vanilla Fudge with long covers of I See You (6:47), Every Little Thing (5:47), Something’s Coming (7:09), No Opportunity Necessary (4:45), Everydays (6:05), and America (10:30).” — Don Campbell in the comments.
“Darlin’” and “Time to Get Alone” were written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Black and White” was a 1954 folk song written by David I. Arkin (the father of actor Alan Arkin) and Earl Robinson.
Animals
“Long Tall Sally” was written by Little Richard, Robert "Bumps" Blackwell and Enotris Johnson.
“Heat Wave” was written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team.
Elvis Presley
Lynn Anderson
“I’m Gonna Love You Too” was written by Buddy Holly.
Righteous Brothers
“Bring It on Home to Me” was written by Sam Cooke.
Aretha Franklin
“Already Gone” was written by Jack Tempchin and Robb Strandlund.
“Joy To The World” and “Never Been to Spain” were written by Hoyt Axton.
“Lalena” was written and performed by Donovan.
Carole King is one of the world’s best and most prolific songwriters.
“Shambala” was written by Daniel Moore.
“Rock Me on the Water” was written by Jackson Browne.
“I Was Made For Loving You” was written by songwriter pros Desmond Child and Vini Poncia.
Michael Jackson
"Sure as I'm Sitting Here" was written by John Hiatt.
“Never,” “All Eyes,” “There’s the Girl,” “Tall. Dark, Handsome Stranger,” and “I Love You” were written
“Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” was written by professional songwriter Desmond Child in collaboration with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
As for major individual artists, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, George Jones, George Strait, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Rihanna didn’t write any of their major hits, to my knowledge. Elton John wrote music but Bernie Taupin typically composed his lyrics. I have seen the great Janis Joplin included in such lists incorrectly, because she wrote “Mercedes Benz” by herself and “Down on Me” with Eddy Head, and those are two great songs. Aretha Franklin usually recorded songs written by others, but she wrote the excellent “Think” which rose to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Rock Steady,” which reached #9.
“Don’t Know Much” by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
Byrds
“Peaceful Easy Feeling” was written by Jack Tempchin.
"Til There Was You" written by Meredith Wilson for his musical The Music Man.
“Not Fade Away,” “Oh Boy” and “Rave On” were originally performed by Buddy Holly and his band the Crickets. “Oh! Boy” and “Rave On” were both written by Sonny West and Bill Tilghman.
Their album Girl You Know It’s True went 6x platinum and they not only didn’t write the songs, they didn’t sing a single note!
“Take It Easy” was the Eagles’ debut hit and it was co-written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey.
“River Deep, Mountain High” was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.
“Different Drum” was written by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees and it became her first hit.
“Money (That’s What I Want)” was written by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford.
“Five Bridges” was a cover of a song by The Nice.
“Good Times” was written by Sam Cooke.
J.D. Souther either wrote or co-wrote a number of Eagles’ hits, including “Heartache Tonight,” “Victim of Love,” “New Kid in Town,” “How Long (Has This Been Going On)” and “Best of My Love.”
“My Way” was originally a French song called "Comme d’habitude” composed by Jacques Revaux with French lyrics by Giles Thibaut and Claude Francois. Paul Anka wrote the English lyrics.
“On Broadway” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Someone to Watch Over Me” was written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.
“Mama Told Me Not to Come” was written by Randy Newman.
Patti Smith
“All By Myself” was written by Eric Carmen.
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” was written by Cole Porter.
Milli Vanilli (pictured above) gets a dishonorable mention for not actually singing the songs they covered!
AC/DC
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “You’re My Soul and Inspiration” were written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” was written by Paul Anka and originally performed by Buddy Holly and the Crickets.
“Doh Wah Diddy Diddy” was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and originally recorded by The Exciters.
Three Dog Night may be the most successful major band that usually covered songs written by others, and theirs was an eclectic ensemble of songwriters.
“Not Fade Away” was written by Buddy Holly. It was the first song the Stones performed on The Mike Douglas Show in the US in 1964.
Frank Sinatra
Pentatonix is an a cappella cover band.
Richard Harris
“Woodstock” was written by Joni Mitchell.
“Poor Poor Pitiful Me” was written by Warren Zevon.
“Big Yellow Taxi” was written by Joni Mitchell.
"Since I've Been Loving You" is nearly identical to “Never” which was written by Bob Mosley and recorded by Moby Grape.
“She’s a Lady” remains Tom Jones’s biggest hit in the United States.
