More '80s Songs That You Maybe Didn't Know Were Covers

A new batch of '80s covers...and a surprise cameo from John Stamos. Seriously...even I didn't see that one coming.

I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but I’ve spent the last week in desperate need of a distraction from real-world events. In that spirit, this needlessly long post takes every possible tangent on the way to making its point. If you too are in desperate need of a distraction…here are 10 hits from the ‘80s that are actually covers.

1. Obsession

Holly Knight & Michael Des Barres (1983)

Holly Knight isn’t a household name, but it probably should be. Knight is enshrined in the Songwriters Hall of Fame for a body of work that helped define the decade.

She penned a crazy number of MTV-era staples including “Love is a Battlefield” (Pat Benatar), “The Warrior” (Patty Smyth and Scandal), “Rag Doll” (Aerosmith) and as we discussed in our last edition of ‘80s Covers, “The Best” (First by Bonnie Tyler, and next, by Tina Turner). 

Knight also wrote and recorded “Obsession” for the soundtrack to an entirely-forgotten 1983 film called A Night in Heaven.

The original “Obsession” was a duet between Knight and British singer/actor Michael Des Barres. Several quick notes on Des Barres. (I warned you about the tangents). In the late ‘70s, Des Barres fronted a glam band called Detective–one of just a few artists signed to Led Zeppelin’s short-lived Swan Song label.

In the early ‘80s, Des Barres replaced Robert Palmer (who will make several more appearances on our list) as the frontman for Power Station (a side-project/supergroup featuring some of the dudes from Duran Duran). And finally, he is probably best-known to children of the ‘80s for his recurrent role as a dastardly assassin named Murdoc on MacGyver. 

Coincidentally (I assume), his final appearance on the primetime action series was in a Season 7 episode called “Obsessed”.

Ok. Back to A Night in Heaven. The film was panned by critics and bombed at the box office. However, the soundtrack launched a major hit.

No, not it was not “Obsession”. Instead, Bryan Adams scored his first #1 hit with “Heaven”.

Like the film from whence it came, the Knight and Des Barres duet was not a hit.

Animotion (1984)

The same year A Night in Heaven was tanking at the box office, two L.A.-based New Wave bands were in the midst of splintering. In 1983, the former members of Red Zone and Billy Bond Band merged to create Animotion. 

They released a self-titled debut of largely original material in 1984. But it was their cover of the Holly Knight tune that caught fire, reaching #6 in the U.S. and #5 in the U.K.

Animotion had a few more charting entries in the mid-80s, but splintered and disbanded as the decade drew to an end. Today, they are largely remembered as a one-hit wonder.

2. Alone

i-Ten (1983)

Like Holly Knight, Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly have a pretty bonkers songwriting resume. Over the course of their collaboration, they charted hits with “Like a Virgin” (Madonna), “True Colors” (Cyndi Lauper), “Eternal Flame” (The Bangles), “So Emotional” (Whitney Houston), “I Touch Myself” (Divinyls), “I’ll Stand By You” (The Pretenders), and a whole lot more.

“Alone” is the rare instance in which they actually recorded their own tune.

Assembling a one-off band called i-Ten, Steinberg and Kelly released an entire album in 1983. Taking a Stone Cold Look is a veritable who’s-who of top session players from the era. Journey drummer Mike Baird; future Mr. Mister frontman Richard Page; and Steve Porcaro, Steve Lukather, and David Paich–all from Toto. 

To reiterate a point that we make a lot around here, the dudes from Toto were freakin’ everywhere in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. In spite of the studio muscle,  i-Ten’s only album stiffed.

Dreams (1984)

i-Ten was not the only artist to record a pre-hit version of “Alone”.

Just a few years before making history as the frontman for Jesse and the Rippers, John Stamos starred in an extremely short-lived primetime TV series called Dreams.

Stamos played Philadelphia welder and aspiring rock star Gino Minnelli. He taped 12 episodes as the lead singer of a band that was also called Dreams.

They taped 12 episodes, got canned after 5, and ran out the rest of the season with minimal viewership.

And that’s really too bad, because that means nobody was watching when, in Episode 7, Stamos duets with co-star Valerie Stevenson on i-Ten’s “Alone”.

This is actually the first cover version of “Alone” and was even released as a single the day that it aired in November of 1984. Needless to say, it was not a hit.

Heart (1987)

In the ‘70s, Ann and Nancy Wilson established their reputation as the sororal goddesses of hard rock. But by the time of their 9th studio album, Bad Animals, they had settled into a comfortable role as glossy AOR stalwarts.

Like a lot of their contemporaries, Heart adapted to the slicker sounds of the decade by working with professional songwriters. (In fact, original co-writer Tom Kelly actually joined Heart in the studio to contribute high vocal harmonies.)

