# Best Cover Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2001, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809 "2001-11-11T21:51:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucki\_Chaarms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lucki\_Chaarms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucki_Chaarms)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/1 "2001-11-11T21:51:10Z")
Category one: Songs that there are a million versions of, and this band does the best. Category two: A badass song that is a cover of a less badass song, or at least does a really incredible song due tribute. My votes: One: Sympathy For The Devil by **Skrew**. There are SOOO many versions, but this hardcore industrial version is second only to the original. Two: The Ghost of Tom Joad by **Rage Against The Machine**. I like the original a lot, but I LOVE this version. From Tom’s helicopter-guitar effect at the beginning to Zack’s echoing voice, to when the bass and guitar come in together to rock it out social-reform style, it rules. What are yours? LC ---
**Author:** ![Lockfist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@Lockfist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockfist)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/2 "2001-11-11T22:10:29Z")
Category one: **Nevermore** - _Sound of Silence_ - Simon & Garfunkel **Ozzy Ozbourne & Miss Piggy** - _Born to be Wild_ - Steppenwolf Category two: **In Flames** - _Everything Counts_ - Depeche Mode **Ten Masked Men** - _Blue (Da Ba Dee)_ - GABUTTI **Fall Silent** - _Sesame Street_ - (?) **Yngwie Malmsteen** - _Gimme Gimme Gimme_ - ABBA **Sodom** - _Hazy Shade of Winter_ - Simon & Garfunkel **Limp Bizkit** - _Faith_ - George Michael (even tho I hate LB) **Gamma Ray** - _Its a Sin_ - Pet Shop Boys ---
**Author:** ![sandalwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@sandalwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandalwood)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/3 "2001-11-11T22:47:45Z")
**Sheryl Crow** - Sweet Child O’Mine (Guns n’ Roses) I never liked this song until S.C. sang it, then I realized Axle Rose is a fucking genious (uh…in a way, maybe just for that one song). Ooh she also did a cover of D’yer Maker by Led Zepplen, I thought it was pretty good. **Sundays** - Wild Horses (Rolling Stones) Gotta love Harriet’s Voice. She is an angel. **Hole** - Hungry Like the Wolf (Duran Duran) I love Courtney and Duran Duran too. Hmmm… which version? I just like her’s cause she kicks ass with heels on. and many more…Can’t think of them right now! ---
**Author:** ![Rita\_Eata\_Pita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@Rita\_Eata\_Pita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rita_Eata_Pita)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/4 "2001-11-11T23:31:27Z")
Jimi Hendrix’s version of “All Along the Watchtower” and Eric Clapton’s version of “I Shot the Sheriff.” I love those. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/5 "2001-11-12T00:36:06Z")
The Cowboy Junkies have a collection of superior covers on “The Trinity Sessions”. Warren Zevon - “Back in the High Life” (Steve Winwood Orig) I think the Manfred Mann version of “Blinded by the Light” is better than Springsteen’s original. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/6 "2001-11-12T00:50:03Z")
Manfred Mann’s cover of Springsteen’s Blinded By the Light and For You was very good too. Bobby Darrin (hoo boy am I old) covering Mac the Knife. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/7 "2001-11-12T00:51:06Z")
sorry Sam, I didn’t refresh before I posted. ---
**Author:** ![MJH2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@MJH2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJH2)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/8 "2001-11-12T01:25:28Z")
Category One: _Unchained Melody_ – Heart. A live cover on their _Greatest Hits_ LP (not CD) from 1981. They turned the schmaltzy 6/8 ballad into a 4/4 rocker. It’s the only version of this song I can stand. Category Two: _Going Down to Liverpool_ and _Hazy Shade of Winter_ – Bangles. Originally recorded by Katrina and the Waves and Paul Simon, respectively. ---