Chiffons
“Mama Mia,” “Dancing Queen,” “Fernando,” “SOS,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, “Ring Ring,” “Honey Honey,” “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do,” “The Name of the Game” and “Waterloo” were either written primarily by Stig Anderson or he contributed and was credited as a songwriter. Anderson contributed so much to the group that he’s been called “the fifth member of ABBA.” It should be noted that other members of the band also contributed to the songs in question.
The English version of “Ring Ring” was translated by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody.
Eric Carmen
“Both Sides Now” was written by Joni Mitchell.
“Words of Love,” “That’ll Be The Day,” “Peggy Sue” and “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” were written by Buddy Holly and originally performed by Holly with his band the Crickets. The Beatles were originally the Beetles, an obvious tip of the cap to the Crickets. John Lennon and Paul McCartney credited Holly with inspiring them to write songs.
The Carpenters
“Paint it Black” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richard and originally performed by the Rolling Stones.
Linda Ronstadt
Eagles
“Twistin’ the Night Away” was written by Sam Cooke.
“Turn, Turn, Turn” was written by Pete Seeger in 1959 and was based on the Bible, specifically the third chapter of Ecclesiastes.
Michael Bolton
“My Back Pages” was written by Bob Dylan and suggested by Paul Smith in the comments.
Kiss
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. This was suggested in the comments by Geoff Morton.
The Beatles started out as a cover band and never stopped covering songs: 21 of their first 46 recorded tracks were cover songs.
“Don’t Bring Me Down” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
#MUSIC #ROCK #MRBMUSIC #MRBROCK
Marilyn Manson
Counting Crows
“Rag Doll” was written by Holly Knight, Richard Vallance, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
Bruce Springsteen
“Help!” was the band’s fourth single, a cover of a Beatles song.
“Everybody’s a Masterpiece” was written by George S. Clinton and Richard Reicheg.
“All Along the Watchtower” was written by Bob Dylan.
Paul Williams wrote three hit songs for Three Dog Night.
“Alison” and “Girls Talk” were written by Elvis Costello.
"Liar" was written by Russ Ballard of Argent.
As I go, I will reveal which two famous singers lied like dogs, thanks to their songwriters!
“Hush” was written by Joe South and originally performed by Billy Joe Royal. “Hush” was Deep Purple’s first single in 1968 and reached #4 in the USA. It was the band’s highest-charting single, along with “Smoke on the Water.”
“Ol’ 55” was written by Tom Waits.
Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman
ABBA
UB40
“Tumbling Dice” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Drifters
Billy Joe Royal
“After Midnight” and “Cocaine” were written by JJ Cale.
“School Days” was written by Chuck Berry.
“River Deep, Mountain High” was the band’s third single, a cover of an Ike & Tina Turner classic written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry.
Santana
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“Crazy” was written by Desmond Child with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
“Jersey Girl” was written by Tom Waits.
There are also great songs penned by songwriting teams like Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the Bee Gees, George and Ira Gershwin, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney, and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
THE ROLLING STONES
Barry Manilow
"Out in the Country" was written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols.
“Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby,” “Honey Don’t” and “Matchbox” were written by Carl Perkins.
Elvis was mentioned by T. Stephen Cornelius in the comments as an artist who never wrote his songs, or at least not any famous ones of which I am aware that he wrote on his own.
Tina Turner
Paul Williams wrote three hit songs for The Carpenters and three more for Three Dog Night.
“Peasant Valley Sunday” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Manfred Mann
Judy Collins
THE BEATLES
“Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman belong here. They wrote songs for a looong list of top names back in the 70s including New World, Sweet, Gary Glitter, Mud, Racey, Suzi Quatro and Smokie. They were instrumental in bringing many bands and solo musicians onto the charts, including Patti Smith and Lita Ford, and they provided number one hits in the US for Toni Basil, Nick Gilder and Pat Benatar.” — Bogdan Kadziola in the comments
Carly Simon
LED ZEPPELIN
Led Zeppelin was mentioned in previous comments by Robert Shirley as “one of the world’s biggest bands and biggest ‘borrowers.’ Their covers and borrowing have been greatly chronicled.”
“Because the Night” was written by Bruce Springsteen.
“The Loco-Motion” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Osmonds
Otis Redding
Celine Dion
“I Drove All Night” was a remarkable song, being the last hit single for Roy Orbison and Cyndi Lauper, and the last number one single for Celine Dion.
Heart
Yes
“Cum On Feel The Noize” was written by Slade members Noddy Holder and Jim Lea.
