Some songs belong so completely to an artist that it’s easy to forget someone else sang them first. Others get picked up years later by another artist, pulled apart, rearranged and somehow turned into something entirely new.
And sometimes it isn’t about making the song your own at all. It’s about paying tribute to the artist who came before you.
That’s where Night Owl is headed this month.
Throughout September, we’ll have covers, live performances, award-show tributes and those rare versions that make you hear a familiar song differently. Some will stay close to the original. Some will wander pretty damn far from it.
For each song, the artist performing the version we’re listening to will be listed first, with the original recording artist underneath.
Tonight’s Playlist
Heart — “Stairway to Heaven” (2012)
Led Zeppelin — “Stairway to Heaven” (1971)
Miley Cyrus — “Jolene” (2012)
Dolly Parton — “Jolene” (1973)
Chris Cornell — “Nothing Compares 2 U” (2015)
The Family — “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1985)
Adam Lambert — “Believe” (2018)
Cher — “Believe” (1998)
Aretha Franklin — “Rolling in the Deep” (2014)
Adele — “Rolling in the Deep” (2010)
