Best cover songs?


What, in your opinion are the best cover songs ever recorded?

My top picks, in no particular order:

Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen)
Dar Williams' "Comfortably Numb" (Pink FLoyd)
Matt Nathanson's "Romeo and Juliet" (Dire Straits)
R.E.M.'s "Dream" (Everly Brothers)
Jimi Hendrix' "All Along the Watchtower" (Bob Dylan)
Johnny Cash's "Hurt" (Nine Inch Nails)
The Beatles' "Twist and Shout" (Top Notes)
The Cowboy Junkies' "Sweet Jane" (Lou Reed)
The Sundays' "Wild Horses" (Rolling Stones)
Mindy Smith's "Jolene" (Dolly Parton)
theraiguy
Roxy Music
Like a Hurricane (Neil Young)
Jealous Guy (John Lennon)

Santana
Black Magic Woman (Fleetwood Mac)

Luka Bloom
Make You Feel My Love (Dylan)
By Manfred Mann--Blinded By the Light, Spirits in the Night and For You (Springsteen) Mighty Quinn and Shelter From the Storm (Dylan) Play With Fire (Stones)

By Type O Negative --Summer Breeze (Seals & Croft)

By Taste of Honey---Sukiyaki (Kyu Sakamoto)

to name a few
Don't Pass me By-Georgia Satellites
Get Rythem-NRBQ
All Shook Up-Ry Cooder
Big River-Grateful Dead
manfred mann's earth band-s.o.s.(abba)......the beatles-twist and shout(isley bros)......brian ferry-it's my party(leslie gore).....cream-crossroads(robert johnson).
Steve Earle, "I'm looking through you" The Beatles
The Waifs, "Don't think twice, it's alright", Dylan
Simon and Garfunkel's "America," covered by Yes.

Hendrix's "Little Wing," covered by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows," covered by Phil Manzanera, et al on '801 Live.'
Cassandra Wilson-Harvest Moon and The Yuri Honing Trio-Walking on the Moon.Neil Young/The Police.
yes-'experience prefered, but not necc'(richie havens),,,,when they burst into 'the theme from 'the big country' its surreal
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I shall be released - (Dylan) by the Band
If it be your will - (Leonard Cohen) by Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons)
Springsteen's version of Jimmy Cliff's "Trapped". Amazingly different and powerful!
Just a few....................

Anything by Dread Zeppelin
ditto Hayseed Dixie.
Knockin on heathens door (bob)- Guns & Roses
Knockin on gods door ( that man bob) - Sisters of Mercy.
Every dream home a heartache (Roxxxie Muzik)- Fields of the dead people
I fort de lor (clash) Dead Kennedys
My Way (sinatra?)- Sidernee Vicious
Man Who Sold the World (bowie)- (not Herr Bush), but Lulu
20th Century Boy (T.rex) & 5 years (boowie) by Placebo
Whiskey in the Jaro- Metallica
Creep (radioFMhead)-Kermit
Honky Tonk Train Blues (Mead Lux Lewis)- keith Emerson.
Help- (Bugbeetles) Deep Purple.
Hoedown (cop-on)- Bela Fleck
Band on the run (Paul Mcoldfartnee millions of $$$$ poorer)- Foo Fighters
Black Velvet Allana miles)-Christina Aguilera (at 11 years old)
Whats Up (4 non blondies)-Pink.
‘Within You Without You' (beetlebugs) Oasis
Dear Prudence (beeetles)-Suzie and the Banshees
I love Rock n Roll (joan Jettttt)-Britney Spears
Stairway to Heaven- (Leddy Zeppy)Dear Old Dolly Parton (hahaha)
Sweet Child 0'mine (Guns)- Carrie Underwood
99 Red Balloons (nena) Gold Finger.... it sure kicks a**
Have a Cigar (floyd)-Primus
Can't get no (satisfaction) (Kentish Men) Devo!!!
Maggies Farm (Robert Zimmerman)- Rage Against the Machine
School day (chucking berries) ac/dc
Sweet Dreams (eurythmics) Marilyn Manson
Roll Over Beethoven (chucky) Elo.
God Save your Queen (pistoleros) Motorhead
Nuva Brick in the wall (floyd)- Korn, prefer the drumming on this one.
Comfortably numb bum (floyd) Anathema
>>11-14-08: Darkmoebius
Jimi Hendrix "All Along the Watchtower"<<

Maybe the best cover ever.

