Cover Songs that Were Better Than the Original Artists' Recording

The Doobie Brothers cover of "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me)"........great job, really rocks.

Worst cover ever: Chicago's remake of their own "25 or 6 to 4". The original was a hard-driving classic. Their 80s remake was a ponderous nightmare.

Roxy Music’s “Jealous Guy”

Pet Shop Boys covering Always On My Mind

R3 we must be on the same wavelength, I heard that while driving home this afternoon from work. Maybe that's what sparked this thread....hmmm!

While we are on Elton John (perish the thought) Sara Barielles' Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Besides being able to understand the words, her emotion adds meaning to the lyric Elton never did.

Whitney Houston’s cover of I Will Always Love You.

The Zutons’ song was taken to a different level by Mark Ronson and a certain Miss Amy Winehouse.

Dolly's original "I Will Always Love You" was a beautiful song, perfectly sung. Whitney's was an overblown mess.

Natalie Coles version of Lucy in the sky is pretty amazing

All of George Michael's covers in general, but "Going to a Town", in particular, is amazing.

Linda Ronstadt's That'll Be the Day. Maybe Desperado.

Ike and Tina Turner's cover of "Proud Mary." They made the song fun.

Reba McEntire's cover of "Fancy." But I hate her covers of "Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" and "Respect."

When I've enjoyed a cover it is usually because it's on the same level of the earlier recording that I liked. I will say that The Carpenters' covers of "Ticket to Ride" and "Superstar" are two covers that I find incredible. "TtR" is full of Karen's amazing range, and "Superstar" is just beautiful. Check out Jamal_AKA_Jamal's reaction video to the latter.

If I am honest, I have to admit I love Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66's cover of "I Think I'm Going Out of My Head" more than I love Little Anthony and the Imperials' original version of the song (although I love that original version too).

Enya’s cover of “Baby Got Back”.

Warpaint’s “Ashes to Ashes”

Fun Boy Three’s “Our Lips Are Sealed”. It’s so gay!

Alanis Morissette - My Humps

"The Tide Is High" by Blondie

Original

Ryan Adam's cover of Taylor Swift's entire 1989 album

Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower. Bob Dylan wrote and recorded it and it was good but not outstanding until Jimi got his hands on it.

Everything But The Girl's covers of

Bo Diddley - "Love is Strange"

Crazy Horse - "I Don't Want To Talk About It"

Tom Waits - "Downtown Train"

r22

Speaking of Bob Dylan, this rendition of "Forever Young" by Audra Mae, the great-granddaughter of Judy Garland's sister.

White Light/White Heat - The Professionals

Superstar - Sonic Youth

Cher's covers of

bill medley- i'm no angel

buzz fizz - Heart Of Stone

Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore?

Rhiannon Gidden

Patsy Cline - She's Got You

Wayfaring Stranger

^oh, and waterboy

The Gourds

Snoop Dogg - Gin and Juice

Rachelle Ferrell - Autumn Leaves

Coil's cover of

Marc Almond- Tainted Love

virtually everything Marc Broussard covers...

Concrete Blonde

Leonard Cohen - Everybody Knows

Bob Dylan - Joey

Jimi Hendrix - Castles Made of Sand

Anouk

R.E.M. - Losing My Religion

Anouk & (the aritst formerly known as) Sarah Bettens (of K's Choice)

Live - I Alone

Johnny Cash

Nine Inch Nails - Hurt

K.D. Lange - Skylark

Nell Carter

Michael McDonald - I Can Let Go Now

10,000 Maniacs because the night

Anne Murray's version of Sisters of The Moon is better than Fleetwood Mac's.

Chrissie Hynde

bob dylan - i shall be released

Joan Baez

Bob Dylan - Blowin' In The Wind

Van Halen was the best at this

Indigo Girls

Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue

Gerard McHugh - Thin Line

Mark Knopfler - Romeo and Juliet

Neil Young - Down By The River

(There are several unrecorded covers they did better... like James Taylor - Junkie's Lament & his Carolina in My Mind. It's pity they didn't do a cover album a couple decades back. Unfortunately, most of remaining bootlegs out there are either poor quality or focus only on their own songs...)

