Songs Phish covers, and who wrote them
Every cover in 791 Phish setlists from 1990 to 2024 (from setlist.fm), most-played first. The most-played: “Also sprach Zarathustra, op. 30” (Richard Strauss), “Hold Your Head Up” (Argent), “Funky Bitch” (Son Seals), “Good Times Bad Times” (Led Zeppelin) and “Ya Mar” (Cyril Ferguson).
Play this week's Phish Covers game → A real setlist, one cover highlighted, name who wrote it.
| Song | Original artist | Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Also sprach Zarathustra, op. 30 | Richard Strauss | 146 (1993-2024) |
| Hold Your Head Up | Argent | 106 (1990-2023) |
| Funky Bitch | Son Seals | 100 (1990-2024) |
| Good Times Bad Times | Led Zeppelin | 80 (1990-2024) |
| Ya Mar | Cyril Ferguson | 78 (1990-2024) |
| I Didn't Know | Richard Wright | 77 (1990-2024) |
| Rocky Top | Felice & Boudleaux Bryant | 67 (1990-2019) |
| Uncle Pen | Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys | 64 (1990-2017) |
| Rock & Roll | The Velvet Underground | 62 (1998-2024) |
| Golden Age | TV on the Radio | 51 (2010-2024) |
| Cities | Talking Heads | 50 (1998-2024) |
| Sweet Adeline | Artie Shaw | 50 (1990-2011) |
| Timber | Josh White | 47 (1990-2024) |
| Frankenstein | The Edgar Winter Group | 46 (1994-2024) |
| Nellie Kane | Hot Rize | 46 (1993-2024) |
| Crosseyed and Painless | Talking Heads | 41 (1996-2024) |
| Ginseng Sullivan | Norman Blake | 40 (1993-2024) |
| Roses Are Free | Ween | 40 (1998-2021) |
| My Soul | Clifton Chenier | 37 (1998-2024) |
| When the Circus Comes | Los Lobos | 36 (1998-2024) |
| Fire | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 35 (1990-2023) |
| Sneakin' Sally Thru the Alley | Lee Dorsey | 34 (1998-2023) |
| Walk Away | James Gang | 32 (1990-2023) |
| Amazing Grace | John Newton | 29 (1993-1998) |
| Love You | Syd Barrett | 28 (1990-2010) |
| Peaches en Regalia | Frank Zappa | 27 (1993-2024) |
| A Day in the Life | The Beatles | 26 (1996-2024) |
| Jesus Just Left Chicago | ZZ Top | 26 (1990-2019) |
| Ruby Waves | Ghosts of The Forest | 26 (2019-2024) |
| Vultures | Trey Anastasio and Tom Marshall | 26 (1998-2024) |
| The Old Home Place | The Dillards | 23 (1994-2024) |
| Saw It Again | Trey Anastasio & Tom Marshall | 22 (1999-2024) |
| Drift While You're Sleeping | Ghosts of The Forest | 21 (2019-2024) |
| Terrapin | Syd Barrett | 21 (1990-2019) |
| My Mind's Got a Mind of Its Own | Butch Hancock | 20 (1993-2013) |
| Purple Rain | Prince | 20 (1993-2012) |
| About to Run | Ghosts of The Forest | 19 (2019-2024) |
| Auld Lang Syne | Robert Burns | 19 (1990-2024) |
| Free Bird | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 19 (1993-1998) |
| While My Guitar Gently Weeps | The Beatles | 19 (1994-2023) |
| Highway to Hell | AC/DC | 18 (1990-1996) |
| Beauty of My Dreams | The Del McCoury Band | 17 (1998-2024) |
| Take the "A" Train | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra | 17 (1990-1993) |
| Hello! Ma Baby | Arthur Collins | 16 (1996-2019) |
| Shine a Light | The Rolling Stones | 16 (2010-2024) |
| Dogs Stole Things | Trey Anastasio & Tom Marshall | 15 (1998-2021) |
| Bike | Pink Floyd | 14 (1990-2015) |
| La Grange | ZZ Top | 14 (1990-2012) |
| Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1 | Ghosts of The Forest | 13 (2019-2024) |
| Cracklin' Rosie | Neil Diamond | 13 (1992-2023) |
| If I Only Had a Brain | Harold Arlen | 13 (1990-1994) |
| The Ballad of Curtis Loew | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 13 (1990-2019) |
| Albuquerque | Neil Young | 12 (1998-2023) |
| No Quarter | Led Zeppelin | 12 (2011-2023) |
| Ride Captain Ride | Blues Image | 11 (1992-2013) |
| Corinna | Taj Mahal | 10 (1999-2023) |
