Cover Versions that transcend the original

[Negative Creep]

Bullet for my Valentine - No Easy Way Out (forget who it was by, it was the Rocky IV theme)
Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons
Mushroomhead - Crazy (Seal)
Rise Against - Built to Last (Sick of it All)

[crankshaft]

Get Karter said:

Do you reckon that one usually perfers the first version that one HEARS of a song?

So, for example, if you hear Guns 'n' Roses Live and Let Die getting loads of air play, and the song is new to you, then you'll prefer it to the Wings version when you finally hear it?

As I get older I hear cover versions of songs by artists I used to like. Invariably I prefer the version I grew up with.
Converseley, on discovering a song by one of my favourite bands was a cover, I prefer it to the original.

Yes - me too. I loved 'You can't hurry love' by Phil Collins when it was in the charts (I was only 14!). Still like it, and prefer to the Supremes. Is that wrong?

[RobM77]

How could I forget

Landslide:

Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhNrrrCCTdA&fea...

Smashing Pumpkins Cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhNrrrCCTdA&fea...

In my opinion, the Pumpkins version is in a different league!


Oh, and I'm on shakier ground here, but I actually prefer the Pumkpins version of THin Lizzy's Dancing in the Moonlight:

Thin Lizzy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unnh0T2Ftro

Pumpkins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX2VSaPOQ-o

Note: Neither videos are the real ones. These songs are only available as B sides on CDs, so people have just made up their own videos.

[Civpilot]

Metallica - Turn the Page

So much better than the original and such a fantastic video, story in itself...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOibtqWo6z4



Winner for me

[hornet]

This made me bounce around like a loon when I first heard it :-

Turisas - Rasputin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y150Lm4kZ_M

[onlynik]

The Whitlams - Tangled up in Blue (Dylan)
Nirvana - The man who Sold the World (Bowie)
The Living End - Tainted Love (Gloria Jones)

Edited by onlynik on Thursday 28th August 22:36

[Cockwagon]

Jeff Buckley & Rufus Wainwright's versions of Leonard Cohen's, Hallelujah

[Mattygooner]

Nirvana, Man who sold the world
Cash, Hurt
White Stripes, Jolene
Ray Lamontagne, Crazy
Hendrix, All along is the best for me.

[Nadyenka]

I love Joy Division also but:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3OPzOx3kkg

[sstein]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEhpjoz68hY

David Fords version of There is a light by the Smiths.


-

Stuart

[Sport Coupe]

Bumping this one as I just heard a cracker on Radio 1's rock show.


Disturbed's cover version of Genesis - Land of Confusion

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9KW8DRSvEoQ&feat...

[Gold]

Also from Radio1 on the live lounge:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lGZrn2Uh3Rg - Not hard to improve I know but Biffy Clyro's cover of Rihanna's Umbrella, almost makes up for it.

[jagdpanther]

The Ataris - Boys of the summer

[dpbird90]

Another vote for Nirvana's take on The Man Who Sold The World

[Fishtigua]

Thread Res.

An interesting one from the Black Keys.

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

[droopsnoot]

Timberwolf said:

I also prefer Bauhaus' cover of Ziggy Stardust ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_YQXFs7Ts ) to the original, but I suspect this might be just me. It's like Bowie, but turned up to eleven.

Not just you, I also prefer that version for much the same reasons. I also prefer the Cake version of 'I will survive', but the live version from when they were on TFI Friday is better than the album version.

Also: Walk on by, by The Stranglers. A survivor from their very earliest gigs while they were slowly introducing their own songs and dropping covers, still performed live. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wynfnKBHR8

[Asterix]

Not better but a damn good take on the original.

Ellen McIlwaine, 'Can't find my way home'.

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

[toon10]

I always loved the version of gimmee shelter by the Inspiral Carpets, more so than the Rolling Stones original.

[Captain Benzo]

99 red balloons - Goldfinger (??)

Rio - goldfinger (duran duran)

anything by Me first and the gimme gimme's
- check them out, they are amazing.

[TheExcession]

Just about everything covered by SNUFF...

I think we're alone now

So much awesome - play loud!