OT: Songs that you like a cover version better than the original?
Just curious. Anybody have some songs where they think the cover version is better than the original artist’s version?
Here are some of mine off the top of my head...
Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” covered by Whitney Houston. Yes, I know, fairly obvious. If you want a chuckle, read or listen to Dolly’s comments about when Colonel Tom Parker tried to talk her into letting Elvis do a cover of the song.
CCR’s “Proud Mary” covered by Ike and Tina Turner
“The House of the Rising Sun” (maybe written by Georgia Turner and Bert Martin) covered by The Animals. Honorable mention: Frijid_Pink.
John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” covered by the Dropkick Murphys
The Bobby Fuller Four’s “I Fought the Law” covered by The Clash.
It’s OT season as far as I’m concerned.
Nice. I just hit enter and posted mine and looked up to see two of mine mentioned just preceding my post. I'm surprised anyone else remembered this one.
I see Henley's take as an older man wishing for his youth again and knowing it will never happen, the Ataris is a less subtle " I'm gonna get her back " song. I like the former better
Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt, originally by Nine Inch Nails.
Dirty Heads doing Cold Play Viva La Vida
Social Distortion doing Johnny Cash Ball and Chain
Johnny Cash doing NIN Hurt (probably the most depressing song I've ever heard)
The Ataris doing Boys of Summer "Out on the road today I saw a Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac"
For those "The Last of Us" fans
Lotte Kestner doing New Order True Fatih
Disturbed doing Sound of Silence
The Fugees Killing Me Softly
And finally, you guys are going to love this one
Royal and the Serpent doing Mr. Brightside :)
March 16th, 2023 at 10:32 PM ^
I’m not going to claim that any of these covers is better than the original but all were good in their own right:
social distortion had a bunch of good Cash covers.
shinedowns Simple man.
Amy winehouse-valerie
Not a true cover but Ewan Mcgregor killed Your Song in Moulin Rouge.
It’s hard to beat the original Landslide, but there are a lot of good covers too. Smashing pumpkins, even Miley Cyrus covered it well.
Trampled by Turtles (amazing name and bluegrass band) did a cover of Arcade Fire's Rebellion (Lies) that I like a bit more than the original:
Adding a couple more:
Guster doing the Talking Head's "(Nothing but) Flowers"
Ra Ra Riot covering Steve Winwood's "Valerie" is great too.
I'm surprised this hasn't come up yet (ok /s)
but Mizar's version of Sweet Dreams (original: Eurythmics ), though being good (northern) Macedonians, they call it Svajt dreams. sad that only it only has 3900 views on youtube. That's about to change now. i can feel it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3RdckMVtzw&ab_channel=hikonline602
Fear Factory - "Cars"
Deftones - "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"
Dropkick Murphys - "Black Velvet Band"
Just gave a listen to Dropkick Murphy's BVB. Certainly a lot different than the traditional, but with an undeniable infectious enthusiasm. But I'm betting their drummer lost five pounds every time they played this song. I'm think they slow it down in the last verse just so that he wouldn't stroke out.
Sound of Silence - Disturbed
I'm a fan of Disturbed doing Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence.
Nirvana- Man who sold the World
Once you listen to it, you can't go back to Bowie's original version
Manfred Mann's version of both "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" and "Blinded by the Light."
Mad World - Tears for Fears covered by Michael Andrews
Respect - Otis Redding Covered by Aretha Franklin
I like Dolly Parton original “I Will Always Love You” better than the cover by Whitney Houston. I may be the only one.
You aren't.
Almost anything by Leo Moracchioli.
Bad Wolves - Zombie
Disturbed - Sound of Silence
I’ve got a soft spot for Boyz in the Hood by dynamite hack
Mad world
Shinedown's cover of Simple Man
Joe Cocker A little help from my friends.
Sinead OConner Nothing Compares 2U
The Beatles Twist and Shout
Led Zeppelin When the Levee Breaks
Manfred Mann Blinded by the Light
Eddie Vedder Big Hard Sun
Janis Joplin Me and Bobby McGee
Anything done by Weird Al makes it better.
The Dan Band (from Old School, The Hangover, etc) forever changed the way I think of Total Eclipse of the Heart and Candy Shop
Maybe more scripted karaoke than a cover, but Chance The Rapper did one hell of a take on Nelly's Hot In Here on Jimmy Fallon's show
Colbert doing Rebecca Black’s “Friday” on Fallon’s show might be better than the original. Somewhat, maybe.
