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[User 479360]

Alexisonfire - The Dead Heart

 

[DrM]

Ghost - Crucified (Army of Lovers cover)

 

[Meneses]

A lot of good examples already posted (i'm partial to All Along the Watchtower and Hallellujah myself).

Now, I wouldn't exactly call these better, they're just different - though some I do prefer to the original version:

Lotte Kestner - Weak and Powerless (A Perfect Circle): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5JrnuCEXg8

She has a bunch of other cool covers, all in that soft, minimalistic style.



Mike Patton - Il Cielo in una Stanza (original by Gino Paoli, I think? Popularized by italian singer Mina) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HVPImBI95M

Powerful version sung in quite decent italian.



Madeleine Peyroux - Between the Bars (Elliott Smith) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCLtci0WdlY

 

[PHOENIXZERO]

Speaking of Natalie, I still prefer her cover of Instant Crush over Daft Punk's which I'm sure is not a popular opinion.

 

[gutter_trash]

One of the top two answers.

The other is Van Halen's cover of, i want to say the Kinks, and "Really Got Me"

The Kinks - She's Really Got Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7ffgqjcH40

Van Halen's cover
https://youtu.be/HB8WHA3WWz0

The Kinks openly admitted that Van Halen's cover was better, LOL

but I personally find the Kinks' version to have that 60's charm

 

[PastorOfMuppets]

Lissie's live rendition of Kid Cudi's Pursuit of Happiness is so good that even Kid Cudi has said this is the definitive version.

 

[cLOUDo]

Pearl Jam - Mother
https://youtu.be/ATzHDidFgTg

 

[NervousXtian]

The OP is wrong on every one of those being better.. no way.. not at all.

this isn't "better" but it always makes me happy to watch this video of built to spill absolutely nailing freebird.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8whmIaeftQ

This is awesome. Love Built to Spill is a great band.

My choice is Hard to Handle by the Black Crowes.

They took a great Otis Redding song and just killed it.

 

[Zantetsuken]

Luther Vandross - A House Is Not A Home

 

[JehutyRunner]

k.d. lang - "Hallelujah (Live in Vancouver)" (Leonard Cohen)

Holy shit, I forgot that one. Remember watching that live when the opening ceremony was on the BBC and just thinking, holy shit, that was amazing. Was so good, she was brought back to sing it again at the closing ceremony I think?

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

Also good.

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

Yup. Fantastic too. For any Formula One fans, you might remember it going along with this.

 

[Skiptastic]

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

Somewhere Over the Rainbow original is one of the greatest songs of all time. That guy's cover can't compare. It's nice but no way.

 

[Octavianus]

The Final Countdooooown

The Doors - Gloria

David Bowie - Wild is the Wind

David Bowie - My Death

David Bowie - Across The Universe

Yes I like David Bowie.

 

[Haribi]

Postmodern Jukebox - Lovefool (Original by Cardigans)

Postmodern Jukebox - Poison (Original by Bell Biv Devoe)

Postmodern Jukebox - No Diggity (Original by Blackstreet)

Postmodern Jukebox - Last Christmas (Original by Wham)

Postmodern Jukebox - Bye Bye Bye (Original by Backstreet Boys)

 

[blame space]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOq3yAK5Zrk

original is 80s trash. Who knew there was a great indie rock song in there?

 

[Octavianus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOq3yAK5Zrk

original is 80s trash. Who knew there was a great indie rock song in there?

 

[tarheel91]

Original - Ain't Nobody - Chaka Khan

Cover - Ain't Nobody - Jasmine Thompson (Age 12)

Remix of Cover - Felix Jaehn - Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better) ft. Jasmine Thompson

 

[Diseased Yak]

Vader - Raining Blood

Wow this is fucking great! Not sure how I didn't know it existed.

Also, the Disclosure/Sam Smith cover of Hotline Bling I like way better than the original.