"They Don't Know"by Tracey Ullman, though Kirsty MacColl sang on Tracey's version and the "baby" is the same one in the original song, just pitched up a bit.

Bangles

Simon & Garfunkel - A Hazy Shade of Winter

Prince - Manic Monday

Got To Get You Into My Life by Earth, Wind & Fire

Concrete Blonde

Andy Prieboy - Tomorrow, Wendy

Elton John Pinball Wizard

Kay Starr's "Wheel of Fortune"

R41 Interesting choice. That arrangement is gorgeous, and Natalie Merchant’s voice isn’t lost in the mix. I think this track charted. Patti Smith’s version is revered, and justifiably, but the 10,000 Maniacs cover sounds better, to my untrained ear. Both Merchant and Smith can be irritating presences on stage, but they’re not without talent. The musicians in that video clip above look like they’re performing under protest. It looks a bit like they hated performing with Natalie. I remember after she left the band, a rabid fan was singing loudly and off key to one of their hits during a performance, and one of the band members commented “Natalie’s back!”.

Paul Anka

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun

(There have been a lot of covers of it, some I prefer more vocally but this arrangement that I believe that truly makes it more unique)

r54 despite their drama, both 10k and Merchant were better together... and vocally, she needed Mary Ramsey to balance her voice and vice versa but Merchant (to me) always came off as an entitled cunt even back in the early 80s. That was her default personality. . . perpetually pissy, impatient and couldn't be bothered.. too big for it all. Tho, that's not to say other membes were angels, either. They were a very "political" band and highstrung. It would be comparable to dealing with vegans at a bbq. But being in an ensemble is difficult even with the best of personalities, and of course, your costs go up, your profits go down and you're beholden to the group consensus.

Anne Murray's version of The Beatles' You Won't See Me

Soft Cell: Tainted Love (Originally sung by Gloria Jones)

UB40: Red, Red Wine (Originally sung by Neil Diamond)

Anita Baker: Mystery (Originally sung by The Manhattan Transfer)

Anita Baker: No One in the World (Originally sung by Dionne Warwick)

Chaka Khan: What'cha Gonna Do for Me (Originally sung by Average White Band)

Yvonne Elliman: Hello Stranger (Originally sung by Barbara Lewis)

Bobby Hatfield: Ebb Tide (Originally sung by The Platters)

Paul Hardcastle: Rainforest (Originally composed (?) by Frank Hatchett)

Any John Denver song sung by Olivia Newton-John.

Belinda Carlisle's I Feel Free (originally by Cream).

Chris Stapleton

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

Don McLean's 1980 version of Roy Orbison's "Crying".

Linda Ronstadt's remake of "Hurts So Bad".

Someone above mentioned the Carpenters remake (re-imagining, really) of "Ticket To Ride", but my favorite remake of theirs is from one of their early albums. "Baby, It's You" has been done as a sha-la-la Motown pop record, and a Janis Joplin-type belter (the group Smith, I think), but the Carpenters did a great ballad version, which I just love.

Tom Jones version of the Prince song Kiss.

Having met both Ms Merchant and the Maniacs that while things were tense there is no bad blood between them and I've heard both commend the other for their talents.

kd lang’s cover Orbison’s “Crying”.

kd lang's cover of "So In Love"

Amii Stewart - Knock on Wood

Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me

Luther Van Dross - Superstar

Tara Morice and Mark Williams - Time After Time (from "Strictly Ballroom")

Linda Ronstadt's cover of Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou"

She sings it so simply at the beginning, but then brings out the sobs in her throat for the chorus. It's one of the few songs I can think of where the original is great but the cover is absolutely brilliant.

John Lennon's "I Call Your Name" as covered by the Mamas and the Papas.

As great as Lennon was were, he had nowhere near as a great a voice as Cass Elliot. (Who did?)

