Sinead Lohan’s cover of Dylan’s To Ramona
Granted, most of Dylan’s work isn’t about the vocal talent, but this is exceptional.
Also agree with Sweet Jane by the Cowboy Junkies.
Agreed, one of the best examples of a vastly superior cover.
Disagreed, the cover was duller and less energetic.
Ry Cooder’s version of “All Shook Up” rocks and is a lot more fun than Elvis’ recording.
I’m sure I mentioned this one in another thread, but the Dickies’ “Nights In White Satin” takes the Moodies’ song to a whole different level.
And to maximally offend as many people as possible, I’ll offer that every Dylan song cover I’ve ever heard has been markedly superior to the original. And every Joe Cocker cover has been worse than the original.
I’ll take Van Halen’s version of “You Really Got Me” over The Kinks’.
Vladimir Horowitz’s version of Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 over Sergei Rachmaninoff’s.
I can’t agree with that, man. On the other hand, I do believe that the Rolling Stones’ version of “Little Red Rooster” is better than Howlin’ Wolf’s.
Fortunately, Willie Dixon agrees with me, so I cannot be stoned for my apparent heresy.
If you want to hear an odder one, listen to Andy Griffith’s (!!) cover. It’s on the album Golden Throats, and will have you shaking your head in disbelief.
Not only can you sing “Amazing Grace” to that song (and vice versa), you can do “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. The album a Twisted Christmas has OLToB done in the style of The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun”. Very weird.
just for the record (hah), I’m not recommending any of these as good covers, let alone “the best”. They’re just outstandingly weird.
I prefer the Puppini Sisters’ cover of “Wuthering Heights” to the Kate Bush original (and have had the opportunity to tell them so in person!).
OK, but you can’t ingnore the influence the 1964 Kinks version had on all rock music, especially metal and later on, punk.
Interesting fact, Van Halen’s cover of “Where Have All the Good Times Gone” uses the lyrics from the Kinks original, yet the guitar riff is from another Kinks song ,“Tired of Waiting for You”.
I’m sure I’ll think of a hundred other examples as soon as I post this, but here are a couple that come to mind immediately: (all links are to YouTube)
**Fiona Apple’s **cover of Elvis Costello’s “I Want You” (w/ Costello on guitar) is amazing. Costello has basically said that the song belongs to Fiona now. It gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.
Nickel Creek used to doa live cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” that is much superior to the original.
Amy Winehouse’scover of The Zuton’s “Valerie” is also much better than the original.
Bob Dylan is the poster child for this. I can’t even begin to name all the Dylan songs that other people have done better. Peter, Paul, and Mary with Blowin’ in the Wind, Guns and Roses with Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Jimi Hendrix with All Along the Watchtower, Calexico with Dark Eyes… The only Dylan song that I really think no one else could do better is Everybody Must Get Stoned, and I’m not even positive about that one. He seems to gracefully accept his place in music, too; it seems like everyone in the world wants to cover one of his songs.
I love Jimmy Buffet’s cover of Mexico; that song is more appropriate for him than James Taylor, and I think that Jimmy Buffet also did Uncle John’s Band better than The Grateful Dead. I have a cover of Brown Eyed Girl by Everclear that I really love.
I’ve never actually heard Snoop Dogg’s version of “Gin and Juice” but I can’t imagine liking it more than The Gourds’ bluegrass cover.
Anything by Richard Cheese.
Eva Cassidy’s cover of Sting’s Fields of Gold. Jimmy Buffett’s cover of Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl.
To counter everybody else: as good as Hendrix’s version of Watchtower is, I prefer Dylan’s acoustic version. Heck, I like Dave Mason’s cover better than I like Jimi’s.
Aerosmith’s “Come Together” squashes the Beatles original like a grape.
Cream’s version of Cross Road Blues is definitive. Robert Johnson would have been proud of the cover.
Really? That one doesn’t do anything for me. Here’s the same song, with Bobby McFerrin and Robin Williams.
Sorry, but this just has more soul and kicks a lot more ass than the Beatles original.
Alanis Morrissette’s cover of “My Humps” is about a million times better than the original.
Came here to mention Johnny Cash’s “Hurt,” but somebody beat me to it upthread so I’ll just agree.
I like Adam Lambert’s version of “Mad World” even a little bit more than Gary Jules’.
Marilyn Manson’s version of “Personal Jesus” is better than Depeche Mode’s, IMO.
I like the original, but Iron and Wine’s Waiting for Superman is a really interesting take on it. I&W’s Love Vigilantes is markedly better IMHO.
Missed the edit window, but I also like Peter Gabriel’s cover of “Flume” better than the original (which I didn’t even know about until I heard the PG version).