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The 1981 track epitomised the singer’s spirit and was sampled a decade later by MC Hammer
The singer cemented the 1941 track as a standard and dozens more covered it — including Beyoncé
It formed part of the new South Africa’s national anthem and was adopted by revolutionaries elsewhere
The composer resented its popularity — but later said he admired one of several jazz versions of the piece
Popularised by Leadbelly and Nirvana, this song of suffering has its roots in an Appalachian folk tune
The track’s release coincided with a real-life New York killing spree
Traces of this song from the Bahamas go back to the turn of the 20th century
The band’s singer Robert Plant admitted that the song’s lyrics were not wholly original
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
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