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Cover songs that are better than the originals.

There is an active thread about terrible cover songs so I thought I'd start one about cover songs that are better than or have completely eclipsed the originals. I'll start:

Randy Newman wrote Momma Told Me Not to Come for Eric Burdon who recored it with the Animals and Newman recorded it too. I have the Newman version and like it but Three Dog Night really seem to capture the mood of the song best in my opinion.
n80

Showing 3 responses by tls49

tls49's avatar
tls49
1,351 posts
 
+1 Talking Heads - Take me to the River
Alison Krauss/Viktor Krauss - Big Log
Amy Winehouse - Valerie
Pink - Me and Bobby McGee
Travis - Baby One More Time (yet another Brittany Spears song)

As far as Stairway to Heaven, it hard to believe that a cover could be better than the original, but Heart's version comes close.

tls49's avatar
tls49
1,351 posts
 
SRV - Texas Flood
Joe Cocker - Unchain My Heart
Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On

"Mystery Train" has been covered by many, Elvis, being the most famous. Here's a couple more that are definitely better than the original,

Junior Wells
Brian Setzer

And how could we overlook, "That's All Right" by Elvis or

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tDWfOSKccLM


tls49's avatar
tls49
1,351 posts
 
No doubt everyone is entitled to their opinion and maybe this "just comes down to me," but I don’t think so, since it was such a mega hit. Sorry, I disagree that Joan Baez "made it an awful song." My opinion is that her version IS better than the original.
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