Best cover song..
 

With Arms Wide Open, originally written by Creed, but covered by Boyce Avenue. So good. I'm going to be modest and not say any of my covers. Lol

I Ain't Superstitious by The Jeff Beck Group (Original by Howlin' Wolf)
All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix (Original by Bob Dylan)
You Shook Me by Led Zeppelin (Original by Muddy Waters)
Take This Job And Shove It by Dead Kennedys (Original by David Allan Coe)
Hurt by Johnny Cash (Original by Nine Inch Nails)

Only two of the originals I dislike, and in both cases I like the artist, so this is a big compliment to every artist. I don't like Dylan's original or NIN's original, both are very boring imo.

Man Next Door original version by The Paragons ..



Cover version by Massive Attack (sung by Horace Andy) from their 1998 album Mezzanine.

I like Cream's sixteen minute version of Howlin' Wolf's Spoonful, but that's only better by a hair IMO. Both are fantastic songs.

I haven't read every post, so if this one was already listed-- apologies. But, Yes' version of "America" kills it, as does their version of The Beatles "Every Little Thing."

Heh. I never even knew that was a cover. It's always been my least favorite song on the album but I do agree that it's better than the original.

right of the top of my head i can think of 4 songs that i really feel are better than the originals (and i love the originals)


Coil - Who By Fire (originally by Leonard Cohen)
i love the subtle background cacophony....which i feel is a thousand times better than the original composition....and just think that John's voice is as amazing as Leonard's with these lyrics


Alkaline Trio - Metro (originally by Berlin)
for the most part this song just translates into a punk song damn near perfect....i mean i love the original but when i heard this for the first time i was really taken back by just how good it sound sped up and with strong guitar....i think Matt gets the vocals down as well as Terri Nunn....and i have to say the exchange of "sorry" with "fucking asshole" works perfect for the version


Current 93 - (This Ain't) The Summer Of Love (original by Blue Oyster Cult)
it is this simple.....David's voice transforms this song from a kind of creepy great rock song into an invocation of the end of times....i remember coming into an interesting night of heavy psychedelic mushrooms on a cold winter solstice listening to this track over and over and over proclaiming "This is the night we riiiiiide!).....seriously when compared to the original this version has a completely different feel and meaning


Nirvana - Son Of A Gun (original by The Vaselines)
again i really love both of these songs.....but i think it just falls in the wow this is so much better cranked up with heavy distortion.....i love Kurt's monotone take on it

I don't know if I should go back and edit onto my big list or just keep posting as they come to me, but:

Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater fame has, I believe, 4 cover band tribute band bands. One, Hammer of the Gods, is an all Led Zeppelin cover band. Another is Cygnus and the Sea Monsters doing Rush songs, Amazing Journey does The Who songs, and Yellow Matter Custard does The Beatles. YMC is his most active, as they did a second set last year. YMC is Paul Gilbert, Mike Portnoy, Matt Bissonette, and Neal Morse. I call this one "While My Guitar Gently (S)Weeps" I don't know why they didn't think of that.

Deadsy- Paint it black

Totally killed it IMO

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World

Johnny Cash - Hurt

Nirvana - Son Of A Gun

Anthrax - Got The Time Out

"Love Buzz" by Nirvana (Original by The Shocking Blue)

Just another one for the list that Nirvana did better IMO than the original.

The Corrs - Dreams (Fleetwood Mac)



Maria McKee - I Can't Make It Alone (Bill Medley)



The White Stripes - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself (Dusty Springfield)

At Memphis in May last year, the Flaming Lips/Wayne Coyne did a cover of Kids by MGMT (who preceded them on the stage) that was all acoustic and heartfelt, i'd at least consider it equal.

Covers
 

Guns N Roses Live or Let Die

ZZ Top - Viva Las Vegas - YouTube

It also happens to be the band's last good song, in my opinion.

