# Awesome cover songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994 "2008-11-16T14:03:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/1 "2008-11-16T14:03:44Z")
What are some of your favorite cover versions of songs? I’ll start with a few. Most of these are rock/alt, but feel free to add whatever. My personal favorites are towards the top. [ul] [li][Mad World](http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=5MyMOi4LEr4) - Gary Jules covering Tears for Fears. From Donnie Darko. Haunting, melancholy, and beautiful.[/li][li][Hurt](http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go) - Johny Cash covering Nine Inch Nails. This song nearly made me cry. So much soul.[/li][li][Such Great Heights](http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=EKGHkBComjM) - Iron & Wine covering The Postal Service. From Garden State. It completely changes the feeling of the song but (IMHO) makes it even better.[/li][li][Basket Case](http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=T1nUzWddfEk) - Pete Du Pon covering Green Day. Like the previous song, this one mellows out the original while keeping its essence.[/li][li][Imagine](http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=3ri22ORVo1w) - Jack Johnson covering John Lennon. Part of Amnesty International’s Save Darfur campaign. Classic song redone with a modern and familiar voice, but otherwise very true to the original.[/li][li][Darling Nikki](http://listen.grooveshark.com/song/Darling_Nikki/1064415) - Foo Fighters covering Prince. Surprisingly, Foo Fighters does something that’s quite unlike their other songs and adds some “oomph” and smoothness to Prince’s song.[/li][li][Big Yellow Taxi](http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=TsPh_8Dxl3E) - Counting Crows covering Joni Mitchell. I think this one got so much radio airplay that some people now think CC was the original artist.[/li][li][American Pie](http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=kXNIv6EZc0M) - Tori Amos covering Don McClean. This one is such a drastic change, completely turning the original into a Tori-esque piece, that I don’t know if I like it. But it’s certainly interesting.[/li][/ul] That’s all I’ve got for now 🙂 What’re yours? ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/2 "2008-11-16T14:18:07Z")
I think [A Perfect Circle’s cover](http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=jpqKA9_ddFk) of imagine is the best I have heard. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/3 "2008-11-16T14:22:48Z")
While my guitar gently weeps by Jake Shimabukuro ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9mEKMz2Pvo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9mEKMz2Pvo)) is pretty sweet. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/4 "2008-11-16T14:25:53Z")
YMMV, but I don’t recall a bad cover version ever by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Here’s a couple to make my point. [Born To Run](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BTStMImOtuU&feature=related) [War](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nyvmJlAGPrQ) ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/5 "2008-11-16T15:04:56Z")
Best cover song ever: Otis Redding’s version of the Stones’ _Satisfaction_. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/6 "2008-11-16T15:09:56Z")
Isaac Hayes’ _Live at the Sahara Tahoe_ (ca 1973) has several, _Ain’t no Sunshine_ and _Never Can Say Goodbye_ are my faves. The Pointer Sisters’ _That’s A Plenty_ is amazing, every single track. _Little Pony_ and _Steam Heat_ stand out. I also like Frankie Goes to Hollywood. ---
**Author:** ![dawson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@dawson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawson)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/7 "2008-11-16T16:15:41Z")
Jimi Hendrix cover of Bob Dylans’ All Along the Watchtower Manford Mann’s Earthband cover of Springsteens’ Blinded by the Light U2’s cover of the Beatles’ Helter Skelter ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/8 "2008-11-16T16:26:13Z")
[Jeff Buckley covering Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AratTMGrHaQ) Stunningly beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/9 "2008-11-16T19:42:41Z")
I could swear we did this recently, but damned if I can find it! ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/10 "2008-11-16T22:26:48Z")
If you could extract Mike Tramp’s vocals (shudder), **White Lion’s** cover of **Radar Love** is vastly superior to **Golden Earring’s**. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/11 "2008-11-16T22:34:20Z")
I like The Holly Cole Trio’s cover of _I Can See Clearly Now_. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/12 "2008-11-17T01:51:30Z")
The Bangles’ cover of [“Hazy Shade Of Winter”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFRx4PkXeVM) was better than the Simon & Garfunkel [original](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yheo2AgNywU&feature=related). And they looked better in miniskirts. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/13 "2008-11-17T03:27:26Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The Bangles’ cover of [“Hazy Shade Of Winter”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFRx4PkXeVM) was better than the Simon & Garfunkel [original](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yheo2AgNywU&feature=related). And they looked better in miniskirts. Damn you Little Nemo I came in to post this. In a related thread [Your favorite ‘non-traditional’ cover of a hit song?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=493205) I mentioned Yes’s cover of America (written by Simon & Garfunkel) is much, much better. [Here it is live](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS2FUW7UkR0)in all of its 11 minutes of Glory! [/QUOTE] I love[Fiona Apple’s Across the Universe.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gLWTtlMwo4) is very special. [Jimi Hendrix’s All along the Watchtower](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCwCBh0z3Hs) is great and Dylan said it was the best version he ever heard. \*\*dawson \*\*beat me to it though. Led Zeppelin did “[Babe I’m Gonna Leave You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Ar1rAm4UQ)” that was recorded by Joan Baez in 63 but apparently written by Anne Bredon in the late 1950s. Weird one: [Barbra Streisand–Somewhere](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoFkZ4Yni24) cover of the Broadway tune from West Side Story. It took me 4 tries to find the version I was looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/14 "2008-11-17T03:44:59Z")
Van Halen’s Ice Cream Man. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/15 "2008-11-17T03:48:14Z")
**Bruce Hornsby** (I think) does a phenomenal cover of **Elton John** ’s _Madman Across The Water_. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/16 "2008-11-17T04:32:26Z")
> [@](#): > > In a related thread Your favorite ‘non-traditional’ cover of a hit song? The Residents did an entire album of covers of Hank Williams Sr and John Philip Sousa originals (_Stars and Hank Forever_). Here’s their version of [“Kawliga”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7ZgHU3uRoE). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/17 "2008-11-17T15:53:00Z")
I like the White Stripes’ version of “Jolene” better than Dolly Parton’s. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/18 "2008-11-17T16:12:38Z")
I like Social Distortion’s cover of Ring of Fire. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/19 "2008-11-17T16:46:21Z")
I liked Frank Zappa’s ‘Ring of Fire’. No one seems to agree with me, but I really liked the version Kiss did of “And Then he Kissed Me”. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994/20 "2008-11-17T18:14:44Z")
Manfred Mann’s [Blinded by the Light](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6AFCJ1dLdg) (Springsteen). Eva Cassidy’s [Fields of Gold](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3YVil3Ajjs) (Sting); wish I could find one that’s not out of synch. Sinead O’Connor’s [Sacrifice](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C-R_nuX3d4) (Elton John). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awesome-cover-songs/472994.md?page=2)