What cover song just takes you to Universe B compared to the original?
And I'm not saying that the original is bad. You have to have a good song to have a good cover in my opinion. But sometimes the cover artist just understands the mission and takes what the original song did and expands on that a hundred times over.
What're some of your guys's favorites?
"Am I Evil" by Diamond head, covered by Metallica, and done so much cleaner and better that I got into a full-on argument with somebody (pre-google) about it it not being an original Metallica song.
Also, I have nothing but respect for Roberta Flack and think "Killing Me Softly" was a fantastic song when she performed it, the Fugees absolutely crushed that song. Listening to the original shortly after makes it fall a little flat.
In the reverse of this, when I mention "Wagon Wheel" and somebody mentions Darius Rucker I get upset. Oh, you took a solid song with great harmonies and instrumentation, and you swapped it out to be a generic country song? Way to make it "your own" bud.
By no means do I think she did it better than Joplin. But Pink's AOL Sessions performance of Me and Bobby McGee has stuck in my head for decades now. (And for what it's worth, both are better than the original from Kristofferson)
Second choice, and another one that I legitimately think is better than the original, *Tweeter and the Monkey Man" by The Headstones.
Edited: Honourable Mention, because no one ever actually tops The Clash. But Captain Tractor did a version of London Calling that is one of my favourites.
Edited: Okay...one last one. Specifically for the Saskies. Captain Tractor's version of the Arrogant Worm's "Last Saskatchewan Pirate".
For a bit of context, back in the 90s, my then girlfriend and I were decent friends with the band. Enough so that whenever they would come to Saskatoon they'd crash at our place and we'd go hang out backstage at their shows. Weird because the reason we knew them in the first place was because the drummer was my girlfriends ex....but hey...it was the 90s.
Just an all around bar-band all about drinking songs. Something young people don't do anymore. Was talking to a buddy of mine the other day about how every bar we used to go to in the 90s has been demolished.
Very common opinion, but "Hurt" originally by NIN covered by Johnny Cash. He really puts his mark on it, especially considering how old he was when he did the cover.
I might be the only person who prefers the original
I don't prefer one or the other. The two are so different from each other that it's hard to even think of them as being the same song. It just depends on my mood which one I want to listen to.
I definitely prefer the original. The layering and orchestration is better and more complex (but not too complex). I prefer Rezner's voice in that as well. I don't hate Cash's version, but I don't love it.
Nah, I also prefer the NIN one. It's just that Cash did a great job at the cover.
I think Kermit's cover of Cash's cover was brilliant.
Definitely a classic.
There’s also the Sevendust version from Southside Double-wide Acoustic Live… just to stir the pot a little more 🙂
Haven't heard it. I know what I'll be listening to next. Thanks.
I was just about to say this.
Heartily seconded, came here to say this.
Yes that's a great one
This is the one.
I will survive by cake.
My first high school dance freshman year they played the original and i belted out every word from memory because i spent all summer listening to Fashion Nugget.
Were you surprised that the original lock was only stupid, not fucking?
In the same vein, Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm.
Jimi Hendrix's version of All Along The Watchtower by Bob Dylan. It's likely to be the only version of the song most people have ever heard.
The Donnie Darko (slowed down version) of Tears for Fears, Mad World.
Great choice. That was done by Gary Jules, btw.
Both versions are good, but I still prefer the original. I love sad songs that sound happy.
Also it's funny how everyone including myself initially thinks that the original is the cover.
I love sad songs that sound happy.
OutKast's "Hey Ya!" has entered the chat.
This is almost the gold standard for me, when this question comes up
Nirvana's version of The Man Who Sold the World.
This is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I quite liked the original even.
Nirvana did a bunch of great ones during their brief time together.
The Man Who Sold The World has already been mentioned, but their versions of Turnaround by Devo, Plateau and Lake of Fire by Meat Puppets, and Where Did you Sleep Last Night and They Hung Him On A Cross by Leadbelly are all beautiful renditions in their own ways.
