Bob Dylan and the late Hoagy Carmichael have something in common: They are the only songwriters who have written two songs that are each represented in the Grammy Hall of Fame with two or more recordings. Dylan is represented with “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Carmichael is represented with “Georgia on My Mind” and “Stardust.”
“Stardust” is one of the most widely-recorded songs in history. Among the hundreds of artists who have recorded the standard: Dylan, on his 2017 album Triplicate. Dylan recorded another Carmichael song, “Skylark,” on his 2016 album, Fallen Angels.
Dylan and Carmichael have something else in common: Both great songwriters were born in the Midwest. Carmichael was born in Bloomington, Ind.; Dylan in Duluth, Minn. (Maybe there’s something to be said for cold winters.)
Twenty-six songs are represented with two or more versions in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Here’s the complete list. They are shown in alphabetical order by song title. We start out each entry just by telling you which versions are in the Hall of Fame. The links on the artist names will take you to YouTube videos for those recordings. If you don’t know some of these songs, check them out.
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“Blowin in the Wind”: Dylan’s original folk-leaning, harmonica-accented version and Peter, Paul & Mary‘s more polished pop version. Both were released in 1963. Dylan’s version failed to crack the Hot 100, but the trio’s version climbed all the way to No. 2. Dylan’s version appeared on his classic album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan; PPM’s was the title song of In the Wind, which logged five weeks atop the Billboard 200. This all-time classic manages to be both topical and timeless.
“Cocktails for Two”: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra‘s romantic 1934 instrumental version and Spike Jones and His City Slickers‘ loopy 1945 novelty version. As you can see, parody versions of hit songs didn’t start with “Weird Al” Yankovic. Arthur Johnston and Sam Coslow co-wrote the song, which appeared in the 1934 film Murder at the Vanities.
“Everyday I Have the Blues”: Count Basie and His Orchestra‘s version, with a vocal by Joe Williams, and B.B. King‘s version, both released in 1955. Brothers Aaron “Pinetop” Sparks and Milton Sparks co-wrote an early song with this title. Memphis Slim reworked it in 1949.
“Georgia on My Mind”: Carmichael‘s 1930 version, backed by his orchestra, and the sublime, soulful 1960 cover version by Ray Charles. Charles’ version reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and received a Grammy nod for record of the year. Stuart Gorrell wrote the lyrics.
“Goodnight Irene”: A 1936 version by the song’s composer/lyricist, Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter, and a smash 1950 collab by Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra and The Weavers.
“Hound Dog”: A raw and rowdy 1953 version by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton and the smash 1956 version by Elvis Presley. Presley’s version was half of one of the greatest double-sided smashes in history, along with “Don’t Be Cruel.” Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller co-wrote the song.
“How High the Moon”: A swinging 1947 jazz version by Ella Fitzgerald, complete with the scatting for which she was famous, and a smash 1951 pop version by Les Paul & Mary Ford. Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton co-wrote the song for the 1940 Broadway musical Two for the Show.
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine”: A fiery 1967 version by Gladys Knight and the Pips and the super-cool 1968 version by Marvin Gaye. Both were released on Motown labels. Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong co-wrote the song. What’s more, Whitfield produced both of these hit recordings. Knight & the Pips’ version reached No. 2 on the Hot 100. Gaye’s version logged seven weeks at No. 1, the record for a Motown hit to that point.
“I Will Always Love You”: The warm and intimate 1974 original version by the song’s composer/lyricist, Dolly Parton, and Whitney Houston‘s steel-belted 1992 cover version, which put the power in power ballad. Parton’s 1982 recording didn’t crack the Hot 100, though it did reach No. 1 on what is now called Hot Country Songs. Houston’s recording, from The Bodyguard, logged a then-record 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and won a Grammy for record of the year.
“La Bamba”: A 1939 version of this traditional Mexican folk song by El Jarocho and Ritchie Valens‘ classic 1958 adaptation. Valens’ version appeared on the B-side of “Donna,” a No. 2 smash on the Hot 100. In its own right, the song reached No. 22.
“Lovesick Blues”: A bluesy 1928 version by Emmett Miller & His Georgia Crackers and a 1949 version by Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys. Williams’ version, complete with yodeling, logged 16 weeks at No. 1 on what is now Hot Country Songs, longer than any of his other hits. Cliff Friend and Irving Mills co-wrote the song.
“Mack the Knife”: A 1955 version by Louis Armstrong & The All-Stars and a suave and stylish 1959 version by Bobby Darin. Armstrong’s version was titled “A Theme from the Threepenny Opera (Mack the Knife),” a nod to the revue in which the song first appeared. Darin’s version logged nine weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and won the Grammy for record of the year. Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht co-wrote the song, which was originally published in 1928. Marc Blitzstein wrote the English lyrics.