| I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome | Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys | 10 (1994-1998) |
| Have Mercy | The Mighty Diamonds | 9 (1993-2019) |
| Life on Mars? | David Bowie | 9 (1996-2012) |
| Life Saving Gun | Page McConnell & Trey Anastasio | 9 (2023-2024) |
| Mellow Mood | Bob Marley & The Wailers | 9 (2000-2011) |
| My Long Journey Home | Bill Monroe | 9 (1994) |
| Cool It Down | The Velvet Underground | 8 (1998-2021) |
| Energy | The Apples in Stereo | 8 (2013-2023) |
| Foreplay/Long Time | Boston | 8 (1994) |
| I Walk the Line | Johnny Cash | 8 (1992) |
| Light Up or Leave Me Alone | Traffic | 8 (1999-2012) |
| Strawberry Letter 23 | Shuggie Otis | 8 (2017-2024) |
| After Midnight | J.J. Cale | 7 (1999-2019) |
| Back at the Chicken Shack | Jimmy Smith | 7 (1998-2000) |
| Nothing | Amfibian | 7 (2004-2024) |
| Torn and Frayed | The Rolling Stones | 7 (2010-2023) |
| Caravan | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra | 6 (1990-1996) |
| Izabella | Jimi Hendrix | 6 (2017-2024) |
| Johnny B. Goode | Chuck Berry | 6 (1996) |
| Sabotage | Beastie Boys | 6 (1998-2024) |
| Been Caught Stealing | Jane’s Addiction | 5 (1998-2011) |
| I Am the Walrus | The Beatles | 5 (2010-2023) |
| Manteca | Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra | 5 (1990-2011) |
| Moonage Daydream | David Bowie | 5 (2017-2024) |
| Sparks | The Who | 5 (1993-2011) |
| Crimes of the Mind | The Dude of Life | 4 (1991-2003) |
| Donna Lee | Charlie Parker | 4 (1990) |
| Lonesome Cowboy Bill | The Velvet Underground | 4 (1998-2012) |
| Something | The Beatles | 4 (1998) |
| Sweet Jane | The Velvet Underground | 4 (1998-2017) |
| Time Loves a Hero | Little Feat | 4 (1998-2011) |
| (Won't You Come Home) Bill Bailey | Hughie Cannon | 3 (1993-2010) |
| 1999 | Prince | 3 (1998-2021) |
| Back in the U.S.S.R. | The Beatles | 3 (1994-2013) |
| Cry Baby Cry | The Beatles | 3 (1994-1998) |
| Emotional Rescue | The Rolling Stones | 3 (2000-2019) |
| Happy Birthday to You | Mildred J. Hill & Patty Hill | 3 (2013-2023) |
| Misty Mountain Hop | Led Zeppelin | 3 (1999) |
| No Good Trying | Syd Barrett | 3 (1990) |
| Oh! Sweet Nuthin' | The Velvet Underground | 3 (1998-2013) |
| Skin It Back | Little Feat | 3 (2012-2015) |
| Sweet Virginia | The Rolling Stones | 3 (1999-2012) |
| The Great Gig in the Sky | Pink Floyd | 3 (1993-1998) |
| Baby Elephant Walk | Henry Mancini | 2 (1992-1998) |
| Blackbird | The Beatles | 2 (1994) |
| Cinnamon Girl | Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 2 (2017-2023) |
| Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown | Neil Young | 2 (2000) |
| Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey | The Beatles | 2 (1994-2000) |
| Fat Man in the Bathtub | Little Feat | 2 (2010) |
| Fixin' to Die Blues | Bukka White | 2 (1994) |
| Happiness Is a Warm Gun | The Beatles | 2 (1994-2012) |
| Head Held High | The Velvet Underground | 2 (1998-2012) |
| Helter Skelter | The Beatles | 2 (1994) |
| In the Good Old Summertime | George Evans | 2 (2017) |
| Instant Karma! | John Lennon | 2 (2011) |
| Iron Man | Black Sabbath | 2 (2003-2012) |
| L.A. Woman | The Doors | 2 (2003-2021) |
| Let It Loose | The Rolling Stones | 2 (2011-2012) |
| Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress | The Hollies | 2 (1998-2003) |
| Love Me | Willy and Ruth | 2 (1998) |
| Nuthin' But a Nuthin' | Baby Gramps | 2 (1993) |
| Olivia's Pool | Trey Anastasio & Tom Marshall | 2 (2019-2021) |
| On the Road Again | Willie Nelson | 2 (2013-2017) |
| Once in a Lifetime | Talking Heads | 2 (1996-2015) |
| Over the Rainbow | Harold Arlen | 2 (1992-1998) |