The formula proved successful on several occasions, but perhaps never more so than on this—the ultimate power ballad.

“Alone” was released in May of ‘87 and topped the U.S. charts for three weeks in July. It was omnipresent that summer, and ranked as the 2nd biggest overall hit of the year. 

The only song that charted higher that year is our next tune…

3. Walk Like An Egyptian 

“Walk Like An Egyptian” was the #1 song of 1987. But it made a few stops on the way to the top of the charts.

Marti Jones (1984)

Songwriter Liam Sternberg was a noted figure in an Akron, Ohio New Wave/Punk scene that included bands like Devo and the Waitresses. As the story goes, Sternberg was aboard a ferry crossing choppy waters over the English Channel and watched with amusement as his fellow passengers struggled to keep their balance. He silently observed that their bent elbows and outstretched arms resembled the figures in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. 

He spun the lyrics of “Walk Like An Egyptian” from this idea, and recorded a demo with fellow Akron scenester (and future visual artist) Marti Jones. 

They shopped the demo around, first offering it to Toni Basil–fresh off of her massive success with “Mickey”. She turned it down, but they found a match in rising British New Wave singer Lene Lovich. She recorded the original non-demo version of “Walk Like an Egyptian” somewhere between 1984 and 1985.

However, when she decided to take an extended hiatus from the music biz to spend more time with her family, the recording was shelved. It remains hidden away or lost to history even to this day. However…

The Bangles (1986)

The Bangles were a rising enterprise, an all-female quartet emerging from the trippy waters of L.A.’s “Paisley Underground” scene. They wisely took on Sternberg’s tune, and included it on their second studio album–Different Light. It catalyzed a commercial breakthrough that helped make The Bangles defining artists of the era. 

Released in the fall of 1986, “Walk Like an Egyptian” closed the year at the top spot on the charts and kicked off 1987 as the #1 song in the U.S., aided significantly by lead singer Susannah Hoffs’ famous MTV side-eye.

4. Family Man

Mike Oldfield (1982)

Multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield is a linchpin of U.K. prog-rock. Though quite prolific throughout his 50-year career, he is best-known for Tubular Bells (1973). The instrumental long-player was initially released to little attention. Then the opening tune was used prominently in that year’s surprise blockbuster–The Exorcist. 

Not only did it catapult Tubular Bells to the top of the album charts in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada, but it also helped future billionaire Richard Branson build his empire. As the first release on Branson’s brand-new Virgin label, Mike Oldfield’s weird, experimental prog-rock record helped put the flamboyant business magnate on the map.

It also helped make Oldfield a regular visitor to the British charts thereafter. One of these visits came in 1982, with the original “Family Man”. This cool, ahead-of-its-time electro-pop tune was a modest success relative to his larger catalog, reaching #45 in the U.K. upon its release. 

Daryl Hall & John Oates (1983)

More than a decade into their illustrious collaboration, this Philly-born hit-factory included a cover of “Family Man” on their 11th–and highest charting–studio album, H2O.

Altering a few key lyrics, infusing it with their signature blend of New Wave and Blue-eyed soul (New-eyed soul?), and adding a salacious guitar solo from future Saturday Night Live bandleader G.E. Smith, Hall & Oates scored a #6 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. 

5. Everytime You Go Away

Ok. Jumping from a song that Hall & Oates covered with greater success than its originator to a Hall & Oates song that was covered by another artist to greater success…(got that?)

Daryl Hall & John Oates (1980)

The original “Everytime You Go Away” is a smoldering soul tune that was included only as an album cut on the duo’s 9th studio release–Voices. Like the song above, this one also features searing fretwork from G.E. Smith. 

(Smith was actually the band’s lead guitarist from 1979 to 1985. Only when Hall & Oates took a hiatus in 1985 did he accept a job with NBC’s long-running sketch comedy show.)

Paul Young (1985)

Hall & Oates may have gone on hiatus, but that didn’t stop them from topping the charts. British teen idol Paul Young gave “Every Time You Go Away” a shiny pop treatment (and a slight grammatical correction), released it as a single, and scored a massive #1 in 1985.

6. What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Bucks Fizz (1984)

In 1981, a British group called Bucks Fizz was assembled by studio hacks to perform a song which had already been written. They waxed “Making Your Mind Up” and entered into that year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Falling somewhere between ABBA and a Mentos commercial, the composition took first prize.

It touched off a brief run of success for Bucks Fizz. Though completely unknown in the U.S., the quartet scored 7 Top Ten hits in the U.K., including three chart-toppers.

But they were hardly the first choice for songwriters Graham Lyle and Terry Britten as they shopped around a new tune called "What’s Love Got to Do With It?" In fact, they had attempted without success to pair the song with Cliff Richard, then Phyllis Hyman, and finally Donna Summer. For various reasons, none ever had a chance to record it.

