We all have those songs we hear and stick with us over the years. They may not be your favorite song, but you still enjoy them. Then you don’t hear them for a while, and all of the sudden you hear a familiar sound. You recognize it, but it’s different.  You're saying to yourself, “Hey wait, I know this song!”, but it is not the original artist.  It’s a cover song. You decide if you like it and how much. The key to a great cover song, in my opinion, begins with the original being good.  Then, the new artist has to do something amazing with it. You should still be able to recognize it, but it needs the covering artists style applied, making it theirs. I love a good cover song and here are the most successful attempts of artists preforming the cover.

5. New Found Glory "Don't You (Forget About Me)"

If you are a true movie lover, this song should be ensconced in your mind, your 'Simple Minds', if you will. The original was the main song from The Breakfast Club, and originally done by Simple Minds. New Found Glory put their quirky alternative stamp on this now classic hit. It's truly one you don't want to forget.

4. Marilyn Manson "Sweet Dreams"

I thought when Annie Lennox put this song out with the Eurythmics, it was simply haunting. Marilyn Manson took this classic haunt and turned it into a slasher movie feel with hard riffs and a slow methodical sound.  This was perfect as this guy's theme music when I was trying to be a professional wrestler.

3. Alien Ant Farm "Smooth Criminal"

Who is a better target for a cover song than the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson? His Original version of Smooth Criminal is one of my all-time Michael Jackson favorites. When AAF took this hit and applied their rock style to it, they made a whole new entity that was fun, and I still rock out to it as much today as the first time I heard it.

2. She & Him "You Really Got A Hold On Me"

Smokey Robinson released this song in 1962, long before I was even thought of, but it is one of my favorite songs. A sweet notion of one's love that might or might not be a good thing for singer. When Zooey Deschanel put her voice to this song, it created a whole new magic for me and tied its string to my heart.

1. Johnny Cash "Hurt"

For anyone who knows me, there wasn’t any doubt that this would be number one. Trent Reznor wrote and performed this song with Nine Inch Nails. It would become my anthem. As a young adult, I sought this song out when I was down. Cash released his version and the similar style made my emotions come full circle. While Reznor's  original made me feel like he was singing as a young man who knew he'd fall short, Cash's version feels like an older man apologizing to anyone he feels he may have let down.

More From WDKS-FM