Some songs are so good, you don’t even realize that they’re covers. The artist does such a potent rendition of a certain record that it eventually becomes their own entirely. Moreover, the best cover records are with artists who reimagine the beauty and texture of the original. Otherwise, it just becomes a remix or a rendition amateur singers would do on American Idol.
R&B has some truly magical covers across the genre’s rich history. Nowadays, it’s rare to get a great cover outside one-off performances at concerts and triple j appearances. In the spirit of appreciating a genre rich with incredible R&B reinterpretations, we’ve selected 10 timeless classics that are just as good as their originals.
8 Classic R&B Covers That Rival the Original Recordings
“A House is Not a Home” by Luther Vandross
What is arguably Luther Vandross’ most iconic record was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick first. But Luther had a one-of-a-kind voice that could elevate even the most standard ballads. With chords that beautiful and piercing, it is by far the greatest ballad of all time.
“(They Long to Be) Close to You” by Isaac Hayes
Karen Carpenter set an extremely high bar when she made “(They Long to Be) Close to You”. She had such a warm, comforting voice that it made for one of the most intimate love songs of all time.
The only way Isaac Hayes could elevate it was to make it bigger. So he composed a dazzling interpolation of the Carpenters classic, with gorgeous backing vocals and horns with his booming voice.
“I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston had a habit of making stellar covers that made you forget the original. Her take on “I’m Every Woman” stands side by side with Chaka Khan. Even Dolly Parton herself admitted she had to pull over when she first heard Houston sing “I Will Always Love You” on the radio.
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Prince
Bonnie Raitt’s 90s classic is one of the most devastating ballads of all time. You can hear her voice ache in despair over a love too far lost. Prince saw the beautiful chords and bare-bones structure in its production and maximized it with gorgeous saxophones.
“All I Do is Think of You” by Troop
It’s extremely hard to beat out a Michael Jackson original. But Troop came together for a truly triumphant, euphoric spin of “All I Do is Think of You”.
“My First Love” by Avant and Keke Wyatt
Avant and Keke Wyatt stayed extremely close to the source material on “My First Love”. It has essentially become an R&B standard for any man and woman making a cover. But the pair went above and beyond vocally that arguably saw them pass the original René & Angela record.
“Cruisin’” by D’Angelo
It took some serious courage to cover a spotless classic like Smokey Robinson’s “Cruisin’” in 1995. But with a little extra thump in the bass, D’Angelo gave the record its own beautiful tapestry.
“Moon River” by Frank Ocean
There’s only so many different versions of “Moon River”. After a while, every artist ends up absorbing the beauty of Audrey Hepburn’s original. But Frank Ocean changed up the formula by maximizing sound design; his tender vocals are mixed like a secret between you and him.
(Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns)