Covers That Are Better Than The Originals

[Giant Speck]

Toxic (Britney Spears)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPQw6WgwEYQ - Cover by CallmeKat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqKZ_WIK5ms&list=RD02VEpMj-tqixs Cover by Yaël Naïm

Funny how two unrelated artists cover the same track in a very similar fashion. Both of them better than the original.

I love the Yael Naim version, but I also really love the Melanie Martinez cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6dcgD6-ZXM

[teenidle]

My personal favorite in this category is Lady Gaga's cover of Viva la vida: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2aE-mnNZJ4

[queldorei]

when i first clicked on this thread i was thinking it was going to be a girltalk/e603,ect...that kind of thread, but some of these covers are a-okay.as far as remixs go i like the toxic avengers stuff alot as well as mstrkrft

[Djehutynakht]

I really enjoyed Jim Carrey's cover of "I am the Walrus"

He sung it well in an insane way (and his movement around the studio wasn't bad either) which really does justice to the nature of the song.

Also, George Martin produced and conducted it, so there is a link back to the Beatles there.

I also like how he acknowledged that he was covering the Beatles ("I have defiled a timeless piece of art!")

But it's good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MoWQSe3txY

[shieldforyoureyes]

I really enjoyed Jim Carrey's cover of "I am the Walrus"

Presumably, inspired by Peter Sellers' Beatles covers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLEMncv140s

[freakish777]

So this one may or may not be better than the original, but it's damn good.

Deftones - "Simple Man"

[Znirk]

Land of Confusion as performed by Katzenjammer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSRxWVegp7s)
Wuthering Heights, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF0VaBxb27w). Of course it'd be hard to make this song any more annoying that Kate Bush's version.
I don't like Mondays, Tori Amos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr3E6mNRxHU). The original song is pretty good itself, but she did give it a blast from the spiceweasel.

[Sebastiaan]

I like Brad Mehldau's version "Blackbird" (Lennon-McCartney), Youtube video.

Kraftwerk's "Showroom Dummies" is covered rather well by Señor Coconut, Youtube video.

Kurt Rosenwinkel's rendition of "Summertime" (Gershwin) is also neat, Youtube video.

[no-genius]

Not really a cover exactly, and I don't think it's better than the original (because it's probably too different for a comparison). But Hangedup - New Blue Monday (which is about 12 years before Blue Order New Monday by the BJM). Also, apparently this is a cover of the Dr Who theme tune.. I'm not exactly sure myself.

[Essah]

with a risk of re-posting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2Z2yL8RYes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHF0gsRsNBw

Damn I can't get enough of those guys

[serutan]

Red Hot Chili Peppers' version of Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder).

Dave Mason's version of All Along The Watchtower

[Giant Speck]

I love the Bear McCreary version of "All Along the Watchtower".

[drego642]

I love a cappella music, but usually can't stand a cappella arrangements of "popular" music.


That being said, Club For Five has a couple of beautiful renditions of "pop" songs, in a vastly different style:
"Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica (features a guest vocalist)
"Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits (give or take an octave...)

[Clix]

Tom Jones / Art Of Noise - Kiss
It's not that I find it 'better', but it stands on its own and given the choice I tend to listen to Art Of Noise rather then Prince's version.

Bonnie Raitt; Runaway. One of my favorite artists and favorite songs, how can it not be better then the original? I think the bluesy, quiet desperation Raitt brings to the song does it more justice then Del Shannon's reading. Of course that leads into a discussion of eras and selling for pop or album filler.

For the deconstruction of a Pop song the best example (imho) is Richard Thompson - Oops I Did It Again


Originals Spoiled

Spoiler:

Prince; Kiss
Del Shannon; Runaway
Britney Spears - Oops!...I Did It Again

[drego642]

Okay, hold the phone... EVERYTHING on this channel fits the bill.

