Sheryl Crow whose birthday is today . Happy Birthday BTW . has performed with . myriad of bands or solo artists of all genres.
We have selected fourteen of them
They are . Grace Potter, Kid Rock, Vince Gill, Pat Benatar . Lukas Nelson, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Chris Stapleton, Brandon Flowers, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, Ben Harper, Kacey Musgraves
Here, they are reunited in one glorious playlist. Enjoy!
Tracklist
1 . Grace Potter . New Kid In TownSheryl Crow and Grace Potter’s acoustic rendition of “New Kid In Town” remains a remarkable tribute, not least because of its context—the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2016 Induction Ceremony, held a few short months after Glenn Frey’s passing. Crow, guitar in hand, and Potter on harmonized vocals, aim less at reinvention and more at reverence, choosing fidelity to the Eagles’ original while subtly imprinting their distinctive styles. Texturally, the performance is steeped in a stripped-down arrangement, built around Crow’s steady guitar work, that turns the once-polished studio sheen of the track into something more intimately raw. The harmonies—arguably the centerpiece—capture a mournful delicacy reflective of a song co-written by one of rock’s seminal voices. Yet, there’s no overwhelming emotional drama here. The simplicity feels more pragmatic than cathartic, enhancing the gravity of the occasion without veering into sentimentality. As fitting a selection as “New Kid In Town” is for such a tribute, its mood—melancholic yet wistful—becomes as much a memorial to Frey’s craftsmanship as it is an acknowledgment of his passing. Crow and Potter avoid overshadowing the song’s innate narrative, maintaining a reverence befitting its history. Still, the performance occasionally errs on the side of restraint. The decision to lean so heavily into acoustic minimalism leaves it yearning for the kind of dynamic tension that made the Eagles’ version soar. This isn’t to suggest a lack of merit—Crow’s steady conviction and Potter’s vocal layering lend the tribute weight. But there’s a sense that this performance feels more like a hushed conversation with the past than an attempt to rekindle its fire. As an additive to Frey’s legacy, it holds value. As a reinterpretation, it stakes no bold territory. Instead, it rests within the safe confines of reverence, perhaps aptly so. 
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2 . Kid Rock . Picture“Picture” by Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow, tethered to Kid Rock’s 2001 album “Cocky,” wears its heartbreak like a frayed yet cherished denim jacket—worn out from the road yet steeped in the grit of life lived too fast. Co-written by the two artists, the song brings the dissolution of a relationship to the fore, framing it within temptations and regrets that seem inevitable in lives unmoored by constant travel. The lyrics lean into confessional simplicity, each line a Polaroid of unraveling intimacy. Their raw delivery provides the narrative’s backbone, without descending into anything resembling overindulgence. This duality of voices—a resigned Kid Rock and a longing Sheryl Crow—invites listeners into a deeply personal lament, their vocal chemistry reinforcing the weight of the regret-laden narrative. It’s a testament to how subtly two voices, distinct in texture yet intertwined emotionally, can anchor an otherwise straightforward melody. Yet, complications inevitably marred its release. The industry tangle that blocked the Crow-featured version from single status—and forced a re-recording with Allison Moorer—feels almost ironic, given the song’s themes of discord. Still, it was Crow’s iteration that caught fire, climbing the Billboard Hot 100 as both Kid Rock’s and Crow’s highest-charting collaboration to date, second only to Crow’s “All I Wanna Do.” Visually, the accompanying music video underscored the song’s somber tone. Its popularity boosted the track’s resonance, adding a layer of poignancy that a standalone aural exploration might not fully achieve. The song’s November 2002 release stands as a snapshot of an unexpectedly successful collaboration. The understated arrangement ensures that neither singer overshadows the other, favoring restraint over theatrics, while the melancholic sincerity of its lyrics ensures “Picture” remains indelible—not splashy, but quietly devastating.
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3 . Vince Gill . Two More Bottles of Wine“Two More Bottles of Wine” finds itself reimagined in the capable hands of Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill, a pairing that feels equal parts reverent and effortless. The song, originally penned and performed by Delbert McClinton for his 1975 album “Victim of Life’s Circumstances,” carries the marks of its era—straightforward storytelling underscored by a loose, blues-inflected country vibe. The challenge here is not reinvention but honoring a legacy, given the tribute’s dedicatee: Emmylou Harris. Her 1978 version became a folk-country standard, making any reinterpretation more like walking a tightrope than taking a stroll. Presented during “The Life & Songs of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration” in Washington, DC, Crow and Gill manage their high-wire act with polished restraint. Their rendition—captured on video and available on YouTube—leans on their musical camaraderie rather than vocal acrobatics. Crow’s weathered-yet-versatile voice meshes warmly with Gill’s impeccable tenor, both artists finding a natural groove under the directorial eye of Don Was and Buddy Miller. The irony here is that while Crow and Gill collaborate fluidly, the rendition itself lacks an edge to distinguish it from Harris’s iconic version. It neither strays far enough to be revelatory nor stays fully tethered to its earthy roots. The performance is impeccable but perhaps overly safe, a byproduct of a celebration where reverence often overtakes risk. Still, seeing Crow and Gill stand shoulder to shoulder on stage underscores the mutual respect they’ve shared through collaborations, like their work on her album “Threads.” This particular performance may not redefine the song, but it fits neatly into the mosaic of admiration that the event sought to piece together.