Proud Mary by Ike and Tina Turner is better than that of Creedence.

Aretha's version of Natural Woman takes Carol King's song to another level.

Stand by Me as sung by John Lennon This is much better than the Ben E. King version or the Otis Redding version.

Also The Rolling Stones version of Ain’t too Proud (although the original is pretty damn good). That, the aforementioned Dancing in the street, and (also) Van Halen’s You Really got Me win in my book.

Carly Rae Jepson remaking Call Me Maybe with The Roots and Jimmy Fallon.

Sorry that's such a bad video

Ross's version of Forever Young ain't too shabby

The Beatles cover of Twist and Shout

EBTG did a few great covers as someone mentioned above.

There was also their version of the Pretenders' "Kid" and this one.

A H E M

r78 EXCELLENT!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun was originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard…but a few years later Cyndi Lauper made it a hit.

These two may be controversial but I will never change my opinion:

George Michael > Roberta Flack - The first time ever I saw your face

George Michael> Bonnie Raitt - I can’t make you love me.

The sensitivity in his voice is unparalleled.

Pretenders' cover of "Creep"

The string quartet was a nice touch.

Stevie Ray Vaughan’s cover of Hendrix’s “Little Wing”. At the risk of committing blasphemy, I think he really expanded on and improved it. He also did a good job with “Taxman”, especially the malicious sneer in his voice.

r80 good one! And Cyndi covered Prince's "When You Were Mine" and I definitely love her version more!

Youn Sun Nah - My Favorite Things

The late great PM Dawn smashed the Beetles version of Norwegian Wood

Loved PM Dawn!

I love the Ray Charles version of a Song For you. In researching the song it was an artist names Leon Russell who originated it. Many artists covered it though.

Taylor Acorn - Matchbox Twenty - Unwell

Red Hot Chili Peppers over Stevie Wonder.

Lana del Rey’s “Doin’ Time”

Even Sublime said her version is better.

Jeff Buckley

Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah

Lilac Wine

Lost Highway

Cassandra Wilson covering Neil Young’s Harvest Moon.

It’s dreamlike and resonant. The intro takes me to a small, nighttime lake lined by cattails and covered in the reflection of stars… when a massive moon slowly rises up from the horizon…

George Michael's version of 'The Long And Winding Road' at the Linda McCartney tribute show was sublime - arguably better than the original because, you know, that voice.

Similarly GM's 'Somebody To Love' possibly edged the lovely original due to the immense impact of his live tribute to Freddie. (The stripped down version in rehearsal is equally amazing.)

Also at the Linda show Elvis Costello did maybe the best ever version of 'Peace Love and Understanding', smashing it totally. (Nick Lowe's song originally of course.)

Finally, Kirsty MacColl's version of 'Days' brings another level of tender wistfulness to The Kinks' lovely original.

I'm not saying that Kings Of Leon's cover of Robyn's "Dancing On My Own.' is 'better' than hers but it is haunting...

Minnie Driver

The Cure - Close To Me

Teddy Swims

Bob Dylan - Make You Feel My Love

GWAR

Cyndi Lauper - She Bop

Matt Alber - I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

I stumbled on this by accident. No pronouns have been changed. I believe the singer is openly gay.

[quote]Elton John's cover of The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"

No.

R98 He does a great rendition of Madonna’s Take a Bow, one of my favorite covers.

The Fifth Dimension's cover of "Never My Love," originally sung by The Association, is simply amazing. Marilyn McCoo knocked it out of the park.

R81 Just....no.

Also no on George's cover of They Won't Go When I Go.

R92 I LOVE that version. It's a lovely thing to listen to at the end of the day.

A few more great EBTG covers. This was Ashford and Simpson in the original, I think....

Of course they were bold, picking Cole Porter for their first single.....

I don't know if it's "better" in my book. The original has a gritty passion, but I do love this version, it has a sweeter, angelic feel to it.

Both are good in my book, for different reasons.

And I fucking LOVE the Sundays.

