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[User 479360]

I don't like R&B at all, but that Boyz II Men cover is pretty decent. It's not up there with the original, but it's impressive.

 

[Shredderi]

Orgy's Blue Monday is a really good cover but not really better than the original. Not a bad choice though.

Rammstein - Stripped / Original - Depeche Mode

Laibach - Sympathy for the devil / Original: The rolling stones

I love Laibach.

 

[Jzero]

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet:

Amy Winehouse - Valerie

Shit, i thought that was her song

 

[Korey]

Cartel - Wonderwall

Check the part at 2:20

studio recording

 

[B-B-Bomba!]

Flying Pickets: Only You


Must have been a hit in my childhood. Then, having not heard it for years & years, suddenly Wong Kar Wai closes 'Fallen Angels' with it. Heart-stopping ...

 

[Morat]

Gipsy Kings - Hotel California

 

[DrBo42]

Kyte - Solsbury Hill

Not sure if it's "better" but it has an energy I enjoy far more.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Nancy Sinatra - Don't Let Him Waste Your Time (original by Jarvis Cocker)

Nancy Sinatra - Baby's Coming Back to Me (original by Jarvis Cocker)

Speaking of Nancy Sinatra her California Dreamin has completely surplanted the original for me.

 

[Window]

I don't know what the original is but Wild is the Wind is probably my favourite Bowie song.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Nada Surf - If You Leave (original by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)

Hollywood, Mon Amour - It's Wrong for Me to Love You (original by Pia Zadora)

Sixpence None the Richer - Don't Dream It's Over (original by Crowded House)

 

[jesu]

World Of Twist - Life And Death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuB8XA5AlkY

actually Chairmen of the board is better than taht.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVFUr66Xk1c

eh Dusty Springfield Spooky?

 

[Mista Koo]

Ben L'Oncle Soul - Seven Nation Army (originally by The White Stripes)
Florence Welch - I Don't Wanna Know (originally by Mario Winans)

OP: Spotify isn't universal.

I've been finding this quite awesome, as of late:

Chase Holfelder covering Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

He kinda removed the fun part.

 

[Euron]

Dont kill me but I like the version of The Man Who Sold the World by Midge Ure they used in MGS V better then Bowie's.

I actually agree with this

 

[Zaphrynn]

I love A Perfect Circle's cover of Failure's "The Nurse Who Loved Me"

http://youtu.be/CWRDZwV8jGE


And while I don't knew if I consider it better, David Bowie's cover of the Pixies' "Cactus" is amazing:

http://youtu.be/Te2-zTHSzCk

 

[gamz]

The Bangles: Hazy Shade of Winter

Yep. I love, love their ver of it.

Has Quiet Riot Come on Feel the Noise been mentioned? That's a great cover of the Slade song.

 

[Calvero]

Avril Lavigne - Chop Suey

 

[PHOENIXZERO]

If I took the time I could probably come up with a lot but I just wanted to respond to see if Torn was posted.

Torn - Natalie Imbruglia Originally by Ednaswap

Yup. Wasn't the song that actually got me liking her though.

 

[Chilli_Axe]

Red Right Hand:
Arctic Monkeys cover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcvGOUuDGXc
Nick Cave original https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrxePKps87k

 

[daviyoung]

Disclosure - Hotline Bling

Love that bass. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Firebrand]

He-Man - What's Up

 

[Volcane]

Avril Lavigne - Chop Suey

That is awful, lol.

 

[jesu]

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Dear Prudence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6rrTROoZIw

 

[kavanf1]

Almost anything by Bob Dylan, the cover is better than the original.

 

[Ol No Bones]

http://youtu.be/qNsxXued784

Johan Halvonsen Passacaglia arrangement > Handel Passacaglia

 

[EthanC]

The entire 1989 album by Ryan Adams.

 

[oneils]

Fans of Nick Cave should check out this list:

http://home.iae.nl/users/maes/cave/songs/songscov.html

He has done so many amazing covers.

One of my favourites is the ballad of jesse james:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_James_(folk_song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGHiew5fDZA

edit: another one I love is Wanted Man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZeaBwDmN2E

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

A lot if people mentioned Girls Just Want to Have Fun covers-- worth noting the Cyndi Lauper version itself is a cover.

 

[EthanC]

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet:

Amy Winehouse - Valerie

Yuck. The version you linked to is atrocious. She's barely coherent throughout it, which is sad, but then again we all know what she was doing to herself.

 

[NevaNopa]

Twist and Shout by The Beatles (originally Top Notes, but the Isley Brothers cover was the bigger inspiration)

Feel For You by Chaka Khan (originally Prince)

Fire by The Pointer Sisters (originally Bruce Springsteen)

You Ain't Goin Nowhere by The Byrds (originally Bob Dylan)

 

[CrunchyFrog]

All Along the Watchtower.

This is gonna be Bob Dylan, the thread.

On another note

Joe Cocker's version of With a Little Help From my Friends

Earth Wind & Fire's version of Got to Get You into my Life

And while I'm on a Beatles kick, I wouldn't say it's universally superior but Across the Universe's soundtrack has a bunch of really neat and inventive covers.

