# What are the best musical covers ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 8, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939 "2003-08-08T23:41:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/1 "2003-08-08T23:41:10Z")
“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. ---
**Author:** ![Snake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Snake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/2 "2003-08-09T00:13:52Z")
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 ??? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/3 "2003-08-09T00:29:04Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/4 "2003-08-09T03:05:58Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![Mofo\_Rising](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mofo\_Rising](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mofo_Rising)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/5 "2003-08-09T03:29:19Z")
“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. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/6 "2003-08-09T03:54:30Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/7 "2003-08-09T04:23:53Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/8 "2003-08-09T04:26:55Z")
Train Kept A-Rollin’ - Aerosmith. ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/9 "2003-08-09T05:01:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BlackLabel1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e5b9ba/32.png) [@BlackLabel1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackLabel1)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/10 "2003-08-09T05:05:10Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/11 "2003-08-09T05:21:44Z")
“heard it through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye was better than the original. Any cover of a Bob Dylan song. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/12 "2003-08-09T07:05:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Survey1215 \* > \*\*I like the Foo Fighter’s version of Baker Street better. \*\* 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. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/13 "2003-08-09T08:06:09Z")
The previous thread on this is probably less than a week old. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/14 "2003-08-09T08:09:28Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/15 "2003-08-09T08:23:45Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/16 "2003-08-09T09:29:24Z")
Grateful Dead’s **Morning Dew** (that’s a cover, right?) Frank Zappa’s **Whipping Post** Marilyn Manson’s **Sweet Dreams** ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/17 "2003-08-09T09:49:27Z")
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_. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/18 "2003-08-09T10:30:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Carter of Mars \* > \*\*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. \*\* 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. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/19 "2003-08-09T11:04:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Armilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19b73/32.png) [@Armilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armilla)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939/20 "2003-08-09T12:14:57Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-musical-covers-ever/193939.md?page=2)