The Pet Shop Boys are the cover stars of a British radio poll to find the best take of someone else’s song.

The electronic duo’s version of Always on My Mind, which has been a hit for Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson among others, topped a poll of the best 50 cover versions.

They beat Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails and The Stranglers cover of the soul classic Walk On By to the top spot.

Jimi Hendrix’s performance of Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower and Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah – originally recorded by Leonard Cohen – completed the top five.

The organisers of the BBC radio poll asked listeners for their favourite cover version before a team of experts whittled them down to 50 to be put to the public vote.

The Pet Shop Boys got the 1987 Christmas number one with the track, 15 years after Elvis first took it into the top 10.

Other entries in the top 50 include Sinead O’Connor’s version of Nothing Compares 2 U, which was written by Prince, and Soft Cell’s version of the Northern Soul classic Tainted Love.

Less well-known entries include northeast punks China Drum with their version of Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights and Husker Du’s version of The Byrds’ Eight Miles High, although the Californian folk-rockers version of Bob Dylan’s Mr Tambourine Man did not make the top 50.