Covers that are better than the originals

Discussion
1

I had the old iPod on shuffle and i had two songs come on that were covers and in my opinion better than the original artists. So, of course i started a thread. Now, when i say better than the original, I don’t mean some shitty Dylan song that everybody does better than Dylan. I mean a good tune by a band or an artist that you may already like. So, I’ll start.

Saturday Night Holocaust (Dead Kennedys) -Neurosis
One (METALLICA!!!) - Apocalyptica

Just two good songs made even better by these artists unique take on the song

2

Physical (Adam Ant) - NIN
Whiskey in the Jar (The Dubliners/Thin Lizzy) - Metallica

3

For me, a lot of it depends on which version I’ve heard first. If I already know the original when I hear the cover it will be very hard to top it.

That being said . . . .

Johnny Cash - “Hurt” (NIN).
Ghost - “Here Comes The Sun” (Beatles)
Greyson Chance - “Papparazzi” (Lady Gaga)

4

Sundays - Wild Horses (Rolling Stones)
Laibach - Across The Universe (Beatles)
Concrete Blonde - Everybody Knows (Leonard Cohen)

1002

5

NIN - Get Down Make Love (Queen)
Head Control System - Kiss From A Rose (Seal)
Metallica - Am I Evil? (Diamond Head)
Megadeth - These Boots (Nancy Sinatra)
Judas Priest - Diamonds and Rust (Linda Ronstadt)
Van Halen - You Really Got Me (The Kinks)
Prince - The Best of You (Foo Fighters)
OLD - Who Are You? (Black Sabbath)
Ulver - Solitude (Black Sabbath)
A Perfect Circle - Imagine (John Lennon)

6

Don Henley might do Leonard Cohen better than Leonard Cohen.

7

Whiskey in the Jar (The Dubliners/Thin Lizzy) - Metallica

[vomit]

Johnny Cash - “Hurt” (NIN).

No. Hell fucking no.

Laibach - Across The Universe (Beatles)

Yes.

A Perfect Circle - Imagine (John Lennon)

Hell yes.

8

Because I’ve been involved in the local hardcore/metalcore scene for a bit, I’ve grown an appreciation for Killswitch Engage’s cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver.” A DJ buddy of mine who specializes in metal likes to blend both the original and their cover seamlessly into each other. Catches a lot of people off guard and makes the pit go nuts.

I can safely say every cover that Type O Negative has ever done was better than the original.

9

I agree totally about Type O Negative…I actually came here to post just that…

All of Greg Dulli’s(Afghan Whigs,Twilight Singers) covers I enjoy more than the originals…

10

I thought this was supposed to be covers that are better than the original! Lots of these are fucking awful covers, especially Metallica’s cover of Whiskey in the Jar. Although Thin Lizzy’s was a cover anyway, Metallica’s version is totally cringeworthy, and i love Metallica. And Apocalyptica, as fun as they may be for a few minutes at a time, definitely didn’t make One better than the original.

11

Dessau - Isolation
Not because of Hypo/Hermes production, I just don’t like the original version.

12

I love the Apocalyptica Metallica covers, though I certainly don’t think they are better than the originals.

I’m glad Eureka mentioned “Diamonds and Rust” by Judas Priest. So good.

Also, Priest’s cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Green Manalishi”.

13

Devo - I Can’t No Satisfaction
16Volt- Turning Japanese

14

…and I thought I would have caught hell for the NIN cover of Ant’s Physical. [laugh]

Play The Dubliners version first.

Cash’s cover of NIN’s Hurt has slightly different lyrics (the same can be said for NIN’s cover of Ant’s Physical).

15

William Shatner – “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” (Beatles)

16

Also, anything by William Hung, including these greats . . .

“Rocket Man”
“She Bangs”
“Bailamos”
“Hotel California”
“I Believe I Can Fly”

17

Bullet for My Valentine does an amazing cover of “No Easy Way Out” from the Rocky IV soundtrack.

Here are some others that come to mind
Sister Machine Gun - TNT (AC/DC)
Celldweller - Tragedy (Bee gees)
Treponem Pal - Planet Claire (B-52s)

18

Call me queer for putting up a H.I.M. song on this thread, but their cover of Chris Isaac’s “Wicked Game” is really phenomenal.

19

Although technically parodies, I find that every Weird Al song is better than the original.

20

Although technically parodies, I find that every Weird Al song is better than the original.

HAHAHA!!! Good call.
I totally concur.