I just listened to a cover of that pop/country "Wake Me Up" song in the style of a mariachi band and sung en español after having heard a ragtime rendition of "Thrift Shop" and before moving on to a 1940's swing rendition of Lady GaGa's "Just Dance". I am celebrating the human spirit.

Next up: 1920's Gatsby-style K-pop.

[Giant Speck]

I like their cover of "Roar"; I just with the vocals weren't so bogged down by the instruments.

[DR6]

Within Temptation's Radioactive cover hasn't been posted yet? Here it is. When I heard the original, I always thought "the melody is cool, but something is missing". Now I know what was missing. This is simply amazing.
She also made covers of Summertime Sadness and Let Her Go, but I can't get into the former and the latter completely misses the point of the song IMO.

[DireKobold]

I love covers, and sometimes it's hard to tell if something is better or just really good. But if you enjoy covers I would definitely recommend checking out Coverville.

Which is where I encountered Aimee Mann's version of The Scientist, which I think is better than the original.

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

Aimee Mann's version of The Scientist, which I think is better than the original.

That brought back memories of playing that as a pit warmup back in HS.

[Yablo]

I would have to say that Pearl Jam's cover of Last Kiss is far better than the original. It's slowed to a decent tempo; the original was much too fast, given the subject matter. You can hear a raw emotion in Eddie Vedder's voice that just isn't there in the original.

[NegativeN]

Just, Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower." I respect you Bob Dylan, but The Experience managed to add so much rocking riffs, cool basslines, and heavy drums that make this song superior to the original.

[UniqueScreenname]

Against all laws of nature and logical thought processes, Pentatonix actually found a way to outdo themselves, making me really and truly believe they are superhuman.

Their cover of Say Something isn't just better than the original; it's a better version of them. It still has their signatures all over it, but doesn't lose or change the spirit of the original at all. They are magic, and Pentatonix should replace Abracadabra in all magic acts forever.

[Giant Speck]

Against all laws of nature and logical thought processes, Pentatonix actually found a way to outdo themselves, making me really and truly believe they are superhuman.

Their cover of Say Something isn't just better than the original; it's a better version of them. It still has their signatures all over it, but doesn't lose or change the spirit of the original at all. They are magic, and Pentatonix should replace Abracadabra in all magic acts forever.

I long for some original music from Pentatonix.

[UniqueScreenname]

Run to You is an original. Apparently there are others on their albums, but I haven't gotten to them yet.

[Felstaff]

Merry Clayton, the backing singer on Gimme Shelter, did a much better Gimme Shelter.

Also, perhaps this isn't better than the original, but it's an interesting acoustic guitar-based take on Donna Summer's I Feel Love (go to 16:10 here for a better quality version on BBC iPlayer while it lasts... until 5 April 2014)

[Yablo]

The Foo Fighters' cover of Down In the Park is much better, and I would definitely recommend it. Also, with all due respect to the Meat Puppets, Nirvana's Unplugged versions of Lake of Fire, Plateau, and Oh Me were amazing (granted, the Meat Puppets played during those covers, so I'm not sure they qualify as pure covers).

[UniqueScreenname]

This cover of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac may not strictly be better, but I like the mood of it a whole lot more. It seems darker and more haunting, which a song about regret should be, I think.

[Mighty Jalapeno]

The Foo Fighters' cover of Down In the Park is much better,

<3

Also, Filter's "One".

[shieldforyoureyes]

Merry Clayton, the backing singer on Gimme Shelter, did a much better Gimme Shelter.

God yes! Also, Aretha Franklin did a pretty great Jumpin Jack Flash:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWhTUF1xpyk

[yanfan388]

although both the original johnny smith and chet atkins versions are very good, the ventures raised "walk, don't run" to a whole new plane.

not sure about "walk, don't run '64"

[chris857]

Joan Jett - I Love Rock and Roll
Blue Oyster Cult - Roll Over Beethoven
ERock - [insert song here] meets metal (fits the bill for quite a lot, or at least is just as good)

[yimyam]

The Specials - Pressure Drop.
Also, Sublime - 5446 (That's My Number).
Also, Reel Big Fish - Boss DJ.

