Countless artists have recorded cover albums over the years, from Rod Stewart to Yo La Tengo to Rage Against the Machine, but those albums typically feature an assortment of songs by many different artists. These seven artists, however, recorded cover albums featuring songs by just one artist.
1. The Supremes - We Remember Sam Cooke (1965)
In December 1964, soul legend Sam Cooke was tragically shot to death in Los Angeles, silencing one of the greatest voices in American music history. As a tribute to him, the Supremes recorded We Remember Sam Cooke, an album made up entirely of Sam Cooke covers, and released it just four months after his death.
2. Joan Baez - Any Day Now (1968)
Many Bob Dylan tribute albums have been released over the years, but what makes Joan Baez's Any Day Now more significant than the others is the close personal history she had with Dylan. The two came up together in the Greenwich Village folk scene of the early '60s, and were romantically linked until 1965. Though Baez wasn't a songwriter, her relationship with Dylan greatly influenced the political and topical nature of her music.
3. Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Sings Newman (1970)
What makes Nilsson Sings Newman different from other tribute albums is that Randy Newman, the songwriter being honored here, was actually involved in the album's production. While Harry Nilsson performed all of the vocals and produced the album himself, he recruited Newman to record the album's piano and keyboard tracks, as he would know how to play them better than anybody else.
4. Great White - Great Zeppelin: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin (1998)
Led Zeppelin has proven to be an influence on pretty much every single hard rock band that came after them, which is why Los Angeles rock band Great White decided to record an entire album of Zeppelin covers in 1998, titled Great Zeppelin: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin. What makes this different from other tribute albums, however, is that the entire thing was recorded live in concert at Santa Ana's Galaxy Theatre.
5. Mark Kozelek - What's Next to the Moon (2001)
For his debut solo EP Rock 'n' Roll Singer, former Red House Painters frontman Mark Kozelek recorded three covers of AC/DC songs, alongside three originals and a John Denver cover as well. For his debut solo album What's Next to the Moon, however, Kozelek took this concept one step further, and recorded an entire album of AC/DC songs, all taken from their '70s era with lead singer Bon Scott.
6. Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities (2005)
As bizarre as it may have been, What's Next to the Moon wasn't be the last full-length tribute album that Mark Kozelek recorded. In 2005, his new band Sun Kil Moon would devote their second album Tiny Cities to reinterpretations of Modest Mouse songs.
7. Scarlett Johansson - Anywhere I Lay My Head (2008)
In 2008, actress Scarlett Johansson kicked off her singing career in a totally unexpected way with Anywhere I Lay My Head, an album consisting almost entirely of Tom Waits covers (one song, "Song for Jo," was written by Johansson with the album's producer David Sitek).
What are some other artists that have recorded tribute albums to other artists? Let us know down in the comments section!
