“Cover” in this case means a song performed by one artist and then covered by another artist or band. I got the idea for this thread while examining some of my old posts. I saw a few polls about worst covers, but nobody asking about the best.
The one that springs immediately to mind is Sinead O’Connor’s cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” O’Connor took a slightly funky duet and turned it into a haunting soliloquy.
I’ll put in a vote for Sound of Silence covered by Heir Apparent. On a side note , has anyone else ever noticed that Motorhead’s songs are always better when OTHER bands play them ???
My favorite cover at the moment is Uncle Krackers cover of Dobie Gray’s Drift Away.
The worst at the moment is Counting Crow’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s **
Big Yellow Taxi**. And Smashmouths cover of the Monkees I’m a Believer.
All IMHO of course.
Type O Negative covering Britney Spears’ “Hit Me One More Time.”
It sounds a lot like her record being played at a lower RPM than intended.
I’m also partial to Faith No More’s version of “War Pigs.”
“Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” by The Revolting Cocks
Industrial noise mavens Revolting Cocks cover this disco “classic”. What more could you want?
I also think Faith No More’s best cover was the Nestles song.
Elvis Presley’s cover of Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog” is certainly one of the best. It’s also one of the most successful, if making #1 and selling recordings is used as the criteria.
I am pretty sure this was done not too long ago.
Mofo Rising, you are thie first person I know of that can name a Revolting Kocks song besides myself.
Train Kept A-Rollin’ - Aerosmith.
These opinions will likely earn me the label Heretic, but what the hell.
I like White Lion’s version of Radar Love better.
I like the Atari’s version of Boys of Summer better.
I like the Foo Fighter’s version of Baker Street better.
Any cover Metallica has done. Every song on the Garage Inc album, Metallica made their own. The ones I’m most partial to is Turn the Page, or Am I Evil.
“heard it through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye was better than the original.
Any cover of a Bob Dylan song.
I like the FF’s version, but could never agree that any cover of Baker Street by anyone is better than Gerry Rafferty’s original. It’s one of those songs that is very hard to improve upon, like the Beatles’ Hey Jude or Elton John’s Candle In the Wind.
The previous thread on this is probably less than a week old.
Agree w/Elvis. The only other white cover better than the original was "Little Darlin’ "by the Diamonds. It so overshadowed the original that very few even heard of it. By the Gladiolas, a Virginia group , led by Maurice Williams.
There’s a new one every two weeks or so, Lizard.
Since I’m being picky, I’ll twist the title and say the best non-musical cover I’ve ever heard is Guns ‘n’ Roses’ version of Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door. That’s probably the most non-musical thing I’ve ever heard.
Grateful Dead’s Morning Dew (that’s a cover, right?)
Frank Zappa’s Whipping Post
Marilyn Manson’s Sweet Dreams
I’m going to give props to U2’s Happiness is a Warm Gun, the Flaming Lips’ Can’t Get You Out Of My Head and Ben Gibbard’s Girls Just Want To Have Fun.
It wasn’t a cover, it was a parody. Big Mama was singing about a no-good mooching man. Elvis was singing about a real hound dog.
There was this song done by Otis Redding to little acclaim. Aretha Franklin, off an unsuccessful 5-album stint in one company, worked with a cover version in her first album for her new label. Now what was the name of that song? I probably need it to be spelled out.
I’m quite partial to Jimi Hendrix’s version of Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower. Also Rainbow’s instrumental cover of Still I’m Sad by, I think, the Yardbirds.