| Rocket in My Pocket | Little Feat | 2 (2010-2011) |
| Self | The Dude of Life | 2 (1991-1992) |
| Shaggy Dog | Lightnin’ Hopkins | 2 (2012-2021) |
| She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride | Taj Mahal | 2 (1998-2010) |
| Suspicious Minds | Mark James | 2 (1996) |
| The Little Drummer Boy | The Trapp Family Singers | 2 (1999-2004) |
| We're an American Band | Grand Funk Railroad | 2 (1996-2000) |
| Why Don't We Do It in the Road? | The Beatles | 2 (1994) |
| Will It Go Round in Circles | Billy Preston | 2 (1999) |
| Windora Bug | Trey Anastasio & Tom Marshall | 2 (2000) |
| Wipe Out | The Surfaris | 2 (1998) |
| You Sexy Thing | Hot Chocolate | 2 (2017-2021) |
| 16 Candles | The Crests | 1 (1996) |
| 20/20 Vision (And Walking Around Blind) | Gene Autry | 1 (2019) |
| 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover | Paul Simon | 1 (2011) |
| 99 Problems | JAŸ-Z | 1 (2004) |
| A Apolitical Blues | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| All That You Dream | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| All the Pain Through the Years | Seth Yacovone Band | 1 (1998) |
| Any Colour You Like | Pink Floyd | 1 (1998) |
| Arc | Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 1 (1998) |
| Baby Lemonade | Syd Barrett | 1 (2021) |
| Big Alligator | Chief Jim Billie | 1 (1999) |
| Big Balls | AC/DC | 1 (2011) |
| Big Pimpin' | JAŸ-Z | 1 (2004) |
| Birthday | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Blister in the Sun | Violent Femmes | 1 (2012) |
| Blue Skies | Pork Tornado | 1 (2003) |
| Bohemian Rhapsody | Queen | 1 (1996) |
| Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) | Talking Heads | 1 (1996) |
| Brain Damage | Pink Floyd | 1 (1998) |
| Breathe (In the Air) | Pink Floyd | 1 (1998) |
| Burning Down the House | Talking Heads | 1 (1998) |
| Cathy's Clown | The Everly Brothers | 1 (2019) |
| Champagne Supernova | Oasis | 1 (1996) |
| Chariots of Fire | Vangelis | 1 (2003) |
| Che Hun Ta Mo | Chief Jim Billie | 1 (1999) |
| Chocolate Rain | Tay Zonday | 1 (2017) |
| Clone | Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon | 1 (2003) |
| Coconut | Harry Nilsson | 1 (2017) |
| Come Together | The Beatles | 1 (2011) |
| Communication Breakdown | Led Zeppelin | 1 (1990) |
| Cool Jerk | The Capitols | 1 (2004) |
| Day or Night | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| Day Tripper | The Beatles | 1 (2024) |
| Dear Prudence | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Dem Bones | James Weldon Johnson | 1 (2017) |
| Diamond Girl | Seals & Crofts | 1 (1992) |
| Dixie Chicken | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| Don't Bogart Me | The Fraternity of Man | 1 (2010) |
| Don't Pass Me By | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Dooley | The Dillards | 1 (1994) |
| Down by the River | Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 1 (1998) |
| Down Home Dirty Blues | Z.Z. Hill | 1 (1998) |
| Dust in the Wind | Kansas | 1 (2003) |
| Easy to Slip | Little Feat | 1 (2013) |
| Eclipse | Pink Floyd | 1 (1998) |
| El Paso | Marty Robbins | 1 (2000) |
| Every Day I Have the Blues | Aaron ‘Pinetop’ Sparks | 1 (2003) |
| Everything in Its Right Place | Radiohead | 1 (2017) |
| Family Picture | The Dude of Life | 1 (1991) |
| Feats Don't Fail Me Now | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| Feel the Heat | John C. Reilly & Mark Wahlberg | 1 (2003) |
| Five Years | David Bowie | 1 (2021) |
| Fly Like an Eagle | Steve Miller Band | 1 (2012) |
| Fooled Around and Fell in Love | Elvin Bishop | 1 (2003) |
| Four Strong Winds | Ian & Sylvia | 1 (1998) |
| Free Man in Paris | Joni Mitchell | 1 (2010) |
| Friend | Ghosts of The Forest | 1 (2019) |