My favorite covers:
Sound of Silence by Disturbed
Have a Cigar by Foo Fighters
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Tom Petty, Jeff Beck, Prince (most amazing guitar solo ever)
Come Together - Aerosmith
Joan Jett - Crimson and Clover (Tommy James)
Chili Peppers - Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder)
Also, loved reference to Figid Pink. A local band and my favorite version of House of the Rising Sun
Frijid Pink used to practice in an old church building at the end of my street. It was fun.
March 16th, 2023 at 11:23 PM ^
Ha. Speaking of local bands, I grew up in the SagNasty and there was this local band called The Mick Furlow band I believe and they did the best version of Girls on Film by Duran Duran. Pretty sure it was better than Duran Duran.
Heart cover of Stairway to Heaven at Kennedy Center tribute to Led Zeppelin in 2012
That was incredible. Lenny Kravitz cover of Whole Lotta Love was also amazing. Both worth googling if you haven't seen.
That’s the one with Prince playing the Jimmy Page lead, right?
Craig Ross plays lead guitar on Whole Lotta Love. Very talented.
Pinball Wizard- Elton John. I’m a big Who fan but his version from the movie just kicks ass.
Glayds Knight & the Pips "I heard it through the Grape Vine" covered by Marvin Gaye.
Ben Folds—Tiny Dancer
Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks—The Piano has been Drinking
Elvis—Polk Salad Annie
I like ben folds cover of careless whisper too.
Trapeze Artist - Gregory Alan Isakov
(Iron and Wine)
Edit: Precious Love - Otis Redding
one of my favorite songs ever
Thank me later :)
Keep Me Hanging On by Vanilla Fudge
Some I like better, and some are equal.
Larkin Poe-John the Revelator
Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole-Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Garth Brooks-The Fever
AC/DC-School Days, Baby, Please Don't Go
Motorhead-Heroes
Buddy Guy-Do Your Thing
Cream-Crossroads
Metallica-Whiskey in the Jar, Turn the Page, Breadfan
Frank Zappa-Whipping Post
Van Halen-You Really Got Me
Stevie Ray Vaughan-Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), Superstition
Jimi Hendrix-All Along the Watchtower
Theory of a Deadman-Wicked Game
Tool-No Quarter, Opitate2
Foo Fighter-Baker Street
Jeff Beck-Nessun Dorma, I Put a Spell on You (featuring Joss Stone)
Jeff Buckley-Hallelujah
Johnny Cash-Hurt, Rusty Cage
Disturbed-The Sound of Silence
Five Finger Death Punch-Gone Away
Eric Cartman-Come Sail Away, Oh Holy Night
Normally, GBGW? I've got you as an A+ on anything having to do with music. But. Nessun Dorma is forever owned by Luciano. No one, anywhere, is even on the same planet as that man. Not Domingo, Andrea ... no one. 🤨
March 16th, 2023 at 10:06 PM ^
Trust me,I understand that Luciano owns that song.But 2 songs that brought my mom to tears was the Jeff Beck version and Carrie Underwood singing How Great Thou Art
March 16th, 2023 at 11:04 PM ^
Moms do matter, got it. Absolutely. "Give her a listen" to The Prayer (Dion & Bocelli), Amazing Grace (Bocelli, when his voice was still robust), Leann Rimes' How Do I Live (YouTube Live at MPTF's Night Before Oscars Party). Or Trisha Yearwood's "I'll Carry You Home".
Hope you both enjoy! 👍😁
GBGW, three of the songs you mentioned immediately came to mind for me, too (You Really Got Me, All Along the Watchtower and The Sound of Silence). I'll just add one more: The Scorpions' cover of I Can't Explain -- and I'm a big fan of The Who.
March 16th, 2023 at 10:37 PM ^
Metallica did a collab for Tuesday’s Gone which was really good.
I also liked the collaboration of Kenny Wayne shepherds Blue on black with Five finger.
March 16th, 2023 at 11:29 PM ^
I guess its fitting a guy with a pic of Zappa in his profile has a Zappa song listed. Nice bit of diversity. Not to many Five Finger Death Punch fans on this board I'd bet. ;))
The way TOOL changes up No Quarter yet still remain faithful to it is chef's kiss
One of my favorite songs ever is Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones, but the version done by The Sundays in the early 90s is absolutely haunting. It was my girlfriend's favorite song sophomore year in Ann Arbor and I love it.
Wilson Pickett's "Sugar Sugar" (The Archies)
Jason and the Scorcher's "Country Roads" (John Denver)
George Benson's "On Broadway" (The Drifters)
Turkuaz's "The Shape I'm In" ((The Band)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTxI4B_NGbQ
Killdozer's "American Pie" (Don McLean)
Logged in to second Sugar Sugar
Never liked that song until I heard the Wilson Pickett version and I can listen to that over and over.