Cover songs that are better than the original

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hells, yeah. not much of a video but a damn good cover:



gives this one a run for its money:

 
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Anything that is remade into what I call 'fake music' (involves no people playing actual instruments) sucks in my book, a la the Bryan Adams remake of Heaven a couple of years ago.

One of the few that I can say I like better than the original is Disturbed's version of Shout. It's kicks Tears For Fears's ass.
 
Speaking of Disturbed, I'm a fan of their version of "Land of Confusion," originally by Genesis. The video's the best part, IMO.

[youtube]9KW8DRSvEoQ[/youtube]
 
adrock said:
Speaking of Disturbed, I'm a fan of their version of "Land of Confusion," originally by Genesis. The video's the best part, IMO.

[youtube]9KW8DRSvEoQ[/youtube]
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Yeah, I like it too, but then again I'm not a real fan of Phil Collins' voice.

I don't know how to link it (and I'm too druck to really care all the much), but I think EmmyLou Harris' version of "Here, There, and Everywhere" is a great version of the Beatles big hit. Not BETTER ( I mean, it's the Beatles, ya know?) but excellent.
 
Not really a cover but this song while talking about a few years later has two great songs

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be7T8CRC4TI]YouTube - Kid Rock - All Summer Long[/ame]
 
Crooked Fingers Cover of "When You Were Mine". Prince's version sucks.
 
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Ugh that kid rock song is one of the worst songs ever written, and I use that term loosely. I can't describe it better though since there's not a word for making a mashup of an original song, and a ripoff of that song, which sound pretty much exactly the same.
 
Maybe not better than the original, but The Dillinger Escape Plan does a crazy version of Aphex Twin's "Come to Daddy":
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIGvGsNmaQE]YouTube - The Dillinger Escape Plan - Come To Daddy (Live)[/ame]

It's mostly awesome because dude actually plays the drum parts (which were never meant to be played by a human; the music starts at 0:50):
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxhz3YU0s6I]YouTube - Chris Pennie- Come to Daddy[/ame]

And to get a little girlie, Cibo Matto do a kick ass cover of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" (anybody remember "Squirt TV" on MTV?):
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OHoJNgNVIY]YouTube - Cibo Matto perform "Black Hole Sun" on Squirt TV[/ame]

And even more girlie, Yael Naim covers Britney Spears' "Toxic":
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETh0Kfxk2BY]YouTube - Yael Naim - Toxic[/ame]

(or live so you can see her in all her awesomeness):
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5pP55u9s10]YouTube - Yael Naim - Toxic[/ame]
 
I don't think anyone posted it, and it may be heresy, but I say this version is hands down better...

[youtube]www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGy_7qTvjDs[/youtube]
 
Tool covering Led Zep's No Quarter. It's the only time someone has played a Zeppelin song better than Zeppelin. Ever.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYqxnBaNOKk]YouTube - TOOL-No Quarter 1995[/ame]
 
Original:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0bZtf5MCzY]YouTube - Nine Inch Nails - Hurt[/ame]

Cover:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go]YouTube - Johnny Cash Hurt[/ame]
 
Since me first and the gimme gimmes has been covered I like this one by goldfinger


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzpijLuO5qs]YouTube - goldfinger - 99 red balloons[/ame]


and the original

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14IRDDnEPR4]YouTube - 99 red ballons - Nena[/ame]

For Me First and the Gimme Gimmes I always liked

 
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Professor Frink said:
I don't think anyone posted it, and it may be heresy, but I say this version is hands down better...
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That's not heresy at all, it's just common sense! Dylan was (is?) a brilliant songwriter, but his performances were uniformly dreadful. IMHO of course. :D

Jimi's comping between chords is so beautiful in this song. I doubt he ever played the song twice in exactly the same way, always improvising the little counter-melodies and transitional chords. While he constantly pushed the envelope in terms of guitar technique, his roots as a consummate player and sideman (to the Isley Brothers, among others) are nicely displayed here.
 
Always like White Lion's version of Radar Love better than Golden Earing's.

Cover:
[youtube]lVF5ZkG20dQ[/youtube]

Original:
[youtube]JeRa3RtBiIU[/youtube]

Vitto Bratta (guitar) always blew me away.
 
mmm...baby got back



Killswitch, nailed it IMO. (Don't mind the video, its STUPID)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA1rpVfT15U]YouTube - Killswitch Engage - Holy Diver[/ame]

Evergreen Terrace has an album called "Writer's Block" which is all covers. (Once again, pay no attention to this retarded video)

 
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First time I heard this I thought it was a sin to copy such a classic, but it's not a copy it's a different interpretation(IMHO)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjXN3OLgoqs&feature=related]YouTube - Stanley Jordan plays "Stairway to Heaven"[/ame]
 
Laughing_Gnome said:
If anyone ever believed the phony punk ethic that made the Sex Pistols what they became, then that is actually an excellent rendition! I liked the sex pistols, and I also thoroughly enjoyed that video!! :D
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There's no anger against society in that version.:mad:
That group isn't facing the 30+% unemployment that the originals were;)
 
Pretty much anything Dylan wrote/sang.

Great (if not the greatest) songwriter - but let's be honest. He doesn't exactly have the best voice.
 
I tend to like most Dylan covers more than the original, but I think I'll call this one a tie. They are extremely different songs.

Ministry's cover of "Lay Lady Lay"
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8FbdxIkJ9jI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8FbdxIkJ9jI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
 
I'm partial to Tom Waits' interpretation of "Somewhere," from West Side Story.



Incidentally, take a look at this list of artists who have covered Waits' songs; he's got to be one of the most-covered artists of recent history.

EDIT: Here's the list, as per this website, of the most-covered artists.
 
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Oompa Loompa you bastige! I was going to post that! Johnny Cash's version is so much more soulful and wailing, unlike Trent Reznor's whinyass ***** "poor me let me kill myself on this pile of money blow and whores" version.

I officially felt old when I was in Fred Meyer the other day, and I heard a muzak type generic cover of "Sweet Child Of Mine" playing over the intercom.

Ah there it is. It was Sheryl Crow. I still hate it.
 
I love Coal Chambers version of Shock the Monkey. I also like Cradle of Filths version of Hallowed Be Thy Name.
 
What? It's a good song by a mucho hot singer...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F5Ye-g9i2U]YouTube - Save Ferris - Come on Eileen[/ame]
 


:D

Although I don't think Johnny Cash's version of NIN's "Hurt" was "better", I highly respected him for crossing over genres and doing it.
 
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FireBrewer said:
Although I don't think Johnny Cash's version of NIN's "Hurt" was "better", I highly respected him for crossing over genres and doing it.
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Even Trent Reznor thought it was better. I agree that "better" is a subjective term, but no one could have sang that song better than JC, and im not even a fan of his.
 
folk tunes throw this thread on it's head...

good stuff though!

[youtube]cZzouc_cVlA[/youtube]

[youtube]F3Is_C5KIVs[/youtube]

[youtube]cBGkhPx529g[/youtube]

[youtube]T8yQw7H6IqI[/youtube]
 
wildwest450 said:
Even Trent Reznor thought it was better. I agree that "better" is a subjective term, but no one could have sang that song better than JC, and im not even a fan of his.
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What was Reznor going to say? It sucked?

But like you say, subjective. I'm not a big fan of either, really, so we'll just have to agree to disagree. :mug:
 

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