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
I am not saying that these covers are better than the originals, but, I like them and they can stand on their own:

1. Black Box Recorder: "Seasons in the Sun" 
2. Prince: "Creep"
3. Ryan Adams: "Wonderwall"
4. Shonen Knife: "Top of the World"
5. Roy Orbison: "Love Hurts"
6. Righteous Brothers: "Unchained Melody"
7. Sam Cooke: "Unchained Melody"
8. Solomon Burke: "A Change is Gonna Come"
9. Odetta: "Times They are a Changing"
10. Nouvelle Vague: "Guns of Brixton"
11. Cowboy Junkies: "Thunder Road"
12. Be Good Tanyas: "Waiting Around to Die"
13. Rolling Stones: "Sister Morphine"

Disturbed covering 'Land of Confusion", Frigid Pink's "House of the Rising Sun"
Sheena is a punk rocker- Shebang.
My Way- Sidney 
Every dream home a heartache- Fields of the Nephilim.
Help- The Damned.
Walkin' in Jerusalem just like Johnno- Ricky Skaggs.
Deep Purple-Hey Joe
Hello (Lionel Richie)- Sopor Aeternus, who?......thought so....lol
Immigrant Song- Karen O and Mr Rezner.
Ballroom Blitz (sweet)- Tia carrere
Anthrax- God save the Queen. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Dollyrots-Brand New Key...
Honky Tonk Train Blues- Emerson and Oscar Peterson (not better than Meade Lux Lewis, just different)
Fazil Say-Rondo Alla turk
Godsmack- Rocky Mountain way
slaw, I have heard quite a bit of Joanne Shaw Taylor but had no idea she did a version of war pigs😉 But I'm sure it is entertaining! I would love to hear it can't find it. Or are you pulling our legs😜
@arcam88,

I saw it on youtube a few years ago. Unfortunately, she has no vinyl releases so I own nothing by her.

…………………………………….

"Rockin' Pneumonia"  Professor Longhair
Dylan acknowledged the superiority of Hendrix’s version Watchtower. This is the gold standard.
@arcam88,

I got to thinking hard about this, then when I decided I can't depend upon my memory as much anymore I looked it up....

My mistake, it was Samantha Fish "War Pigs".

My apologies!
"Dancing in the Streets" Grateful Dead "Cornell ’77" ………………….Wow!...…..
There have been several versions of "Sweet Jane" mentioned.

I like Mott The Hoople's version.
1. “I got a woman” Elvis compared to that of Ray Charles 

2. “That’s all right, momma,” Elvis compared to  “Big Boy” Crudup; plus, “My baby left me” and “So glad you’re mine,” Crudup originals, were also covered and performed by Elvis in a manner that I thought was better than the originals.

Elvis’ versions above (1 + 2) had an integrated spirit, drive, and sensuality that produced a unique sound and generated an exciting, even thrilling listening experience. The only cover he did that was a disappointment to my listening expectations was “Such a night,” which was essentially a note-for-note copy of the arrangement and delivery by Johnny Ray.


Feist's version of the Bee Gees' Inside and Out -- very cool.
James Blake's cover of Feist's Limit to Your Love -- WOW -- and a real test for the bottom end of your system!
@stvgray ,

Hey, I'm a fan of Feist. I seem to recall "Limit to Your Love". But I'm not familiar with James Blake.
Urge Overkill’s cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon”
Harry Nilsson’s cover of Badfinger’s “Without You”
Al Green’s cover of the Bee Gee’s “How Do You Mend A Broken Heart”
Sting’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Sisters Of Mercy”
Prince’s version of Joni Mitchell’s “I Could Drink A Case Of You”

The Treble With Tribbles, if you haven't heard Sister Carol's version of Wild Thing off of the "Something Wild" soundtrack, check it out.
Another excellent rendition that takes the song in a whole 'nother direction...I've put it to great use at parties in my distant dj past.

IMHO, no cover of "Sweet Jane" touchs Lou Reed's live version from Live On Letterman.....all the power, crunch, and testifying one could ask for in rock.
I can't believe no one's mentioned the Creedence Clearwater Revival version of "Heard It Through the Grapevine." 

Also, go to YouTube and check out John Doe's (of X) cover of "A Case of You." 
Sorry for the separate posts... I should have made a list first but I'm submitting one more as corny as this cover version was, I really like it....

