Covers that are better than the original.

[Wilgrove]

Nickel Creek cover of Britney Spear's "Toxic"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWQo0bktuAI

[Intangelon]

i may be biased but foo fighters Baker Street?

i agree that the sax is probably better than the guitar for this piece but i prefer Dave Grohl on vocals

and also foo fighter's version of Darling Nikki

Holy shit -- new respect for FF. Loved the original, love the cover now. Decent job of covering "Band on the Run" by Wings as well. Thanks for bringing this one up. This is why I love threads like this, contentious debates on taste aside.

[Pope Joan]

Beatles Twist and Shout

I thought about mentioning that one since they did it so well

but the Isley Brothers had fiery energy and funk, way ahead of their time

so for me it is a dead heat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAwED0fM ... re=related

But i do take the Beatles' "Please Mr. Postman" over the Marvelettes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nuEY6fQgzk
mostly because of the backing vocals.
And their open sixths on lead harmony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pvt2YK8 ... re=related

[Intangelon]

i may be biased but foo fighters Baker Street?

i agree that the sax is probably better than the guitar for this piece but i prefer Dave Grohl on vocals

and also foo fighter's version of Darling Nikki

I laughed at the idea of a Foo Fighters version of Baker Street... I'm willing to accept that could be possible, if you like that kind of thing... but a cover of Darling Nikki?

There has only even been one cover of a Prince track that was an improvement... and that wasn't it.

Ugh. I have to go put bleach in my ears just for thinking about it.

I'm gonna catch hell for saying so, but this is the cover in question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw3so6ClU9I

Ignore the video, it's the last gasp of a once-great deconstructionist new-wave synth band (The Art of Noise). But listen to Tom Jones' rendition and see if it doesn't sound one hell of a lot more...demandingly masculine than the squeaky Prince original.

*dons rotten fruit/veggie-proof suit*

Okay, have at it.

*winces*

[Intangelon]

Beatles Twist and Shout

One of the first covers to be frequently mistaken as the original. Others include, but are not limited to, Elvis covering Carl Perkins on "Blue Suede Shoes". Hell, this subject could have its own thread....

[Intangelon]

Manfed Mann's cover of Blinded by the Light is way different than the original, and most people would say it's the better one, but which one you like more is a matter of preference.

Well, the original is Springsteen, so there's probably a few who'd disagree. I like the playful lyrics, but Mann's take is a touch overproduced, which was kinda the way things were in the heyday of captive-audience FM radio.

[Intangelon]

I'm trying hard to think of any covers of Rolling Stones songs that AREN'T better than the original...

Bette Midler's arfle take on "Beast of Burden".

*dry heave*

[Dinner Theatre Actors]

Is anyone here fans of Me First & the Gimme Gimmes? They only do punked covers. Some of my favourites are "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Seasons in the Sun", "One Tin Soldier" and what they refer to as "The Phantom Song".

[Pope Joan]

Led Zeppelin's cover of When The Levee Breaks
Tina Turner's cover of Proud Mary
Whitney Houston's cover of I Will Always Love You
Save Ferris's cover of Come On Eileen

More blasphemy. I actually LIKED that song before Whitney warbled it into ruin.

Same here.

Whitney was this great new phenom with amazing piprs, so she got all the love.

But Dolly is an underappreciated genius.

I got into a fight with a boy in my class in fourth grade, which was the year it was on the radio every minute of every day. He was singing it, and I said I liked that song, and he said Whitney was great, and then I said Dolly was way better, and then he said no way Dolly sucked, and then I hit him.

shades of Steel Magnolias!

[Intangelon]

Oh, man, I just thought of one from late-childhood: The Fugees' cover of "Killing Me Softly".

Also, and I know I'm opening myself up to attack here, an argument could be made for Social Distortion's cover of "Ring of Fire."

EDIT: "Walk This Way". I can't believe it took me this long.

EDIT THE SECOND: The Mountain Goats' covers of "The Sign" and "Sometimes I Still Feel the Bruise" by Ace of Base and Trembling Blue Stars, respectively.

That was pretty damned important in the history of pop music, too. It stamped "legitimate" on what was then the novelty of rap (think about it, most rap of that era had to have a gimmick to get much airplay on mainstream radio -- early Fresh Prince, Tone Loc, The Fat Boys, early Beastie Boys, Digital Underground, etc.). Aerosmith and Run DMC was a fun mix-up, and showed the versatility of the better rap artists. For better or worse, it also unleashed the hordes of titles that had "feat." in the artist slot, so...mixed bag.

[Intangelon]

Nickel Creek cover of Britney Spear's "Toxic"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWQo0bktuAI

Outstanding! Better all around! Thanks for posting that.

