Famous Artists Cover Phil Collins

Phil Collins has long been one of pop and rock’s most covered artists. From intimate BBC sessions to American daytime TV, generations of artists keep returning to his songbook, proof that his melodies and emotional depth are truly timeless. Here’s the growing collection.

“In The Air Tonight” Covers

The most covered Phil Collins song is arguably his debut solo single, released in January 1981 and still a touchstone for artists across genres.

Lorde | BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge (2017)

Lorde has long been one of Collins’ most outspoken fans, once saying on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast: “My favourite pop males are the guys that sound like a combination of your boyfriend and your dad, that’s Phil.” Her Live Lounge cover of “In The Air Tonight” turned heads in September 2017, with critics noting it almost sounded like a song she could have released herself. She called Collins “such a pioneer” and said his melodies and drumming push her to be better.

Kiefer Sutherland | BBC Radio 2 Piano Room (February 2025)

Hollywood actor turned singer-songwriter Kiefer Sutherland visited the BBC Maida Vale studios for Piano Room Month 2025 and delivered a stunning rendition of “In The Air Tonight” alongside a full BBC symphony orchestra. The arrangement was reimagined in a different time signature, an orchestral waltz, but crucially, they kept the iconic drum break. The session was part of a three-song set that also featured Sutherland’s own songs “Something You Love” and “Goodbye California”.​

Craig David | Hits Radio (December 2024)

R&B star Craig David stripped things back for Hits Radio, delivering an acoustic rendition that returns the song to its raw emotional roots. The performance was recorded ahead of Craig David’s Commitment Tour in early 2025.

Sons of Legion | Official Music Video

Sons of Legion are a Nashville-based duo, Adam McInnis and Daddy Jack, blending the raw energy of rock with the soulful depth of blues and soul music. Their cover of “In The Air Tonight” became a viral sensation and one of the defining moments of their rise, with Phil Collins personally giving permission for the song to be covered. Rather than mimicking the original, they fully reimagined it, bringing grit, vocal rasp, and a brooding rock atmosphere that led reviewers to describe it as feeling like a completely different emotional experience from both Collins’ version and the many metal interpretations of the song. The cover put Sons of Legion on the map and triggered a wave of label interest, all while the duo remained independent and focused on building what they call a legacy rather than just a deal.​

“Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)” Covers

Mariah Carey feat. Westlife | Official Video (2000)

Mariah Carey first recorded “Against All Odds” as a solo track for her seventh studio album Rainbow (1999), co-producing it with legendary hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It was then re-released with Irish pop group Westlife adding their vocals, becoming the lead single from Westlife’s second album Coast to Coast (2000). The Westlife version hit No. 1 in the UK, introducing the song to a new generation and becoming one of the defining cover versions in pop history.

Connie Talbot | YouTube Studio Cover (August 2025)

Connie Talbot, who first captured the world’s heart on Britain’s Got Talent as a child, released this heartfelt studio cover in August 2025, playing a beautiful Danemann piano throughout. She wrote in her upload: “I’m not sure why I’ve never covered this beautiful song before but had so much fun diving into it this week.” The mix was handled by her collaborator Sam Round.​

“Take Me Home” Covers

Kelly Clarkson | Kellyoke, The Kelly Clarkson Show (February 2026)

Kelly Clarkson and her band My Band Y’All performed “Take Me Home” on the February 23, 2026 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. The 1986 single was the last track off Collins’ No Jacket Required album and spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 7. Fans erupted online, with one commenter calling it “an outstanding rendition of Phil’s timeless classic” and others reporting “FULL BODY CHILLS”.​​

“I Wish It Would Rain Down” Covers

Kelly Clarkson | Kellyoke, The Kelly Clarkson Show (January 2021)

This was Kelly Clarkson’s very first Phil Collins Kellyoke cover, making it a milestone moment in the segment’s history. Set against a stage drenched in blue and purple lighting with artificial rainfall, Clarkson delivered a pop-gospel performance of the 1990 classic from Collins’ …But Seriously album. The original featured Eric Clapton on guitar and reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Can’t Stop Loving You” Covers

Taylor Swift | BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge (2012)

Taylor Swift chose Collins’ 2002 song “Can’t Stop Loving You” for her BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge appearance, delivering it with such raw emotion that even critics were taken aback. Phil Collins himself commented on the YouTube video to say he loved her cover. The performance has since become one of the most discussed Live Lounge covers, consistently cited as one of Swift’s most emotionally transparent live moments.

Phil Collins and Hip-Hop: A Deep Connection

Phil Collins’ influence on hip-hop and R&B runs far deeper than most realise. It spans direct samples, artistic inspiration, a landmark tribute album, and one of the most unexpected bromances in music history.

2Pac | “Starin’ Through My Rear View” (1997)

Even Tupac Shakur was drawn to Collins’ sound. His posthumously released track “Starin’ Through My Rear View,” featuring the Outlawz, samples the hypnotic groove of “In The Air Tonight” throughout. Released in 1997 as part of the Gang Related soundtrack, the song is credited to both Shakur and Phil Collins as songwriters. It remains one of the most poignant uses of the sample, with Tupac using Collins’ brooding tension as a backdrop for reflecting on mortality and survival.

Kanye West | 808s & Heartbreak (2008)

When Kanye West made 808s & Heartbreak, Phil Collins was a direct named influence. West drew inspiration from Collins’ pioneering use of the TR-808 drum machine in the 1980s, citing Collins alongside Gary Numan and Boy George as artists who showed how the instrument could be used to evoke deep emotion. In promoting the album, Kanye specifically cited “In The Air Tonight” as a touchstone, with Collins telling an ex-lover he wouldn’t help them if he saw them drowning, while on 808s, Kanye himself is the one drowning. The album went on to reshape the sound of modern pop and hip-hop, with Phil Collins’ fingerprints all over it.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony feat. Phil Collins | “Home” (2003)

Perhaps the most surreal Collins collaboration of all: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s 2003 single “Home” samples “Take Me Home” and Phil Collins himself appears in the music video to sing the original chorus. The song peaked at No. 19 on the UK charts. The collaboration was so warmly received that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony named Collins an honorary member of the group under the moniker “Chrome Bone”.

Urban Renewal | The Tribute Album (2001)

The hip-hop world’s love for Phil Collins became so intense that his publishing company was receiving a flood of sample clearance requests, which directly inspired the creation of Urban Renewal, a full R&B and hip-hop tribute album released in 2001 in Europe and 2003 in the US. Collins himself remarked: “We all think Black R&B artists know what they’re talking about.” The album’s full tracklist reads like a who’s who of turn-of-the-millennium R&B and hip-hop:

Of particular note is Lil’ Kim’s “In the Air Tonite,” where Phil Collins received a featured artist and co-writing credit because so much of the original was used in the track. The album is a remarkable document of just how widely Collins’ songbook had permeated Black American music culture.​

Daniel T Kerson

AI consultant. Writer. Builder. Based in Singapore for 20 years. He runs three projects at the intersection of technology, language, and creativity.

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