"You Keep Me Hanging On" by Vanilla Fudge.
robto, Led Zeppelin covers a bit of "That's All Right Momma" and "Mess of the Blues" on one of their BBC live recordings. It is fantastic.

mitchagain, for me the CCR version of Heard It Through The Grapevine and even Susie Q are not my favorites and I am a big CCR fan. They aren't off-putting but I just don't think they eclipse the originals.

A listing of some of my favorite covers that I prefer to the originals:

  • You’ve Got The Silver (The Rolling Stones) - Susan Tedeschi
  • Summer Wind (Frank Sinatra’s version is best known but originally recorded by Wayne Newton and written by Johnny Mercer) - Lyle Lovett
  • (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night (Tom Waits) - Shawn Colvin
  • Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (recorded literally hundreds of times, but originally by Sonny Boy Williamson) - Derek Trucks Band
  • Little Red Corvette (Prince) - Heath Brandon
  • Crazy (Gnarls Barkley) - Shawn Colvin
  • Black Coffee In Bed (Squeeze) - Ernie Halter
  • Blank Space/Stand By Me (Taylor Swift/Ben E. King) - Imagine Dragons
  • Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers) - John Mayer (it’s been a fairly regular part of his live set for years)
  • Cold Cold Heart (Hank Williams) - Norah Jones
  • Little Red Rooster (first recorded by Howlin’ Wolf) - The Rolling Stones
  • Someone Like You (Van Morrison) - Shawn Colvin
  • Viva Las Vegas (written by Doc Pomus and recorded by Elvis) - Shawn Colvin (available on the Doc Pomus tribute album)
  • Downtown Train (Tom Waits) - Rod Stewart
  • I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good (Duke Ellington) - Johnny Hodges (the version on the outstanding 1961 album with Billy Strayhorn is excellent)
  • Chelsea Bridge (originally recorded by Duke Ellington with Ben Webster on tenor) - Ben Webster (the version on the Jazz ‘Round Midnight album is, in my mind, superior)
  • Pinball Wizard (The Who) - Puddles the Clown

Many great renditions of Hallelujah, but I like Jeff Buckley ( from Grace ), with K.D. Lang as a close 2nd. But as I said, many good performances of this. Enjoy ! MrD.
"Better than the original" is a high bar but this version of "Once in a Lifetime" at least rivals the original -- Naylor has a way with unique versions of songs, she often mashes up ones song's lyrics with the melody from another -- like this
Another vote for Hendrix and All Along the Watchtower but I also like Bobby Womack's version.  Thr Troggs Wild Thing by Jimi.  I Heard It Through the Grapevine was originally sung by Gladys Knight and the Pips.  I think the versions by Marvin Gaye and Creedence Clearwater were much better.  People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield was equaled by the Chambers Brothers version.

I ain't got you-count bishops (other tracks on that ep (cd) as well).

and you forgot twist and shout-beatles

also, beatles anna,you really got a hold on me

bumble bee -searchers

sha la la Manfred mann

tobacco road-Nashville teens

Manfred Mann were a great group, rarely mentioned anymore. Paul Jones was one of the very best singers of the British Invasion (on a par with Van Morrison and Steve Winwood), and the musicians had Jazz influences in their playing styles, unusual at that time.
Martin Carthy (one of Steeleye Span original members) did a acoustic cover of The BeeGees "New York Minining Disaster".  He makes it sound like an old English folk song. Brilliant.
Winger - Purple Haze
KEEL - Because the Night
Motley Crue - Smokin in the boys room
Twisted Sister - Leader of the Pack
Two by Ben Folds:
Common People (original by Pulp) on William Shatner's "Has Been" Album
Bitches Ain't Shit (original by Dr. Dre) from "supersunnyspeedgraphic, the lp"

NRBQ's cover of Johnny Cash's "Get Rythm" - so good that Johnny started to play it like them after hearing it

Kat Edmonson's version of Brian Wilson's "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" is not necessarily better than the Beach Boys' original but it is great in its own way.

John Prine's cover of Blaze Foley's "Clay Pigeons" from "Fair & Square"

Glen Campbell's cover of Paul Westerberg's "Ghost On the Canvas" (Paul's recording is almost unlistenable - Glen's is genius).
There's been many mentions of "Sweet Jane". My vote is for Mott The Hoople's version.
Did anyone mention Molly Hatchets cover of "Dreams"by the Allman Brothers Band?
Did anyone mention Molly Hatchets cover of "Dreams" by The Allmans Brothers Band