Which bands became massively popular for covering songs rather than recording originals?

“Roll Over Beethoven,”“Rock & Roll Music” and “Sweet Little Sixteen” were written by Chuck Berry, the Shakespeare of early rock ’n’ roll.

“Because the Night” was written by Bruce Springsteen.

“House of the Rising Sun” was a traditional folk/blues song.

What is the estimated number of people with an extra X chromosome?

“We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Let Me Be the One” and “Rainy Days and Mondays” were written by Paul Williams.

“Georgia on My Mind” was written by Hoagy Carmichael and made popular by Ray Charles.

“Your Song” was written by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

Alan Alda, Mike Farrell Among Those Paying Tribute to Loretta Swit: “A Supremely Talented Actor” - The Hollywood Reporter

“Hungry” and “Kicks” were written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

“I Get a Kick Out of You” was written by Cole Porter.

"Whole Lotta Love" was nicked from “You Need Love” by Willie Dixon, which Robert Planet later admitted. A court ruled in Dixon’s favor.

What can help me fall asleep at night?

Shirelles

“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.

The band also borrowed from Bach, Rossini, Strauss and Tchaikovsky.

Why are Boomers so vehemently opposed to student loan forgiveness?

Johnny Cash

“I Was Made For Loving You” was written by songwriter pros Desmond Child and Vini Poncia.

“The Tide Is High” was written by John Holt and performed by his Jamaican group The Paragons.

Will friendly dogs protect their owners?

“Baby It’s You” was written by Burt Bacharach, Barney Williams and Mack David.

“You Send Me” and “Good Times” were written by Sam Cooke.

The Who

What contributed to the popularity of The Beatles' song 'Yesterday'? Was it due to its simplicity, lyrics, or other factors?

“This Is It” was written by Paul Anka with Michael Jackson. Paul Anka was suggested by T. Stephen Cornelius in the comments.

Paul Williams wrote three hit songs for The Carpenters and three more for Three Dog Night.

Pentatonix is an a cappella cover band.

What is your opinion? I am 150-152 and I feel short. I’m 15 years old. I feel like this makes me look like a baby and ugly on most clothes.

“Amazing” was written by Richard Supa and Steven Tyler.

“A Love So Beautiful” was written by Roy Orbison.

“Paint it Black” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richard and originally performed by the Rolling Stones.

Colonoscopy screening at age 45 yields neoplasia rates close to older adults: Study supports guideline change - Medical Xpress

The Beatles started out as a cover band and never stopped covering songs: 21 of their first 46 recorded tracks were cover songs.

“Days of Future Passed” was a cover of a Moody Blues song.

“Love in Vain” was written by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson.

How do you weigh in on the Vance-couch conversation?

“Twist and Shout” was written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was a hit for the Top Notes and the Isley Brothers.

“I Hate Myself For Loving You” was written by professional songwriter Desmond Child with Joan Jett

Michael Bolton

Nephrologist shares signs to know if your kidneys are not healthy: 'Weight loss and poor appetite to swelling in…' - Hindustan Times

“Rock Me Baby” was written by blues legend B. B. King.

“Better Be Good to Me,” “One of the Living” and “(Simply) The Best” were written or co-written by Holly Knight.

Eric Carmen

What is the most popular boat rental service in Pompano Beach for birthday parties or special events?

“Call me the Breeze” was written by JJ Cale.

“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.

“Eli’s Coming” was written by Laura Nyro.

