Top 10 Cover Songs of the Last Decade
Sometimes a cover does not just honour the original, it revamps and elevates the song altogether. Whether it is a one-time live performance or a formally produced release, these covers had us absolutely obsessed! Here are our top ten favourite music covers from the last decade.
Benson Boone (Adele’s When We Were Young)
Most have heard about Benson Boone and backflipping on stage, hooting and hollering while singing about “moonbeam ice cream”, whatever that means. What most don’t know is the unexpected second wave of fame stemming from his unexpected vocal range and power.
As a part of his “American Heart” area tour, Boone features a surprise cover of a popular song during every show. These covers revealed Boone’s true vocal ability and range, resulting in his fans urging him to get a new songwriter to complement his talent in his own music. Some popular songs that Boone covered recently include Coldplay’s “Sparks, Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me”, and most notably, Adele’s “When We Were Young.”
Boone’s cover of Adele’s smash hit went viral not only because he sounded just like Adele’s recording, but also because he was able to truly sing and belt the song in its original key. Boone is also very active on social media, in particular TikTok, and seems to take input from his comments after performing the highly demanded “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles.
Ben Platt (Addison Rae’s Diet Pepsi)
Ben Platt went viral for his recent rendition of Addison Rae’s summer hit, “Diet Pepsi,” which he performed at the 2025 Las Culturistas Culture Awards. Platt turned a summer pop hit into a luscious vocal ballad, which completely stunned the internet. Known for his vocal talent, Platt is no stranger to mastering a cover. In 2017, Platt garnered attention for covering “River” by Joni Mitchell for Ryan Murphey’s TV show, “The Politician.” As for his current trending cover, Addison Rae herself publicly told Platt that the cover was “amazing,” and she was “honoured” that he chose to cover it.
Conan Gray (LANY’s ILYSB)
In 2018, Gray’s fanbase consisted of YouTube fans who would tune in to watch cooking videos, collaborations and music covers. One of those covers, LANY’s “ILYSB,” stands out and is considered one of his best.
This cover, for all of Gray’s earlier fans, is a huge throwback to when oversaturation and ukuleles filled every YouTube thumbnail. Gray’s soft aesthetic, combined with his slow rendition, made for a perfect cover of this popular song. From posting simple covers on YouTube to charting on the Billboard Hot 100, it’s so amazing to see a small creator grow over time and make it big!
Harry Styles (Lizzo’s Juice)
Harry Styles’ cover of Lizzo’s “Juice” was the ‘it’ cover before covers were even cool. For Styles fans everywhere, the release of this video was a huge day. Styles’ cover added a sassy and flirtatious nature to this song that fangirls everywhere fell to their knees upon hearing.
Styles performed this cover in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge in 2019, but this video recirculates on the internet almost every single year since then. Styles doesn’t commonly cover other artists’ work, but when he does, he definitely grabs our attention. Some of his more popular covers include Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” and “Landslide” along with Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush.” His solo covers of One Direction songs like “Story of My Life,” “What Makes You Beautiful”, and “If I Could Fly” also have massive hype.
Phoebe Bridgers (Bo Burnham’s That Funny Feeling)
For the longest time, many believed Phoebe Bridgers’ cover of Bo Burnham’s “That Funny Feeling” was the original song. It was always the first thing to pop up on Spotify, and was all over the TikTok feed in late 2020. After watching Burnham’s documentary featuring his song, it was shocking to hear how much Bridgers changed the tone of the original.
This cover only gets better: when Bridgers first performed this cover live, it was alongside Burnham. After that performance, it became the encore song to her 2021 Punisher tour. When she officially released it on Bandcamp, all proceeds from the song went towards the Texas Abortion Funds following the anti-abortion legislation that had recently passed.
Bridgers has also covered Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag,” The Cure’s “Friday I’m In Love”, and Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees,” all artists and songs that are commonly associated with her indie/sad-girl genre.
