Which bands became massively popular for covering songs rather than recording originals?
Last Updated: 24.06.2025 18:58
Procol Harum
“House of the Rising Sun” was a traditional folk/blues song.
“She’s a Lady” remains Tom Jones’s biggest hit in the United States.
“Big Yellow Taxi” was written by Joni Mitchell.
“Georgia on My Mind” was written by Hoagy Carmichael and made popular by Ray Charles.
The English version of “Ring Ring” was translated by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody.
Sed autem voluptatibus minima impedit officia ipsa.
“Heat Wave” was written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team.
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.
Frank Sinatra
Dobbins: 'No-brainer' joining ascending Broncos - ESPN
“Go Away Little Girl” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“Mama Told Me Not to Come” was written by Randy Newman.
“Rock Me Baby” was written by blues legend B. B. King.
Circle IPO soars, giving hope to more startups waiting to go public - TechCrunch
Carole King
The Beatles started out as a cover band and never stopped covering songs: 21 of their first 46 recorded tracks were cover songs.
“War Machine” was written by professional songwriter Jim Vallance.
Dejected Joshua Kimmich reacts to Germany’s Nations League defeat - Bavarian Football Works
“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.
"Whole Lotta Love" was nicked from “You Need Love” by Willie Dixon, which Robert Planet later admitted. A court ruled in Dixon’s favor.
“Not Fade Away” was written by Buddy Holly and became one of the Grateful Dead’s standards.
"Liar" was written by Russ Ballard of Argent.
“Different Drum” was written by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees and it became her first hit.
“Tell Him” was written by David Foster and performed as a duet with Barbara Streisand.
—— which songs do certain kuorans remind you of?
“Twist and Shout” was written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was a hit for the Top Notes and the Isley Brothers.
“You’re No Good” was a rock version of the R&B song written by Clint Ballard Jr.
“Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by Little Willie Littlefield.
Is there a specific time frame for therapists to tell their clients they are wrong?
Paul Williams wrote three hit songs for The Carpenters and three more for Three Dog Night.
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” was written by Cole Porter.
“Darlin’” and “Time to Get Alone” were written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
The songs above were suggested by Geoff Morton in the comments.
“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.
As I go, I will reveal which two famous singers lied like dogs, thanks to their songwriters!
Why is Trump so disliked worldwide?
“Already Gone” was written by Jack Tempchin and Robb Strandlund.
Partridge Family
My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean) was the Beatles’ first single, a traditional song.
Here's Why Rational People Skip Vaccines Even When They Trust Science - ScienceAlert
Cheap Trick
“Send In the Clowns” was written by Stephen Sondheim.
“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.
Tom Jones
“The Sound of Silence” was written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon and Garfunkel.
“Private Dancer” was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.
A year later, Trump continues to appeal his historic criminal case. Here's what we know - NPR
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “You’re My Soul and Inspiration” were written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Jersey Girl” was written by Tom Waits.
The Blues Brothers were a cover band comprised of SNL stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
“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.
Pat Benatar
“An Old-Fashioned Love Song,” “The Family of Man” and “Out in the Country” were written by Paul Williams.
Sergei Rachmaninoff deserves a credit for “All By Myself.”
"Easy to Be Hard" was written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni for the “Hair” musical.
“One” was written by the great Harry Nilsson.
“Back in the U.S.A” was written by Chuck Berry.
“Never,” “All Eyes,” “There’s the Girl,” “Tall. Dark, Handsome Stranger,” and “I Love You” were written
“Turn, Turn, Turn” was written by Pete Seeger in 1959 and was based on the Bible, specifically the third chapter of Ecclesiastes.
Rod Stewart
Milli Vanilli (pictured above) gets a dishonorable mention for not actually singing the songs they covered!
The Carpenters
“Somewhere Out There” by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
AC/DC
DEEP PURPLE
“I Really Want to Know You” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Peaceful Easy Feeling” was written by Jack Tempchin.
“A Change Is Gonna Come,” “Chain Gang,” “Cupid” and “Shake” were written by Sam Cooke.
“This Is It” was written by Paul Anka with Michael Jackson. Paul Anka was suggested by T. Stephen Cornelius in the comments.
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.
“All Along the Watchtower” was written by Bob Dylan.
Sha Na Na was ever and always a cover band!
Shirelles
Carly Simon
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You”) was written by country legend Hank Williams Sr.
Home Free is an a cappella cover band.
Righteous Brothers
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?
Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Love in Vain” was written by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson.
“Black and White” was a 1954 folk song written by David I. Arkin (the father of actor Alan Arkin) and Earl Robinson.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
“Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” was written by professional songwriter Desmond Child in collaboration with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
“I Hate Myself For Loving You” was written by professional songwriter Desmond Child with Joan Jett
Celine Dion
“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.
“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
“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.
“Red, Red Wine” was written by Neil Diamond.