Of those, I'd say that Where Did You Sleep Last Night and both of the Meat Puppets covers are just as distinctly re-stanked by that Nirvana magic as their Bowie cover was. I like their version of They Hung Him On A Cross more than the original too, but tbh it always made me feel a bit weird hearing a white man singing that one. I get that it came from a place of reverence and compassion, but....idk man. I am both mixed race and have mixed feelings on that one lol. At the same time though, if any white man was to cover that one, I'm glad it was him since the hurt inherent to Kurt's voice was a perfect match for the vibe and tone.
also Jesus doesn't want me for a Sunbeam which came from unplugged too.
some of my favorite covers nirvana did though were not off unplugged, Love Buzz, Molly's Lips, And I Love Her
I completely forgot about Love Buzz somehow (that bass line tho) and have already kicked myself for not mentioning their The Vaselines covers. Glad someone brought em up!
I think Incesticide was one of their most vibiest releases and the covers on their are all wonderfully done. Molly's Lips very much included!
Have you heard the original meat puppet versions? Nirvana basically covered them exactly.
Not saying that's bad. But when you look at songs like "All along the washer tower" by Jimi, or "Whiskey in the Jar" by Metallica. Those covers are completely changed to fit their style. In my mind, that's what makes a cover great.
A lot of Nirvana's style is the Meat Puppets
Good covers, but they lack original twists. Meat Puppets even played the music in the unplugged performance. So really it's wasn't Nirvana covering them as much as Kurt Cobain singing.
It's what I have against Weezer's cover of Toto's Africa. Good cover, but it doesn't scream Weezer at all.
I have heard them and was aware that the Puppets performed with Nirvana on those songs, as well as of the former's overall influence on the latter.
Still, I think there is a depth to Kurt's voice and an eccentricity to how he played that nudges those versions over a certain metaphysical edge, but that's just my take on it. As much as he learned from MP, he was also an avid parasocial student of Leadbelly, and that influence makes each version of those songs very distinct pieces in my ears. Still very similar ofc, but also each their own worlds, with their own flavors.
If you disagree, that is perfectly okay, and, either way, I appreciate you adding a bit of context for the uninitiated.
huh I've never heard the originals, didn't realize they were 1:1. I think Kurt's voice suits them perfectly but yeah agreed that the best covers are transformative, as you can see clearly if you wanna go look at my main comment on here haha
I love Weezer's Africa just because it's so fucking funny that they did that but yeah, it doesn't recontextualize anything or even sound like Weezer. would be a lot cooler if it did
My personal favorites that I like better than the originals and I LOVE the originals:
Whiskey in the Jar - Metallica
Take On Me - Reel Big Fish
99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger
Land of Confusion - Disturbed
La Isla Bonita - Twilight Guardians
Spaceballs - Majestica
Black Betty - Spiderbait
Thriller - Scandroid
Electric Avenue - Skindred
That Spaceballs cover made my day
Yes!!! AWESOME! I think it’s totally great. 😂
Goldfinger version of 99 red balloons absolutely nails it in my opinion
I prefer the 7 Seconds version
Still one of the greatest live acts around.
The Disturbed cover of Land of Confusion
Or Disturbed's cover of Sound of Silence
I grew up listening to the original and I still like it very much, but that cover is one of the greatest songs I've ever listened to
Yea, that song+video might be the origin of the phrase “goes hard”.
Against All Odds by The Postal Service
my mind was blown when I learned that was Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie on vocals
this live version is especially fantastic, from an album of covers by them, I think the Baby One More Time cover is more popular but I prefer the recontextualization of this one
ridiculously emotional, can really feel his pain in it. I would never have thought this was a Black Sabbath cover had it not been mentioned at the top of the video
no notes. perfect cover.
never would have thought this would work as a duet but it's perfect, 10/10
Someday I Suppose by Drug Church
Boston.
I love a good cover, the best covers recontextualize the meaning of the song imo
I will survive by cake is incredible! 100%. Couldnt agree more.
The Civil Wars pretty much made everything perfect.
And sad. But perfect.
