And I’m not saying that the original is bad. You have to have a good song to have a good cover in my opinion. But sometimes the cover artist just understands the mission and takes what the original song did and expands on that a hundred times over.
What’re some of your guys’s favorites?
By no means do I think she did it better than Joplin. But Pink’s AOL Sessions performance of Me and Bobby McGee has stuck in my head for decades now. (And for what it’s worth, both are better than the original from Kristofferson)
Second choice, and another one that I legitimately think is better than the original, *Tweeter and the Monkey Man" by The Headstones.
Edited: Honourable Mention, because no one ever actually tops The Clash. But Captain Tractor did a version of London Calling that is one of my favourites.
Edited: Okay…one last one. Specifically for the Saskies. Captain Tractor’s version of the Arrogant Worm’s “Last Saskatchewan Pirate”.
For a bit of context, back in the 90s, my then girlfriend and I were decent friends with the band. Enough so that whenever they would come to Saskatoon they’d crash at our place and we’d go hang out backstage at their shows. Weird because the reason we knew them in the first place was because the drummer was my girlfriends ex…but hey…it was the 90s.
Just an all around bar-band all about drinking songs. Something young people don’t do anymore. Was talking to a buddy of mine the other day about how every bar we used to go to in the 90s has been demolished.
Bare Naked Ladies - Lovers in a Dangerous Time (original by Bruce Cockburn)
Metallica - Turn the Page (original Bob Seger)
Bruce Springsteen - Staying Alive
That’s awesome
I genuinely prefer Ronan Keating’s version of Words
I have the Bee Gees original on vinyl, yet I always go back to Keating.
Kind of the opposite but “As the World Caves In”. Most people know the cover by Sarah Cothran , but I think the original by Matt Maltese is way, way better.
It’s a song about two people together at the end of the world, and while Sarah sings it mourning the loss of everything, Matt sings it as a love song. To me that’s the much more powerful message, that when everything is burning down, the only thing that’s left and all that really matters is being together with the person you love, and the only thing to mourn is that you won’t have more time with them.
Muse did a great job of converting Feeling Good. It was a bold choice and they smashed it.
Yeah, its a great version. Almost a completely different song.
I got to see Killswitch do Holy Diver with both lead singers.
It was amazing.
Howard’s band was opening for Killswitch just after lockdown lifted.
They killed it.
I will survive by cake.
My first high school dance freshman year they played the original and i belted out every word from memory because i spent all summer listening to Fashion Nugget.
In the same vein, Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm.
Were you surprised that the original lock was only stupid, not fucking?
Within Temptation’s cover of Radioactive by They Might Be Dragons. Much better. That said, nothing can beat the hilarious acid trip that is the original’s music video.
Dont you mean imagine giants? 😜
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Louie Louie - Toots & The Maytals (originally recorded by Richard Berry, popularized by The Kingsmen) https://youtu.be/BlFGvTtGMBI
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Walk on By - The Stranglers (originally recorded by Dionne Warwick) https://youtu.be/WYkqLm9cM3Y
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Maybe I’m Amazed - Faces (originally recorded by Paul McCartney) https://youtu.be/SLhoLkTyNkM
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Black Steel - Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird (originally recorded by Public Enemy) https://youtu.be/9ZJTM03UByU
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Everything is Everything - Booker T. Jones (originally recorded by Lauren Hill) https://youtu.be/A61c4FgxZz8
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Ohio/Machine Gun - The Isley Brothers (originally recorded by Crosby, Still, Nash & Young) https://youtu.be/XC6qOvfgDJI
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Covering Leonard Cohen. This song is one of two (the other being Grace) that got me obsessed with Jeff Buckley back in my early to mid 20’s.
It’s just beautiful.
Against All Odds by The Postal Service
my mind was blown when I learned that was Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie on vocals
this live version is especially fantastic, from an album of covers by them, I think the Baby One More Time cover is more popular but I prefer the recontextualization of this one
ridiculously emotional, can really feel his pain in it. I would never have thought this was a Black Sabbath cover had it not been mentioned at the top of the video
no notes. perfect cover.
never would have thought this would work as a duet but it’s perfect, 10/10
Someday I Suppose by Drug Church
Boston.
I love a good cover, the best covers recontextualize the meaning of the song imo
I will survive by cake is incredible! 100%. Couldnt agree more.
That cover of Billie Jean, though. Chills.
The Civil Wars pretty much made everything perfect.
And sad. But perfect.
“Every time we touch” by Electric Callboy
I prefer Van Halen’s versions of Pretty Woman and California Girls - to some this is sacrilege but I like Eddie’s guitar work.
Quite a few famous songs people think are the originals were actually covers of songs by musicians who never got famous. Some of Elvis Presley’s hits were older blues songs. “I Love Rock & Roll” by Joan Jett was originally done by a group called The Arrows. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was originally recorded by a guy named Robert Hazard. Who?? Yeah, exactly lol.
