# Spot-on covers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482 "2018-12-03T04:52:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/21 "2018-12-04T02:00:43Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > The cover of the Tears for Fears song “Mad World,” made by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules for the _Donnie Darko_ soundtrack, has had greater success than did the original (which came out about nineteen years earlier): > > [A “Mad World” cover supplanted the original and helped define Donnie Darko](https://music.avclub.com/a-mad-world-cover-supplanted-the-original-and-helped-1798242794) …and is about as far from “spot on” as you can get. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/22 "2018-12-04T02:26:08Z")
_Alone Again Or_ - UFO ---
**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/23 "2018-12-04T06:42:00Z")
Slightly spikier than the original but otherwise an effective Bowie tribute (right down to the oohs, aahs and grunts): Bauhaus’ cover of _Ziggy Stardust_: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rhJZrRV5YKo/maxresdefault.jpg "Bauhaus - Ziggy Stardust HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhJZrRV5YKo) OB ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/24 "2018-12-04T06:58:48Z")
Garth Brooks - [Hard Luck Woman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTRrotIedp8&app=desktop) with the members of KISS backing him up. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/25 "2018-12-04T23:02:57Z")
String Cheese Incident does a pretty "spot on rendition of \*\*\*[Sympathy for the Devil\*\*\*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moz3P2Z1gvw) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/26 "2018-12-04T23:15:09Z")
I’ve only read the title and the OP, and what first came in mind was Tom Petty’s cover of “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” by the Byrds. It’s very close to the original, the only difference is between the 80s and 60s production. Even Petty (as always) sounds much like Roger McGuinn (I think Tom Petty, through some strange cosmological quirk, was really the love-child of McGuinn and Dylan). Please compare: The Byrds - [I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to-RVV_3anw) Tom Petty - [I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSgdqwlb8M0) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/27 "2018-12-04T23:31:08Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > …and is about as far from “spot on” as you can get. Arguably the concept of “spot-on covers” carries the implicit assumption that the original is considered to be a stellar production, with the covers coming as close as possible to that level of achievement. A cover becoming much more popular than the original would violate that assumption, yes. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/28 "2018-12-05T00:07:08Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > String Cheese Incident does a pretty "spot on rendition of \*\*\*[Sympathy for the Devil\*\*\*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moz3P2Z1gvw) I like that band. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/29 "2018-12-05T00:11:27Z")
Great White does an amazing cover of Led Zeppelin’s Babe I’m gonna leave you. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/30 "2018-12-05T02:16:47Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Arguably the concept of “spot-on covers” carries the implicit assumption that the original is considered to be a stellar production, with the covers coming as close as possible to that level of achievement. > > A cover becoming much more popular than the original would violate that assumption, yes. From the OP: > [@DCnDC](#): > > This is about cover songs that are so spot-on, so close to identical to the original, that you have to check your device to see who the artist is when it comes on. I’m understanding this to mean how the original and the cover _sound_ compared to each other, not a comparison of how successful they are. ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/31 "2018-12-05T02:21:36Z")
4 Non Blondes [cover of Misty Mountain Hop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBmK6OLPQh8) is great. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/32 "2018-12-05T06:37:36Z")
Wow. Sheryl Crow I want you Back sounds like excellent Karaoke impersonation over the original track The Bohemian Rhapsody one sounded like annoying karaoke over the original track. Hated it. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/33 "2018-12-05T06:54:40Z")
Billy Joel’s version of [“Back In the USSR”](https://youtu.be/42Tah0DCubg) matches the original in just about every way. You can see he’s having a blast playing it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/34 "2018-12-05T07:11:59Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > String Cheese Incident does a pretty "spot on rendition of \*\*\*[Sympathy for the Devil\*\*\*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moz3P2Z1gvw) Spot on? I’m going to have to disagree. I liked it OK, but it’s nothing like the original. I could probably tell them apart listening under water. ---
**Author:** ![Flare4roach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@Flare4roach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flare4roach)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/35 "2018-12-05T08:04:12Z")
> [@Fugazi](#): > > Spot on? I’m going to have to disagree. I liked it OK, but it’s nothing like the original. I could probably tell them apart listening under water. I agree with this. It’s a nice cover but does not exude the terror and ferocity of the original. There’s nobody who solos like Keith Richards back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/36 "2018-12-05T11:35:01Z")
> [@Flare4roach](#): > > I agree with this. It’s a nice cover but does not exude the terror and ferocity of the original. Naah, for that you want [Laibach](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7muCRio2nQ) (not a candidate for this thread - Laibach make [covers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EavTye99eZA) [their](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZAD7W3M4zc&list=PLtw4uiCRhisnrU9D_AngA23_xcYPOhAX5&index=9) [own](https://youtu.be/LB9lObWclFQ?list=PLtw4uiCRhisnrU9D_AngA23_xcYPOhAX5&t=7) \_ mean, seriously, that last one is [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQSmfR1_SVE), never mind what they did to _One Vision_…) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/37 "2018-12-05T13:07:10Z")
> [@goldmund](#): > > 4 Non Blondes [cover of Misty Mountain Hop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBmK6OLPQh8) is great. Heart does a great cover too. Ann’s voice is perfectly suited for the straight-ahead hard rock style of the original. Whereas Nancy’s backing vocals are the highlight of their cover of Battle of Evermore, Ann not doing the frail yet powerful thing as well as Plant (although not surpassing Sandy’s original.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mr.Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Me)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/38 "2018-12-05T13:09:59Z")
Oingo Boingo did a pretty good cover of [I Am The Walrus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DJ55m3kDRM). ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/39 "2018-12-05T16:02:04Z")
Fountains of Wayne did a great cover of The Moody Blues’ [Story In Your Eves](https://youtu.be/2mkMYWJeH_Y) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482/40 "2018-12-05T17:03:44Z")
> [@Mr.Me](#): > > Oingo Boingo did a pretty good cover of [I Am The Walrus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DJ55m3kDRM). So did [Styx](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-TQWFqWqsc&app=desktop). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spot-on-covers/825482.md?page=3)