**Author:** ![HalberMensch242](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@HalberMensch242](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HalberMensch242)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/9 "2001-11-12T02:05:24Z")
C1: **COil** -Tained Love **Hate Dept** - SPing me round C2: **Einsturzende Neubauten** -Sand **The Swans** - Love Will Tear us Apart **Yendri** -Everything COunts. **The DOnnas** - living after midnight ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/10 "2001-11-12T02:41:01Z")
Catagory 2: **Tweeter and the Monkey Man** The Headstones’ version of this Travelling Wilburys song kicks serious rump roast. ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/11 "2001-11-12T02:48:10Z")
“Son of a Gun” - Nirvana - The Vaselines “Jesus Doesnt want me for a Sunbeam” - Nirvana - The Vaselines “Landslide” - Smashing Pumpkins - Stevie Nicks “Girl Named Sandoz” - Smashing Pumpkins - The Animals ---
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/12 "2001-11-12T12:26:38Z")
“Mrs. Robinson” ``` by ``` The Lemonheads ``` rocks! ``` ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/13 "2001-11-12T12:32:18Z")
Tears of a Clown - **English Beat** Mrs. Robinson - **Lemonheads** Police and Thieves - \*\* Clash\*\* Brand New Cadillac - \*\* Clash\*\* This One’s For You - **Teddy Pendergrass** It’s Not Unusual - **Wild Colonials** Me and My Uncle - **Grateful Dead** ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Dead\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecb155/32.png) [@Living\_Dead\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Dead_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/14 "2001-11-12T12:37:16Z")
Smells Like Teen Spirit - _Tori Amos_. Wish You Were Here - _Sparklehorse, feat. Thom Yorke._ Hallelujah - _Jeff Buckley_. The Man Who Sold the World - _Nirvana._ Flower - _Pansy Division._ Creep - _Radiohead._ I love a good cover or two. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/15 "2001-11-12T13:09:32Z")
Any cover by either **Ritchie Havens** (just one example: Just Like A Woman), **Leo Kottke** (joe: Twilight Time) or **Eva Cassidy** (joe: Time After Time) is likely to be better than the original. If you like female vocalists and covers, I highly recommend **Shawn Colvin** ’s album _Cover Girl_. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/16 "2001-11-12T14:12:46Z")
Just to belabor the obvious: 1. **Respect** by Aretha Franklin - yeah, Otis Redding’s original was great, but this the Queen of Soul’s cover of it is one of the greatest rock songs ever - certainly top 5. Just like the general consensus (you don’t have to agree, but you do have to acknowledge the general opinion) is that the Beatles are the greatest rock band, Aretha’s respect is the greatest cover. 2. **Heard it Through the Grapevine** by Marvin Gaye - okay, it was written for him, but first recorded by Gladys Night and the Pips, then recorded by him, but it doesn’t get much better 3. **All Along the Watchtower** by Jimi Hendrix - the one most people realize is a cover (most folks I talk with don’t realize that Respect or Grapevine are even covers) - amazing stuff… ---
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/17 "2001-11-12T15:23:45Z")
In Category 2: **Alien Ant Farm’s** cover of _Smooth Criminal_ is pretty rockin’! The lead singer of AAF even does all the vocal yelping that MJ made famous. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/18 "2001-11-12T16:30:44Z")
Bonzo Dog Band’s cover of “Monster Mash” is much better than the original. Joe Cocker’s versions of “The Letter” is the definitive category two – the Box Tops were great, but Cocker (and Leon Russell) is greater. Cocker also did terrific covers of “A Little Help from My Friends” (category 1), “Feelin’ Alright?” “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” and “Cry Me a River.” ---
**Author:** ![Fledermaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@Fledermaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fledermaus)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/19 "2001-11-12T18:10:20Z")
Megadeth’s cover of the old Nancy Sinatra tune “These Boots Are Made for Walking” is an absolute riot…of course, they did change the lyrics a bit, too, which helps. ---
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809/20 "2001-11-12T20:09:14Z")
The Indigo Girls’ “Tangled Up In Blue.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cover-songs/92809.md?page=2)