Happened twice with "Why Baby Why," his first chart hit. It went to #4, but started falling when Red Sovine and Webb Pierce released a duet version that went to #1 and blunted the chart run of Jones' original. Charley Pride later had a #1 hit with his own 1983 rendition.
"Love Bug" is perhaps better known through George Strait's cover.
His version of "The Race Is On" is on pretty close footing: both his and Sawyer Brown's cover both seem equally recognized.
In a lesser example, his Shelby Lynne duet "If I Could Bottle This Up" was later a slightly higher-charting hit when releaed three years later by its writer, Paul Overstreet.
His 2001 single "50,000 Names" was first released by its writer, Jamie O'Hara.
"A Thousand Times a Day," a track from his High-Tech Redneck album, was later released in 1997 by Patty Loveless.