Cover Songs Better Than The Originals

What the topic says - what covers do you think are better than the original versions?

Also...

PS The main reason for this is I want to collect a list of covers and when I have a kid I'll make them listen to only covers, so that when they're old enough to discuss music with their friends, they'll be confused as hell as to why everyone thinks MJ wrote Smooth Criminal and why everyone is crazy.

Yeah more often....cover songs are better than the original songs... like Skyscraper?? by demi lovato??I liked it more when Boyce avenue made a cover of it..

Oh I know we've had this thread before and I know that because I posted Franz Ferdinand's cover of Blondie's "Call Me" and there was one more I posted, also I can't embed videos for some reason. Also the STRFKCR version of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" is pretty good.

• Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower
• Billy Idol - Mony Mony
• Rush - The Seeker

Are those old songs???

Funny that AAF's "Smooth Criminal" was the first thing to pop in my head and the first thing to be posted in this thread. Other than that, I would probably say I like Marie Digby's version of "Umbrella" much more than Rihanna's and I LOVE Pearl Jam's cover of "Last Kiss."

Clearly, the correct answer is Midnight Brown's rendition of "Kiss One More Time"

A lot of Marilyn Manson covers, I'd say.

Most people would say Johnny Cash's Hurt, but I would make an argument for this.

@buneroid: I like this one better :)

Also

I dunno if it really counts (it's a folksong of unclear origin), but the Animals' version of 'The House of the Rising Sun" is by far the best.

These are the first ones that pop into my head when I think of good covers. There are probably othes tat I can't think of right now.

@schmollian: What the fuck man that is awesome. So exotic sounding.

@kyelb22 That Holy Diver cover is fucking rad, but still doesn't compete with Dio. Going to see Killswitch this month!

The original's pretty great too, but The Bouncing Souls are just so good.

You could probably write a book on quality Beatles covers alone.

My dad always preferred the Elton John versions of "Pinball Wizard" by The Who and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" by The Beatles. I can't think of anything off the top of my head. Maybe a recent-ish example for me would be Jorge Drexler's version of Disneylandia, which was a lousy, lousy song by some Brazilian group I think. But on the same album Drexler has a horrifically bad version of the already awful "High and Dry" by Radiohead so it's a bit of a wash.

This thread starts with total horse shit. No way in hell is Alien Ant Farm better then Michael Jackson at Smooth Criminal. That's the most awful thing I've ever read anyone write on the internet. EVER!

This is of course my opinion; you are entitled to like that song no matter how wrong and gross and terribly stupid it makes you. =)

Ah, a subject close to my heart. I adore good covers.

And to not over-Youtube, I'll just link the rest:

The Beatles - Twist and Shout (some of my favorite vocals by John)

Brad and the Shoemakers - I Believe In A Thing Called Love (\m/)

Type O Negative - Summer Girl/Summer Breeze (TON always did great covers)

Marilyn Manson - This Is Halloween (couldn't choose between this and "I Put A Spell On You")

10,000 Maniacs - Because The Night - (I love the Patti Smith original, but there's a lot to be said for the way Natalie Merchant sings it)

Freezepop - Seven Boom Medley (this might be cheating, as it covers two songs, but it's automatically better because fuck The Venga Boys)

Crystal Castles - Not In Love (this cover always makes me think of walking through a city at night in the winter for some reason... just beautiful imagery)

Fiona Apple - I Want You (holy mother of covers... my absolute favorite, and if you listen to any of these, make it this one. It's beautiful, unsettling, sexy, terrifying, and just all around incredible. Be sure to watch the video too... the look she gives at the end is blood chilling, mainly because her instability is entirely real, and you can see a thread of sincerity in her stare... in fact, I'll just embed the video)

I don't like to think of these covers as being better then the originals. They are different, and also awesome.

This is what came to my mind when I saw the topic, surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet.

A bit in the vein of that Ironman cover this one alters the mood of the mood of the original. It's from an amazing album of covers I'm kind of obsessed with.

There should be more covers of Cartoon themes.

If you like covers you should check out the Coverville podcast.

Metallica has a knack for great covers.

The original version was by Jake Holmes.

The original version was by Robert Hazard, which I find really odd. A guy wrote this song about girls having fun.

I actually like both versions of this, but I feel like the RHCP version is just slightly better. Original was by Stevie Wonder.

Original version was by Erma Franklin, which was also good... but nothing compares to Ms. Joplin.

