Reading that thread of Simple Man and Lynyrd Skynyrd got me to thinking about songs that have been covered and are as good or better then the originals. One that comes to mind is "Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel. The original is good but when the heavy metal band Disturbed covered it, I think its as good or even better. Sure its different, but the singers voice is just so powerful. I'm not a heavy metal fan at all and had never heard of this group until it was posted on Facebook. If someone could post the you-tube video that would be great. Listen to it and let me know what you think.

Johnny Cash "Highway Patrolman" and "Solitary Man"

Johnny Cash's version of the Nine Inch Nails "Hurt". Trent Reznor said afterward that "Hurt" was Cash's song and Cash had done it the way it should have always been done.

Halestorm's cover of "Gold Dust Woman".

'Love Hurts' covered by Nazareth...originally done by the Everly Brothers.

YouTube Aarron Lewis covers.

YouTube Aaron Lewis covers.

Van Morrison's Comfortably Numb (alibi along with Waters and the Band).

I like this cover song.

"Gin and Juice" by the Gourds.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H4hGSR5njZE

As I mentioned previously, Johnny Cash's cover of NIN Hurt

Social Distortion's cover of Johnny Cash's ring of fire

Stevie Ray Vaughn's Jimmy Hendrix covers are great, Little Wing, Voodoo Chile.

Motorhead's cover of Enter Sandman

Mettalca's cover of Queen's Stone Cold Crazy

Metallica- Turn the Page:

I'd have to agree...
Just one of the many great songs penned by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.

Friggin' awesome thread!

Almost every song that Jerry Lee Lewis ever covered.

Krokus - Ballroom Blitz

My favorite as well. Here's an interesting article on it:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...st-music-video-of-all-time-a6683371.html

Hard to find but Eric Clapton and Lenny Kravitz' version of All Along The Watchtower is better than J Hendrix.

Nearly any version of Knocking On Heavens Door is better than Dylan's.

As mentioned JC was the Original not NIN. I prefer NIN's

Sammy Kershaw's version of Fire and Rain is at least equal to James Taylor's

Krokus..yep that is a winner

Guns and Roses- Knockin' on Heaven's Door:

Van Halen- You Really Got Me:

Now there's a song I hadn't heard in a along time that will be taking up free cycles in my head for the next few days.

That was exactly my thought.

How about covers that are much more widely known than the originals, sometimes so much so they're often thought to be the originals?

Blinded by the Light covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, originally Springsteen

Without You, covered by Harry Nilsson (and a bunch of others), original by Badfinger

ROTFLMAO:

JP, Green Manalishi:

Townes Van Zandt's version of Dead Flowers. Much better than the original by the 'Stones.

AC/DC Baby Please Don't Go

I wonder if Pachelbel would approve:

Almost any Dyllan song was covered better than Dyllan sang it.

GNR rocked up Live and Let Die also.

Van Halen did several covers and while You Really Got Me has been mentioned don't forget Pretty Woman.

Joan Jett I Love Rock and Roll

Metallica Whiskey In the Jar

Joe Cocker A Little Help From My Friends

Talking Heads Take Me to the River

While it's not my "taste" in music there's just no getting around the sheer vocals of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You.

I see Cash's cover of Hurt has been mentioned, first song that came to mind. I've heard Reznor says it's not his song anymore but Cash's.

Eagles too

Rare Earth-Eleanor Rigby

Nobody has mention IMO the best cover of all. Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watch Tower" covered by Jimi Hendrix.

Any Dylan song covered by anybody is better than the original.

+1 on that and Aerosmith's version of "Come Together" is awesome

Any Springsteen song done by someone else -
For a first example, I'm on fire done by whitey morgan and the 78's

YouTube Amy McDonald singing Born to Run

Thanks, I liked that. Is "Atlantic City" originally Springsteen?
Anyway, I liked Levon Helm's take on it a lot better.
First heard the song done by Hank 3 and got interested in it.

Nailed it right there.

Or Manfred Mann's Blinded by the Light.

This was my first thought as well.

"Brand New Cadillac" by the Clash. Not better than the original(s) IMO.

Absolutely, Unequivocally, Positively.

The Man in Black stole that one forever.

I kinda prefer this:

Morgan's cover of JB

[video:youtube]mPimt0Zu_To[/video]


Essentially the entire PMJ library tends to be great covers.

