Ray Charles "A Song for You"

When more than 200 artists line up to sing a tune, you call that song an American Classic. That's exactly how Elton John described "A Song for You". Originally recorded by Leon Russell in 1970, artists such as Cher, Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson, Michael Buble, and Simply Red are some of the numerous names who've recorded the song. Ray Charles' version earned him a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Bruce Hornsby & the Range "The Way It Is"

Tupac and pianist / singer Bruce Hornsby actually have something in common. Tupac sampled Hornsby's "The Way It Is" in his 1998 tune "Changes". Both songs share melodies and themes as they tackle the issue of racial inequality. Hornsby's version helped him win a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1986.

Michael English "Your Love Amazes Me"

You really can't be a successful Christian music artist when you're cheating on your wife and impregnate your mistress. Singer Michael English learned that unfortunate lesson in 1994. English just finished his tour with the Christian rock group Last Call when news broke that he got the lead singer (who was also married) pregnant. Even after English publicly apologized, his record company dumped him and Christian radio stations dropped his music. He even returned the Dove Awards he won (which can be likened to the Grammy Awards for Christian music). Two years after hitting rock bottom, English remade the country ballad "Your Love Amazes Me" from John Berry and turned it into a Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit. Coincidentally, the song was a hit at the same time English's personal and professional life fell off the tracks. Two years later, the Christian music community welcomed English back.

Rob Thomas "This Is How a Heart Breaks"

A quick glance at the 2006 Grammy nominations for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance saw Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton all lose to Rob Thomas. Somehow the Matchbox 20 singer's solo effort "This Is How a Heart Breaks" beat out four Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famers.

John Mayer "Your Body Is A Wonderland"

Originally titled "Strawberry Wonderland", John Mayer eventually changed the title of his ode to his first girlfriend to "Your Body Is A Wonderland". The song went on to outperform his debut hit "No Such Thing". With any success comes backlash and "Your Body Is A Wonderland" wasn't immune. Despite winning a Grammy for the tune, critics mocked Mayer for it. This caused him to shelve the song while on tour. Nowadays, Mayer claims he's embraced the song for what it is and has no problem playing it.

Faith Hill "Cry"

Faith Hill spent the majority of her early career toeing the line between Country and Adult Contemporary artist. Her 2002 ballad "Cry" found most of its success on the Adult Contemporary Chart. The song sat in the #1 spot for 11 weeks. Despite this, the song netted Hill a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

Milli Vanilli "Girl, I'm Gonna Miss You"

Before there was #FakeNews, there was #FakeMusic and no musical act defined #FakeMusic like the notorious group Milli Vanilli. The duo managed to lip-sync their way through hit songs, Grammy Awards and scandal. The group's 1989 ballad "Girl, I'm Gonna Miss You" went to #1 on the Hot 100 (#21 on the Adult Contemporary Chart) just before their empire came crumbling down. 

Eric Clapton "Layla (Unplugged)"

When MTV revived their Unplugged television series in 2017, the cable network tabbed Shawn Mendes to perform on the reboot of the show. The series originally debuted in 1989 and featured big names such as Elton John, Maroon 5, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and nearly 100 others, but less than 30 Unplugged episodes were turned into albums. One of the most successful Unplugged editions featured Eric Clapton. Originally taped in 1992, Clapton originally didn't want to release music from his performance, but later changed his mind. It's a good thing he did. Clapton's Unplugged album went on to sell over 26 million copies worldwide and earned him six Grammy Awards. His unplugged version of "Layla" was a night-and-day take on one of his biggest hit and gained radio airplay across multiple formats and introduced Clapton to a whole new audience.

Paul Simon "You Can Call Me Al"

STORY BEHIND THE SONG:

"You Can Call Me Al" is Paul Simon's signature tune -- filled with catchy hooks, a penny whistle, and an entertaining video (conceived by SNL's Lorne Michaels).  Simon wrote the song during a time he described as his mid-life crisis.  Simon based the song on something that happened between his then-wife Peggy and him.  The two were at a party hosted by French composer Pierre Boulez where Pierre incorrectly referred to Paul as "Al" and his wife Peggy as "Betty".  "You Can Call Me Al" debuted in 1986 to lukewarm acclaim, but the song turned into a hit after his album Graceland won a Grammy the following year.  

Kim Carnes "Bette Davis Eyes"

The biggest hit from 1981 was a tune all about Bette Davis -- well, her eyes.  Bette Davis wrote letters to Kim Carnes and even sent her roses after "Bette Davis Eyes" became a hit.  Davis credited the song for making her name relevant to a new generation -- she claimed her grandson even looked at her in a whole new light.  Credit Taylor Swift for continuing to introduce another generation to Bette (and the tune itself).  She covered the song in 2011 during her Speak Now World Tour.

George Benson - "This Masquerade"

Despite earlier versions by Leon Russell and The Carpenters, it was George Benson who made "This Masquerade" into a hit song.  In fact, the song launched Benson's career in 1976.  In 1977, Benson and "This Masquerade" won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

The Doobie Brothers - "Minute By Minute"

Depending on how you view things, The Doobie Brothers either beat themselves or lost to themselves.  Their 1979 hit "Minute By Minute was nominated for the Song of the Year Grammy Award but it lost to "What A Fool Believes" -- the band's other big hit.  Congratulations and I'm sorry.

Dolly Parton - "Jolene"

Some fun facts about Dolly Parton's signature tune "Jolene":

• Released in 1973, the song details Dolly's fear that an attractive bank clerk was trying to woo away her husband
• Much like Barry Manilow inspired a generation of girls named Mandy, Dolly did the same thing with "Jolene"
• Miley Cyrus (who is Parton's goddaughter) is one of the many artists to remake the song
• Dolly's original version was nominated for two Grammys in 1974, but she did not win either
• "Jolene" earned Dolly a Grammy 44 years after its original release thanks to her backing up the group Pentatonix in a remake of the tune
• Several artists penned songs in response to "Jolene" including Kirstie MacColl's "Caroline" and Jennifer Nettles' "That Girl"

Nelly Furtado - "I'm Like a Bird"

Nelly Furtado's debut single, "I'm Like A Bird", won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance -- a rare accomplishment achieved previously by Mariah Carey in 1990.  

Train - "Calling All Angels"

When you think about rock bands, does Train ever come to mind?  Well, someone apparently thought of the San Franciso band.  "Calling All Angels" managed to re-define the word "rock" and helped garner two Grammy nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 2003.  Train lost both awards to Bruce Springsteen and The White Stripes, respectively.

Whitney Houston - "Saving All My Love for You"

Did you know Whitney Houston wasn't the first to chart "Saving All My Love for You"?  Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. originally scored a minor hit with the ballad in 1978.  Whitney made it one of her signature tunes in 1985 when it went to #1.  The following year, the song earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.