Al Green took How Do You Mend A Broken Heart to church and improved it a million-fold.
As much as I hate to admit it, I love Garth Brooks’ cover of “Hard Luck Woman,” originally by KISS.
And I love the Richard Cheese, swing versions of other artists’ songs.
On a similar note, the Wurzels - a band from Somerset, England, who are probably most famous for Combine Harvester (a parody of Brand New Key), did 2 albums of covers of popular songs (2001’s Never Mind the Bullocks, 'Ere’s the Wurzels - which sadly, did not include any Sex Pistols songs - and 2011’s Loads More Bullocks). For the most part, they’re pretty successful. In one case - their cover of Oasis’s Don’t Look Back in Anger - they actually improved the damn song.
Oh wait-- I just Ctl-F this thread and didn’t find Pomplamoose? They’ve got a whole mp3 album of covers but in my estimation, the biggest improvement from the original is their cover of Lady Gaga’s Telephone.
Their cover of Single Ladies is also better than the original. Especially the “don’t make me sing this part of the song” lyric improvement.
I like Pomplamoose quite a bit, but cannot imagine an artist with less on-screen charisma than the woman. She’s kind of pretty (despite looking vaguely like Michael Cera), but good LORD, every shot of her has that wide-eyed ‘where the hell am I?’ look, unless she’s got her head down while playing.
I think she’s kinda cute. In an interview the guy (he is her boyfriend) said that when he first talked about making music together, she didn’t seem very excited about it, then he said, “I found out Nataly doesn’t get very excited about anything.”
That look (like every other attibute of Ms. Natalie Knutsen) is incredibly attractive. Rawr.
I didn’t even realize J Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers - Last Kiss was about a fatal car crash until I heard Pearl Jam cover it. It’s just so cheery in the original if you’re not paying attention to the lyrics. 
Sure, she’s cute…just…not much else that comes through in the videos (aside from being a very good musician).
… Poor fellow. :eek:
I’m not a huge Outkast fan, but I came across this acoustic cover of Hey Ya by Obadiah Parker that I think is just terrific. It really opens up a side of the song I’d never noticed before.
Jeff Beck and Grateful Dead early on did Morning Dew. it became one of the Dead’s best known tunes.
these might be referred to as adaptations
Jeff Beck and SRC did Bolero
SRC did In the Hall of the King
the Grateful Dead adapted and covered much rock, folk, ballads and blues. dozens of numbers done in their style.
Thea Gilmore’s version of “Ever Fallen in Love” by the Buzzcocks turns an uptempo power pop dance tune into the kind of sad, slow, introspective song you could imagine someone who’s fallen for the wrong person might sing.
Also, “White Room” by Joel Grey (originally by Cream) (yes, from the first Golden Throats compilation) turns the song into a very strange lounge piece, vaguely reminiscent of something you might find in a David Lynch movie. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s good in a completely different way from, say, the William Shatner rendition of “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” or the William Shatner rendition of “Mr. Tambourine Man”, both of which are also on the album.
No.
The Sundays singing “Wild Horses”. Hauntingly beautiful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT69sPIGCaI
May as well add video links:
The Buzzcocks - “Ever Fallen in Love”
Thea Gilmore - “Ever Fallen in Love”
Cream - “White Room”
Joel “The Creepy Emcee from Cabaret” Grey - “White Room”
Beseech - Gimme Gimme Gimme (Abba Cover)
I thought this was the original. Who are they covering?
Rolling Stones
Black metal version of R.E.M.'s “Losing My Religion” by Graveworm
Ah, that’s why I didn’t recognize it. Not really a Stones fan.