I second those two, even though I didn’t know that Istanbul was a cover. 
And the other two I need to add are:
Only The Good Die Young: Descendents > Billy Joel
Fortunate Son: Circle Jerks > Creedence Clearwater Revival (even though the CCR one is really good too)
Everclear’s “The Boys Are Back In Town”
R.E.M.'s “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “First We Take Manhattan”
Ben Folds Five’s “Barrytown”
Foo Fighters live cover of “Carry On My Wayward Son” (if only for Dave Grohl’s plea, “Who knows the farking words? I don’t know the words to this song. You do? You swear to God?”–and the subsequent bringing of an audience member onstage to sing the verses)
**Joan Baez’ ** cover of **Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts ** far outshines **Dylan’s ** version, but about half of his stuff fits that mold.
For real fun, pick up the **Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration ** CD, for such fun covers as
Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready doing Masters of War
John Cougar Mellancamp doing **Like a Rolling Stone **
**Chrissie Hynde **doing I Shall Be Released
and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers doing Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35
And all of this in front of a large, enthusiasticc audience. Other performers include Ron Wood, Richie Havens, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Lou Reed, Kris Kristofferson, Tracy Chapman, Johnny Winter, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Roseanne Cash, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Willie Nelson. A night to remember…
IIRC, there’s also a video available.
Tool’s Sober covered by Staind (live)
I was coming to post EXACTLY this one. Cash’s version makes me weep. The NIN version…eh.
Several of my other ones have also been mentioned (Joan Baez’ The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Shonen Knife’s On Top of the World, BNL’s Lovers in a Dangerous Time, TMBG’s Istanbul). Goldernit!
Cocker’s With a Little Help From My Friends is, while not BETTER than the Beatles version, as good.
I’m finding I prefer Uncle Kracker’s Drift Away to the Dobie Grey original.
I love the Beatles as much…no, more…than the next person. And usually I hate Beatles covers just on principle. But for some reason, Joe Cocker’s version of “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” just kicks a whole lot of butt.
Also…“She Don’t Use Jelly” done by Ben Folds Five–was it originally done by The Flaming Lips? I think that’s right. Anyway, it’s got some great percussion and strings. Ends up souding sort of…tango-esque.
Also–“My Girl” by Elvin Bishop, even though it’s somewhat white-ified. Especially at the end when he goes “woahhh woahhh my girl” a bunch of times.
Oh–and there’s this CD that’s a tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s album “Rumours” with a lot of famous artists doing the songs over. Strangely enough, two of the most original covers are done by the bands I find most boring, Matchbox 20 and the Goo Goo Dolls. Maybe radio pop stars are not so bad after all.
Mad World covered by Gary Jules, originally by Tears for Fears, and featured on the Donnie Darko soundtrack.
Most depressing song. Ever.
The Rolling Stones cover of “Just My Imagination” is great. I like the original too but their take on it is pretty great.
Allison Krause covered The Foundations’ Baby Now That I’ve Found You and it’s better than the original and the original is very good.
Joni Mitchell wrote Woodstock but of course the version by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is the one that is fixed in my head.
Here’s an obscure one. I love the cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s America that was covered by Yes.
Cartooniverse
Not sure if it’s better, but I sure love Johnny Cash’s version of Nine Inch Nail’s “Hurt”
Someone may have already mentioned this, I skimmed, didn’t see it.
Sweet Jane, done well by Velvet Underground, stick-a-fork-in-it done by the Cowboy Junkies. Smoh-keee.
:eek:
Tell me I didn’t just see you say that. Remind to to thwap you later. 
Ok, I should say something on topic. I like Less Than Jake’s “I Think I Love You” way better than… whoever did it before, I can’t think of it right now.
I also thought their cover of the Vaseline’s Son of a Gun was vastly superior. But come on, the Vaselines suck so any cover of their song s will sound better.
All covers done by the Beatles (yes, even “Mr. Moonlight”) and by Frank Zappa.
Devo’s covers of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Secret Agent Man.”
Archergal writes:
> Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy.
Or, for that matter, Eva Cassidy’s version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” or her versions of a number of other songs. She was often able to better the original version of the song.
Ooohhh…The Band Ism did a killer version of that song. Its on one of the KILLED BY DEATH comps.
Jon
I like the Gob version of “Paint It Black”.
Also the new dance version of “Heaven” is nice. Not a big Bryan Adams fine.