It seems like cover songs are becoming more and more common. The past few months they’ve completely taken over my Spotify algorithm. Some of them are fine. Most of them are forgettable. I think it’s fair to say that covers are almost never better than the original. Except for when they are. Out of the hundreds of covers I’ve heard the past few years, here are a few that stand out and undeniably outshine the source material.

Luke Combs – “Fast Car” (Originally by Tracy Chapman)

Apparently, this is an unpopular opinion, but I think Luke Combs’ cover of “Fast Car” is much, much better than Tracy Chapman’s. A little-known fact about me is that I love country music, so I was naturally attracted to a version of the song with a full band and a steel guitar, not to mention that Luke is one of my favorite artists. While almost everyone I’ve talked to disagrees, I think Luke puts way more emotion and energy into “Fast Car,” while Tracy seems flat and completely detached from the story, even though the lyrics are so powerful. Although I’ll give credit where credit’s due: the success of Luke’s version wouldn’t be anywhere near as big if it weren’t for the great songwriting by Tracy. But at the end of the day, the story is only as good as the storyteller, so stream “Fast Car” by Luke Combs on Spotify here.

Olivia Rodrigo – “Stick Season” (Originally by Noah Kahan)

Noah Kahan and Olivia Rodrigo are two of my favorite artists (Basic, I know), so when I discovered Olivia’s cover of “Stick Season” (my third most streamed song last year) from the BBC Live Lounge, I was hooked. It fits her style perfectly and would have easily fit on Sour or Guts, and the dialed back instrumentals allow the lyrics to focus on conveying sadness instead of anger. Of course, I still love the original, but the two versions have very somewhat different styles. Olivia’s subtle shifts in the melody along with the softer tone makes the song’s themes of loss feel more powerful, which is why it (barely) has the edge over the original (but Noah evened the score with his cover of “lacy”). Her cover of “Stick Season” isn’t on Spotify yet, but you can stream it on Youtube here.

Wyatt Flores – “How To Save A Life” (Originally by The Fray)

I came across Wyatt Flores’ cover of “How To Save A Life” while using my best friend, the Spotify DJ. This song was my introduction to both the song “How To Save A Life” and Wyatt Flores as an artist. After hearing it, I went back and listened to the original, and found that Wyatt’s was much better. The Fray’s song sounds a little too overproduced and radio-ready, which isn’t a bad thing on its own. However, given how serious the topic of the song is, the lyrics don’t match the energy that the song puts out. In Wyatt’s version, the instruments are acoustic and much more stripped back, and a few changes are made to the melody, which allows the importance of the lyrics to really set in, making the song feel a lot more heartfelt. Stream “How To Save A Life” by Wyatt Flores on Spotify here.

Taylor Swift – “Better Man” (Originally by Little Big Town)

Taylor Swift wrote “Better Man” as yet another Jake Gyllenhaal diss track for Red, but instead gave the song to Little Big Town for their album The Breaker. I really liked their version of the song, although I feel like the harmonies between the four vocalists were a little bit overused. Taylor’s version of the song from Red: Taylor’s Version has great use of strings and piano, with very minimal percussion, while the drum and bass of the original feel a little bit out of place. Vocally, Taylor’s version is slightly better than the original because since she was the one who wrote the lyrics, the song feels a lot more authentic. The original’s four-way harmonies sort of soften the impact of the lyrics, while the toned back harmonies in Taylor’s version allows specific lines to have more personal inflection. Stream “Better Man (Taylor’s Version)” on Spotify here.