That cover of Billie Jean, though. Chills.
Way better understanding of the holy mission, ×1699 times expansion on what the original did
No one can compete with the king of parodying Weird Al
Whitney Houston's "I will always love you". I love Dolly Parton but Whitney slayed this song.
I think this is the main one. That song (as performed by Whitney) is absolutely iconic and absolutely transcendental. The Dolly version is good, but if it weren't for Whitney it would be just another Dolly Parton song.
Bruce Springsteen - Staying Alive
That's awesome
Isn't it?! I believe it's a tradition, or an ancient charter or something, that he does a cover of a local act wherever he plays. I think as an encore. This was in Brisbane a few years ago. Edit: Wouldn't you know it? There's a playlist
Muse did a great job of converting Feeling Good. It was a bold choice and they smashed it.
Yeah, its a great version. Almost a completely different song.
A weird one:
"Sludgefest", an old Alvin and the chipmunks pop record slowed back down to the speed the vocals were recorded.
The result is unironically good – a grimy, moody sound, with deep growling guitar.
This is fucking awesome. Thank you for sharing!!
This is absolutely awesome, thanks for the introduction to it.
i also enjoyed this
I got to see Killswitch do Holy Diver with both lead singers.
It was amazing.
Howard’s band was opening for Killswitch just after lockdown lifted.
They killed it.
faith no more’s easy
Crooked Fingers - Long Black Veil
Johnny Cash - Hurt
A Perfect Circle's version of Imagine by John Lennon is my favorite cover song. They add so much groove, atmosphere and melancholy to the song. It's beautiful.
Save Ferris' cover of Come On Eileen, by Dexy's Midnight Runners.
Cardigans, Burning Down the House with Tom Jones. Of course the original is incredible, but this version slaps.
I find the original Talking Heads version to be too whiny. I don't find it enjoyable to sit through. The Cardigans/Tom Jones version I have one note, one change I'd make: Nina's vocals seem to have a band-pass filter applied, it sounds like she's literally phoning it in. I wouldn't have done that.
I prefer Van Halen's versions of Pretty Woman and California Girls - to some this is sacrilege but I like Eddie's guitar work.
Quite a few famous songs people think are the originals were actually covers of songs by musicians who never got famous. Some of Elvis Presley's hits were older blues songs. "I Love Rock & Roll" by Joan Jett was originally done by a group called The Arrows. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was originally recorded by a guy named Robert Hazard. Who?? Yeah, exactly lol.
Within Temptation's cover of Radioactive by They Might Be Dragons. Much better. That said, nothing can beat the hilarious acid trip that is the original's music video.
Dont you mean imagine giants? 😜
Bare Naked Ladies - Lovers in a Dangerous Time (original by Bruce Cockburn)
Metallica - Turn the Page (original Bob Seger)
I genuinely prefer Ronan Keating's version of Words
I have the Bee Gees original on vinyl, yet I always go back to Keating.
Eric Clapton's unplugged version of Layla is an entirely different experience than the original.
"See if you can spot this one..."
I love Avantasia's "Lay All Your Love on Me" (Originally by ABBA). Metal covers can sometimes feel lazy, but this is an excellent rendition. It feels like the perfect coming together of two distinct parts of me: the me that daubs myself in rainbows to dance to ABBA at the gay club; and the metal/punk energy of the majority of my style and music taste. It always goes down well at parties.
Edit: I am having more songs coming to mind, but a weird one I can't help mentioning is Edmund Welles cover of "Hallowed Be Thy Name".. It's a clarinet quartet (+vocals) cover that I didn't know I needed until I heard it. So delightfully weird, and it has no right to go as hard as it does
Kind of the opposite but "As the World Caves In". Most people know the cover by Sarah Cothran , but I think the original by Matt Maltese is way, way better.
It's a song about two people together at the end of the world, and while Sarah sings it mourning the loss of everything, Matt sings it as a love song. To me that's the much more powerful message, that when everything is burning down, the only thing that's left and all that really matters is being together with the person you love, and the only thing to mourn is that you won't have more time with them.