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I am not saying these are "better" than originals, but, I like the following:

Be Good Tanyas "Waiting Around to Die" (Townes Van Zandt)
Cowboy Junkies "Thunder Road" (Springsteen)
Shonen Knife "Top of the World" (Richard Carpenter)
Nouvelle Vague "Guns of Brixton" (The Clash)
Sid Vicious "My Way" (Thibault/Anka)
REM "First We Take Manhattan" (Leonard Cohen)
Concrete Blonde "Everybody Knows" (Leonard Cohen)
Nazareth "Love Hurts" (Roy Orbison)
Diana Krall "A Taste of You" (Joni Mitchell)
Agree with Tvad about the Vanilla Fudge cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (we used to do that in my band back in high school and everyone loved it) and the multiple nominations of "All Along the Watchtower".

I'll add the Byrds' covers of Dylan songs, particularly "Mr. Tambourine Man", and of "Turn Turn Turn" (Pete Seeger). It seems Dylan songs were great for covers.
OH A big one that I forgot---The whole Dark Side of the Moon live at the Appolo in London by Dream Theater Great DVD--playing especially by Jordan Rudess and John Petrucci, singing by Teresa Thomason is incredible!
Stone temple Pilots doing doing Led Zeps "Dancing Days", Smashing Pumpkins doing Stevie Nicks "Landslide", Patty Smith doing Prince's "When Doves Cry", and lastly Stevie Ray Vaughn doing Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing".
Absolutely agree with many that have been mentioned but...wow - all the way down here:

Elvis Presley - "Hound Dog" (Big Mama Thorton)
Aretha Franklin - "Respect" (Otis Redding)
Academy Fight Song REM
Across the Universe Rufus Wainwright
After the Gold Rush Thom Yorke
Angel The Faces
Another Girl, Another Planet The Replacements
Atlantic City The Band
Badfish Jack Johnson
Brand New Cadillac The Clash
Bridge Over Troubled Water Aretha Franklin
Chinese cafe/unchained Joni Mitchell
Dancing Barefoot U2
Day Tripper Otis Redding
Fire RHCP
I am The Walrus Oasis
manfred mann(2)-the mighty quinn(bob dylan..the byrds-mr tambourine man(dylan)...the greg kihn band-the man who shot liberty valance(gene pitney)....the rationals-respect(otis redding, and yes it even trumps Aretha).....mc5-back in the usa(chuck berry)
alot good ones already mentioned, add
steve earle - Down in the Hole (Tom Waits)
savage grace-all along the watchtower...dave mason-all along the watchtower...not as good as hendrix, but worthy
Neil Young All Along the Watchtower live- from the 30Th anniversary tribute to Bob Dylan.
2nd then Savage Grace.
3rd Jimi Hendrix version.
Second for Diana Krall (from Live In Paris cd) "A Case Of You" by Joni Mitchell.

Too many covers to mention sung by Eva Cassida. What an interpreter she was.
Rickie Lee Jones - Marty Balin's "Comin' Back To Me"
Matthew Sweet & Susannah Hoffs - BeeGees "Run To Me"
Eva Cassidy - "What a Wonderful World"
Sarah McLachlan - Tom Waits' "Ole 55"
Victor Wooten's version of Naima by John Coltrane. Available on his album titled "What Did He Say". Incredible Bass and acoustic Guitar, etc.
Dylans I Was Young When I Left Home by Antony Hagerty and Bryce Dessner (National)from the Dark Was The Night compilation. Antony and the Johnsons also do a beautiful Knockin On Heavens Door on the I'm Not There soundtrack. If you have not heard that soundtrack I highly recommend it.
Billy Idol covering The Doors "LA Woman" but even better is Alien Ant Farm covering MJ's "Smooth Criminal"... kicks major ass :-)

AAF - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDl9ZMfj6aE&ob=av2e

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