Nirvana's cover of The Wipers' D7 live at the BBC in 91. The original Wipers song was a kind of weirdly lugubrious, forgettable new wave tune and Nirvana turned it into an anthem of majestic rage.

R81: [italic]The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face[/italic] is a folk song written/performed by Ewan MacColl /Peggy Seeger. Roberta Flack’s version is a cover. She altered the arrangement and slowed the tempo, which made the song over twice as long as the original. Hers is the definitive cover. George Michael copied the way she performed it.

Similarly, Harry Nilsson’s cover of Badfinger’s [italic]Without You[/italic] is also the definitive version of the song. Mariah Carey’s version is well known, too, but she copied Nilsson’s performance.

Lalah Hathaway’s take on Anita Baker’s “Angel”.

Endless Love - Luther / Mariah's version over Diana / Lionel's.

This is obscure, but Jordis Unga’s version of Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World”

Martha Wainwright’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “The Traitor”

Both give me goosebumps.

Elton John better than the Beatles, OP? Seriously?

Petteri Sariola

Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

Brae Cruz

Cher - Believe

Cyndy Lauper was perfect on I Drove All Night.

Donna Summers' MacAurthur Park is a classic. Took a mess and made it her own.

Ann Wilson & Nancy Wilson of Heart

Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore

Never The Bride

Led Zeppelin - Going To California

Fleetwood Mac / Christine McVie - Songbird

[quote] written/performed by Ewan MacColl

Kirsty MacColl's father - though like Norah Jones and her famous dad, not much of a close relationship there.

[quote] Cyndy Lauper

[quote] Donna Summers

Impressive. Two tried and you failed at both

Sheena Easton 's cover of "Our House" - better than the original

Bauhaus version of Ziggy Stardust.

R110, I strongly disagree about Endless Love. Nobody beats Lionel and Diana.

I don’t know if I would say better, but definitely on par with the Beatles.

R115, you have to be kidding. Taken as an ambitious disco song, the song is good, but the original Richard Harris version is a classic.

Humble Pie did a cover of "Heartbeat" by Buddy Holly that was far better than the original.

R21 I agree. I love Ryan's versions of each song, more than Taylor's original.

[quote] the original Richard Harris version is a classic

A camp classic, noted for how truly over the top it is

Are you trolling r95 😂

Fuck off r92 and your useless offering of a post.

Sorry r92! I actually meant to tag the actually useless waste of space r102 and her retarded belief her critiques were wanted.

I know flack is a cover r108. But I figured no one would have heard the original. Maybe you were alive way way back then though. And I stand by his being better regardless of your boring droning. His voice trounces hers and the style of the song as he chose to sing was what was best for his voice. And by the way it still makes George Michael’s a cover.

R131 I agree that George M. was a great cover artist who could steal a song away from the original artist because he could see the song in a new light with new emotions/perspectives. I'm not a big GM/Wham fan but I prefer all of his covers tot eh ones that came before.

I prefer Belinda Carlisle's cover below to the original Aussie female version =

I'm a big ABBA fan but this group did their tune more justice =

They also did this tune better than Connie did which suggests they know how to steal a song

away from a particular artist without simply doing a cover on an album just to fill it up =

The Go-Go's have released three different takes on this song.

I prefer all 3 to the original which is extremely dated =

Maxwell’s- this woman’s work. I love Kate bushes version too but he did it justice

I like Cyndi's cover over the original =

First Time original

I will get excoriated for this, but I prefer Hole's version of "Gold Dust Woman" to Fleetwood Mac's original (which in and of itself is a masterpiece). They made the song so much darker and almost gothic. The dirty guitars and that sludgy bass line, paired with Courtney Love's snarling vocals...it's just fantastic. Produced by none other than Ric Ocasek of The Cars.

R81/R131: So, you’re an overreactive, attention-whoring cunt who easily gets pressed because few people are agreeing with your “controversial” opinion. Got it.

[quote] Maybe you were alive way way back then though. And I stand by his being better regardless of your boring droning.