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4 . Pat Benatar . I Shall BelieveSheryl Crow’s “I Shall Believe,” drawn from her 1993 debut album “Tuesday Night Music Club,” sits at the intersection of introspection and yearning, a ballad that quietly insists on vulnerability without tumbling into sentimentality. The 2001 duet with Pat Benatar, performed during Lifetime Television’s “Women Rock: Girls & Guitars” series, refashions the song as a richer, more layered experience. Taking Crow’s original solo intimacy and elevating it into a communal cry, the collaboration doesn’t just blend voices—it merges two distinct ideas of strength, fusing Benatar’s fiery resonance with Crow’s subdued clarity. The vocal harmonies are undeniably the performance’s backbone, each artist complementing the other without encroaching on personal territory. Benatar’s voice acts as a steel counterpoint to Crow’s softer vulnerability, creating an interplay that balances grit and grace. These harmonies, however, can occasionally feel too polished, teetering on the edge of overshadowing the song’s emotional rawness. Emotion, the song’s lifeblood, threads seamlessly through the performance. The delivery remains heartfelt, yet at times risks being overly precise, as though the weight of the event—a breast cancer benefit—demanded perfection over spontaneity. While the cause is undeniably noble, the concert’s purpose occasionally hangs over the performance like an unspoken pressure, muting sparks of improvisation. Still, the rendition resonates deeply, encapsulating two iconic careers in a single, fleeting moment. Its imperfections remind us that belief, much like the performance itself, is always a work in progress. B+
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5 . Lukas Nelson . Midnight Rider“Midnight Rider” joins Sheryl Crow and Lukas Nelson in a live performance at the Love Rocks NYC benefit concert, injecting a fresh pulse into the Gregg Allman-penned classic from the Allman Brothers Band’s 1970 album “Idlewild South.” Set against the backdrop of the Beacon Theater on March 7, 2019, the rendition carries an intrinsic sense of purpose, with the performance tethered to a noble cause: raising funds for God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit committed to providing meals for those battling life-threatening illnesses. Yet the weight of its altruistic context doesn’t necessarily elevate the song’s execution beyond familiar territory. Sheryl Crow, a multi-Grammy winner, brings her seasoned polish to the stage but doesn’t veer far from the script, her vocals more functional than transformative. Lukas Nelson, steeped in musical pedigree as Willie Nelson’s son and frontman of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, infuses a visceral edge to the performance, but his grit occasionally feels restrained, as if caught between reverence for the source material and carving out his imprint. The choice to cover the Allman Brothers Band—an act Crow has collaborated with before, with mixed reception—leaves little room for novelty. While the duo’s chemistry is serviceable, neither Crow’s precision nor Nelson’s rawness reshapes the track’s durable, road-worn mystique. Instead, this version serves more as a commemorative nod to a classic than a bold reinterpretation. As live tributes go, it’s earnest but short of compelling. With “Midnight Rider,” the real star remains the original composition—a shadow neither performer fully escapes.
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6 . James Taylor . Fire and RainJames Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” from the 1970 album “Sweet Baby James,” is a stark reflection of personal grief wrapped in a deceptively gentle acoustic arrangement. Reaching No. 3 on the *Billboard* Hot 100 and No. 7 on the *Billboard* Adult Contemporary chart, its commercial success belies the complexity of its themes, which juxtapose Taylor’s struggles with addiction and the tragic suicide of Suzanne Schnerr against a memorable melody. The song’s confessional lyrics, steeped in pain yet restrained in delivery, have earned it a place at No. 227 on *Rolling Stone’s* 500 Greatest Songs of All Time—a placement that both affirms its emotional weight and questions its broader musical innovation. Sheryl Crow’s performance of “Fire and Rain” at the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors conveys a respectful nod to Taylor’s legacy but inevitably steps into the shadow of the original. Departing from Taylor’s understated vocal tone, Crow adapts the song in a higher key, leveraging her own voice to bring a more polished, though arguably less intimate, rendition of the piece. The reconstructed Kennedy Center stage, mimicking the Troubadour—a vital venue for 1970s singer-songwriters—grounds the performance in nostalgic reverence, but the interpretation feels more an homage to Taylor’s cultural importance than an expansion of his work’s emotional depth. Joined by Taylor’s band, the Section, Crow finds safety within the established framework of the song, sidestepping the jagged edges that made the original so enduringly human.
