Best Cover Songs of All Time

[OldHippie]

I agree with Joe Cocker's "A Little Help From My Friends" and "Proud Mary" by Ike and Tina Turner. I didn't see Jimi Hendrix's version of "All Along the Watchtower" anywhere.

 

[TexasRx]

In reply to:

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[No ACL]

Baker Street- Foo Fighters

 

[The Eyes of Texas]

You really think some jackass saying "ONE TIME....TWO TIMES" in the background made Killing Me Softly better? I think it made them sound like one of the most idiotic bands I've ever heard.

 

[slughead42]

I'm on board with Aretha's "Respect" and Ike and Tina's "Proud Mary" as maybe the best ever, but I'll throw out one from my favorite band, and say R.E.M doing "Superman".

Also, though, I agree with the above poster that Gary Jules' "Mad World" cover is a revelation, especially when you first hear it (as I, and probably lots of other people did) at the end of "Donnie Darko".

Oh, yeah, and also Israel Kamakawiwo'ole doing his mashup of "Over the Rainbow"/"What a Wonderful World". Didn't see it listed above, but if it was, I'm on board that train too.

Nice thread, btw. Lots of great songs listed by all.

 

[CottonEyedHorn]

2 pages and no Power Station - Get It On (Bang A Gong) ? A great cover song cranked out by a supergroup

The Link

Placebo did a good cover of Running Up that Hill a few years ago too.

 

[Alex_de_Large]

Fail. Look at the 12th response down by Pasotex.

 

[bierce]

I really don't think this is what Holland, Dozier, and Holland had in mind. Totally unlike and superior to the original recording.

The Link

 

[uisge beatha]

OK, just discovered two of my favorite jiJmmy LaFave songs are Dylan covers - check out I'll Be Your Baby Tonight and Tonight I'll be Staying Here With You and tell me the original! is better

Also like X versions of Wild Thing, Breathless, and Soul Kitchen.

 

[l00p]

Original: The Cure - Just Like Heaven

The Cure

Dinosaur Jr. - Just Like Heaven

Dinosaur Jr.

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Madonna - Into the Groove

Madonna

Ciccone Youth - Into the Groove(y)

Ciccone Youth

In case you were curious, Ciccone Youth is a collaboration of Sonic Youth and Mike Watt of the Minutemen and later, Firehose.

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Van Halen - Jump

Van Halen

Aztec Camera - Jump

Aztec Camera

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Beach Boys - Surfin' USA

Beach Boys

Jesus and Mary Chain - Surfin' USA

Jesus and Mary Chain

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Joan Baez did, Diamonds and Rust, but I loathe her so I will skip to the Judas Priest version and then to the Stormtroopers of Death classic and epic take on it.

Judas Priest - Diamonds and Rust

Judas Priest

Stormtroopers of Death - Diamonds and Rust (Extended Version)

S.O.D.

 

[Bevo Incognito]

Rufus Wainwright's version of Across the Universe

 

[bierce]

Big Daddy with what is undoubtedly the greatest version ever of Hotel California.
The Link

 

[Alex_de_Large]

Nobody f&#^$ with de Jesus! The Link

 

[hookem2003]

In reply to:

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[pasotex]

4th post on the thread.

 

[AustinTejasFan]

Janis Joplin's Ball and Chain

 

[scottsins]

Interesting that no one has mentioned:

Landslide, covered by Smashing Pumpkins and
Hurt, as covered by Johnny Cash.

Definitely two of the best covers EVAR.

 

[Statalyzer]

In reply to:

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[nych 1]

Actually, I mentioned Hurt.

 

[accuratehorn]

The envelope please...and the winner is...Whiskey River by Willie f'n Nelson.
California Girls by David Lee Roth...pretty entertaining, in a novelty way.
Joe Cocker, A Little Help from my Friends, and Aretha's RESPECT go to the top with Whiskey River.

 

[SunBurntOrange]

John Belushi covering Joe Cocker covering A Little Help From My Friends.
The Link

 

[YoLaDu]

l00p...

my first two were Aztec Camera's Jump and Dinosaur Jr's Just Like Heaven. You got taste.

But hey, i knew that when you slagged Joan Baez while praising Judas Priest in the same sentence.

 

[Big Ess Fro]

scottsin...is my sarcasm meter not working? I detect just a hint of sarcasm...

My least favorite cover ever is Smashing Pumpkins Landslide.

My favorite ever is Dixie Chicks cover of Landslide.

 

[txtxyeha]

First thing I thought of was the Flying Lizards' "Money". Two others I haven't seen are:

"Sweet Home Alabama" by the Leningrad Cowboys
"boys of Summer" by The Ataris

This is a little on the nit-picky side; however, for Willie Nelson's song "Crazy" you would have to call his vocals of the song the cover of Patsy Cline since was the first to sing it. I heard an interview a year or so ago when a fan was commenting how horrible it was that Willie didn't own the rights to the song, to which Willie replied it wasn't "horrible" b/c he probably needed the $50 he got for the song in 1961 pretty badly.

 

[MAROON]

Gin & Juice - The Gourds

just great!

 

[TRRW#31]

Metallica - Whiskey in a Jar
Van Halen - You're No Good
Foo Fighters - Darlin' Nikki
Cream - Crossroad Blues
Anthrax - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) and Superstition
Dream Theater - Have A Cigar

 

[Crockett]

She didn't get the words right, but Joan Baez had the sweet voice to make the Band's the Night They Drove Old Dixie Down a haunting, memorable piece of music.

 

[Statalyzer]

Ugh, no. That cover wasn't 1/5th as good as the original.

 

[CottonEyedHorn]

I always thought this was a good one

Overkill - Lazlo Bane

 

[rhorn27]

The Shins cover Squeeze
Ryan Bingham cover Otis Redding
The Kills cover Velvet Underground
Dirty Projectors cover Bob Dylan
Passion Pit cover Smashing Pumpkins

and more, all FREE here:
www.levispioneersessions.com/

The Shins cover of Squeeze and Dirty Projector's cover of Dylan are fantastic.