Someone alert the media! R131 has made a self-important pronouncement.

LQTM. I‘m 45 and, thanks to a resilient Eurasian mixture, very likely look a good 15 years younger than you, fat frau. You’ve written that you’re not a guy and in your 40s, which means you’re a bitter, craggy hag. You handle mild disagreements like a fucking child. Get over yourself and run along to your safe space, bitch.

[quote]Aretha's version of Natural Woman takes Carol King's song to another level.

Aretha's *was* the original recording.

Carole King wrote it for her and never recorded it until years later for Tapestry.

A House Is Not A Home. Luther Vandross' cover of the Dionne Warwick original is the one most people know of. In this video, he sings it as she watches him from the audience.

Dionne Warwick's original.

Mylène Farmer

Juliette Gréco "Déshabillez moi"

Dolly Parton's 1984 cover of Petula Clark's 1964 "Downtown" is much better than the original. Clark had commented on the time that Parton's recording was 'cute' but it was obvious she didn't care for it at all. This song peaked at #80 on the Hot 100 in April, 1984 (whereas Clark peaked at #1 20 years earlier).

Let me help you out, r145.

R146 The production is slicker that a wet street during an ice storm. Dolly's vocals however rise about the production.

R130 Whatever, Mary.

You have absolutely no taste. Camp queen George Michael has never sung the definitive ANYTHING.

The definitive House is Not A Home for me is by the legendary Dusty Springfield.

The others are lovely, of course, but this to me is perfection (starts around 2:45, as will the GOOSEBUMPS!)

Donna Summer's 'State of Independence' from 40 years ago is much better than the original by Vangelis (though his 1979 recording, and the album it came from is worth listening to - especially the whole album, 'The Friends of Mr. Cairo'). Summer's recording should have topped the pop charts (it peaked at #41, not even giving her another Top 40 ), as it's the only reason to buy the 1982 QJ produced monstrosity of an album.

r128 it's better live but couldn't find the planet claire / radio paris recording of it. which was darker and more drawn out.

for The Cure... it was one of their weaker songs, even Smith agrees to that fact.

but I know it's sacrilege to even say to a certain crowd:

Louis Armstrong's recording of "Hello, Dolly!" was much better than Carol Channing's.

Likewise, Eydie Gorme's recording of "If He Walked Into My Life" was much better than Angela Lansbury's.

Wow, I had no idea there was an original Vangelis version - I remember hearing Donna's version at R150.

This one was the one I was most familiar with - although it's clearly very different and mixed in with another song, I think.....

Cat Power

Peter Jefferies - The Fate of the Human Carbine

I love Donna but like Whitney....she really couldn't dance worth a damn, could she?

Well it’s not hard to get under your skin is it r108 😂 Your reaction is what is way over the top.

Also do you believe what everyone posts about themselves? Cause you shouldn’t. No one actually knows or cares about your ethnicity, for example. And like your assumption I’m a frau, it doesn’t matter in relation to the thread. But based on you violently losing your mind in your post- you definitely aren’t “resilient” in any way shape or form. 😂.

Jokes about age are pretty common here so welcome to datalounge. And if you’re 45 like you say (but probs older as you totally lost your mind about it), you’re still an eldergay around here darlin’.

PS you type fat 😊

R154 Cat Power does covers like no other. They’re always great. She seems more comfortable/less self conscious performing other artists’ material than her own—it’s kind of always been that way with her, hence all the covers records. I love her version of “Bathysphere” by Smog (also better than the original IMO)

Oops r156 was meant for the bombastic comments at r140 ^ but same person

[quote] resilient Eurasian mixture

So a shrieking Mary that's unfuckable on TWO continents. How very vivid.

Summer's 1984 cover of "There Goes My Baby" is much better than the original from The Drifters which released in 1959. Though the original went to #2 on the Hot 100, while Summer's version stalled at #21 some 25 years later. For some reason, Diana Ross thought it was a good idea to do another cover in 1987 for her 'Red Hot Rhythm and Blues' album, and that recording isn't even worth discussing (IMO).

