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Fred Gilbert’s 1891 song told the story of a gambler and conman who hit a lucky streak
A cover version of their 1973 track paved the way for a new wave of bands
With its brilliantly playful rhymes, Sportin’ Life’s sceptical song from Porgy and Bess has been covered and reinterpreted over the years
The 1971 track, which channelled Sinatra’s ‘My Way’, became a tribute to Bowie following his death seven years ago
The composer took the piece back to its roots in Wales
Animated film of Raymond Briggs’s picture book featured a young singer who went uncredited for years
Admired and covered by bands such as The Beatles, the track found new audiences thanks to ‘Back to the Future’
The singer’s plaintive ballad has been widely covered, and became the first song released by Saint Etienne
The singer’s 1973 track has been covered by greats such as Elvis Presley and Millie Jackson
The songwriter used the new synthesiser as a showcase for a track that still resonates today
The singer’s 1983 anthem to female solidarity started life in a very different milieu
Fifty years since the Italian singer wrote it, his deliberately nonsensical track has found new life on social media
The Beatles’ 1966 track was an outright homage to the band’s African-American heroes
Co-written with David Bowie, the singer’s 1977 track emerged from a riff created by guitarist Ricky Gardiner
The track has also proved malleable enough to be covered in genres such as jazz and funk
In Black History Month, the Trinidadian’s calypso tells a story of migration and apparent optimism
The Monkees’ 1966 hit was malleable enough to be covered in a panoply of genres
Hartford said it ‘violated the principles of songwriting’ — but it went on to earn him a fortune
The track from Pinocchio, now remade as a live-action film, has a yearning quality that has brought dozens of artists to cover it
As darker days and longer nights return, Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1979 track brings light and life
The track was released in the Gorbachev-Reagan era that eventually led to the end of the cold war
The track was covered by dozens of acts including The Quarrymen, and became the subject of a legal dispute
The track celebrated the Latinx LGBT+ drag scene, though there was resentment too
The 1960 song was picked up and adapted for a new audience in the following decade
The Australian-born singer’s record company was initially unimpressed by her paean to empowerment
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