Cover Songs That Kick The Original

[LotusEater]

I’ll toss in Superstition from Beck, Bogart, and Appice over Stevie Wonder’s.

I’d never heard this version- it’s pretty awesome

 

[PaulRVA]

Siouxie and the Banshees did an interesting version as well

Yes they did!

 

[Kobold]

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

Cinnamon Girl has some awesome drums and fits the Type O Negative sound.

"Meaningless art is vandalism. We are the vandals."

 

[anotherbob]

John Farnham version of the Beatles classic Help

Johnny Cash version of the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt

I knew the second one had to be on here sooner or later. It's such a great example of when the cover suits the cover artist better then the original artist.

 

[anotherbob]

The original is close to my heart, and a great song. Don't know if this is better but done with such reverence.

yay one of those artists that not enough people have heard.

 

[Non-Mentholated Black Man]

The originator (Tom Petty) was more than happy to take a backseat to The Man:

 

[Non-Mentholated Black Man]

Not exactly a cover:

 

[BCF]

I was just coming in here to say
Jerry Garcia’s version of Dear Prudence

Wilson Pickett- Hey Jude

 

[BingBong]

The Hank Williams original was pretty good but...
.

 

[Cloozoe]

 

[FurCoat]

Johnny Cash - Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

 

[Non-Mentholated Black Man]

I think Aerosmith's cover of the Beatles "Come Together" is better than the original.

This is the original:

Clicking Settings > Playback speed > Custom > 0.8x gives the full effect.

 

[newbroom]

I saw Chuck at an indoor venue back in 1969 or 1970. That same year I saw Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley.
I also saw a slew of other performers we've all made rich and famous. Chuck was an incredible showman who got the audience to enjoy itself. Muddy was the blues and Bo? He was one beat, one chord. I couldn't see that value then.

 

[Uguccione]

In terms of vocal interpretation, I consider these two versions superior to their respective original versions, or at least more engaging.

 

[Streeper541]

I think the Nonpoint cover of Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight is far superior to the original.

And pretty much anything Leo Moracchioli over at Frog Leap Studios does...

 

[pappymac]

Feeling Alright has three (at least) covers and I think two are better than Traffic's version. Everyone knows Joe Cocker's version, but not a lot of people know this version by Three Dog Night, which in my opinion is the best.

Five pages of comments and only one mention of Joe Cocker? And that mention a song that wasn't his greatest cover.

His cover of "With a Little Help From My Friends" was so good that Paul McCartny said when Cocker died, "I was especially pleased when he decided to cover 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and (. . . ) it was just mind-blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful for him for doing that"

Cocker was such a s cover magician that the Beatles brought him in and gave him first choice of the songs on the Abbey Road album before it was released.

If I had to pick the best cover band EVER, it would have to be The Grateful Dead - the OG of cover bands.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

The first one that always comes to mind (and I'm a big Cohen fan) is "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen, supremely bested by Jeff Buckley.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

One most people aren't aware of (and again, big Bon Scott fan here) is AC/DC's Bad Boy Boogie, restructured and given a new, dark yet charming breath by Mark Kozelek.

 

[AreBee]

Five pages of comments and only one mention of Joe Cocker? And that mention a song that wasn't his greatest cover.

His cover of "With a Little Help From My Friends" was so good that Paul McCartny said when Cocker died, "I was especially pleased when he decided to cover 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and (. . . ) it was just mind-blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful for him for doing that"

Cocker was such a s cover magician that the Beatles brought him in and gave him first choice of the songs on the Abbey Road album before it was released.

Agreed. One could argue that every song he covered, he made better than the original. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window is still my favorite.