Ann and Nancy Wilson's version of Stairway to Heaven in the Kennedy Center tribute to Led Zeppelin was as good as the original.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xufuZ0dCmLA

I believe this was originally an Otis Redding song.

Excellent rendition. I nearly always get choked up towards the end. What a powerhouse singer Ann Wilson is and she had a great night vocally. The stars aligned.

Jazz covers:

Concierto de Aranjuez by Miles Davis

ST James Infirmary by Booker T

Amazing Grace by Hubert Laws

Time After Time by Miles Davis

Can't say they're "better" than the originals, but I love these covers...

Big Iron - The Dead
Knockin' on Heavens Door - Clapton
Just a Gigolo - David Lee Roth

Brooks and Dunn's version of "My Maria"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdBvTvxHy7E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZSiBj4vCiY

These might be outside the original intent of the thread a bit but this dude is just so freaking amazing I'd rather hear his version than the original.

My Guitar Gently Weeps on ukulele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k

And this is just cool because it's some kids rocking out to Tool's 46 & 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYKLvYGqaC0

Johnny Cash - "Hurt"

Nazereth - "Love Hurts"

Hendrix "All Along..."

Manfred Mann - "Blinded by the Light"

Rest are trash

The instrumental of "Welcome to the Jungle"....and many others are excellent.

No way. Dillon did it best.

This is the first one that crossed my mind too. I think Reznor wrote the song for Cash but just didn't know it.

One of the least known is "Do Ya" by ELO. Most people think that Electric Light Orchestra did the song, yet Todd Rundgren was first and actually better.

I still haven't figured out how to post the video...

http://youtu.be/KvhMTCIvpfQ

http://youtu.be/wkhFEhLzycQ

Jimi was amazing. I've been listening to him more in the past 2 years than I did back when I first bought his records, when he was still alive. Funny how what goes around comes around.

But "All Along the Watch Tower" was a powerful, amazing cover. One of my favorites.

FWIW, I was in a restaurant with my daughter last summer and Jimi's "Bold As Love" was playing overhead. My daughter recognized it from the John Mayer cover (a very good cover, BTW, but not an improvement over the original, IMHO) but didn't know who it was. "It's the man who wrote the song," I said with a smile. "My man, Jimi Hendrix."

The guy still blows me away 45 year later.

Along similar lines.... John Mayer's live cover of Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor" is a mind-blower.

AXIS: Bold As Love one of my favorite Jimi songs.

Tried to find it the other day on the Yoobtube, and no dice.
Some lacking, uncrisp, incomplete versions and covers out there, but no clean original I could find.

This is a bummer, man.

Aside from all Hendrix's "All Along The WatchTower" this would be my 2nd favorite Dylan cover."Blind Willie McTell" by The Band.

I hate to have to say it, but I agree with you. The man's voice and vocal delivery is like fingernails on a blackboard to me. But his instrumental work and his songwriting is freakin' brilliant.

ZZ Top covers Robert Johnson...

Only because I like a banjo:

(Thanks Kent)

WAY better than Slade's original...

Am I that hard to agree with?

Even most die-hard Black Sabbath fans don't realize that "Warning" from the debut album was a cover of an early project by the amazing drummer Aynsley Dunbar (who played with Journey in the early days).

Original:

Phugger.

One more ZZ Top cover (of Sam & Dave)

Stoney Larue does some pretty solid covers
[video:youtube]





Tanner

How could I forget these?

"you Keep Me Hangin' On" - The Supremes
I liked it better by Vanilla Fudge.

I think Mo Pitney out did George Jones




Mike

After all of these demon tunes, how about some inspiration.......

"You Light Up My Life"

Originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk.

The best-known version of the song is a cover by Debby Boone, the daughter of singer Pat Boone.







Tear font'

Led Zep cover of Earl Hooker, Muddy Waters & Willie Dixon. Waters developed the lyrics and his version is great too.

Carrie out did Randy




Mike

Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDl9ZMfj6aE

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Woodstock. Great cover.

Yes's version of America by Simon and Garfunkel.

Clapton and Steve Winwood's version of "Can't find my way home" which was originally done by Blind Faith so not really a cover but more of a modern remake.

