10 Famous Pop Songs You Didn't Realise Were Covers

2. Twist And Shout - The Beatles

Being the song that was almost single-handedly responsible for launching the world-wide ‘Beatlemania’ phenomenon following the band’s iconic 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, there’s no doubt that Twist and Shout launched Fab Four into the stratosphere.

So, it might be surprising to learn that their trademark hit was in fact a cover of the Michigan-based rhythm and blues vocal group, The Top Notes.

Incidentally, it was one of the first songs to be recorded under the direction of Atlantic Record’s famed music producer Phil Spector, who would later go on to work on Let It Be, The Beatles' final studio album.

After The Top Notes’ 1961 version failed to achieve commercial success, it became a minor hit the following year for the Isley Brothers. However, it wasn’t until its appearance on The Beatles’ 1963 album, Please Please Me, that it became widely known.