From Tracy Chapman to Fleetwood Mac, these countrified pop covers have made it big on the music charts.
There’s no doubt that country music is currently enjoying a pop moment, with songs from Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Oliver Anthony, Zach Bryan (feat. Kacey Musgraves) and even Beyonce taking the genre to the top of the Billboard charts in the last year. Arguably the most universally beloved of the most recent countrified pop covers was Combs’ crossover cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 hit “Fast Car” that culminated last month with the two singers performing the song at the 66th annual Grammy Awards.
Chapman’s song, which reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, skyrocketed to No.1 over three decades later with Combs’ cover. But Combs is far from the first country artist to make it big covering an already successful pop song. To commemorate the art of the occasion, we’ve gathered up our eight favorite pop covers from the country world.
Luke Combs, “Fast Car”
A blue collar ballad about escaping the cycle of poverty, “Fast Car” was an instant success for Tracy Chapman upon its release in 1988, earning three Grammy nominations and a win for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance the following year. However, despite its rootsy sound, Chapman’s version never found crossover success on country radio it rightly deserved at the time.
It instead came 35 years later with Combs’ inclusion of it on his album Gettin’ Old, which was met with instant success that led to Chapman becoming the first Black person to win the Country Music Association’s Award for Song of the Year last November. The two later came together with a joint performance of the song at the 2023 Grammy Awards that was as long awaited as it was universally celebrated.
Alan Jackson, “Summertime Blues”
Initially a hit for ’50s rock icon Eddie Cochran that rose as high as No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Summertime Blues” skyrocketed into a timeless classic with Alan Jackson, who included it on his 1994 album Who I Am three decades after its initial release. His rendition would jump all the way to No. 1 on the country charts, further cementing his legendary status in the genre.
Brooks & Dunn, “My Maria”
A top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973, B.W. Stevenson’s “My Maria” received a slightly stripped back and sped up arrangement when it became the first cover song recorded by country duo Brooks & Dunn in 1996. Their version would go on to become one of the band’s 20 No. 1 hits on country radio as well as the No.1 country song for all of that year. To this day, the banger remains one of the band’s most iconic and beloved songs.
The Chicks, “Landslide”
A legendary Fleetwood Mac song in which Stevie Nicks contemplates continuing professionally with bandmate Linsey Buckingham, “Landslide” has been covered by everyone from The Smashing Pumpkins to The Chicks, with the latter’s twangy interpretation being by far the most successful remix. Released as the second single from their album Home, The Chicks’ version of the tune peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Dolly Parton feat. Nickel Creek, “Shine”
If Dolly Parton has proved anything over the years with her music, it’s that she’s not afraid to step outside of her comfort zone and redefine herself. Such was the case with her bluegrass-leaning cover of alt-rock band Collective Soul’s 1993 hit “Shine” featuring Nickel Creek included on her 2001 album Little Sparrow. Parton’s refreshing take would go on to net her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2002 that perhaps was a foreshadowing for her eventual pivot into rock’n roll with Rockstar two decades later.
Johnny Cash, “Hurt”
A Grammy nominee in 1996 for Best Rock Song and widely regarded as one of Nine Inch Nails’ best songs, the gut wrenching confessional may be best known by its cover from Johnny Cash as part of American IV: The Man Comes Around, the last album released during the singer’s lifetime. The Man in Black’s version is now widely regarded as some of his best work ever, with the corresponding music video drawing praise as one of the best music videos of all-time.
Rascal Flatts, “Life Is A Highway”
A No.1 hit in Canada in the early ’90s, Tom Cochrane’s light-hearted rocker “Life Is A Highway” received a countrified reprisal from power trio Rascal Flatts for Pixar’s 2006 flick Cars. The rebuffed version, released as a single in 2005, went on to peak at No.7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, one spot lower than Cochrane’s best on the same chart a decade and a half prior. Perhaps most importantly, Cars went on to earn over $462 million at the box office as millions worldwide flocked to cinemas to see the movie and hear the song.
Willie Nelson, “Always On My Mind”
First released by Gwen McCrae in 1972 and jumping to commercial success with Elvis Presley later that same year, it was Willie Nelson’s recording of “Always On My Mind” a decade later that garnered the song the most success. Under his guidance, the song catapulted to No. 1 on Billboard’s country charts and led to three wins at the 1983 Grammys for Song of the Year, Best Country Song, and Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Grammy Awards