[Pungote]

A really famous cover often mistaken for the original is the Clash, i fought the law

Muse's cover of feeling good anybody?

[Parthenon]

Nickel Creek cover of Britney Spear's "Toxic"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWQo0bktuAI

Shame they broke up a few years ago. I used to see them play at Merlefest all the time, Chris is a great guy in person.

[Parthenon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0FuMRHRCVY
Hayseed Dixie's cover of Roses by Outkast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEAiBHG5 ... re=related
Hayseed Dixie's acoustic cover of Layla by Eric Clapton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0CsLefLisE
Rodrigo Y Gabriella's acoustic cover of Orien by Metallica

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uio6DmEx8M8
Skadaddys' cover of Hotel California by the Eagles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiNxQsXy_xk
The Secret Handshake's cover of I wish by Skee Lo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7WtavVdBCk
Jeffry Gaine's cover of In your Eyes by Peter Gabriel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMLREb8e ... re=related
Matisyahu's cover of Message in a Bottle by the Police



AND UKRANIAN POLKA COVER OF KATY PERRY'S HOT'N'COLD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_TIOfUEudo

[Sarkhaan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0FuMRHRCVY
Hayseed Dixie's cover of Roses by Outkast.

That reminded me of this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCAM3C3dpIA
(ignore the video)

[Sambado]

Tragedy by Celldweller

[Melkor Unchained]

Is anyone here fans of Me First & the Gimme Gimmes? They only do punked covers. Some of my favourites are "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Seasons in the Sun", "One Tin Soldier" and what they refer to as "The Phantom Song".

Yeah, I've heard most of their stuff. It was fun at first but started to wear a bit thin. My favorite was 'Rocket Man,' but 'Danny's Song' cracked me up every time I heard it.

[Pedoka]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0FuMRHRCVY
Hayseed Dixie's cover of Roses by Outkast.

That reminded me of this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCAM3C3dpIA
(ignore the video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSJxvi767kQ
Bitches aint shit cover by Ben Folds.

[GetBert]

Some more I have thought of

Siouxsie and the Banshees doing Dear Prudence
Someone has already mentioned Hurt, but I also really love his cover of U2's One
Propaganda/Art of Noise version of the Velvet Underground's Femme Fatale

and on a lighter note
Senor Coconut and His Orchestra with their cha cha cha version of Smoke on the Water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puc0ZiVRESU
and Richard Thompson doing Oops I did it again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAS4ltt7DzI

[The_pantless_hero]

Is anyone here fans of Me First & the Gimme Gimmes? They only do punked covers. Some of my favourites are "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Seasons in the Sun", "One Tin Soldier" and what they refer to as "The Phantom Song".

The Blanks (Ted's Band from Scrubs) did a cover of a cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow (they covered the Hawaiian guy covering it, including the ukulele)

Band From TV covering The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want"

There are a dozen version of Minnie the Moocher, it's hard to say if any are better or just different.

[Ogahdrun]

Clapton and Winwood's live cover of Hendrix's "Voodoo Child."
Dred Zeppelin's cover of Stairway to Heaven

[Taeshan]

All time Low's cover off Umbrella.

[Grave_n_idle]

i may be biased but foo fighters Baker Street?

i agree that the sax is probably better than the guitar for this piece but i prefer Dave Grohl on vocals

and also foo fighter's version of Darling Nikki

I laughed at the idea of a Foo Fighters version of Baker Street... I'm willing to accept that could be possible, if you like that kind of thing... but a cover of Darling Nikki?

There has only even been one cover of a Prince track that was an improvement... and that wasn't it.

Ugh. I have to go put bleach in my ears just for thinking about it.

I'm gonna catch hell for saying so, but this is the cover in question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw3so6ClU9I

Ignore the video, it's the last gasp of a once-great deconstructionist new-wave synth band (The Art of Noise). But listen to Tom Jones' rendition and see if it doesn't sound one hell of a lot more...demandingly masculine than the squeaky Prince original.

*dons rotten fruit/veggie-proof suit*

Okay, have at it.

*winces*

I'm not trying to knock Tom Jones, and, although my eyes hate me for the video, I'm not going to attack that, either... but Prince's version is art.

No - the only cover of a Prince song that is superior to the original - is Sinead O'Connor's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U", which is perfect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUiTQvT0W_0

[Grave_n_idle]

Is anyone here fans of Me First & the Gimme Gimmes? They only do punked covers. Some of my favourites are "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Seasons in the Sun", "One Tin Soldier" and what they refer to as "The Phantom Song".

The version of "Over the Rainbow" killed them for me, unfortunately. They completely missed the intrinsic link between the musical arrangement and the theme of the song (and the story), which left what they created hollow.

[Tunizcha]

The Tigger & Mark Ronson's cover of Britney Spear's Toxic.