In fact a lot of the Beatles early stuff were covers themselves, most famously Twist and Shout but also Roll Over Beethoven and Till There Was You among others.

Van Halen - You Really Got Me

Save Ferris - Come on Eileen

Reel Big Fish - Take on Me (shut up haters ska is relevant)

Somebody beat me to Cream's Crossroads but I've personally always preferred the John Cale version of Hallelujah

I know another Summer Breeze cover has already been posted but the Isley Brothers version is my favorite. Dat guitar solo.

Oh man I forgot about this one too. That guitar lick kills

 

[Calvero]

That is awful, lol.

You must be kidding

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Cat Power - Wonderwall

 

[CrunchyFrog]

Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive has been covered by a number of artists but personally none better than Dr. John (you'll recognize this one from the Mighty Ducks

I'm torn on whether it's flat better than the original(s), but Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World is pretty great in its laid-back simplicity

This cover based on the cover of Angel Eyes by The Four Freshmen

I'm not so sure how well this qualifies but Brian Setzer Orchestra's rendition of the Nutcracker Suite is also pretty amazing

And Phil Collins did a whole album of swing band renditions of a lot of his more popular songs, of which Against All Odds and Sussudio are standouts

 

[J4g3r]

I love Machine Head's cover of Hallowed Be Thy Name.

https://youtu.be/DJrz1yofoKg

 

[TheCrackInTime]

Gabrielle Aplin - The Power of Love (Originally by Frankie Goes to Hollywood)

 

[Macadinho94]

Blink-182's version of 'Another Girl Another Planet' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpVBOxe05hs (Originally The Only Ones)

 

[sixteen-bit]

How Soon is Now by t.A.T.u original by The Smiths

 

[Hyun Sai]

Joe Cocker, Summer in the city (original by Lovin Spoonful) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxKJ3vrAvh8

Don't kill me with a vengeance.

 

[pete_clarf]

The Breeders have some great covers.

The Breeders - So Sad About Us
The Jam - So Sad About Us (also better than the original)
The Who - So Sad About Us (the boring original)

The Breeders - Happiness is a Warm Gun
The Beatles - Happiness is a Warm Gun (original)
Tori Amos - Happiness is a Warm Gun (including this awful version for reference)

 

[bathsalts]

Hallowed be Thy Name - Cradle of Filth (Originally by Iron Maiden)

I feel it has more power to it.

Vocals ruin it, like he realized he cant touch Bruce so tried to stay as far away as possible from the original vocal style. if you want a heavier version try Machine Head's or Iced Earth's. Machine Head also has a very solid cover of Metallica's Battery too.

 

[Geist-]

Now, I personally love the originals, but these 2 covers immediately come to mind.

Rexon - Short Change Hero (Originally The Heavy)

Mumford and Sons - Tesselate (Originally Alt-J)

 

[MMarston]

Damien Rice's One shits on the original U2 version.

 

[Princess Carl]

Toots and the Maytals: Let Down Originally by Radiohead.

 

[facelike]

How about Greatest Love Of All. The Whitney Houston version is better than the original George Benson version.

Original

https://youtu.be/wHIWlKVUF4s

Whiney's
https://youtu.be/IYzlVDlE72w

Considering the person who wrote the song was Linda Creed, legendary songwriter who wrote it while she was dealing with cancer. The whole song is a self-reflection while dealing with something tragic for the intent to give some hope to others. Whitney just nailed the song as it should have been the first time.

 

[Ourobolus]

This cover has grown on me considerably, but it's still not better than RJD, imo. Killswitch's version of the 5th verse:



feels off as scream metal.

I'll admit that that one part isn't all that great, but I think overall I like it better than RJD.

 

[Gaming Truth]

Cover > Original:
Alex Boye & One Voice Children's Choir - Let It Go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAJYk1jOhzk
Letters to Cleo - I Want You to Want Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aquSBPS4oAU
OneRepublic - Mercy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy554m66MDw

Cover different than Original:
Ed Sheeran & Passenger - No Diggity vs. Thrift Shop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8X-Ywj8Sho
Only Hope - Mandy Moore (cover) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmt9XtMrEnk) and Switchfoot (original) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASGktgCxJMY)

 

[BadAss2961]

How about Greatest Love Of All. The Whitney Houston version is better than the original George Benson version.

Original

https://youtu.be/wHIWlKVUF4s

Whiney's
https://youtu.be/IYzlVDlE72w

Considering the person who wrote the song was Linda Creed, legendary songwriter who wrote it while she was dealing with cancer. The whole song is a self-reflection while dealing with something tragic for the intent to give some hope to others. Whitney just nailed the song as it should have been the first time.

No, this is the definitive version.

 

[Ringo]

Triggerfinger - I Follow (original Lykke LI)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgHtIPv4L4s

 

[Waldo Lydecker]

'America' in the cover of Yes with a great Steve Howe guitar solo

https://youtu.be/Q0JkTIKm2iY

 

[msdstc]

Weezer- the world we love

Pearl jam- reign over me.

Beachwood sparks- by your side.