Kelly Clarkson (Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever)
A music cover article would not be complete without mentioning the muse, Kelly Clarkson. When Clarkson joined the music industry, everyone raved about her original work. Now, her name is most commonly thrown around when she covers a song, with artists fearing that she might “Kelly Clarkson” their music, or in other words, outperform them!
To “Kelly Clarkson”, a song means to cover a song so well that fans like it more than the original. Every time Clarkson covers a song, she often outsings the original vocalist. She covered Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever”, and the internet exploded – as expected.
Clarkson has an EP and playlist titled “Kellyoke” on all platforms, a playlist with all of the songs she covered and released. Popular songs in that EP include Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “vampire”, and Aerosmith’s “Dream On.”
Ethel Cain (Kim Carnes’ Bette Davis Eyes)
“Bette Davis Eyes,” an absolute classic by Kim Carnes, was honoured perfectly by indie star Ethel Cain. The alternative sensation has covered Carnes’ tune a number of times, making it an iconic highlight in her festival sets as an encore song. Her first time performing the song was in 2024 in Paris; she then performed it again in August later that year at Lollapalooza (Chicago) and another time in Washington.
The slight Southern twang of “Bette Davis Eyes” and the message behind it allow it to fit perfectly into Ethel Cain’s discography. The song calls back to the famous old Hollywood actress, Bette Davis, whose eyes were seen as her most prominent feature. Ethel Cain regularly explores themes of obsession and femininity from many different angles and personas. Overall, Cain does an incredible cover of a well-loved song.
Lana Del Rey (Sublime’s Doin Time)
This cover is so well known that most people think this is an original! Lana Del Rey’s cover of Sublime’s “Doin’ Time” was featured on her record-breaking album, “Norman F**king Rockwell,” released in 2019.
What most don’t realize is that Sublime’s version wasn’t entirely original either – it sampled jazz artist Herbie Mann’s cover of “Summertime”, composed by George Gershwin. This means that Del Rey’s song is actually a cover three times removed. Her version is considered a modern trip-hop take on the song.
Lana’s version is a part of a 14-song album featuring subjects of summer love and the bittersweet ends that come with it, while also interweaving themes of Americana. Safe to say, this cover fits in perfectly with the theme.
Frank Ocean (Henry Mancini’s Moon River)
Frank Ocean has proved time and time again that he has the power to absolutely shatter our hearts with nothing more than a synthesizer and his voice. His cover of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” iconic “Moon River” is no exception. Somehow Frank managed to make an already devastating song even more heart-wrenching, with ingredients as simple as adding reverb and haunting, echoing vocals that can’t help but evoke emotion from the listener.
This cover dropped in 2018 as a continuous rollout of singles over three years, following the release of his magnum opus, “Blonde,” in 2017. Since then, fans have been on their toes waiting for another major drop from Ocean, with the most recent being 2020’s single “Cayendo.”
Through his refreshing cover of a timeless classic, Ocean gave a whole new generation the same heartbreak. Frank preserves the heart and emotion of the song, which is the sign of a well-done cover.
Hozier (Destiny’s Child Say My Name)
Hozier pulled out all of the stops for his cover of “Say My Name” by the beloved ’90s girl group Destiny’s Child. This version was released as a part of Spotify’s recorded single series in 2019, but since then, he has performed this cover live a number of times. Hozier’s voice was a perfect fit for this song – with his deep gospellike vocals, he transformed the tune from a smooth pop jam into a lingering, sultry track.
Hozier has also famously covered “Do I Wanna Know” by the Arctic Monkeys, which was met with critical acclaim, as well as “The Humours of Whiskey,” a timeless Irish classic.
The Art of the Cover
Covers in music represent the heart and soul of the music industry: appreciating the work of others so much that artists can’t help but want to perform them too. Covers help expand the reach of musicians and expose audiences to new artists. Check out your favourite artist to see if they have any covers! Who knows, maybe you’ll find a new favourite artist through their own personal taste.