I don't know how to do the video link thing. I do listen to a wide range of music. Some of my favorite covers are

Mony Mony- Billy Idol
Crimson and Clover- Joan Jett
Feel Like Makin' Love- Kid Rock
Turn the Page- Metallica
Rocky Mountain Way- Godsmack
Tennessee Flat Top Box- Roseanne Cash
The Blues Man- Alan Jackson
Hurt- Johnny Cash
The Wild Side of Life/ It Wasn't God who Made Honky Tonk Angels- Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter
Don't Be Cruel- Cheap Trick
Luckenbach Texas- Kid Rock and Kenny Chesney
Don't You Think This Outlaw Bits Got Out Of Hand- James Hetfield
And the greatest one of all....wait for it........


Da Doo Ron Ron- Shaun Cassidy (i'm kidding)

...and the spoons!

Not really a cover since both Clapton and Winwood were in Blind Faith. The band made just one album, in 1969.

Colodog beat me to it. Another vote for SRV's rendition of Vodoo Child.

Ann and Nancy Wilson's rendition of the Battle of Evermore.

John Prine is an amazing songwriter and performer but I like Bonnie doing his song better.

Eric Clapton & Mark Knopfler - Lay Down Sally

Pat Boone "Smoke on the Water"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIqY-zvdESQ

Enjoy!

Better than Dylan.

I like Willie's version better than Pearl Jam's

Not even close...





They did what Zep couldn't even begin to hope for in their moistest wet dreams!

Waaay better than the original.



Also already mentioned, but Stevie out-Jimi'd Jimi on Voodoo and Little Wing.

Those three are always the first that come to mind when I think of great covers....

I have to agree with you. Robert Plant was an amazing vocalist, but Ann Wilson's voice is like a force of nature. It just seems to get stronger, which is pretty amazing.

Bird on a Wire by Jennifer Warnes - an old Leonard Cohen song. Leonard writes pretty lyrics, but can't sing.

Pinks version of Me and Bobby Magee is very good!

Bearschlayerx2 ,

I'll learn you how to post a video -it's pretty easy.



You must click 'reply' not 'quick reply' if you want to add a video in the thread now .

Ok you've opened the reply box just like you did to post this thread and wrote "I don't know how to do the link thing -I do listen to a wide range of music etc."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Now open Youtube site get your video playing then put your browser arrow thingy in your address bar at the top and RIGHT CLICK it.

A bar will drop down LEFT CLICK on COPY , you're done there you've went and copied your video.

Come back here and click on the blue square just above this box [5th from left on my computer] the TV screen icon .
It will drop down and give you a selection -click on Youtube or where ever you got the video .

In the bottom of that box LEFT CLICK in it -then select PASTE .
You have now "copied" the video from Youtube and "paste" it onto this site.

Click on PREVIEW POST to make sure you got it if it's there hit SUBMIT .
Make sure anything you write is separated from the video address you copied and pasted.

About any cover song that Pentatonix or Home Free does.

For example, Pentatonix does a medley of Daft Punk stuff that's quite a bit better than Daft Punk. They do Rather Be better than Clean Bandit. They do Say Something better than Christina Aguilera.

Home Free, on the other hand, does Ring of Fire better than Johnny Cash--oh yes they do, sez me--and All About That Bass muuuuch better than Meghan Trainor.

Not sure if this ones been mentioned but how about Grand Funk Railroads cover of Locomotion, originally done by I think Little Eva.

Ann Wilson, at least in my eyes, is without a doubt the very best female vocalist that has ever lived. Nobody has the range or the absolute power and energy that this lade possesses.

Dwight Yokums Ring of Fire, way better than Johnny Cash.

That's a good one alright, but try the version with Dave and Warren and Tim Reynolds that was performed at the Gorge in 2011. Almost double the length and double the great guitar playing. I'd post it myself, but can never get the URL copied from YouTube correctly.

Try this version - it's amazing.

Smith and Meyers from Shinedown have a few good ones:

That is the first thing that came to mind as soon as I read the title. Both are good, but Cash nailed it.

How about ANY cover by this big titted bish with the caveat that you have to watch the video and don't pay too close of attention to the vocals

Nope, not better.....


a tie in my mind!

Geno

PS, of course, it's just an opinion.

PPS, then again there's this one and now I'm confused as to which is the "Best":

How about Manfredd Mann's cover of Bob Dylan's "Quinn the Eskimo"?

Goodness, I think I'm getting old.

"She" Gram Parson's song covered by Emmylou Harris. Beautiful song.

Ann Wilson does a better job covering Robert Plant than she does singing the songs that made Heart famous. Like Plant, she just cannot hit the high notes like she did in her prime. Age will not be denied.

