Covers, at their core, have always been deeply connected in both country and folk. From folk singers typically recycling old tunes to country artists updating classics throughout the decades, covers are incredibly commonplace within the genre. From Johnny Cash recording a plethora of Bob Dylan tracks to Chris Stapleton and George Strait scoring career-defining hits with covers (“Amarillo By Morning,” “Tennessee Whiskey”), there have been plenty of iconic reimaginings of past songs throughout country music history.
Though covers of non-country songs have become hits, just look at Luke Combs’ massive success with Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” in 2023, there are plenty of obscure, even random covers of non-country songs that have been recorded throughout the years that have flown under the radar.
Here are 20 of the most obscure country covers in the genre’s history:
Glen Campbell – “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” [Green Day]
It’s hard to think of two artists who reside on the opposite spectrum of music when you look at Glen Campbell and Green Day. With Campbell being one of the staples of country in the 1970s and Green Day being the quintessential punk band in the late 1990s and 2000s, you’d think there would be absolutely no crossover between the two.
However, Campbell released a cover of their 1997 hit, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” on his 2007 cover album, Meet Glen Campbell, which also features songs from Tom Petty to Jackson Browne.
David Nail – “Can’t Feel My Face” (The Weeknd)
In another incredibly strange pairing, David Nail covered pop megastar, The Weeknd’s, RIAA-certified diamond hit, “Can’t Feel My Face,” on his 2016 EP, Uncovered. Nail slowed down the long-time club staple into a much more soulful ballad. To say it’s an interesting cover would be an understatement.
Koe Wetzel – “Depression & Obsession” (XXXTentacion)
Appearing on his newest album, 9 Lives, Koe Wetzel decided to pay homage to the late XXXTentacion, who he’s viewed as one of his favorite underground rappers, “He was one of my favorite underground rap artists, and I always like to throw something kinda left field into my records.”
Despite the bulk of Koe and X’s musical styles (obviously) not overlapping, “Depression & Obsession” was one of the rare acoustic tracks released throughout his short career, making it an obvious choice to add to the diverse record that is 9 Lives.
Cody Jinks – “Wish You Were Here” (Pink Floyd)
Since his debut in 2010, Cody Jinks has always worn his rock and metal influences on his sleeve with many of his biggest hits blurring the line between country and rock. Paying homage to arguably the most popular progressive rock band, Jinks released a non-album single of Pink Floyd’s back in 2017.
Though it’s hard to compete with the iconic nature of the all-time classic from Pink Floyd, I might take Jinks’ cover over the original (a controversial opinion, I know).
Kenny Chesney – “I Want To Know What Love Is” (Foreigner)
Being one of the quintessential 80s rock songs, Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is” contains one of the most iconic choruses in its genre during the time period. Kenny Chesney stripped it back quite a bit and used it as the closing track on his 2016 album, Cosmic Hallelujah.
Willie Nelson – “My Way” (Frank Sinatra)
It’s hard to think of any artist in history that has the mass appeal of Frank Sinatra. From his all-time classics, “Fly Me to the Moon” and “That’s Life,” to his legendary 1957 Christmas album, it’s no stretch to say that Sinatra is one of the most iconic artists in music history. With Willie Nelson also being one of the most iconic artists in history, you have an all-time cover of “My Way.”
The two would later record a version of the track together which appears on Sinatra’s 1993 Duets album, and it’s pure gold.
Dwight Yoakam – “Purple Rain” (Prince & The Revolution)
Consistently being placed inside the Top 20 Songs of all time lists, there’s no denying that Prince’s “Purple Rain” is one of the greatest songs of all time. From its sprawling length to the iconic guitar work throughout, it’s nothing short of a masterpiece.
Dwight Yoakam decided to completely rework the iconic track into a bluegrass ballad, and it works wonders. Though it hardly holds a candle to the sprawling nature of the original, it’s an excellent reimagining.
Ronnie Dunn – “Brown Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison)
In 2020, Ronnie Dunn released a 24-song cover album covering everyone from George Strait and Gary Stewart to 10cc and the Eagles. Here, the other half of Brooks & Dunn provides a straightforward cover of the classic 1967 hit from Van Morrison.
Dolly Parton – “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin)
Before she dropped her highly successful cover album, Rockstar, in 2023, Dolly Parton covered arguably the greatest rock song in her 2002 album, Halos & Horns. Serving as the closing track, Dolly’s rendition turns the second half into a delightful gospel-inspired bluegrass tune, forgoing the heavy nature of Zeppelin’s original.
Josiah and the Bonnevilles – “Good Luck, Babe!” (Chappell Roan)
Appearing in the second volume of their country covers series, the severely underrated country-rock band put a country spin on reigning Grammy New Artist of the Year, Chappell Roan’s, smash hit, “Good Luck, Babe!” Stripping the track down from its 80s pop-inspired sound and slowing it down, Josiah and the Bonnevilles completely reinvented the track and made it their own.
If you’re a fan of their cover of Roan’s track, the band has also covered the likes of Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Lauryn Hill, Justin Beiber and more in their cover albums.
Waylon Jennings – “Gold Dust Woman” (Fleetwood Mac)
Appearing on one of the best-selling albums of all time, “Gold Dust Woman” is the sprawling closer to Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors.” The sultry vibe of the track was just begging to be covered by a country artist. Just a year later, none other than Waylon Jennings put his own spin on the track, and it’s pure gold.
Kacey Musgraves – “Three Little Birds” (Bob Marley)
There’s no denying that Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” has one of the most iconic choruses of all time. Even if you’re not familiar with his work, you’ve heard the phrase, “Baby, don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing is going to be alright,” somewhere.
Appearing alongside Leon Bridges, Wizkid and more on the soundtrack for Marley’s 2024 biopic, Musgraves provided a folk flare to the classic reggae track.
Dustin Lynch – “Hold On, We’re Going Home” (Drake)
Before Tebey’s country cover of Drake’s 2013 hit, “Hold On, We’re Going Home” began going viral on TikTok in July of 2024, it was none other than Dustin Lynch who made waves with his rendition all the way back in 2014 on the Bobby Bones Show.
Though Lynch has gotten a lot of criticism over the years for releasing some abhorrent tracks such as the infamous, “Good Girl,” there’s no denying that he did a phenomenal job covering it.
Cam – “Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars)
Cam, best known for her smash hit “Burning House,” has a long history of covering Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ 11x platinum track, “Uptown Funk,” at her live shows. Back in 2015 at South by Southwest, she recorded a live version of the track which was added to her Spotify Sessions EP.
Stripping it down acoustically, Cam turns the modern-day R&B/Funk classic into a much more bluesy track, and it actually works.
Luke Bryan – “Apologize” (One Republic)
Often overlooked due to Bryan’s 30 #1 hits, one of the most underrated and admittedly obscure songs in the “Do I” singer’s discography is none other than his cover of OneRepublic’s Grammy-nominated 2007 single, “Apologize.”
Appearing on his sophomore album, Doin’ My Thing, Bryan does a great job with the cover, adding some steel and hitting some impressive high notes throughout.
Ruston Kelly – “Teenage Dirtbag” (Wheatus)
Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag” has become a staple of pop-punk since its release in 2000. From its iconic chorus to lead singer, Brendan Brown’s, distinct falsetto, the track is a classic in its genre.
In 2019, Ruston Kelly released a stunning acoustic cover on his Dirt Emo Vol.1 project which completely strips the song back, making it feel closer to Midwest Emo compared to its pop-punk roots.
Lukas Nelson, Sierra Ferrell & The Travelin’ McCourys – “Someone Like You” (Adele)
Arguably one of the greatest pop ballads of all time, Adele’s “Someone Like You” has been certified everywhere from platinum to diamond in well over a dozen countries. Winning Best Pop Solo Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards, “Someone Like You” has solidified itself as one of the most iconic releases of the century so far.
Being covered by everyone from David Nail to metal band, Ice Nine Kills, the Grammy-winning track has had a plethora of different interpretations since its release in 2011. None, however, quite have the same magic of Lukas Nelson, Sierra Ferrell and The Travelin’ McCoury’s bluegrass spin on it.
Mitchell Tenpenny – “Iris” (The Goo Goo Dolls)
Often referred to as one of the greatest songs of all time, The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” hardly needs an introduction; it’s one of the greatest ballads for a reason. In 2024, Mitchell Tenpenny released a cover that adheres extremely closely to the 1998 smash hit.
Jason Isbell – “Sad But True” (Metallica)
Known as one of the greatest lyricists not only in country but in music as a whole, Jason Isbell can only be described as a generational artist. Releasing albums both in country and rock with his former band, Drive-By Truckers, Isbell has covered a lot of ground musically over the past two decades.
Appearing along with Jon Pardi, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton and Mickey Guyton on the metal band’s 2021 tribute album, The Metallica Blacklist, Isbell puts a phenomenal country-rock spin on the track.
Wynonna Judd – “Free Bird” (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
What else is there to say about “Free Bird?” It arguably has the most iconic guitar solo of all time. The sprawling, epic nature of the nine-minute song simply feels grand. “Free Bird” transitions from a slow ballad to one of the most instantly recognizable pieces of rock music in the final half of the song. The four-minute and 20-second guitar solo that ends the track is simply perfection, one of the greatest rock compositions ever.
In 1996, Wynonna covered the classic track in her album, Revelations. Making next to no compositional changes to the original, the “No One Else On Earth” singer delivered a rock-solid rendition through and through.