NPR Music

More cover songs that are better than the originals

September 8, 2026·47 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

We share more reimagined and reinterpreted songs that rival the originals, including Janis Joplin’s iconic take on Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” a reggae version of The Beatles' “Don’t Let Me Down,” and more.NPR Music’s Dora Levite and Lars Gotrich rejoin host Robin Hilton for another round.Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.orgFeatured artists and songs:(00:00) Intro(04:30) Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris: Neil Young’s “After the Gold Rush”(09:31) Frodus: Devo’s “Explosions” (12:58) Janis Joplin: Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee”(17:12) Jai Paul: Jennifer Paige’s “Crush”(22:26) Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey: Lionel Richie & Diana Ross's “Endless Love”(27:40) Nico: Jackson Browne’s “These Days”(32:34) Tricky: Public Enemy’s “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”(35:29) Cassandra Wilson: Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”(40:04) Phoebe Bridgers: The Cure’s “Friday I’m In Love”(43:56) Marcia Griffiths: The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down”Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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