In almost every other art form, we don’t treat copies the same way we treat originals. Imagine someone painting a “better” version of the Mona Lisa. Would it be impressive? Maybe. Would it be valuable? Not really. The original is worth $860 million. A copy? Maybe $8,600—if you’re lucky. Yet in music—especially here on Radio Paradise—some folks act like a cover can carry equal, or even greater, weight than the original. That just doesn’t make sense to me.

Think about it: in visual art, copies are usually labeled as forgeries. In literature, copying someone’s novel or text is called plagiarism. But in music? Covers get praised, played, and sometimes even ranked above the originals. Wtf? Why is the standard different? Just because you can sing a song with a better voice or a different tempo doesn’t mean you’ve created something new. You’ve just reworked someone else’s art. Let’s call it what it is.

Whether an artist writes and performs a song themselves, or collaborates with a songwriter to make it truly their own, the first version is what matters most to me. That’s the origin. That’s where the value lies. That’s where the hard work went in. A cover—no matter how technically “better” it might sound—is still just a copy. Derivative. Lacking in originality.

We don’t display copied sculptures in museums. We don’t give literary awards to someone rewriting another author’s book. And while reinterpretation can be creative, let’s not pretend it carries the same weight as true originality.

Anyone can analyze a song and say, “I can make it more upbeat,” or “I’ll slow it down and make it sexy,” or “I’ve got a better voice,” or “I can turn this into a more marketable version.” That doesn’t make it better. And it certainly doesn’t make it more valuable. It’s frustrating that this industry—and a lot of people here—seem to celebrate covers so easily.

Look, cover bands have their place. They play college gigs, local bars, weddings. That’s fine. But let’s stop pretending those versions belong in the same conversation as the originals. I’m honestly fed up with the flood of covers here on RP.

So yeah—whether people like it or not (and honestly, I couldn’t care less if you do)—I rate most covers here a 1 out of 10. Not because they’re terrible. But because they’re not original. And for me, that’s what matters most.

What do you all think? Are there any covers you truly value more than the original—and why? Or do you agree that originality should always come first?