In February of 1984, Bucks Fizz received an offer to record the idle composition. Singer Jay Aston asked to sing lead, but her producer declined, arguing that the song was a poor fit for a female vocalist.

Male vocalist Bobby G. sang instead.

The recording was stowed away for inclusion on the band's upcoming record.

Tina Turner (1984)

While Bucks Fizz sat on top of their original recording, Tina Turner recorded her own version for her 5th solo studio album, Private Dancer. In May of 1984, Tina Turner released “What’s Love Got to Do With It” minus the question mark in the original title.

It was not just the definitive version of the song. It became Tuner's signature hit.

"What's Love Got to Do With It" went on to sell more than 2 million copies worldwide, giving Turner her first and only #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. At 44, Turner was the oldest female solo artist to top the charts up to that point.

*Cher holds the distinction today, for topping the charts with "Believe" in 1999, at age 53. I've opted not to include that song here. If you need to hear it, that's your business.

Back to Tina. She would also go on to sweep the Grammys that year, winning Best Record, Best Song, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

7. Some Guys Have All the Luck

The Persuaders (1974)

The Persuaders were a New York-based soul combo best known for “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate”, which peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. Over the next three years, the Persuaders enjoyed a modest run at the R&B charts, even as their lineup underwent near-constant changes.

They registered a Top 40 hit in 1974 with “Some Guys Have All the Luck”, originally composed by a songwriter (and according to Discogs, one-time member of Yale University's a cappella troupe, the Whiffenpoofs), Jeff Fortgang. 

Topping out at #39, this would be the last Top 40 appearance for The Persuaders. Like other vocal combo acts of the era like the Spinners and the Stylistics, some incarnation of The Persuaders remains in touring circulation today, even though there are no surviving members of the orignal lineup.

Robert Palmer (1982)

Like the Persuaders themselves, “Some Guys” never really went away. However, Robert Palmer’s version was a fairly radical reinvention of the original. His stripped down, electro-funk cover reached #16 in the U.K. but did not chart in the U.S.

Palmer tells a funny story about working on the song while simultaneously collaborating with Moon Martin.

(Moon Martin actually wrote and recorded the orignal “Bad Case of Lovin’ You”. I’d tell you the whole story, but Palmer’s cover was a hit in ‘79, so it doesn’t actually qualify for inclusion here.)

Anyway, back to “Some Guys Have All the Luck”.

Palmer recalls “I played it to [Martin] and a few days later he said he'd just heard someone singing it in the studio across the road, which seemed impossible since I hadn't finished it myself!”

You can probably guess who that “someone” was.

Rod Stewart (1984)

Rod released his version in 1984. From the tinny electric drumming and blooping synth to Rod’s wildly feathered hair and the requisite cocktail lounge sax solo, this is peak ‘80s dad music.

Naturally, it was the most successful of all versions, reaching #10 on the U.S. charts in the fashion-forward fall of 1984.

8. Real Wild Child  

Johnny O'Keefe (1958)

Johnny O’Keefe’s “Wild One” isn’t just the original version of “Real Wild Child”. It’s also widely cited as the very first Australian rock and roll song. And its origin story is about as rock and roll as it gets.

In 1957, O’Keefe and his bandmates performed at an upstairs venue in Newtown, Sydney, while an Italian family celebrated a wedding below. Eventually, a brawl erupted between the two parties, spilled out into the street, escalated into a full-scale riot, and ultimately necessitated intervention from the Navy Shore Patrol. 

The event was immortalized in “Wild One”. Upon its release the following year, it became the first homegrown rock song to reach Australia’s Top 40. O’Keefe became the first Australian rocker to tour the U.S. It was ground zero for the birth of rock music Down Under.

O’Keefe went on to a prolific career, charting 20 Top 40 entries in Australia and recording more than 100 full-length LPs (!) before his death from a drug overdose in 1978.

Jerry Allison (1958)

O’Keefe’s song proved immediately influential in his home country and spawned a noteworthy cover that same year by Crickets drummer Jerry Allison. Renaming O’Keefe’s song “Real Wild Child”, calling himself Ivan, and calling in bandmate Buddy Holly to back him on guitar, Allison would score his only solo chart entry, reaching #68 that year.

Numerous covers followed, including lesser-known cuts by Jerry Lee Lewis, the Runaways, and the Status Quo. But none registered as an international hit. 

Iggy Pop (1986)

This changed when punk godfather Iggy Pop included it on his 1986 studio album Blah Blah Blah. It reached #27 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart, #11 in Australia, #10 on the U.K. Singles chart, and #1 in New Zealand. 