| Garden Party | Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band | 1 (2012) |
| Gettin' Jiggy Wit It | Will Smith | 1 (1998) |
| Ghosts of the Forest | Ghosts of The Forest | 1 (2019) |
| Girls, Girls, Girls | JAŸ-Z | 1 (2004) |
| Glass Onion | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Gloria | Umberto Tozzi | 1 (2019) |
| Halfway Home | Ghosts of The Forest | 1 (2019) |
| Heartbreaker | Led Zeppelin | 1 (2013) |
| Honey Pie | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Houses in Motion | Talking Heads | 1 (1996) |
| I Found a Reason | The Velvet Underground | 1 (1998) |
| I Get a Kick Out of You | Cole Porter | 1 (1998) |
| I Shall Be Released | Bob Dylan | 1 (1998) |
| I Wanna Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart | Patsy Montana | 1 (1996) |
| I Will | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| I'm So Tired | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| If 6 Was 9 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1 (2021) |
| If You Need a Fool | The Del McCoury Band | 1 (1998) |
| In the Aeroplane Over the Sea | Neutral Milk Hotel | 1 (2010) |
| Julia | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Jumpin' Jack Flash | The Rolling Stones | 1 (2010) |
| Jungle Boogie | Kool & the Gang | 1 (2003) |
| Killing in the Name | Rage Against the Machine | 1 (2010) |
| Layla | Derek and the Dominos | 1 (1998) |
| Legalize It | Peter Tosh | 1 (2013) |
| Listening Wind | Talking Heads | 1 (1996) |
| Long, Long, Long | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Love in an Elevator | Aerosmith | 1 (2024) |
| Maple Leaf Rag | Scott Joplin | 1 (2017) |
| Martha My Dear | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Mean Mr. Mustard | The Beatles | 1 (1996) |
| Mercenary Territory | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| Messing With the Kid | Mel London | 1 (1999) |
| Midnight on the Highway | Hot Rize | 1 (1996) |
| Midnight Rider | The Allman Brothers Band | 1 (2024) |
| Mirror in the Bathroom | The Beat | 1 (1998) |
| Moby Dick | Led Zeppelin | 1 (2000) |
| Money | Pink Floyd | 1 (1998) |
| Monkey Man | The Rolling Stones | 1 (2011) |
| Mother Nature's Son | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| My Sharona | The Knack | 1 (2024) |
| Mystery Achievement | Pretenders | 1 (2024) |
| Never | Trey Anastasio & Tom Marshall | 1 (1998) |
| New Age | The Velvet Underground | 1 (1998) |
| Ô Canada | Calixa Lavallée | 1 (2017) |
| O Holy Night | Adolphe Adam | 1 (2017) |
| Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Oh Atlanta | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| Old Folks Boogie | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| On the Run | Pink Floyd | 1 (1998) |
| Piggies | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Please Send Me Someone to Love | Percy Mayfield | 1 (1998) |
| Powderfinger | Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 1 (2017) |
| Proud Mary | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 1 (2003) |
| Ramble On | Led Zeppelin | 1 (1998) |
| Rapper's Delight | The Sugarhill Gang | 1 (2000) |
| Revolution 1 | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Revolution 9 | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Rhymes | Al Green | 1 (2011) |
| Roadrunner | The Modern Lovers | 1 (2000) |
| Rock 'n' Roll Suicide | David Bowie | 1 (2017) |
| Rock and Roll Part 2 | Gary Glitter | 1 (1998) |
| Rock Me Baby | B.B. King | 1 (2003) |
| Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) | Elton John | 1 (2011) |
| Rocky Raccoon | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Sad Lisa | Cat Stevens | 1 (1998) |