Lol r102. Maybe I just love George’s voice so much that I’m biased.

I do agree about “They won’t go when I go” though. Never liked his version of that.

The Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing

R156: Now you’re admitting you’re a liar. Feh, you never had a particle of credibility in the first place. With your use of frequent lame emoticons, you type on the spectrum. The only one “violently” losing one’s mind is you, as shown at R129 & R130. You mad, boo?Another one who can dish it out, but can’t take it. Oh, the irony of a histrionic cunt like you, projecting her instability onto others…

It’s frequently mentioned , even here on DL, that Asians and Blacks age better than Whites. You calling me old is hilarious when you’re ageing like milk as you type, and that husk is housing a Gen Z mentality. I condole you, cunt.

R156 = the useless racist troll living in his mother’s basement just entered the thread. Welcome, bitter incel.

Upvoting your own comments is a pathetic touch, too. Amateurs!

Dusty Springfield's cover of You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me - better than Pino Donaggio's original and better than Elvis's later cover too.

Correction: the incel racist is R159. R156 is the butthurt habitual liar. It’s important to make a distinction between the varieties of pathological trolls.

You definitely do type fat r165

^ The pathological liar is back. Hey, you forgot to add an emoji to your post. Must be consistent with the tryhard.

You’re definitely Gen Z. No fortysomething could sound as stupid as you.

It’s just too easy, with this Mary lol.

Hey r167, why don’t you do something productive and post something related to the thread topic?

R168: Too easy? LMAO! The lies you tell, even to yourself. You’ve been flailing and failing the whole time with the ridiculous emojis, the upvotes you give yourself, and the fake pose of being above it all. You’re fooling no one, cunt. The sad little troll who tells people to fuck off and thinks calling someone retarded is hardcore, now wants posts with substance. So laughable! You can take several seats, loon.

Ok. Time to use my “bitch begone spray” and block r169. Bye!

I don’t think this one has come up yet. I’m not sure who the original singer was (maybe Willie Nelson?) as there are a bunch of versions I have heard. But Pet Shop Boys win the prize for the very best!

R170: Aww, can’t finish what you started, boo? Block me then, cunt. As if I care about some delicate nonentity and her pathetic “threat”. If you can’t handle the heat, then don’t act like a bitchass punk in the kitchen.

Gladys Knight's version of "The Way We Were"

Luther Vandross "A House Is Not A Home"

Always on my Mind first recorded by Brenda Lee.

The song is sort of heavy but I like this version vs Tears for Fears

Take That cover of Could This Be The Magic. They originally did a very pop cover of it but this is quiet theatrical and good!

Donny Hathaway’s version of I Love You More Than You Ever Know, originally done by Blood, Sweat and Tears.

Even Al Kooper who wrote the song said Hathaway did the definitive version.

R114 - treacly talent show singing. Are you insane? Cher's song was a mega hit because it was striking and revolutionary sound - Auto-Tune that almost sounds like vocoder. 250m views, hunty.

And speaking of a Blood, Sweat & Tears, their version of You’ve Made Me So Very Happy was better than the original by Motown artist Brenda Holloway.

And I normally don’t say that for most rock bands that remake an R&B song.

Sonic Youth is one of the most pretentious blowhard bands in history. They could never do a better remake than an original. Everything But the Girl was quite interesting on debut. Never did a better cover than an original. Missing remix deserved its international success, however.

George Michael did covers comparable to the originals but never surpassed them. I think GM's Killer is fabulous but Seal's is better. GM upped the bpm and layered on his kitschy soulman shtick live. I mean, sounded great, live for example, but Seal's is dark, crystalline, and epic.

I will accept 33% of the suggestions here as arguably equal or better. 50% of the suggestions are people post covers they like with no justification they are better than OG.

180 replies, and no one mentions the greatest cover of all time:

Eric Clapton, "I Shot the Sheriff"

Liking a cover does not make it better.

