20 iconic country music covers (2024)

Thanks to its diverse palette of influences, country music is a genre that can take on pretty much any song. Throughout the years, country artists have offered their own takes on hits from a wide range of genres, from classic rock to grunge.

Flip through the slideshow for 20 essential country music covers, ranging from Patsy Cline's legendary take on Willie Nelson's "Crazy" to newer favorites like Chris Stapleton's wildly successful version of "Tennessee Whiskey."

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Willie Nelson first recorded the demo version of "Crazy," inspired by his own misadventures, in 1960. And then in 1961, after originally declining to record the song, Patsy Cline made music history with her own version, which eventually became her signature song.

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In 2002, as part of his "American Recordings" series, Johnny Cash shocked the world of country music by recording "Hurt," a song originally released in 1995 by industrial rockers Nine Inch Nails. Cash brought both gravitas and emotion to the song, proving that even toward the end of his life, he was still creatively at the top of his game.

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Technically a gender-swapped reimagination of "Highwayman," recorded by the legendary country supergroup The Highwaymen, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings would totally approve of this 2020s supergroup.

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Bringing their incredible three-part harmonies to this Fleetwood Mac favorite, The Chicks' version of "Landslide" was a No. 1 hit — for a brief time. After frontwoman Natalie Maines's controversial comments about then-President George W. Bush, it vanished from the charts amid a swirl of boycotts.

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Combining the lyrics of Bob Dylan with the vocals of Emmylou Harris is inevitably going to be great, and "Every Grain of Sand" is somehow better than great. Appearing on her album "Wrecking Ball," Harris later sang the song at Johnny Cash's funeral alongside Sheryl Crow.

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Townes Van Zandt looms large in the conversation of country music's best songwriters, and "Pancho & Lefty" is among his best. When Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson teamed up to record it in 1983, it was an instant No. 1 hit, probably thanks in large part to the totally cinematic music video that accompanied it.

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Though most younger fans definitely associate "Fancy" with Reba McEntire, this saucy country anthem was both written and recorded first by Bobbie Gentry in 1969.

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Recorded in 1994 as part of an Eagles tribute compilation album, Travis Tritt's version of "Take It Easy" is certainly easy on the ears, but it's also notable for a totally different reason. Shortly after appearing in the music video for Tritt's cover, the estranged members of the Eagles began talks to reunite after a 14-year hiatus.

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Though most country fans can only imagine Conway Twitty's booming baritone singing "Slow Hand," a gender-swapped version of the song was first released by R&B icons The Pointer Sisters in 1981.

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Using lyrics penned by Bob Dylan, alt-country stalwarts Old Crow Medicine Show are responsible for turning "Wagon Wheel" into a cult favorite. But it was Darius Rucker who made the song a mainstream hit, and his version of the song has since sold a staggering 11 million copies.

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During the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood performed "Shallow," which appeared in the Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga film "A Star Is Born," in a Facebook live video together. It was an instant hit among fans, who immediately demanded that the duo release a studio version.

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Bringing his big, bluesy voice to this George Jones classic, "Tennessee Whiskey" was actually first recorded by David Allan Coe. But most music fans now associate this title with Stapleton's R&B-inflected version, which was a massive crossover hit.

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B.W. Stevenson scored a minor hit with "My Maria" in 1973, but the twangy version recorded by country duo Brooks & Dunn in 1996 was the definition of a juggernaut. In addition to being the year's top-selling song, it also earned Brooks & Dunn a Grammy Award.

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For her 2001 album "Little Sparrow," Dolly Parton recorded "Shine," a major hit for alt-rockers Collective Soul in 1994. On her version, Parton is backed by bluegrass trio Nickel Creek.

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Independent country artist Sturgill Simpson brings Kentucky twang and tender malaise to "In Bloom," the song from Nirvana's iconic 1991 breakthrough album "Nevermind."

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Miranda Lambert assembled an all-star cast of singers to record her version of Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around And Fell In Love," including Elle King, Ashley McBryde, and Maren Morris.

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Considering how compelling the lyrics and melody of "When You Say Nothing At All" are, it's perhaps not a surprise that it was a No. 1 hit for both Keith Whitley, who originally recorded the song in 1988, and Alison Krauss, who notched her first No. 1 with the song in 1995.

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Recorded by both Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee, it's Willie Nelson's stellar version of "Always On My Mind" that stands out in the minds of many country fans.

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Faith Hill brings a decidedly different energy to "Piece of My Heart" than either Erma Franklin or Janis Joplin, both of whom recorded the song before her, and pop-country fans were seriously obsessed when her version was released in 1994. A No. 1 hit, it was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

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Ever the traditionalist, Alan Jackson scored a top-10 hit in 1999 with his version of "Pop a Top," first recorded by country singer Nat Stuckey in the 1960s.