Fun, semi-personal story. My dad used to play Boss DJ in the car. I was five, and didn't understand a word of it, but the beat was happy and he'd keep playing it. I learned later that it was a cover of a Sublime song, who themselves did a cover of 5446, by Toots and the Maytals. They also did Pressure Drop, which was later covered by The Specials, who also did A Message to You, Rudy, which is sampled again by Sublime in DJs, which borrows lyrics again from 5446. My tape crate is an interconnected jumble of covers upon covers, but those are my top three "better than the originals"

[Quercus]

I'm not going to say it's better than the original, because the original is a work of genius, but June Tabor and the Oysterband's cover of Love Will Tear us Apart is very good.

Also, I much prefer Iron and Wine's Such Great Heights to the Postal Service original.

[freakish777]

Also, I much prefer Iron and Wine's Such Great Heights to the Postal Service original.

Ha! You know what's frustrating about cover songs? When someone insists that the original is the cover. Having someone tell me that Postal Service's version is a cover of some older singer-songwriter's version (that they don't know the name of) that's much slower, that gets old. "Sorry dude, you're wrong, and the it's Iron and Wine."


On topic:

Rosie Thomas - "The One I Love" (originally by R.E.M.)
They Might Be Giants - "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (originally by The Four Lads)
Cowboys Junkies - "Sweet Jane" (originally by Lou Reed)

[no-genius]

The Slits - Heard It Through The Grapevine. I like it when people don't flip the gender pronouns.

[Giant Speck]

The Slits - Heard It Through The Grapevine. I like it when people don't flip the gender pronouns.

The original version of the song was produced for both Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight and the Pips, so switching the gender of the song was already sort of a natural part of the original song. In fact, the version performed by Gladys Knight and the Pips (sung from a female perspective) was released several months before Marvin Gaye's version (sung from a male perspective).

[Yablo]

Ha! You know what's frustrating about cover songs? When someone insists that the original is the cover.

I remember one time I was over at my father's house, and he was listening to his stereo. Proud Mary came on, and I said "Hey, I didn't know Credence covered a Tina Turner song!" The look on his face was priceless.

And on topic:

I wasn't a big fan of the Fugees, but I recently heard Killing Me Softly again, and I thought it was really good. Then there was the time Fine Young Cannibals covered Elvis's Suspicious Minds. One of the best covers ever has to be the Beatles version of Twist and Shout. And a personal favorite that I had forgotten until recently ... The Blues Brothers version of Rawhide.

[no-genius]

The Slits - Heard It Through The Grapevine. I like it when people don't flip the gender pronouns.

In fact, the version performed by Gladys Knight and the Pips (sung from a female perspective) was released several months before Marvin Gaye's version (sung from a male perspective).

But wikipedia says the Marvin Gaye version was recorded first (and Smokey Robinson's before that). So the words were actually changed for the Gladys Knight version, which wasn't really a cover.

[azule]

Weird Al's Gump is better than Lump. The lyrics make more sense. POTUSA even included the last lyric into the end of Lump.

Some covers are widely acknowledged as better: Johnny Cash's Hurt, for an iconic example.

Oh, I can't let this stand. While it's iconic, it's a bit overrated. JC does not actually exemplify the lyrics that well. He sings them with the heart he's known for and it's heard by the ear and the heart, but it is not real. When done by NIN it has all the emotional impact it was created with.

Note: I do love the cover, but the question was if it was better...

[Yablo]

Weird Al's Gump is better than Lump. The lyrics make more sense. POTUSA even included the last lyric into the end of Lump.

Technically, Gump is a parody rather than a cover, but I'm not nit-picking. I agree with that evaluation. I like POTUSA a lot, but I actually paid to see Weird Al.