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7 . Jackson Browne & David Crosby . Mexico“Mexico” as performed by Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, and David Crosby occupies a peculiar space on the 2024 MusiCares tribute album honoring James Taylor. Originally from Taylor’s “Hourglass” before finding a home on the 1971 “Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon,” the song’s breezy allure hinges on its mellow spirit. Here, the trio’s rendition seeks to spotlight collaboration, but whether it achieves that or sinks into polite deference is another question. Sheryl Crow’s unmistakable timbre offers an earthy charm, complementing Jackson Browne’s measured earnestness. David Crosby, with his textured vocals, ties the arrangement together with a certain wistfulness. While their combined voices pay homage to Taylor’s relaxed vibe, one wonders if the performance colors too carefully inside the lines, trading intimacy for polished nostalgia. The decision to assemble these three artists undoubtedly raises expectations, yet the result feels more like a tribute-band exercise than an exploration of the song’s emotional depth. While they honor Taylor’s legacy, the rendition feels content to bask in the warm glow of familiarity rather than seeking to reinterpret the piece meaningfully. It’s neither revelatory nor offensive—like a pleasant postcard of “Mexico,” glossing over the detail in favor of broader strokes.
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8 . Chris Stapleton & Brandon Flowers . Don’t Let Me DownPerformed as part of a tribute to John Lennon’s 75th birthday at Madison Square Garden in 2015, the cover of the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down” by Sheryl Crow, Chris Stapleton, and Brandon Flowers positions itself as a reverent nod to the original while still leaning on the trio’s individual strengths. The song, first recorded in 1969 and released as the B-side to “Get Back,” carried a raw immediacy that made its bluesy yearning feel almost desperate. In this cover, much of that desperation is smoothed over by the careful vocal interplay of Crow, Stapleton, and Flowers, each imbuing their parts with distinct textures. Stapleton’s gravelly tone anchors the performance, exuding a rugged sincerity, while Crow and Flowers add layered harmonies that strive for balance but occasionally skirt the edge of competing styles. Perhaps the challenge lies in the song’s nearly sacred status within the Beatles’ catalog. By honoring Lennon’s memory in the confines of an all-star concert, the trio manages a heartfelt tribute without necessarily reimagining or deepening the original’s emotional resonance. The bluesy undertones remain intact, but the freshness that elevated the 1969 version to Billboard’s 35th spot feels somewhat diluted in this stylized setting. Nonetheless, their voices, especially when combined, carve out moments of undeniable musical rapport, even if those moments stop short of stepping out of the shadow of the original. Appropriately fitting for the occasion, the performance channels respect more than reinvention.
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9 . Tony Bennett . The Girl I Love“The Girl I Love,” performed by Tony Bennett and Sheryl Crow on the “Duets II” album, carries with it the weight of history as much as melody. Originally composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin in 1924, the piece has spent nearly a century in limbo, auditioning for Broadway in “Lady, Be Good,” later rebranded as “The Man I Love” for “Rosalie,” only to be relegated to the cutting room floor both times. In this rendition, Jorge Calandrelli’s arrangement ensures the song’s bittersweet structure remains intact, showcasing Bennett’s warm phrasing and Crow’s understated delivery. While the duet format offers moments of charm, the pairing sometimes leans too heavily on nostalgia, sidestepping opportunities to reinterpret the track for contemporary listeners. For Bennett, who has performed this song across decades—from the studio sessions of “Astoria: Portrait of the Artist” in 1989 to a live “MTV Unplugged” set in 1994—it feels seasoned but perhaps overly familiar within his repertoire. Sheryl Crow, meanwhile, brings a conversational texture to her part, though her voice lacks some of the song’s innate yearning. The song’s inclusion on the platinum-certified “Duets II,” which topped the US Billboard 200, aligns it alongside other high-profile pairings, such as Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga, though its placement inadvertently highlights its more modest emotional stakes compared to those standout collaborations. As a piece of the enduring American Songbook, “The Girl I Love” remains sturdy, but this take doesn’t quite escape the shadow of its historical baggage, feeling more like a polite nod to the past than a progressive update of its timeless themes.
