Jewel’s Leaving on a Jet Plane
I suspect that Tori Amos gives not a flying leap what you think of the covers she has done. Most of them tend to be rather odd reinterpretations of the originals, which is typically what a cover ought to be (a reinterpretation, not necessarily odd). Her cover of the Cure’s Love Song is brutal and tortured and just blows the original out of the water with its raw emotion.
Nice. I love his cover of I’m Shakin’ - simply because I love that song!! it doesn’t get played enough - the hook is essential.
Although I agree that this version is better than the original, it’s actually by Chantal Kreviazuk.
Had to be a Daddy, so couldn’t post this as an edit
Chantal Kreviazuk - Leaving on a Jet Plane
Noooo. That is one I can’t stand, because Tina changes the WHOLE ( ok…maybe a little hyperbole here) meaning of the song, by adding the words " I was"
Never lost a minute of sleep, ( I was ) worrying about…
CCR version, clearly they were not worried about the way things might have been, but Tina sure was…
Never lost sleep… I was worrying… That will MAKE you lose sleep. ARRRGGGGG!
So you’re the one!
I’ll go with Elvis’s version of “Hound Dog”
and
Carpenters’ cover of “Close To You”
Another one from Joe Cocker that really whips the buttocks of the original: “The Letter,” originally by the Box Tops.
I’ve been scolded for saying this in a very similar thread before, but Orgy’s version of “Blue Monday” is way better than New Order’s version. New Order’s version is a total bore, but Orgy’s cover has a much more serious tone to it.
James Taylor does “How Sweet It Is” much better than Marvin Gaye.
Elton John does “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” better than the Beatles. And Bow Wow Wow does “I Want Candy” much, much better than the original, as does Billy Idol on “Mony Mony” rather than Tommy James, who is also upstaged by Tiffany, both cases in 1987.
Love these threads - always interesting.
Could not disagree more. James Taylor better than Marvin Gaye? Not in my world!! (I suspect this is true in James Taylor’s world, too!) But that’s what makes this stuff interesting.
I have a soft spot in my heart for Tommy James and the Shondells because they have so many good songs, but yeah, some of the covers are better, if only because they don’t have the cheesy 60’s pop arrangements…
It is a great cover. Heard it ages ago and it was attributed to Bjørk.
FAK Dancing Barefoot (Note Patti Smith in the audience)
America - See Paul Simon in the audience 
Taylor’s cover is better than Gaye’s, not that he is better than Marvin Gaye. He is not.
I’ll have to say that Cake’s War Pigs is a VERY good cover of Sabbath’s… I’ll give them equal billings on it.
This is bound to be considered blasphemous around here, but I’ve always preferred Boyz II Men’s version of “Yesterday” to The Beatles’ original. Also, Raphael Saadiq’s cover of the Isley Brothers’ “Harvest for the World,” and Johnny Cash’s cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.”
We’ll still choose to disagree about Gaye’s original vs. Taylor’s cover, but I agree with your last point. I don’t mean disrespect to Taylor, just more respect to Gaye.
The original remains definitive but Melt Banana’s cover of “Uncontrollable Urge” beats Devo for power, fury, and angst.
A similar situation exists between the Clash cover of “I Fought the Law” and the Bobby Fuller Four original.
I’m not normally a fan of bluegrass music, but I love this version of Gin And Juice by The Gourds: The Gourds - Gin and Juice - YouTube
I prefer Van Halen’s version of “You Really Got Me” over the Kink’s.
The Jefferson Airplane version of “Get Together”, better than the original by the Youngbloods.
Or maybe the version of “Rain” by Shonen Knife? Better than the Beatles?
Bet a Doper will dispute me but “Because The Night” by 10,000 Maniacs is better than 1978 original.