“We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Let Me Be the One” and “Rainy Days and Mondays” were written by Paul Williams.
“Take It Easy” was the Eagles’ debut hit and it was co-written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey.
Kiss
“Crazy” was written by Desmond Child with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
Glen Campbell
“All By Myself” was written by Eric Carmen.
Paul Revere and the Raiders
“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” was written by Jim Steinman, who is most famous for his collaborations with Meatloaf.
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.
“A Love So Beautiful” was written by Roy Orbison.
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.
“Days of Future Passed” was a cover of a Moody Blues song.
“Everybody’s a Masterpiece” was written by George S. Clinton and Richard Reicheg.
“Because You Loved Me” was written by Diane Warren.
Doobie Brothers
Carole King is one of the world’s best and most prolific songwriters.
“Baby It’s You” was written by Burt Bacharach, Barney Williams and Mack David.
Paul Carrack wrote “Love Will Keep Us Alive.”
“Chains” was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King.
Aretha Franklin
Lynn Anderson
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and mentioned by John Aughinbaugh in the comments.
“Twistin’ the Night Away” was written by Sam Cooke.
Osmonds
“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.
“My Back Pages” was written by Bob Dylan and suggested by Paul Smith in the comments.
“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
“Amazing” was written by Richard Supa and Steven Tyler.
The Who
“Poor Poor Pitiful Me” was written by Warren Zevon.
“The Show Must Go On” was written by Leo Sayer.
Blondie
Elvis Presley
“Pink” was written by Glen Ballard, Richard Supa and Steven Tyler.
Aerosmith
“Call me the Breeze” was written by JJ Cale.
“On Broadway” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
Billy Joe Royal
“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.
Bon Jovi
Michael Jackson
"Out in the Country" was written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols.
Three Dog Night is a rarity among great rock bands in that it never, to my knowledge, wrote one of its greatest hits…
Santana
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.
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.
“Lalena” was written and performed by Donovan.
“Livin’ on the Edge” was written by Mark Hudson, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
“Help!” was the band’s fourth single, a cover of a Beatles song.
“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”!
ABBA
"Blue Bayou" was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and originally performed by Roy Orbison.
“Love is a Rose” was written by Neil Young.
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.”
Carole King
THE BEATLES
“Love Is a Battlefield” was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman.
“Lucille” was a cover of a Little Richard song.
“After Midnight” and “Cocaine” were written by JJ Cale.
Eric Carmen
“Roll Over Beethoven,”“Rock & Roll Music” and “Sweet Little Sixteen” were written by Chuck Berry, the Shakespeare of early rock ’n’ roll.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman
“Heartbreak Hotel,” his first #1 hit, was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden.
"Speed King" borrows from Haydn’s “String Quartet in C.”
“Proud Mary” was written by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival at the time.
“Up on the Roof” and “Some Kind of Wonderful” were written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“Good Times” was written by Sam Cooke.
“Black Magic Woman” was written by Peter Green, the lead guitarist for Fleetwood Mac.
“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.”
“Lighting Strikes” was written by Richard Supa.
Marilyn Manson
Barry Manilow
“What About Love” was written by Brian Allen, Sheron Alton and Jim Vallance.
THE ROLLING STONES
“Daydream Believer” was written by John Stuart.
“Johnny B. Goode” and “Little Queenie” were written by Chuck Berry.
“You’re So Vain” was written by Carly Simon. “You’re So Vain” has also been covered by Liza Minnelli and Faster Pussycat
“Hush” and “Down in the Boondocks” were written by Joe South.
“Love Will Keep Us Alive” was written by John Capaldi, Paul Carrack and Peter Vale.
Richard Harris
“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.
“It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” was written by Paul Anka and originally performed by Buddy Holly and the Crickets.
Monkees
“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
“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.
“Puppy Love” was written by Paul Anka.
Bruce Springsteen
Drifters
“The Loco-Motion” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
“Joy To The World” and “Never Been to Spain” were written by Hoyt Axton.
“Tumbling Dice” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
“Summertime Blues” was written and recorded by Eddie Cochran (and covered by many other artists). Suggested by Michael Gibbs in the comments.
"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" was written by Anne Bredon and originally recorded by Joan Baez.
Pentatonix is an a cappella cover band.
“Alison” and “Girls Talk” were written by Elvis Costello.
Jimmy Webb wrote “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Wichita Lineman” as noted by Ronny Hoff in the comments.
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.
“Hurt” was written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.
“It’s So Easy” and “That’ll Be the Day” were written by Buddy Holly, who performed the songs with his band the Crickets.
“Because the Night” was written by Bruce Springsteen.
#MUSIC #ROCK #MRBMUSIC #MRBROCK
“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.
Tina Turner
Eagles
“You Belong to Me” was co-written by Carly Simon and Michael McDonald.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
“Rock Me on the Water” was written by Jackson Browne.
