Oh Lordy I hate that version, and I normally like the Scissor Sisters. It’s just bad.
And Madonna’s American Pie is horrible in that it is utterly bland; she (or William Orbit) has managed to take one of the catchiest tunes in the pop oeuvre and make it instantly forgettable. That takes a certain type of talent, to be sure, but not one I wish to encourage.
Celine Dion doing “You Shook Me All Night Long”.
What do I win?
You can’t even tell it’s the same song without the lyrics. If they’d changed the lyrics, they could have just made a different song out of it. I’m not really sure why they didn’t.
Great line in the comments section: “This is the Lawrence Welk version of “Sweet Leaf” … you know with the cough at the beginning and everything.”
The Scissor Sisters are apparently huge fans of Pink Floyd (they were observed in the wings crying at the Live 8 Pink Floyd reunion). This was clearly a joke - I mean, a disco version of one of the most emotive songs ever? It was heresy for humour. And allegedly Pink Floyd thought it was hilarious.
Not the absolute worst but I heard Molly Hatchet do a cover of the Allman Bros “Dreams” at a concert last year. Not being a Molly Hatchet fan (just not a fan of a lead singer that sounds like he’s got snot in his throat) I didn’t know that they had desecrated this fine song and was shocked to see them attempting to play it.
I threw up a little in my mouth listening to them stumble through guitar solos that were light years behind the efforts of the ABB’s Derek Trucks.
This was posted here in Cafe Society a couple weeks ago:
NINA SIMONE - Alone Again Naturally
I guess if you can listen to it and still ask that question then I can probably never explain it to you.
Dear God. WTF?
You have cited a GREAT cover. The Bros created a great song, and Molly Hatchett took it another direction. Quite wisely, of course, who would want to hear Hatchett copy the Bros? That would just be sad. Their cover, however, brought something different to the song, and I have enjoyed them both a great deal over the years. If you listen to the cover and think they’re trying to clumsily ape the original, then I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe they suck really bad as a live band.
Far from a desecration, it was a fine tribute. At least the studio cut is. (I understand where you’re coming from about their singer, though.) Heh, Gator Country just came up on my shuffle-play. I’ll have to click up one and listen to the song in question.
Pop culture heresy, I know, but I’ve always liked that version much more than Springsteen’s. 
You don’t need permission to do a cover version. You just have to pay the relevant royalties to the rights-holder.
Knocking On Heaven’s Door by Eric Clapton. I’m a big Clapton fan, but I really didn’t think his style fit this particular song. Sad to say, I thought Guns N’ Roses’ version was superior.
This thread is not complete without mention of the Four Seasons’ cover of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”. (It was actually released under the truncated title “Don’t Think Twice”, and the group used the name “The Wonder Who?”. In fairness, I should point out that this version was done as a joke – at least, Frankie Valli’s lead vocal was.) Listen and laugh away:
I’m going to say anything by Pat Boone.
The less said, the better.
Jethro Tull’s A Classic Case was pretty sad.
Thank you for that!
I was going to mention that. The idea that one needs the permission from the artist to record your own version of a song is one of the most persistent copyright myths. You pay the relevant performance rights organization (in the US, the Harry Fox Agency) for the “mechanical copyright” for the number of copies to be distributed just like you pay ASCAP or BMI for the right to perform it live. You do need permission and negotiate the cost if you are going to use a song in a TV show, commercial or movie.
The only man who can claim he’s removed more African soul from the world than Papa Legba.
Seriously. It’s like a bad SNL skit with Kenan Thompson and special musical guest The Vapors.