As far as I'm concerned (which is of none at all), everyone has stolen from Robert Johnson, the Carter Family, or Jimmie Rodgers, period.

My favorite "thefts"....





Stolen from Don and Roy.


Stolen from public domain....after Johnny Cash stole "The Wreck of the John B, I Wanna Go Home"

Another compare and contrast:




cover (live version, and long too):



Geno

You be the judge

KC and the rest of the band:



String cheese anyone:



Geno

for the cheese lovers and cheese heads out there:



Geno

And those of us "of a certain age" with never forget this pair:

No intro necessary (language warning about 6:45 mark) :



and the cover:



Geno

I am a huge fan of Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox ...
[video:youtube]sB6HY8r983c[/video]

GE

A Springsteen Smith song..

Here's another big fan of PMJ. Almost all of their songs are better than the original cause the original is often a pop music wonder but if you like swing, big band, jazz and even 50's music postmodern jukebox is great. If you watch the video's you can tell they really enjoy making music and have fun doing it.

Malloy,

thanks for the Dave Mason reminder.

Geno

Studio version:




A live version:




Quite the voice and the guitarist ain't bad either:



Geno

PS, I kinda like them all

Elvis again:



or Linda?



Geno

Johnny and Bruce both covered this song by Sting.

[video:youtube]v=OoXSAYnFOCY[/video]


Excellent cover

[video:youtube]v=FY-H4vR3QHI[/video]

An American Band indeed.

[video:youtube]v=VojkRA54x4I[/video]

The Band with Levon singing a Bruce cover

[video:youtube]v=hdSkXMnYH9I[/video]

The more I hear this the more I am convinced that David Draiman was born to sing The Sound Of Silence, Powerful doesn't even begin to describe his relationship to this great song.

Thanks for posting this Jaytee.

Probably my favorite PMJ video on the "fun" factor alone ...
[video:youtube]T2kOj-GFN8k[/video]
GE

fast forward to 01:42

1952 Vincent Black Lightning
by Reckless Kelley. Live Version

Fantastic song either way.

Old Richard Thompson song.

seems the best covers are live

i'm a reckless kelly fan, never heard that one,

thanks

Well, I sure got my evenings entertainment. Thanks

Sharp Dressed Man- Nickelback...they rock it!

Over the rainbow by the Hawaiian guy, Israel kamakamawhatshisname......simply awesome!

Stairway to Heaven is arguably the greatest rock and roll recording of all time, and the Wilson sisters playing it at the Kennedy Center is arguably the most moving rendition of the song, so you could make the argument that it was the biggest event in the history of rock and roll.

Chris Daughtry's version of Elvis' A Little Less Conversation

LIve and let die could be the all time worst cover. Of all time. ever.


VH had a couple good ones, as mentioned.

Joan Jett was mentioned, but I like her little drummer boy and crimson and clover over I love rock and roll (is that even a cover?!)

Manfred man obviously did a great job on Bruce's classic BLinded by the light, but lesser known is their 'other' Bruce cover- For You.

Nicely done.

Perhaps the greatest cover of all time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pO6yg9KBGU

"Mad World" based on You Tube Views:

Gary Jules cover - 88 million views
Tears For Fears original - 2 million views

"I find this kind of funny, I find this kind of sad"

This is a great thread; I missed it early on. My first thought was Cash covering "Hurt" too.

Surprised no one has mentioned Wilson Pickett/Duane Allman covering "Hey Jude"



As an Allman fan, honorable mention to "Statesboro Blues"

I'm not sure it's better, but it's damn good and I appreciate that they did it different. They knocked that one out of the park if you ask me.

Higher Ground by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Again, not necessarily better, but different and REALLY, really good.

Santana - Black Magic Woman, was originally Fleetwood Mac IIRC

Beatles - Twist & Shout was better than the original

BB King - How blue can you get; now that was better than the original

Sinead O'Connor - Nothing compares to you; better than Price's version by a long shot.

Jimmi Hendrix - All along the watchtower...can't imagine any one but Jimmi doing that one.

Jeff Buckley - Halleluja

Soft Cell - Tainted Love

Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee

Agreed, the Wilson sisters knocked that ball right out of the park. Robert Plant was crying like a baby, and Jimmi Page said that Zep never sounded that good.

The Commitments did justice to a couple of songs

I am partial to this one but I may just be overly influenced by the scenery.

A couple of "partial" covers since they feature the original writer and guitarist in the first one and original singer in the second...