Hi everybody! I have been looking at posts on narcs and narc abuse on here and if has really helped me out a lot. I am currently struggling with my situation and need some advice/support. I met a narc last year, everything seemed to good to be true. Love bombing, always texting calling and taking me on dates. Everything changed when someone warned me about him out in public in front of him and who he is. This caused a conflict with us and the love bombing seized. he would tell me that everything is okay and i can come and talk. He would set a time limit on me and kick me out after that. he would then text me like everything was fine and we hung out again and after that he completely ghosted me for one week. He came back and texted me a week later laughing about the ghosting and acting like nothing had happened. he continued to text me ( not like in the beginning) make plans with me, then on the day of the plans he would just ghost me. One day he would act interested the next silence. i contacted him a month later and he acted like nothing happened. He was on a vacation and sent me a picture of another woman ( someone he allegedly met on the trip) to strike a reaction but i never gave him one. After the trip he came to my place and was extremely rude, accusing me of going on dates with a bunch of men. The next day he accused me of being an alcoholic and that he wanted nothing to do with me but said well maybe we can be "friends" then ghosted me i assumed at this point it was over and i would never hear from him again. He contacted me on the holiday a month later acting like everything was great. We ended up hanging out a month or so later and when we hung out it went well, i thought things were going in the right direction. after we hung out.. silence. I would try to text him and if he replied it would be very short then he just stopped replying. He ghosted me for almost three months. I thought he was done this time and of course he popped up again like nothing happened. At this point i was getting sick of if so i questioned him as to why he dissapeared and always does this. Of course he had some sob story about a injury and family member dying of cancer. I felt pity for him and he gave me an apology.. so i took him back stupidly. things seemed to be going smooth for a couple months, of course until his family member died and his injury got better he never contacted me and was distant. Menawhile, i was there for him during the difficult time for him. He lied to me about the funeral and never wanted to chat. I was chasing him and he would always claim nothing was wrong but when i said i thought he used me when he was down he could not handle it and would always tell me he didnt care and to go away. I would get so upset i would try texting him to work it out he would barelt respond and if he did he would not be nice about it. we did hang out a couple times after that, he would ignore me after. One day i was like hey i think you are seeing someone else, and i was like well ixam seeing someone so no problem if you are he said " buy bye good luck with your new guy stop contacting me" i was devastated and tried to get into contact with him for weeks then i just gave up and accepted it was over. He ended up contacting me a month later acting like everything was fine. He wanted to go out and have drinks i told him i would. He and i both seemed to have a great time. He ends up ignoring me again. I kept texting him trying to figure out what was wrong. He kept saying everything was fine and i said ok can we hang out again? He said maybe i was like why? He just kept saying maybe … our last conversation we had… i said what is wrong ? He said nothing is wrong everything is fine. I asked him why he keeps saying maybe. He said " maybe but i dont want to see you right now" i said why? He saix " im just not feeling it, if i wanted to date i would" i said why did you contact me less then a week ago wanting to go out? He said i didnt.. even though he did. So i said should i just move on or what? He said whatever you want to do. So i said that he was really confusing me and asked him if he had anything more to say before i move on? My messages were turning green so i panicked he blocked me and reacted irrationally. I said " omg did you block me? My messages are not going through. Even texted him on my work phone asking what was up. And called him twice ( please dont judge me i know it is pathetic i never was this type of girl before him) so he replied and said " Ok I'll block you now" then immedietly blocked me. He has never blocked me before since I have met him he will just ghost. Is this ths final discard aka " grand finale? Did i just push him too far? this has upset me so much its hard to even function.

“A Change Is Gonna Come,” “Chain Gang,” “Cupid” and “Shake” were written by Sam Cooke.

Blondie

“Big Yellow Taxi” was written by Joni Mitchell.

Neither China nor Egypt, the largest construction visible from space is located in Europe. - Farmingdale Observer

“Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)” was written by Allen Toussaint.

Barry Manilow

Manfred Mann

Why won't biden give a last minute deferred action TO ALL undocumented immigrants so Trump can't deport them? Obama issued DACA, why can't Biden issue something similar that protects ALL undocumented immigrants from deportation?

“Ooh Baby Baby” was written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore, and originally performed by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

“Tumbling Dice” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

“Blinded by the Light” was written by Bruce Springsteen.

Dow Jones Futures Rise, Broadcom Falls After Tesla Crashes On Musk-Trump Feud - Investor's Business Daily

“An Old-Fashioned Love Song,” “The Family of Man” and “Out in the Country” were written by Paul Williams.

Eric Clapton

“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.”

“The Loco-Motion” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

Aerosmith

“Baby Please Don’t Go” was written by legendary blues guitarist Big Joe Williams.

“Different Drum” was written by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees and it became her first hit.

THE BEATLES

“It’s So Easy” and “That’ll Be the Day” were written by Buddy Holly, who performed the songs with his band the Crickets.

“T for Texas” was written by Jimmy Rodgers.

"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.

“War Machine” was written by professional songwriter Jim Vallance.

Bruce Springsteen

Paul Williams wrote three hit songs for Three Dog Night.

Tom Jones

“All By Myself” was written by Eric Carmen.

The songs above were suggested by Geoff Morton in the comments.

“School Days” was written by Chuck Berry.

Eagles

Osmonds

“You’re No Good” was a rock version of the R&B song written by Clint Ballard Jr.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Celine Dion

Judy Collins

Heart

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.”

“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.

Sha Na Na was ever and always a cover band!

“Think Twice” was co-written by Peter Sinfield of King Crimson and Bucks Fizz producer Andy Hill.

My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean) was the Beatles’ first single, a traditional song.

Lynn Anderson

“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!

“Like a Rolling Stone” was written by Bob Dylan and had the perfect title for the band.

Lynyrd Skynyrd

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.

Michael Jackson

“Poor Poor Pitiful Me” was written by Warren Zevon.

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!

Grateful Dead

"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" was written by Anne Bredon and originally recorded by Joan Baez.

“Heat Wave” was written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team.