This is the opposite of what you're asking for, sorry, but I find that more people are familiar with the A Perfect Circle version of The Nurse Who Loved Me than they are with the original version by Failure.
Both very good versions song, but the original still blows me away.
Apologies for doing the opposite of what you asked, but this was just the first thing that came to mind.
This was one of the first that came to my mind as well. It wasn't till a couple years ago that I learned it was a cover, and I really can't decide whether I prefer APC's or Failure's version.
There is a live recording of Thirteenth Step, where they play it much closer to the original, and it's the absolute best of both worlds IMO.
Judas Priest's "Painkiller" covered by Death is incredible.
If anyone wants to take a chance on a cover I recorded (all instruments and vocals) of Enslaved's "Havenless", check it out at this link (https://youtu.be/b1ByxMMnSfw)
While I love the original version, Seethers cover of Careless Whisper is one of my favourite songs ever.
Such Great Heights covered by Streetlight Manifesto. This is one of the songs that makes me think about how much I love my wife.
Iron and Wine do another great cover of this song
I have no idea who that is but I'm going right now to find out.
The horn arrangement just absolutely slays.
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Shawn Colvin - I'll Be Back
Sonic Youth - Superstar (btw not originally by The Carpenters)
Dave Stewart covering Zombie by The Cranberries https://youtu.be/1iDTYnxCNXM
Aretha Franklin - Bridge Over Troubled Water (originally by Simon and Garfunkel)
Sly & The Family Stone - Que Sera, Sera (originally Doris Day)
The Isley Brothers - Love The One You're With (originally Steven Stills)
Tori Amos has an amazing cover album but her rendition of the Eminem song ’97 Bonnie & Clyde is honestly horrifying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4-bXS5LJGM
Also her cover of the Boom town rats I don’t like mondays is my favorite version of that song.
Covering Leonard Cohen. This song is one of two (the other being Grace) that got me obsessed with Jeff Buckley back in my early to mid 20's.
It's just beautiful.
U2's With or Without You cover by April Meservy and Aaron Edson. It infuses the original with raw emotion - you can feel the pain and exhaustion.
Edited to add: And Marilyn Manson's version of Tainted Love. It sounds sickening and toxic, making the song about much more than a breakup.
Obediah Parker – Hey Ya (Originally Outkast)
Eleanor Rigby by Pain
Saw that one live in 2002. Amazing show.
"Every time we touch" by Electric Callboy
Heartbeats.
Same words, same melody, completely different universes.
I remember the impact it had when it came out. Beautiful
Karmastition by Alicia Keys.
Stevie Wonder's original was awesome, but the mash up is just chefs kiss.
“(I can’t get no) Satisfaction” as covered by Cat Power. It completely omits the guitar riff and chorus, and lays bare the song for the empty life that it portrays. You wouldn’t even recognize it for The Rolling Stones.
I'll give it a listen,
I've always been a fan of Devo's cover of it too.
Another New World by Punch Brothers
Last Resort by Falling in Reverse. This band has quickly become one of my favorites. Them and I Prevail can really throw down some emotions.
Very cinematic! It’s not really my thing, but damn that dude can sing his ass off!
Right? I'm not normally a screamo fan, but I tend to overlook that when there's some real emotion in a song. Their other stuff is pretty amazing, also. Some of my favorites are The Drug In Me is Reimagined, Voices in My Head, Popular Monster, and I'm Not a Vampire.
Last Resort as in Papa Roach's Last Resort?
That would be correct. I was in junior high or high school when Last Resort by Papa Roach was released. This version is so much more emotional, and given the lyrics, it fits!
Her style is a super stripped-down one with almost all instrumentation just being her voice through a vocoder. This cover includes a bit more traditional instrumentation than usual for her work, but it's still quite stark next to the original. It comes across as very pensive, which I think works nicely with the lyrics
Ween's version of All of My Love. Which I've only ever heard through a crappy phone recording of a live event. Despite that, it's still better than the original.