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?
Save Ferris’ cover of Come On Eileen, by Dexy’s Midnight Runners.
While I love the original version, Seethers cover of Careless Whisper is one of my favourite songs ever.
I’m not sure Last Kiss by Pearl Jam is actually better than the original but it definitely deserves honorable mention.
Eleanor Rigby by Pain
Saw that one live in 2002. Amazing show.
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!
Love roller coaster covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, originally by the Ohio players I think, unsure because there’s been a few covers, but RHCPs is the best. The problem is they did it for the movie Bevis and Butthead do America, and I’m now there are weird license rights so you can’t stream it, but can be found on you tube.
Small town boy by Paradise Lost. https://open.spotify.com/track/0jfNgP8sP2tnOloYDw0HoM?context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A1lvVqodR4aT3R8WemeIgDN
The original is iconic, and there are almost too many covers of it to take it in. But Paradise Lost takes it in a different direction.
Same as Wicked Game by HIM. https://open.spotify.com/track/5XenUjG7cRnTkUe8AVuuMX
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.
faith no more’s easy
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
For as long as I’ve known it I’ve preferred the version of Ghost’s Cerice done by Saint Raven, a much less known band out of Utah.
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.
And even Dylan agreed it was better
Is it still a cover if the original artist agrees to let you adopt the song? Dylan said it’s Hendrix’ song now.
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.
Crooked Fingers - Long Black Veil
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Tool’s cover of No Quarter by Led Zeppelin. Page was channeling future Adam Jones with those riffs. It’s s a shame that the only official release of that song is on Tool’s coveted “Salival” album which is notoriously hard to get ahold of for anything even resembling a decent price if you can even find a good copy. Damn, I wish they would re-release that album.