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10 . Smokey Robinson . You Really Got A Hold on Me“You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” by Smokey Robinson ranks among the quintessential tracks of the Motown era, a standout example of its ability to bridge emotional vulnerability with pop sensibility. Admirably revived during “The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House,” this iconic song found new layers of resonance in a duet between Smokey Robinson and Sheryl Crow. Their collaborative rendition, performed in the historic East Room under the watchful eyes of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, carried both the weight of history and the intimacy of musical camaraderie. Robinson’s vocal delivery remains a masterpiece in controlled yearning. Even years after penning the song, his voice carries the ache of unbalanced love—its blues-ballad structure, inspired by Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home to Me,” simultaneously sweetens and sharpens the pain. Crow’s voice adds texture to the performance, but the question remains whether her country-tinged flair juxtaposes or competes with the original Motown ethos. Contextually, this duet cements Motown’s enduring relevance, but it also raises questions about the evolution of its legacy. While the event’s cultural gravitas is undeniable—being part of both Black History Month and PBS’s Emmy-nominated “In Performance at the White House” series—the performance itself feels more reverent than radical. As part of a star-studded lineup featuring Jamie Foxx, John Legend, Seal, and Jordin Sparks, the Robinson-Crow pairing leaned on nostalgia rather than innovation. It perfectly suited the celebratory ethos of Motown’s 50-year impact but skirted the boundaries of artistic risk. If Robinson represents the warmth and soul of Motown’s genesis, this rendition reveals how homage can reaffirm a tradition without rewriting it.
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11 . Ben Harper . My Sweet LordSheryl Crow and Ben Harper’s rendition of “My Sweet Lord,” performed live at the Radio City Music Hall benefit for the David Lynch Foundation, carries a weight that isn’t just musical but purposeful. The choice of George Harrison’s 1970 spiritual pop classic seems deliberate, dovetailing seamlessly with the evening’s cause: promoting Transcendental Meditation for at-risk students. Given Crow’s connection to the practice, her presence adds a personal layer of conviction to the performance, making it less a mere cover and more of a shared mantra. The vocal interplay between Crow and Harper leans heavily into reverence over reinterpretation. There’s grace in their delivery, but one can’t help noticing how tightly they cling to Harrison’s original vision, as though any deviation might topple its sanctity. Harper’s voice wraps meditative warmth around the verses, while Crow’s smoother tones balance the duet, though there’s a sense that neither truly wrestles with the soul-stirring depths Harrison so effortlessly mined. As for instrumentation, any sense of spontaneity seems checked at the door, aligning the performance more with ceremonial homage than artistic risk. The communal nature of the event—featuring Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr no less—may explain the restraint, as though honoring the legacy outweighs innovation. The broader cultural and charitable significance cannot be ignored. Whether this collaboration lives up to Harrison’s inimitable legacy is debatable, but within the context of the evening, it functions less as a standalone artistic triumph and more as a fleeting gesture of unity for a cause.
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12 . Kacey Musgraves . If It Makes You Happy“If It Makes You Happy” stands as a textural pivot in Sheryl Crow’s eponymous 1996 album, straddling the line between its original country conception and the radio-polished rock paradigm it ultimately embodies. The song, co-written with Jeff Trott, rides a tension between sardonic resignation and defiant joy, a tone mirrored in its chart performance: peaking at number 10 on the US *Billboard* Hot 100 while claiming the top spot in Canada’s *RPM* 100 Hit Tracks chart. That it also captured the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1997 speaks to its dual resonance as rock anthem and personal confessional. The collaboration with Kacey Musgraves introduces a subtle complicity between artists, particularly evident during Musgraves’ live performances of the track, such as those from her “Pageant Material” tour. While Crow’s voice edges toward a gravelly weariness, Musgraves tempers it with a wistful clarity, grounding the song’s blend of self-acceptance and disconnection. Its historical footprint includes unlikely moments, from Britney Spears lip-syncing to it alongside Zoe Saldana in 2002’s “Crossroads” to Ryan Adams fleshing it out live in Austin in 2004. Yet its indelible imagery is arguably carried as much by its music video—shot in the LA Natural History Museum with a montage of ‘90s Crow in her element—as by its recognizable refrain. The hooks, unpretentious yet slyly barbed, anchor “If It Makes You Happy” in a cultural moment when irony, vulnerability, and grungy production coalesced into a broader pop-rock vernacular. Neither overly self-serious nor facile, the song seldom overreaches but sidesteps the formulaic sheen of contemporaneous rock radio. If it’s a bit dated now, it’s a time capsule well-consumed in fleeting flashes, much like the museum exhibits Crow leans on in the video. In terms of accolades, its silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry in 2021, representing over 200,000 sales and streams, underscores its pervasive if understated staying power. Yet such milestones, while significant, don’t capture its enduring irony: a would-be feel-good anthem cloaked in a wry, almost shrugging distance, a contradiction that Crow and Musgraves intriguingly expand on in their performances.
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