There have been SO many different covers of this song. Of course, for me, The Kingsmen's version is the ideal version... but even though many think they were the original artists, the original was actually written and recorded by Richard Berry.

I almost forgot about this one, too. There have also been a ton of a different versions of this song. The versions by Chuck Berry and The Rolling Stones in 1961 and 1964, respectively, are probably the most popular. However, two artists did it before they did. Nat King Cole did a version in 1946, and the original composer Bobby Troup did a version earlier that same year. Still, Chuck Berry really took it and made it the classic it is today.

I hate the Johnny Cash version of Hurt, don't understand how people think it is better than NIN's version.

Don't have the clip but there is a version of Maynard James Keenan singing Kashmir and it so amazing, better than Zeppelin.

That Manson cover of Sweet Dreams is fucking awful.

The real answer is:

The Beatles - Twist and Shout

I was coming in here to post the same thing (maybe with a little less emotion), but you totally beat me to the punch. Good job, homie.

Doubt many people will enjoy this, but yeah...

@vonocourt: Good pull, I always forget that's a cover.

This is the first that springs to mind for me:

Also:

Nouvelle Vague is exclusively a covers band with a French-y bossa nova-y sound, so if you like that sound you will probably prefer almost all of their versions to the originals which sound nothing like this :P

Honorable mention goes to a cover of a song which I like equally as much as the original, because they are both super awesome in their own ways:

EDIT: I forgot Jenny Owen Youngs and Pomplamoose and the A.V. Club's Covers project.

I'm sorry OP, but are you really suggesting that The Cardigans version of Iron Man is superior to this:

Blasphemy!

Here's a cover that's better than the original:

I would never happily listen to a Rihanna song...however...The spine of Steam powered Giraffe puts a good spin on it.

Aswell as their cover of Icona Pop: I love it. Would never have listened other wise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjiIQ9Z02bU

One of the best covers ever. Jagger has even said its one of his favoured covers of Satisfaction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jadvt7CbH1o

Spinnerettes cover of Devo's song is great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ggMgmAL5JM

Also a cover of Styx's Mr Roboto. Complete with giant robot.

I really like the Sarah Blasko cover of Cold Chisel's Flame Trees. It's not got the same pace, but it's so chill that I can just sit back and soak it in for a while.

I don't know if this really counts as it is a parody cover. But Gangster's Paradise kinda sucks, and I have listened to Weird Al's version tons of times. And I know all the lyrics of The Saga Begins, can't say that about American Pie.

As for more normal answers...

Halestorm's two full cover albums are notable mentions in my book. Lots of fun re-imaginings.

Better, never. Unique or great in their own right, absolutely (well... when they're actually good).

Alright, I'll bite. I know some die hard Led Zeppelin fans are going to freak out about this, but Tool's version of No Quarter is better. Tool could cover a Justin Bieber song and make it incredible.

@akyho: Oh man, how could I forget Diamonds? For a "joke" cover, it's legitimately great.

What these guys do with some covers of some really questionable songs is really amazing

Also, in a twist on the topic, Fantomas did an entire album reimagining classic movie themes. It's pretty interesting.

UUUUGH. I love both bands so, so much but I...I can't agree with you. Both versions are excellent. But I gotta side with Zeppelin on this one.

And my answer is almost anything by Tears for Fears. There are so many covers of their songs that surpass the original by a mile.

Clearly the best Celtic Frost ever, despite there being about ten thousand of them put to record. John Tardy makes anything sound insane.

This is also a great cover. Dunno if I'd call it better than the original, but it's pretty sweet.

@shagge: Indeed, It just sort of gets stuck in my head. The different ranges on The Spine is what does it.

I also forgot myself that you selection reminded me.

Amanda Palmer's Ukulele Cover of Creep.

Also probably the best cover ever in the universe.

There's quite a few, but here's some of my favorites:

Now I love Queen, but.....there's something about the Breaking Benjamin cover of their song that's just incredible.

Miley may be crazy, but honestly, she's pretty good when it comes to this kinda stuff.

And why is there a distinct lack of metal acapella covers?

EDIT: Can't believe I forgot the country cover of Snoop!

Both versions are amazing, but Ihsahn's vocals are too perfect for this song. I would put them at about equal, the Bathory version is great too.

New Children of Bodom is kinda questionable but this is pretty great:

Edit: Forgot about this. The start is stupid but the chorus is great.

I like the White Stripes a whole lot, but you're crazy if you think that version's better than Parton's original.