“Misty”: A 1954 jazz instrumental version by Erroll Garner Trio, which was led by the song’s composer, and a gorgeous 1959 cover version by balladeer Johnny Mathis. Garner’s version was featured in Clint Eastwood’s 1971 film Play Misty For Me (hence the film’s title). Mathis’ version reached No. 12 on the Hot 100. It was featured on his album Heavenly, which logged five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Johnny Burke wrote the lyrics.
“Moon River”: The original 1961 version by the song’s composer, Henry Mancini, and a 1962 cover version by Andy Williams. Mancini’s version, from Breakfast At Tiffany’s, reached No. 11 on the Hot 100 and won a Grammy for record of the year. Williams’ version wasn’t released as a single but it was the main draw on Moon River & Other Great Movie Themes, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics. The song won an Oscar for best original song and a Grammy for song of the year. The pristine choral group on Mancini’s version sounds a bit dated, but the song itself couldn’t be more timeless.
“Mr. Tambourine Man”: Dylan‘s original 1965 version and a 1965 cover version by The Byrds. Dylan’s version appeared on Bringing It All Back Home, his first top 10 album on the Billboard 200. The Byrds’ version, which topped the Hot 100, was the title track of their debut album, which also made the top 10 on the Billboard 200. The Byrds’ single ran a tight 2:18, less than half the length of Dylan’s album version.
“My Man”: Vaudeville star Fanny Brice‘s 1922 version from the Broadway revue Ziegfeld Follies of 1921, in which she starred, and a 1937 version by Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra with Billie Holiday. Maurice Yvain and Channing Pollock co-wrote the song, which originated as “Mon-Homme” (with French lyrics).
“Proud Mary”: The original 1969 version by Creedence Clearwater Revival, fronted by the song’s composer/lyricist, John Fogerty, and a “nice and rough” 1971 cover by Ike & Tina Turner. Both reached the top five on the Hot 100. CCR’s version reached No. 2; Ike & Tina’s cover hit No. 4. CCR’s version appeared on Bayou Country, the group’s first top 10 album on the Billboard 200.
“St. Louis Blues”: This is the first of two songs with three versions in the Grammy Hall of Fame: an instrumental 1914 version by the song’s composer, W.C. Handy; 1925 version by Bessie Smith with Armstrong; and a 1929 version by Armstrong.
“Star Dust”: This is the second of two songs with three versions in the Grammy Hall of Fame: Carmichael‘s 1927 version; a 1931 version by Armstrong & his Orchestra; and an instrumental 1940 version by Artie Shaw & His Orchestra. Mitchell Parish wrote the lyrics.
“Stormy Weather”: Ethel Waters‘ 1933 version, subtitled “Keeps Rainin’ All The Time,” and Lena Horne‘s 1942 version. Waters sang the song in the Harlem nightclub revue, Cotton Club Parade of 1933. Horne sang it in the 1943 film Stormy Weather in which she starred. Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler co-wrote the song.
“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”: Fisk Jubilee Singers‘ 1909 version and Paul Robeson‘s 1926 version. The Fisk Jubilee Singers, also known as the Fisk University Jubilee Quartet, was a gospel group formed at Fisk University in Nashville. Wallace Willis wrote the spiritual.
“That’s All Right”: A 1949 version by the song’s composer/lyricist, blues singer Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, and Presley‘s 1954 version on Sun Records.
“Unforgettable”: Nat “King” Cole‘s impossibly pretty 1951 version and Dinah Washington‘s 1959 cover version. Washington’s version reached No. 17 on the Hot 100. Irving Gordon wrote the song, for which he won a 1991 Grammy for song of the year after Natalie Cole revived the song in a duet version with her late father.
“Walk This Way”: Aerosmith‘s 1975 original version, featured on Toys in the Attic, and Run-D.M.C.‘s 1986 historic rap/rock fusion, which featured Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler on vocals and Joe Perry on guitar. (Tyler and Perry co-wrote the song). Both versions reached the top 10 on the Hot 100. Aerosmith’s hit No. 10 in 1977. The rap-meets-rock remake hit No. 4.
“You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want To Do It)”: Judy Garland‘s 1937 version, titled “Dear Mr. Gable (You Made Me Love You),” and Harry James & His Orchestra‘s instrumental 1941 version. Garland, then 15, sang the song to a scrapbook of photos of screen idol Clark Gable in the 1937 film Broadway Melody of 1938. Joseph McCarthy and James V. Monaco co-wrote the song, which was first published in 1911.
“You’ve Got a Friend”: A 1971 version by the song’s composer/lyricist, Carole King, and James Taylor‘s soothing cover version from that same year. King’s version, featured on Tapestry, was never released as a single, but Taylor’s rendition topped the Hot 100 and received a Grammy nod for record of the year. The song brought King a Grammy for song of the year.