Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell once said “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing.” Interpret the song as you will, but that refers to the original version of something. No wack carbon copy, but the authentic, bonafide prototype of something is usually deemed as the best for most things (except when referencing the movie The Godfather II). But in music, since about the ‘90s, there’s always been room to flip a song, add some new vocals, a hot new beat and make it better–or worse. This is the art of the successful remix. Hence the number of remix albums put out by a number of artists over the years.
Diddy, then Puff Daddy at the time, used to claim he invented the remix. We’re not about to start pinpointing ownership, but we did find 10 remixed songs by 10 prolific artists that if you ask us, rival their predecessors for top status. Even if you don’t agree, at least you’ll have some new joints to add to a playlist in need.
*Note: all remixes are featured first, originals are linked to in the descriptions.