| Sailin' Shoes | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| Satin Doll | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra | 1 (1993) |
| Savoy Truffle | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| See That My Grave Is Kept Clean | Blind Lemon Jefferson | 1 (2017) |
| Seen and Not Seen | Talking Heads | 1 (1996) |
| Send In the Clowns | Stephen Sondheim | 1 (2019) |
| Sexy Sadie | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Shake Your Coconuts | Junior Senior | 1 (2017) |
| Slow Ride | Foghat | 1 (2024) |
| Smells Like Teen Spirit | Nirvana | 1 (1998) |
| So Lonely | The Police | 1 (1998) |
| Space Oddity | David Bowie | 1 (2017) |
| Spooky | Mike Sharpe | 1 (2010) |
| Stairway to Heaven | Led Zeppelin | 1 (2024) |
| Starman | David Bowie | 1 (2017) |
| Strawberry Fields Forever | The Beatles | 1 (2017) |
| Sunday Morning | The Velvet Underground | 1 (2017) |
| Sweet Emotion | Aerosmith | 1 (1996) |
| T.V. Show | The Dude of Life | 1 (1991) |
| Takin' Care of Business | Bachman–Turner Overdrive | 1 (2013) |
| Tennessee Waltz | Pee Wee King & His Golden West Cowboys | 1 (1994) |
| The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| The Gambler | Don Schlitz | 1 (2012) |
| The Great Curve | Talking Heads | 1 (1996) |
| The Lion Sleeps Tonight | Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds | 1 (2003) |
| The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia | Vicki Lawrence | 1 (2023) |
| The Overload | Talking Heads | 1 (1996) |
| The Rover | Led Zeppelin | 1 (2010) |
| The Tears of a Clown | Smokey Robinson & The Miracles | 1 (2004) |
| The Thrill Is Gone | Roy Hawkins | 1 (2003) |
| The Way It Goes | Gillian Welch | 1 (2011) |
| The Wind Cries Mary | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1 (2017) |
| Thunder Road | Bruce Springsteen | 1 (2011) |
| Time | Pink Floyd | 1 (1998) |
| Touch Me | The Doors | 1 (1994) |
| Train Round the Bend | The Velvet Underground | 1 (1998) |
| Trenchtown Rock | The Wailers | 1 (1998) |
| Tripe Face Boogie | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| Tubthumping | Chumbawamba | 1 (1998) |
| Uncloudy Day | Josiah Kelly Alwood | 1 (1998) |
| United We Stand | Brotherhood of Man | 1 (2015) |
| Us and Them | Pink Floyd | 1 (1998) |
| Viola Lee Blues | Cannon’s Jug Stompers | 1 (1999) |
| Walk This Way | Aerosmith | 1 (2000) |
| Way Down in the Hole | Tom Waits | 1 (2017) |
| We're Not Gonna Take It | The Who | 1 (1999) |
| White Winter Hymnal | Fleet Foxes | 1 (2017) |
| Who Loves the Sun | The Velvet Underground | 1 (1998) |
| Wild Honey Pie | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| Wildwood Weed | Jim Stafford | 1 (1996) |
| Will the Circle Be Unbroken? | William MacEwan | 1 (1998) |
| Willin' | Little Feat | 1 (2010) |
| Würm | Yes | 1 (2024) |
| Yer Blues | The Beatles | 1 (1994) |
| You Ain't Goin' Nowhere | Bob Dylan | 1 (2003) |
| You Shook Me All Night Long | AC/DC | 1 (2000) |
Shows = how many of these 791 setlists include it, not every show Phish ever played. Each song links to the last setlist we saw it in. 14 songs from this week's and upcoming Covers puzzles are left off until they've been played.
Questions
What songs does Phish cover most?
In the 791 Phish setlists we looked at (1990-2024, from setlist.fm), the most-played covers are “Also sprach Zarathustra, op. 30” (Richard Strauss), “Hold Your Head Up” (Argent), “Funky Bitch” (Son Seals), “Good Times Bad Times” (Led Zeppelin) and “Ya Mar” (Cyril Ferguson).
How many covers does Phish play?
Those 791 setlists include 326 different covers of songs by 172+ original artists.
Other bands: Goose covers · Widespread Panic covers · Grateful Dead covers