Sinéad's Nothing Compares is comparable and striking. But the song is very strong and there are many great interpretations.

I prefer this song done by a female than a male =

George Michael's cover of Elton John's "Tonight"

I prefer a male to do this one =

Sting's version of "Come Down In Time"

I prefer this one to the oldie as I think it needs

an updated sound for a modern audience =

I really enjoy Mylène Farmer, especially the dancy stuff. And I almost never enjoy Juliette Greco. I'd rather listen to Farmer but get real. Déshabillez moi is perfect in Greco's style. It's the ne plus ultra.

Sheesh, the stanning hyperbole is strong in this thread. OP's milkshake brings all the Stans to the yard.

^ I'd rather have fellow Go-Go Jane Wiedlin do

that sweet tune on an album than Belinda.

It fits Jane's nice girl voice/image.

R190 We post covers that we're familiar with. I guess you call it stanning but you're not gonna get any Japanese covers from me as I only know English.

I haven't heard a KT song images but I prefer the original.

This one is okay but it lacks pizazz of Belinda's version =

^ images? LOL! "in ages".

Diana Ross & Lionel Richie are 378% more elegant than Maria and Luther. Although its always nice to remember how Mariah could sing her head off.

I wish this one had better sound but

it's an interesting take with a female vocal -

R191 Our category is: "Cover Songs that Were Better Than the Original Artists' Recording". Not "covers I like by my favorite artists."

But, it's still fun to discover some of these covers, so do carry on.

Of all the renditions of "I Heard it through the Grapevine," Creedence Clearwater's is my favorite. First sung by Gladys Knight, who I love as well. And Marvin Gaye, I'm a fan. Somehow, I just think the Creedence version is the best.

Donna Summer's version of Barry Manilow's Could It Be Magic.

Most of Prince's songs were sung better by other artists, including "I Feel for You," Chaka Khan.

R191 responding to R196 = I never said Belinda Carlisle was my favorite artist nor did I care for her song at R186.

Try to pay attention to what's actually happening in the thread before you post next time....

R198 ok sweetie, Donna Stan, would you can it? The pornographic break in that song is particularly ridiculous and commercial. I don't blame her for being bitter about that production push.

What a relief! Nice to know you aren't DL Fave, The Belinda Carlisle Stan. That troll needs to take a fast dive over a Lausanne apartment building balcony, joining the late great Capucine Stan as a splat on the troittoir.

First Could It Be Magic.

Adam Lambert's cover of "Mad World" is more moving to me than the original by Tears for Fears.

Linda Ronstadt's cover of "All that You Dream," originally by Little Feat. Especially the middle section.

The Captain & Tennille's version of "Shop Around," over the original by The Miracles.

Seal's cover of Fly Like an Eagle.

I can't tell if this was already mentioned up thread. I scrolled through the petty, childish spat threads and I may have missed it.

I came across this just yesterday. Etta James' killer version of Guns & Roses "Welcome to the Jungle". I am biased, however. I never liked Guns & Roses and always thought Axel Rose was a snot-nosed little s#!t. This song is badass.

Interesting thread. R182, citing Clayton’s cover of “I Shot the Sheriff” was a good one.

R115 Lauper’s cover of I Drove All Night is really good. I thought it was her own because it was released before Roy Orbison’s. Only in the last few years did I know Orbison performed it. I think his version is amazing. His voice was really something.

D’oh, That’s meant to spell “Clapton” in r209

Interesting that I do not see the posts above that drew all the pushback. I must have blocked this person earlier. That happens a lot.

Tina Turner's "Let's Stay Together" is far superior to the original done by Al Green (and I love Al Green!) from the early 1970s. Turner really made this her own.

R94 Kings of Leon also covered the Selena Gomez song, Can't Keep My Hands To Myself and daaaammn, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands to myself if Caleb Followill was near me! The cover is pretty good too...

Bette Midler has publicly trashed her 1979 disco-heavy "Thighs and Whispers" album a few times in the press, but it does contain at least one lost gem: her version of James Taylor's "Millworker".