“Good Times” was written by Sam Cooke.

Richard Harris

“One” was written by the great Harry Nilsson.

“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.

“What About Love” was written by Brian Allen, Sheron Alton and Jim Vallance.

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.

“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.

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 Write the Songs” was actually written by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys! This dichotomy was mentioned in the comments by Nigyl Nissan.

“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.

“Peasant Valley Sunday” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

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.

“Doh Wah Diddy Diddy” was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and originally recorded by The Exciters.

Yes

“Love Will Keep Us Alive” was written by John Capaldi, Paul Carrack and Peter Vale.

“Everybody’s a Masterpiece” was written by George S. Clinton and Richard Reicheg.

Disturbed

Tina Turner

“Up on the Roof” and “Some Kind of Wonderful” were written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

LED ZEPPELIN

Paul Revere and the Raiders

Billy Joe Royal

“Go Away Little Girl” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

“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”!

"Speed King" borrows from Haydn’s “String Quartet in C.”

“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.

“All Along the Watchtower” was written by Bob Dylan.

Pat Benatar

Partridge Family

“Ol’ 55” was written by Tom Waits.

“Lighting Strikes” was written by Richard Supa.

“Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by Little Willie Littlefield.

“Dizzy Miss Lizzie,” “Bad Boy” and “Slow Down” were written by Larry Williams.

AC/DC

“Mama Told Me Not to Come” was written by Randy Newman.

“Summertime Blues” was written and recorded by Eddie Cochran (and covered by many other artists). Suggested by Michael Gibbs in the comments.

“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.”

"Sure as I'm Sitting Here" was written by John Hiatt.

Righteous Brothers

UB40

“Long, Long Time” was written by Gary White.

"Blue Bayou" was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and originally performed by Roy Orbison.

“Help!” was the band’s fourth single, a cover of a Beatles song.

Marilyn Manson

“Pieces of April” and “Til’ the World Ends” were written by Dave Loggins.

“Chains” was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King.

“Tell Him” was written by David Foster and performed as a duet with Barbara Streisand.

“Love Is a Battlefield” was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman.

“Difficult To Cure” was an uptempo guitar-based reworking of Beethoven's “Ode To Joy.”

“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was written by veteran songwriter Diane Warren.

Monkees

Animals

“Hush” and “Down in the Boondocks” were written by Joe South.

THE ROLLING STONES

"The Flame" was a power ballad written by British songwriters Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham.

“Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” was written by professional songwriter Desmond Child in collaboration with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.

“Don’t Know Much” by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

“Back in the U.S.A” was written by Chuck Berry.

“Hound Dog” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and recorded in 1952 by Big Mama Thornton.

“I’m Gonna Love You Too” was written by Buddy Holly.

“Rock Me on the Water” was written by Jackson Browne.

“The Show Must Go On” was written by Leo Sayer.

“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

“I’m a Believer” was written by Neil Diamond.

“Pink” was written by Glen Ballard, Richard Supa and Steven Tyler.

“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.

Patti Smith

“Heartbreak Hotel,” his first #1 hit, was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden.

“Woodstock” was written by Joni Mitchell.

“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “You’re My Soul and Inspiration” were written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

“Both Sides Now” was written by Joni Mitchell.

“On Broadway” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Santana

Milli Vanilli

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.

“Don’t Bring Me Down” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

“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.

Kiss

“Crazy” was written by Desmond Child with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.

“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.

“Lucille” was a cover of a Little Richard song.

“Johnny B. Goode” and “Little Queenie” were written by Chuck Berry.

“Shambala” was written by Daniel Moore.

“Love is a Rose” was written by Neil Young.

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.

Carole King

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Glen Campbell

Milli Vanilli (pictured above) gets a dishonorable mention for not actually singing the songs they covered!

“Puppy Love” was written by Paul Anka.

“Hurt” was written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

“Red, Red Wine” was written by Neil Diamond.

“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and mentioned by John Aughinbaugh in the comments.

Paul Carrack wrote “Love Will Keep Us Alive.”

“I Wanna Be Your Man” was written by Lennon/McCartney.

“Black and White” was a 1954 folk song written by David I. Arkin (the father of actor Alan Arkin) and Earl Robinson.

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.

“Jersey Girl” was written by Tom Waits.

Otis Redding

The Carpenters

Counting Crows

“Someone to Watch Over Me” was written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.

The English version of “Ring Ring” was translated by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody.

“Long Tall Sally” was written by Little Richard, Robert "Bumps" Blackwell and Enotris Johnson.

“One Fine Day” was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

“Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby,” “Honey Don’t” and “Matchbox” were written by Carl Perkins.

Linda Ronstadt

"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.

“(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.

“You Belong to Me” was co-written by Carly Simon and Michael McDonald.