 

[Leona Lewis]

Original - Ain't Nobody - Chaka Khan

Cover - Ain't Nobody - Jasmine Thompson (Age 12)

Remix of Cover - Felix Jaehn - Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better) ft. Jasmine Thompson

No way

I mean, you can't blame a 12-year-old for lacking the sultry sensuality needed to really sell the song, but um...yeah.

 

[zorlaczerohero]

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine make any song better.....

Rent - Carter USM (Pet Shop Boys Cover)

Down In The Tube Station At Midnight - Carter USM (The Jam cover)

This Is How It Feels - Carter USM (Inspiral Carpets Cover)


And it's not so much a cover as it has the original artist alongside Trent Reznor, but still amazing. Pete Murphy and Trent Reznor - Bela Lugosi's Dead (Bauhaus Cover)



And Richard Cheese is fucking hilarious. Didn't share his version of Nirvana's Rape Me due to the possibility some could be offended, so search for yourself if you're so inclined.

 

[Transistor]

And Richard Cheese is fucking hilarious. Didn't share his version of Nirvana's Rape Me due to the possibility some could be offended, so search for yourself if you're so inclined.

Richard Cheese's version of The Wrong Way is honestly much better than the original

EDIT: Here it is

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

 

[MagnaderAlpha]

Heart- What About Love (Original by Toronto/1982)

Though, I gotta say, I might just like the original i-Ten(1983) version of Alone better than the Heart'(1987) version. It's a good tell of how rock changed throughout the decade from being more raw/post-70s sounding to more produced and bigger sound.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Fiona Apple - Across the Universe

This is fantastic. Probably my favorite listed in the thread.

She also does an amazing Elvis Costello cover, or I Want You.
https://youtu.be/EcricQVSrNc

Original: https://youtu.be/knTvHRz_qnU

 

[March of the Crabs]

Christina Aguilera becomes a badass punk rock jam with surprisingly phenomenal vocals. So good.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Beautiful

 

[uncelestial]

Posted this in another covers thread in Dec:

I have a thing for soul/blues versions of rock songs

Charles Bradley turns Black Sabbath's "Changes" into the saddest song in the world
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi49yirJiEA

Ray Charles turns "Eleanor Rigby" into a soulful groove (Sir Paul calls it one of his fave covers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH81RJtakRU

Billy Preston turns "My Sweet Lord" into the gospel song George Harrison probably wanted it to be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ2n7IXL7es

Jimi Hendrix absolutely slayed Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" -- in fact it was so good, Dylan has played Jimi's version ever since.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLV4_xaYynY

Aretha's "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" works so well it's almost like it was written that way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eto2urJTKno

 

[420bits]

Joe Crocker: with a little help from my friends (wonder years theme)

Originally by the Beatles

That Woodstock performance, one of them performances that makes you skin crawl in a good way.

 

[zerotol]

Christina Aguilera becomes a badass punk rock jam with surprisingly phenomenal vocals. So good.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Beautiful

Does Me First and the gimme gimmes have a constantly changing line up or something? I saw those guys about 20 years ago and they were touring with a Mexican wrestling troop. They actually had a wrestling ring on stage with wrestlers. It ended with a hilarious battle royal and some wrestler named 'The Inbred Abomination' won. Then Me First played their set in front of the wrestling ring.

 

[Disgraced]

Does Me First and the gimme gimmes have a constantly changing line up or something? I saw those guys about 20 years ago and they were touring with a Mexican wrestling troop. They actually had a wrestling ring on stage with wrestlers. It ended with a hilarious battle royal and some wrestler named 'The Inbred Abomination' won. Then Me First played their set in front of the wrestling ring.

I wish 20 years ago everyone had a smartphone so I'd be almost guaranteed a video of this.

 

[zerotol]

I wish 20 years ago everyone had a smartphone so I'd be almost guaranteed a video of this.

It's probably one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. They really played up the wrestling aspect too. They had an announcer and everything. The battle royal at the end was hysterical. The Inbred Abomination just kept trying to dry hump the other wrestlers.

 

[Shuggananas]

Orgy - Blue Monday

(New Order original)

Gross. Nothing beats the original beat.