“Hungry” and “Kicks” were written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
Disturbed
“I Write the Songs” was actually written by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys! This dichotomy was mentioned in the comments by Nigyl Nissan.
Milli Vanilli
“Mr. Tambourine Man” was written by Bob Dylan.
“Doh Wah Diddy Diddy” was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and originally recorded by The Exciters.
Counting Crows
"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.
"The Flame" was a power ballad written by British songwriters Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham.
“Pieces of April” and “Til’ the World Ends” were written by Dave Loggins.
“Rag Doll” was written by Holly Knight, Richard Vallance, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.
“Don’t Bring Me Down” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Grand Funk Railroad
“Suzanne” was written by Leonard Cohen.
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.”
"Til There Was You" written by Meredith Wilson for his musical The Music Man.
“One Fine Day” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
"Sure as I'm Sitting Here" was written by John Hiatt.
“Like a Rolling Stone” was written by Bob Dylan and had the perfect title for the band.
“Shout” was also a hit for the Isley Brothers.
Michael Bolton
“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!
“Eli’s Coming” was written by Laura Nyro.
Deep Purple started out wanting to be a "Vanilla Fudge clone" according to Ritchie Blackmore.
“Think Twice” was co-written by Peter Sinfield of King Crimson and Bucks Fizz producer Andy Hill.
“Your Song” was written by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
Quiet Riot
“Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)” was written by Allen Toussaint.
“Paint it Black” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richard and originally performed by the Rolling Stones.
“The Tide Is High” was written by John Holt and performed by his Jamaican group The Paragons.
Heart
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
“Bring It on Home to Me” was written by Sam Cooke.
“Immortality” was written by the Bee Gees (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb) and performed with the Bee Gees providing backing vocals.
“Money (That’s What I Want)” was written by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford.
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.
“Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby,” “Honey Don’t” and “Matchbox” were written by Carl Perkins.
Chiffons
“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.
Jimmy Webb wrote the much-lampooned “MacArthur Park” as noted by Ronny Hoff in the comments.
“Long Tall Sally” was written by Little Richard, Robert "Bumps" Blackwell and Enotris Johnson.
Byrds
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.
“I’m a Believer” was written by Neil Diamond.
“Long, Long Time” was written by Gary White.
“Shambala” was written by Daniel Moore.
Paul Williams wrote three hit songs for Three Dog Night.
“I Get a Kick Out of You” was written by Cole Porter.
“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.
“Hound Dog” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and recorded in 1952 by Big Mama Thornton.
Manfred Mann
“Ooh Baby Baby” was written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore, and originally performed by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
“I Wanna Be Your Man” was written by Lennon/McCartney.
"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.
“Don’t Know Much” by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
“Someone to Watch Over Me” was written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.
“Ol’ 55” was written by Tom Waits.
Patti Smith
And now, without further ado, here are artists who didn’t write some of their best songs…
“Both Sides Now” was written by Joni Mitchell.
“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.
“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.”
Judy Collins
Carly Simon
“(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.
“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.
“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.
“Baby Please Don’t Go” was written by legendary blues guitarist Big Joe Williams.
THREE DOG NIGHT
“Woodstock” was written by Joni Mitchell.
“You Send Me” and “Good Times” were written by Sam Cooke.
The band also borrowed from Bach, Rossini, Strauss and Tchaikovsky.
Guns ’N’ Roses
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was written by veteran songwriter Diane Warren.
“You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” was written by Smokey Robinson.
Grateful Dead
UB40
“Better Be Good to Me,” “One of the Living” and “(Simply) The Best” were written or co-written by Holly Knight.
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.
“School Days” was written by Chuck Berry.
“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” was written by Bob Dylan.
“Peasant Valley Sunday” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Animals
In the comments Rick Deguchi mentioned that most of Linda Ronstadt’s hits were covers.
“T for Texas” was written by Jimmy Rodgers.
“Difficult To Cure” was an uptempo guitar-based reworking of Beethoven's “Ode To Joy.”
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.”
“Dizzy Miss Lizzie,” “Bad Boy” and “Slow Down” were written by Larry Williams.
"Since I've Been Loving You" is nearly identical to “Never” which was written by Bob Mosley and recorded by Moby Grape.
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.
Johnny Cash
“Blinded by the Light” was written by Bruce Springsteen.
“I’m Gonna Love You Too” was written by Buddy Holly.
“River Deep, Mountain High” was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.
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!
“Cum On Feel The Noize” was written by Slade members Noddy Holder and Jim Lea.
Linda Ronstadt
“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.
by Michael R. Burch
Yes
Eric Clapton
LED ZEPPELIN
“Sweet Georgia Brown” was a jazz standard.
“Five Bridges” was a cover of a song by The Nice.
Otis Redding
“I Was Made For Loving You” was written by songwriter pros Desmond Child and Vini Poncia.
“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.
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.