“Your Song” was written by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
Paul Revere and the Raiders
“War Machine” was written by professional songwriter Jim Vallance.
Carole King
“Black Magic Woman” was written by Peter Green, the lead guitarist for Fleetwood Mac.
Three Dog Night, circa 1972. Back L–R: Joe Schermie, Floyd Sneed, Michael Allsup and Jimmy Greenspoon. Front L–R: Danny Hutton, Cory Wells and Chuck Negron.
“One” was written by the great Harry Nilsson.
Glen Campbell
“Up on the Roof” and “Some Kind of Wonderful” were written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Doobie Brothers
“Rock Me Baby” was written by blues legend B. B. King.
“Suzanne” was written by Leonard Cohen.
Deep Purple started out wanting to be a "Vanilla Fudge clone" according to Ritchie Blackmore.
“House of the Rising Sun” was a traditional folk/blues song.
“I Wasn’t Born To Follow” was written by Carole King and covered by the Byrds in the movie Easy Rider. Suggested by Michael Macbean in the comments.
Jimmy Webb wrote the much-lampooned “MacArthur Park” as noted by Ronny Hoff in the comments.
“Back in the U.S.A” was written by Chuck Berry.
“Hurt” was written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.
“The Sound of Silence” was written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon and Garfunkel.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
“Daydream Believer” was written by John Stuart.
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and mentioned by John Aughinbaugh in the comments.
“Lighting Strikes” was written by Richard Supa.
"The Flame" was a power ballad written by British songwriters Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham.
“You Belong to Me” was co-written by Carly Simon and Michael McDonald.
“Difficult To Cure” was an uptempo guitar-based reworking of Beethoven's “Ode To Joy.”
“I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You”) was written by country legend Hank Williams Sr.
"Try a Little Tenderness" was written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, and Harry M. Woods; it had previously been performed by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Otis Redding (with an arrangement by Isaac Hayes and backed by Booker T. and the M.G.’s). Three Dog Night used the Isaac Hayes arrangement for its cover of the song.
“I Drove All Night” was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg in the style of Roy Orbison, and Orbison recorded the song in 1987 but did not release it before his death the following year. Orbison’s demo was later engineered and produced by Jeff Lynne of ELO fame and it became a hit in 1992, reaching number seven in the UK and earning a Grammy in the US. In the meantime “I Drove All Night” was covered in 1989 by Cyndi Lauper and it became her last top ten single, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Celine Dion released her cover in 2003 and it reached number one in Canada, Belgium and Sweden, and number two on the US Dance Club chart. It would be her last number one single.
The songs above were suggested by Geoff Morton in the comments.
“Like a Rolling Stone” was written by Bob Dylan and had the perfect title for the band.
Grateful Dead
“Better Be Good to Me,” “One of the Living” and “(Simply) The Best” were written or co-written by Holly Knight.
Tom Jones
“Shout” was also a hit for the Isley Brothers.
Most bands have done cover songs, but these famous bands covered more than most: Three Dog Night (never wrote any of their biggest hits), Deep Purple (their first five singles were covers), the world’s most successful cover band, the Beatles (21 of their first 46 recorded tracks were cover songs), the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.
“Not Fade Away” was written by Buddy Holly and became one of the Grateful Dead’s standards.
“Summertime Blues” was written and recorded by Eddie Cochran (and covered by many other artists). Suggested by Michael Gibbs in the comments.
“Chains” was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King.
“This Is It” was written by Paul Anka with Michael Jackson. Paul Anka was suggested by T. Stephen Cornelius in the comments.
“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” was written by Bob Dylan.
“Spanish Harlem,” one of my all-time favorite songs, was written and first performed by Ben E. King. Aretha changed the lyrics slightly to make the girl a bit darker, if I remember correctly.
In the comments Rick Deguchi mentioned that many of Elvis’s biggest hits were covers, including “Hound Dog,” “It’s Now or Never,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Suspicious Minds,” “All Shook Up,” “Love Me Tender” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight.”
“One Fine Day” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“Tell Him” was written by David Foster and performed as a duet with Barbara Streisand.
“Black Night,” the band’s first original single, was not all that original. According to Roger Glover, it “was nicked from the bass line in Ricky Nelson's ‘Summertime’ and then proceeds to play the bassline riff on his grand piano.”
"Blue Bayou" was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and originally performed by Roy Orbison.
Pat Benatar
Home Free is an a cappella cover band.
“Love is a Rose” was written by Neil Young.