I always found it jarring when JT sang it from the female perspective, especially the line "and I, his only daughter". It was clearly written for a woman to sing.

Bette Midler, despite all her outrageousness, does have a way with a mournful ballad. She's conveys "melancholy" really well at times.

Damn! Melissa Manchester's "Johnny and Mary" from 1983 really outshines the original Robert Palmer version of 1980 and the 1982 remake by Tina Turner, or the Todd Terje and Bryan Ferry version. This should've been released as a single in 1983 from her 'Emergency' album.

Here's the song...

I never liked this song until Olivia covered it.

I liked the emotions she put into her version =

The original came out over a decade before this 1

& was done by a guy but hers is the best =

Teach Me Tonight...

Stardust - W. Nelson

I prefer this country version with Barbara's softer vocals =

R198 have you seen when Barry Manilow brings out Donna to sing it with him in concert?

R81 I agree 100% with you.

Lizz Wright, River Man

My millennial niece was playing me one of her favorite songs, “Higher Love,” by Whitney & Kygo, a version that was wholly unknown to me. I immediately pointed out that this was a cover of the ‘80s Steve Winwood version, one with which she was totally unfamiliar. She was floored when she listened to the Winwood version, instantly loving it.

Cher's cover of "I hope you find it" originally done by Miley Cyrus

ONJ remade this 1927 song.

Olivia

[quote]Lizz Wright, River Man

Lizz has a really good voice, but Nick Drake's music is super depressing no matter who sings it.

Hearing Nick's Pink Moon on that Volkswagen TV commercial, 40+ years after Nick killed himself, was extremely odd, especially as the song is about suicide.

Carmel - It's All In the Game (original Tommy Edwards)

Sorry, I only know this version from She's Having a Baby (terrific soundtrack)

I wouldn’t say better, but this cover of Jolene is a pleasure to watch. I think the keyboardist is distracting in his handsomeness.

Etta James - Sugar on the Floor

Originally recorded in 1973 by its composer, Kiki Dee. She did it in a sort of country-pop style. Elton John also took a stab at it in 1975.

Something about the song must have resonated deeply with Etta, as it became a long-running staple of her live set for the rest of her career, despite not ever being a hit.

R181 This guy is too cool for Sonic Youth,

No question: this is leagues better.

The Fall's cover of Black Monk Theme by the Monks.

Renegades of Funk by Rage

Love this thread. Here is my entry. Trio covering Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush." Both versions are awesome but the Trio one just amazes me with the harmonies. If you've never heard it, give it a listen.

R239 Oh god no. And I love Dolly. But this is just polished, overproduced MTV version. It has no emotions or rawness of the original.

Laura Nyro and Labelle did an album of Motown songs, (one of the greatest albums of all time) and both The Bells and Gonna Take a Miracle are far better than the originals.

Gonna Take a Miracle.

R241 "Jimmy Mack" is great too.

Not exactly a cover, but certainly a reimagining.

The Pet Shop Boys - Love Comes Quickly (Blank and Jones Remix)

Yes, Jimmy Mack is great but not quite good as the original.

Yutaka's version of This Christmas. The other covers are horrible.

George Michael cover of "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

Drift Away - Uncle Kracker

I like the cover of This Charming Man by the Stars better than the original by the Smiths.

Pet Shop Boys covering "Go West".

Adele's cover of that Bob Dylan Song

Sinbad O Connor - Nothing Compares To You

Stevie Nicks' cover of "I Need to Know" is better than Tom Petty's original, in my opinion

Ricky Martin's version of The Hooters' "Private Emotion"

Musically it may not be superior to the Dylan original or the more well-known hit cover by the Byrds, but this performance of "My Back Pages" from the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary concert really packs an emotional wallop.

To see all these aging legends together (Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan himself, and George Harrison), singing "oh, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now" gets me a little teary-eyed, especially because Tom and George are no longer with us.

Sacrilege, I know, but I think Dusty's cover of Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream is better than…

…Aretha Franklin's original.