This has probably been posted already in this thread, but it's very hard for me to choose between the two. Both the original and the cover are done extraordinarily well. I think Elliott does it better with how emotional the song is as a whole:

I agree. I like the original versions, too, though. But the covers are exeptional. Especially 'Hurt'. It's one of the saddest songs I have ever heard.

just a few off the top of my head:-



original - Louis Armstrong



original - Fleetwood Mac



original - Bob Dylan



original - Beach Boys (not that the original is worse, i just like it better with noise)



original - Arthur Alexander



original - Mose Allison

Not just because Rose is singing it...

^^the Strawberries are a class act

me, i'm no fan of the Sex Pistols but this is a swanky remake of a garage rock classic (by Dave Berry):-

just because Rose is singing it :).......i love her voice sooooooooo much.....Strawberry switchblade could easily be one of the most ignored bands of the 80s....but Current 93's cover of since yesterday is better :p:

i'll post the original also....just because Rose and Jill are so damn cute :)


but when you add a great misanthropic speech by Boyd Rice and David Tibet's amazing voice the entire feel of this pop song changes....



still i could sit here all day and watch Rose dance :love:

For me, besides Rose the Strawberry's "Joline" just caught a more aggressive flavor than the original. The arrangement and the beats help it along just fine, but with Rose singing it, EVERYTHING is in the right place with the style and performance.

And I agree with the thoughts on Rose and Jill as well. They were a perfect pair.

Every time I hear the C93 version, it always being me back to my start of listening to that world of music back in The Early 90's and thinking I should hear more.

(full quoted post left due to agreement)

Great original, but here it's about Rose and Boyd covering it...but mainly Rose. It sounds more sinister.

Love Wire, love the original, but Big Black really brought a lot more fire to the song.

Black Keys covers
 

Almost all black keys covers are better than the original besides No fun, she said she said. Chulahoma is badass. My favourite cover of theirs is the kinks cover Act Nice and Gentle.

I bought Pretenders 2 today (used-LP), and hearing this on headphones is great. Brought back many memories.

I don't think this strictly counts as a "cover," as the lyrics were changed significantly, but it's sort of a remake. I only found out tonight it's not an original. Never thought much about the "II" in the title or wondered why the song is uncharacteristically dark for Heart. Anyway, enjoy being rocked.

Black On Black II - Heart - YouTube

The original

Lisa Dalbello - Black On Black - YouTube

two great covers of Big Star:-





kudos for picking up songs from Third/Sisters Lovers, cos I don't think much of their first 2 albums

@ screen13

that entire Spell album is amazing....their cover of Stone is Very Cold is heart wrenching, Down From Dover really gets to the heart of tragedy, and the cover of Seasons in The Sun is by far my favorite version of that song.....and it seems to me that Rose's haunting voice was practically created to cover Rosemary's Baby :)

and i agree with Heartbeat....much like Minor Threat's cover of 12XU....love Wire love the originals just think these versions are a bit better

Walk Off the Earth - Magic
 

Hi guys, a lot of you may know the group Walk off the Earth from the cover of Somebody that I used to Know by Gotye. I do NOT think that cover is better than the original, though it is very good. However, their cover of the song Magic by B.O.B and Rivers Cuomo is better than the original for me and is really clever.
I would post the link but this is my first ever post so cannot yet post urls. Check it on youtube!!

Shinedown's cover of Simple Man http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/...hpOcH3kDPM.jpg

Megadeth's cover of Anarchy in the UK.

Running up that Hill by Placebo (original by Kate Bush)

I think Loop's cover of Suicide's 'Rocket USA' is better than the original. It just sounds more menacing and intense.

Oh yeah. Definitely.

Spacemen 3 - When Tomorrow Hits is much better than the original by Mudhoney.

Galaxie 500 do an amazing version of Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste (originally the Modern Lovers). Think I prefer it to the original, also. In terms of doing great covers, few bands seem to be so adeptly up to the task as Galaxie 500, in my opinion.

Spacemen 3 have some amazing covers, their cover of 13th Floor Elevators' 'Rollercoaster' is mind-blowing.

Galaxie 500 do some great covers alright, especially Plastic Ono Band's 'Listen, The Snow Is Falling' and The Velvet Underground's 'Here She Comes Now'.

Testing 1, 2, 3, testing.