It was also included on the soundtrack to 1990’s profoundly awful John Ritter film–Problem Child. This is not particularly important information, but I wanted to mention it so I could also point out that Problem Child is among the rare studio films to hold a coveted 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

9. Wind Beneath Wings

Ok. I never promised you these would all be cool…just surprising.

“Wind Beneath My Wings” actually began as the title of a poem. Larry Henley was best-known in the mid-60s for his over-the-top falsetto as lead singer of the Newbeats. They scored a #2 hit in 1964 with “Bread and Butter”. 

By the mid-70s, Henley found success as a songwriter, particularly for country artists like Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, and Tanya Tucker. It was around this time that he penned a poem for his wife called “The Wind Beneath my Wings”.

Henley’s songwriting partner, Jeff Silibar, spotted the title on a notepad, and together they plotted out new lyrics. They shopped their demo around before ultimately handing it over to Roger Whitaker. 

Roger Whitaker (1982)

If you’ve ever spent 12 seconds flipping through a sun-faded, moth-ball smelling dollar bin at a neighborhood flea market, you’ve seen one of this dude’s records. A British-born songwriter, baritone balladeer, and—apparently–a really strong whistler, Whitaker recorded prolifically in both English and German. Making his studio debut in 1967, Whitaker ultimately earned an estimated 250 silver, gold, and platinum certifications across the globe. 

That said, his 1982 recording of “Wind Beneath My Wings” would not be released as a single.

A Bunch of People (1982-1988)

Shortly after the release of Whitaker’s version, a bevy of artists offered their own interpretation including Sheena Easton, Colleen Hewett, and Gladys Knight & the Pips. Lou Rawls recorded the most noteworthy version from this period.

His uptempo take reached #60 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983 and hung out on the charts for six weeks.

Bette Midler (1988)

Of course, these chart performances absolutely pale in comparison to Midler’s soaring 1988 cut. Recorded for inclusion on the soundtrack to her own film Beaches, Midler’s take reached #1 in the U.S. and Australia, and #5 in the U.K., on its way to winning that year’s Grammys for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

It would also become an important time capsule when Midler memorably serenaded outgoing Tonight Show host Johnny Carson during his historic final broadcast. That said, the definitive version is obviously this one:

10. Fire

Ok. Let’s wrap with a cool one–a song that starts and ends with Bruce Springsteen but includes several stops in between. 

Bruce Springsteen (1977)

In May of 1977, Bruce Springsteen saw Elvis Presley in concert. He went home and wrote “Fire”, hoping that his idol might some day record it. He sent it to Elvis in the mail, but the King of Rock and Roll died before it arrived. 

At the time, Bruce was also working through the tumultuous sessions for what would become Darkness on the Edge of Town. He excluded his recording of “Fire” from the final album, along with dozens of other tunes produced in the studio over that stretch.

He would, however, perform “Fire” regularly during his tour in support of the record. 

Robert Gordon and Link Wray (1978)

Bruce was friendly with a rockabilly revivalist named Robert Gordon. Best known at this juncture for his affiliation with pop punk band Tuff Darts, Gordon entered into a fruitful late-’70s collaboration with Link Wray.

Wray had built his legend as a hardscrabble guitar hero with groundbreaking instrumental rock and roll hits in late ‘50s and early ‘60s—most notably “Rumble”.

But Link Wray remained productive throughout his career, which included his stint touring and recording alongside Gordon.

It was thus that Bruce Springsteen saw the two performing in concert and offered them “Fire”. They assembled in the studio and Springsteen backed Gordon on piano.

The recording enjoyed modest airplay and bubbled just under top 100. 

Pointer Sisters (1978)

The Pointer Sisters included the definitive cover of Springsteen’s song on their 5th studio album, Energy.

The Pointer sisters reached #2 on the charts and scored their first gold single. Side note: Listen for organ work from David Paich, an in-demand studio sessioneer and, of course, a member of Toto.

Bruce Springsteen (1986)

As it turns out, Springsteen was kind of pissed that the Pointer Sisters scored such a huge hit with his tune. At that juncture, his highest charting song–”Born to Run”--had topped out at #23.

The Pointer Sisters became the third artist to surpass this achievement with a Springsteen-penned song following Manfred Mann’s #1 hit with “Blinded By the Light” and Patti Smith’s #13 with “Because the Night”.

(Side note: In 1980, Bruce wrote “Hungry Heart” and hoped to give it to the Ramones. Manager Jon Landau urged him to record it himself, convinced it would be a massive hit. Indeed, it would become his next single following the success of the Pointer Sisters’ “Fire” as well as Bruce’s first #1.)

Finally, Springsteen released his own version of “Fire” as a single–a live 1978 cut that was included on his highly successful concert album Live/1975-85. This version reached #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986.