The secret behind a perfect cover song is taking something brilliant and turning it into something that’s your own. All 10 of these acts were able to harness a classic or even little known song and arguably create a better version that’s been celebrated by millions.

The 1960s was heaven for cover songs. During a time when bands would often play more covers than originals, reimagined cuts still stuck out as truly brilliant. Jimi Hendrix laid down one of his greatest tracks with “All Along the Watchtower,” which was originally written by Bob Dylan. Adding a hard rock base and phenomenal guitar work to the folk standard, Hendrix took hold of “All Along the Watchtower,” which is more closely associated with Hendrix than Dylan 50 years later.

Johnny Cash was a legend for decades before he took a chance and turned Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” into a somber country track. “Hurt” reignited Cash’s star power near the end of his life as he received universal praise for the song. Trent Reznor was admittedly uncomfortable with Johnny Cash manipulating “Hurt” at first, but after watching Cash’s music video for the song, Reznor teared up and realized “it wasn’t really my song anymore.”

Disturbed took a huge risk when they covered one of the greatest songs ever written, Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” The band has often been a magnet for criticism among metal purists, but Disturbed shut them all up with this powerful cover, which has just been certified a mind-blowing double platinum after moving over two million units.

Check out our picks for the 10 Greatest Cover Songs of All Time in the Loud List above!

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