There are several covers I like or have heard but the most significant if I had to name one is James Taylor's cover of the John Anderson's Seminole Wind. It is actually a pretty song if you don't try and sing it through your nose like John. James Taylor also does a great cover of Up on the Roof. I also always liked 3 Dog Night's cover of Try a Little Tenderness. Just a few that come to mind.

I haven't read the whole thread, so I may be repeating someone, but as much as I like Roy Orbison (I'm old) I think that Linda Ronstadt knocked "Blue Bayou" out of the park.

Joe Souths' Hush, by Deep Purple
Black Betty remake by Spiderbait
Mose Allisons' Young mans blues remade by the Who
Big Joe Turners' Honey Hush covered by Foghat

I wouldn't say these are better than the original but very good nonetheless.

Land of Confusion - Disturbed
Word Up - Korn
God's Gonna Cut You Down - Johnny Cash
Suspicious Minds - Dwight Yoakam

And of course like many others have said... 'Hurt'. IMHO what makes the song even more powerful is the video showing the evolution of Johnny and June's life.

And if you've never heard it, Dwight Yoakam did an album titled 'Dwight Sings Buck'. It's pretty darn good.

hbb,

yes the "scenery" has an effect on one's perception.

I thought the singers voice was a little "flat"


The rest of her .......... not so flat!

Geno

Carl:



Elvis:



or Jimi:



Geno

Judy:



Or Iz:




Geno

GNR:





or Metalachi:



Geno

Good, but hard to beat the original:




In my mind anyway, ymmv

Those three guys are each amazing in their own right.

Geno

For sh*ts and giggles...

If that don't make you want to be a groupie!!!!!! nothing will.

Another that comes to mind is The Corrs with Bono covering Ryan Adam's "When Stars Go Blue". IMO the best song I have heard in the last 10 years.

Two good versions of this one

With out going back thru the whole thread, I'm hoping no one posted these already. If they did....... well I don't mind hearing them again.

This one?:




or CCR?:



Geno

Almost anything by Aaron Lewis. That guy sings your music better than his.
'Hurt' by Johnny Cash is outstanding.
'Sound of Silence' by Disturbed. Took some pretty good lyrics and put some emotion to them.

Patsy Montana's "Cowboy's Sweetheart" by Suzy Boggus

Warren Zevon's "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me" by Linda Ronstadt

Betty Everett's "You're No Good" by The Queen of Covers- Linda Ronstadt (Reba's version is pretty good too)

Rare Earth's covers of two Temptations songs- "Get Ready" and "I'm Losing You"




Free's "All Right Now" by Pepsi (Rod Stewart is a close second) Just kidding

I'm not sure who did "Gloria" as a secondary tracked thought, but it's one of my favorites...one "blues guy" one contemporary artist....it was great...in the meantims.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFM-VaUO_CE

Better........Much better.


Disturbed- Sound of Silence

Disturbed- Land of Confusion. Dosn't depart much from Phil Collins' version.


Disturbed- Land of Confusion Cover

"Last Kiss" originally by the Cavaliers but redone by Pearl Jam

To resurrect the thread,

Someone mentioned Soft Cell "Tainted Love". I was listening to some Imelda May and ran across her cover, the original, and one by Marilyn................................Manson that is:

The Original, c. 1964:



Imelda and band:



Soft Cell:



Last but certainly not least (pretty wild!):



quite the variety, eh?

Geno

Anyone ever been "Thunderstruck" ?



Next ( I love spoon playing):




Classical:



Or just guitar:



Geno

[video:youtube]WK2siEQsADk[/video]

[video:youtube]Dg_TvF82b0g[/video]

[video:youtube]JozAmXo2bDE[/video]

In 1986 the public ignored Gail Davies

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


In 1995 they were all over Martina's cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRCqTgx4GS4

[video:youtube]MLrC7e3vSv8[/video]

[video:youtube]Y0NZmdNOcoo[/video]

[video:youtube]2GlqRZjBtag[/video]

Crank this one til the walls bleed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[video:youtube]6ADTPb2f_44[/video]

Stevie Wonder cover

Had to resurrect this thread for this one that just came out. Jorn Lande can cover anybody.

Pentatonix covers - often better than the original

Kick ass thread, and I actually learned a few things. Didn't know several of those were covers of originals.

Group Disturbed lead singer doing (Sound of Silence).it is epic.