Carole King

Frank Sinatra

“Immortality” was written by the Bee Gees (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb) and performed with the Bee Gees providing backing vocals.

“My Back Pages” was written by Bob Dylan and suggested by Paul Smith in the comments.

Jimmy Webb wrote “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Wichita Lineman” as noted by Ronny Hoff in the comments.

“I Really Want to Know You” was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” was written by Bob Dylan.

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?

“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.

“Suzanne” was written by Leonard Cohen.

Bon Jovi

Elvis Presley

“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

As I go, I will reveal which two famous singers lied like dogs, thanks to their songwriters!

Aretha Franklin

“You’re So Vain” was written by Carly Simon. “You’re So Vain” has also been covered by Liza Minnelli and Faster Pussycat

“Alison” and “Girls Talk” were written by Elvis Costello.

THREE DOG NIGHT

"Liar" was written by Russ Ballard of Argent.

Chiffons

Grand Funk Railroad

“Cum On Feel The Noize” was written by Slade members Noddy Holder and Jim Lea.

#MUSIC #ROCK #MRBMUSIC #MRBROCK

Carly Simon

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.

“After Midnight” and “Cocaine” were written by JJ Cale.

Cheap Trick

Home Free is an a cappella cover band.

“Already Gone” was written by Jack Tempchin and Robb Strandlund.

Byrds

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.

“Joy To The World” and “Never Been to Spain” were written by Hoyt Axton.

“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.

by Michael R. Burch

“Black Magic Woman” was written by Peter Green, the lead guitarist for Fleetwood Mac.

“Shout” was also a hit for the Isley Brothers.

Doobie Brothers

“Send In the Clowns” was written by Stephen Sondheim.

"Easy to Be Hard" was written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni for the “Hair” musical.

“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.

“You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” was written by Smokey Robinson.

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

"Since I've Been Loving You" is nearly identical to “Never” which was written by Bob Mosley and recorded by Moby Grape.

DEEP PURPLE

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Deep Purple started out wanting to be a "Vanilla Fudge clone" according to Ritchie Blackmore.

Quiet Riot

“The Sound of Silence” was written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon and Garfunkel.

“Because You Loved Me” was written by Diane Warren.

And now, without further ado, here are artists who didn’t write some of their best songs…

“Sweet Georgia Brown” was a jazz standard.

“Livin’ on the Edge” was written by Mark Hudson, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.

Three Dog Night is a rarity among great rock bands in that it never, to my knowledge, wrote one of its greatest hits…

Drifters

Sergei Rachmaninoff deserves a credit for “All By Myself.”

“Proud Mary” was written by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival at the time.

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.”

Guns ’N’ Roses

“Rag Doll” was written by Holly Knight, Richard Vallance, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.

"Til There Was You" written by Meredith Wilson for his musical The Music Man.

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.”

“Money (That’s What I Want)” was written by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford.

“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

The Blues Brothers were a cover band comprised of SNL stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.

“River Deep, Mountain High” was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.

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.

“Private Dancer” was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.

Jimmy Webb wrote the much-lampooned “MacArthur Park” as noted by Ronny Hoff in the comments.

“Mr. Tambourine Man” was written by Bob Dylan.

Carly Simon

“Turn, Turn, Turn” was written by Pete Seeger in 1959 and was based on the Bible, specifically the third chapter of Ecclesiastes.

ABBA

“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.

“Twistin’ the Night Away” was written by Sam Cooke.

Carole King is one of the world’s best and most prolific songwriters.

“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.

“It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” was written by Paul Anka and originally performed by Buddy Holly and the Crickets.

Rod Stewart

“Somewhere Out There” by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

“Take It Easy” was the Eagles’ debut hit and it was co-written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey.

“Never,” “All Eyes,” “There’s the Girl,” “Tall. Dark, Handsome Stranger,” and “I Love You” were written

“Peaceful Easy Feeling” was written by Jack Tempchin.

“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

Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman

“Five Bridges” was a cover of a song by The Nice.

“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.

“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.

In the comments Rick Deguchi mentioned that most of Linda Ronstadt’s hits were covers.

“Bring It on Home to Me” was written by Sam Cooke.

“I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You”) was written by country legend Hank Williams Sr.

“Not Fade Away” was written by Buddy Holly and became one of the Grateful Dead’s standards.

“She’s a Lady” remains Tom Jones’s biggest hit in the United States.

“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” was written by Cole Porter.

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.

“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.

"Out in the Country" was written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols.

“Darlin’” and “Time to Get Alone” were written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.

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.

“Daydream Believer” was written by John Stuart.

“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” was written by Jim Steinman, who is most famous for his collaborations with Meatloaf.

Procol Harum

“Lalena” was written and performed by Donovan.