Not Hurt

Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson
Tainted Love by Marilyn Manson
Personal Jesus by Marilyn Manson
Land of Confusion by Disturbed

Agree with you on tainted love, the rest I don't know really. Def not personal jesus that's for sure.

 

[Raist]

RHCP - Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdOLFtk9joI

M - Close to me (The Cure) - That's the live version. The album one is much closer to the original.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q24EHcNtosU

 

[UnluckyKate]

i'm not sure if it's better but i have a great time listening to these covers because they take a unique approach to the original song they're covering


The Cardigans - Iron Man(originally Black Sabbath)

Whaaaaaaat

 

[TheRedSnifit]

Fear Factory - Dog Day Sunrise

 

[Maedre]

This thread again?

ok

Hurt by Johnny Cash

but this peace of art was already mentioned before.

 

[Ronabo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn73KKV_5fg

 

[March of the Crabs]

Does Me First and the gimme gimmes have a constantly changing line up or something? I saw those guys about 20 years ago and they were touring with a Mexican wrestling troop. They actually had a wrestling ring on stage with wrestlers. It ended with a hilarious battle royal and some wrestler named 'The Inbred Abomination' won. Then Me First played their set in front of the wrestling ring.

Same lineup since the beginning of the band! But that sounds like the greatest thing ever. I saw them about 2 summers ago and they had a guy in a wheelchair crowd surf to Somewhere Over the Rainbow so that was awesome, but your wrestling troupe takes the cake.

 

[JensenBeeswax]

NOFX - Go your own way

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAWYCKuN26Q

 

[constantstatic]

Not Hurt

Land of Confusion by Disturbed

Does the disturbed singer make his monkey noises/growls in the cover? I can't imagine that band performing a song better than anyone unless for comedic value.

I hate grease but I love this cover from the leftovers.

http://youtu.be/jYluMAO1b7Y

Lo fang- you're the one I want

 

[Sora the Cat]

Arctic Monkeys - Hold on, we're going home (Drake)

 

[JoeNut]

Korn - Word up

 

[hobozero]

Karen Souza - Creep

And, Ok, not exactly "better", but good and different:

Brick+Mortar - Voodoo Child

Pretty much all of Seu Jorge's Bowie covers featured in The Life Aquatic (lgt Starman)

Honorable Mention:
Ben Folds - Bitches Ain't Shit

 

[Dr Zhivago]

Roots Manuva - Yellow Submarine

 

[Stuggernaut]

I loved the original ... obviously a classic.

"The Sound of Silence" (Original by Simon & Garfunkel)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fWyzwo1xg0

But the cover by Disturbed is awesome IMO, love it. I think I like it much more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4

 

[CISphil]

All Along the Watchtower.

Came to post this. My favorite being the Jimi Hendrix version. In fact, I prefer Hendrix versions of songs in general.

Astronomy - Metallica

I love the original but I'll have to agree. They really nailed it.

Judas Priest - Green Manalishi (originally Fleetwood Mac)

Didn't even realise this was a cover!

Killswitch Engage - Holy Diver

No. Just... no.

These are my contributions:
Emperor's cover of Bathory's Fine Day to Die
Behemoth's

Spoiler

totally-not-a

cover of Anthrax's Be All, End All (titled Conquer All)
The strangely awesome German cover of House of the Rising Sun used to promote Wolfenstein

 

[CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls]

Neverending Math Equation - Sun Kil Moon (Original by Modest Mouse)

Kozelek's cover album is good overall, but not many standout as much as this one does.

 

[pete_clarf]

I like the original version by Kim Wilde, but the Muffs version of Kids in America is truly great!

 

[cobell]

The Wilson sisters from Heart did an amazing job with Stairway to Heaven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFxOaDeJmXk

 

[breadtruck]

All Along the Watchtower.

Boom. Done.

 

[Prez]

Nils Landgren's Funky ABBA, the whole album is better than the original ABBA songs.

 

[OnettHansen]

Maynard Ferguson - Sound of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel cover)

 

[cLOUDo]

Community - Kiss From A Rose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUYGRxRCCoc