Well, 'Yesterday' by the Beatles is on record as the most covered - or was! - so you can probably leave it at that...wasn't this discussion about songs reaching number one?

Well, 'Yesterday' by the Beatles is on record as the most covered - or was! - so you can probably leave it at that...wasn't this discussion about songs reaching number one?

Nothing wrong with going a little off topic. It is kind of related anyway.

Here are the songs with the most charted versions. Thanks to hanboo at UKMix for this info.

 

UK SINGLES: SONGS WITH MOST CHARTED VERSIONS

 

Here are the songs with four or more different versions on the UK chart.

Re-entries do not count, re-recordings and remixes do.

 

Legend:

First line: number of versions, top 10 entries, chart peak, song title (debut year - last year)

2nd line: names of the song writers

3nd line: names of the acts in chronological order (between brackets: chart peak) * indicates title was part of a double side or a medley ** indicates title was (slightly) changed

 

9 6 1 UNCHAINED MELODY (1955-2002)

Written by: Alex North/Hy Zaret

Acts: Al Hibbler (2) Liberace (20) Les Baxter (10) Jimmy Young (1 & 43) The Righteous Brothers (1)

Leo Sayer (54) Robson Green & Jerome Flynn* (1) Gareth Gates (1)

8 2 1 EVERLASTING LOVE (1968-2004)

Written by: Buzz Cason/Mac Gayden

Acts: Robert Knight (19) Love Affair (1) Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet (35) Sandra** (45) Worlds Apart

(20) Gloria Estefan (19) The Cast From Casualty (5) Jamie Cullum (20)

8 2 5 WHITE CHRISTMAS (1952-1989)

Written by: Irving Berlin

Acts: Mantovani & His Orchestra (6) Pat Boone (29) Freddie Starr (41) Bing Crosby (5) Darts* (48)

Jim Davidson* (52) Keith Harris & Orville (40) Max Bygraves (71)

7 3 1 WISHING ON A STAR (1978-2011)

Written by: Billie Rae Calvin

Acts: Rose Royce (3) Fresh 4 (10) The Cover Girls (38) 88.3 Feat Lisa May (61) Jay-Z Feat. Gwen

Dickey (13) Paul Weller (11) X Factor Finalists 2011 (1)

7 2 1 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (1975-2010)

Written by: Freddie Mercury

Acts: Queen (1) Bad News (44) Braids (21) Rolf Harris (50) G4 (9) Queen & The Muppets (32) Glee

Cast Feat. Jonathan Groff (67)

6 5 1 LIGHT MY FIRE (1967-2002)

Written by: John Densmore/Robby Krieger/Ray Manzarek/Jim Morrison

Acts: The Doors (7) Jose Feliciano (6) Amii Stewart* (5) Amii Stewart* (7) UB40 (63) Will Young (1)

6 3 6 WALK ON BY (1964-1997)

Written by: Burt Bacharach/Hal David

Acts: Dionne Warwick (9) The Stranglers (21) Average White Band (46) D Train (44) Sybil (6) Gabr

ielle (7)

6 3 1 AIN'T NOBODY (1984-1997)

Written by: David Wolinski

Acts: Rufus & Chaka Khan (8) Jaki Graham (44) KWS & Gwen Dickey** (21) Diana King (13) LL Cool J

(1) The Course (8)

6 3 1 DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA (1976-2011)

Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber/Astor Piazolla/Tim Rice

Acts: Julie Covington (1) The Shadows (5) Sinead O'Connor (53) Madonna (3) Mike Flowers Pops (30)

Glee Cast** (67)

6 3 1 STRANGER IN PARADISE (1955-1955)

Written by: George Forrest/Robert Wright

Acts: The Four Aces (6) Tony Bennett (1) Tony Martin (6) Eddie Calvert (14) Don Cornell (19) Bing

Crosby (17)

6 2 1 I WILL SURVIVE (1979-1997)

Written by: Dino Fekaris/Freddie Perren

Acts: Gloria Gaynor (1) Billie Jo Spears (47) Gloria Gaynor** (5) Chantay Savage (12) Diana Ross

(14) Cake (29)

6 2 3 THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (1959-1994)

Written by: Harry Simeone/Henry Onorati/Katherine Davis

Acts: The Harry Simeone Chorale (13) The Beverley Sisters (6) Michael Flanders & Donald Swan (20)

Royal Scots Dragoon Guard (13) David Bowie & Bing Crosby* (3) RuPaul* (61)

6 2 3 LEAN ON ME (1972-2010)

Written by: Bill Withers/Melvin Dunlop

Acts: Bill Withers (18) Mud (7) Club Nouveau (3) Michael Bolton (14) 2-4 Family** (69) Glee Cast

Feat. Kevin McHale & Amber Riley (43)

6 1 2 LOVIN' YOU (1975-2003)

Written by: Minnie Riperton/Richard Rudolph

Acts: Minnie Riperton (2) Massivo Featuring Tracy (25) Shanice (54) U.B.M. (46) Sparkle (65) Marc

Et Claude** (37)

6 1 1 (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION (1965-1991)

Written by: Keith Richards/Mick Jagger

Acts: Rolling Stones (1) Otis Redding(33) Bubble Rock (29) Devo (41) Aretha Franklin** (37) Vanilla

Ice** (22)

6 0 24 FEELING GOOD (1994-2011)

Written by: Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse

Acts: Nina Simone (40) Huff & Herb Feat. Nina Simone (31) Huff & Herb** (69) Muse* (24) Michael

Buble (69) Muse (54)

 

Since we're going slightly off topic with cover versions, does anyone know the act with the most covers to chart?

Since we're going slightly off topic with cover versions, does anyone know the act with the most covers to chart?

 

At a guess, Shakin Stevens, maybe?

Edited December 5, 201212 yr by fiesta

If you mean the act performong covers - rather than covers of songs by an act - the winners must be Glee Cast by a long way.

Fiesta - you've missed Mack The Knife/Theme From The Threepenny Opera out - it's the same song just in vocal/instrumental versions

Since we're going slightly off topic with cover versions, does anyone know the act with the most covers to chart?

 

Glee - Just narrowly beating Westlife :lol: :kink:

Glee - Just narrowly beating Westlife :lol: :kink:

Shakin' Stevens is a good contender - but I agree with Glee

Latest one is The Power Of Love

1984 - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

2012 - Gabrielle Aplin

Latest one is The Power Of Love

1984 - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

2012 - Gabrielle Aplin

 

That was the point of this thread's creation, yes.

Shouldnt Take A Chance On Me by Abba and These Are The Days Of Our Lives by Queen be included on the list?. The former was included Erasure's Abba Esque EP (no.1, 1992) and the latter on was by Queen & Lisa Stansfield and was included on the Five Live EP (no.1, 1993) Or do EP's not count..

Edited December 11, 201212 yr by fiesta

6 5 1 LIGHT MY FIRE (1967-2002)

Written by: John Densmore/Robby Krieger/Ray Manzarek/Jim Morrison

Acts: The Doors (7) Jose Feliciano (6) Amii Stewart* (5) Amii Stewart* (7) UB40 (63) Will Young (1)

 

Mike Flowers Pops also covered Light My Fire in 1996.

Since we're going slightly off topic with cover versions, does anyone know the act with the most covers to chart?

 

Westlife?