Wichita Lineman - Cover Versions

Cover Versions

Steel guitarist Buddy Emmons covered this song in 1970 (two years after Glen Campbell's hit version) on the Elektra album "Suite Steel." The Meters also covered the song in 1970, on their album "Struttin'."

Virtually every adult MOR artist including Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Johnny Mathis, Robert Goulet, Andy Williams, Bobby Goldsboro, and Englebert Humperdink, has covered the song, most of them shortly after the original version proved to be a smash. There were also many instrumental versions including a notable one by Jose Feliciano.

The Clouds covered the song on their 1995 EP "Aquamarine." The song was later included on their compilation albums "Collage" and "Favourites."

Alternative rock band R.E.M. covered this song on their 1996 EP "Bittersweet Me."

Garage-alternative rock band Urge Overkill recorded a version which was released as a 7" single in 1987, then later included in their release Americruiser/Jesus Urge Superstar, which combined their first two albums.

Country singer Keith Urban, a lifelong Campbell fan, also covered it. Maria McKee recorded the song during the sessions of her album You Gotta Sin to Get Saved. On August 26, 1997, Wade Hayes released a cover version, which peaked at #55 on the U.S. country music charts. It was to have been included on an album titled Tore Up from the Floor Up, but due to its poor chart performance, the album was delayed. That album was finally released in 1998 as When the Wrong One Loves You Right, with the "Wichita Lineman" cover excluded.

On The Simpsons, Homer Simpson sang a version of this song in the season 15 episode "Co-Dependent's Day."

A caricature of Glen Campbell sang a brief parody of this song in a 1993 episode of Animaniacs during the Pinky & The Brain short "Bubba Bo Bob Brain", with the lyrics "I am a telephone repairman from this area."

In 2003, Campbell performed a live in the studio version of the song with The Stone Temple Pilots, which was included on the DVD that accompanied the band's Thank You album.

James Taylor covered this song on his 2008 release, Covers.

In 2012, Julie Klausner and Sandra Bernhard performed a live version backed up by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists during Klausner's "How Was Your Week" podcast at The Bell House. Ira Glass watched from The Snack Nest. In 2012 Rita Wilson released a cover of "Wichita Lineman" on her "AM/FM" album.

On the 8th of November 2012, radio personality Anthony Cumia performed an impromptu rendition of the song on The Opie and Anthony Show. It was alluded to that Cumia was able to remember the lyrics without hearing the song since the 1970's due to his autism.