Best Cover Songs of All Time

[petula]

Gary Jules' Cover of Tears for Fears "Mad World"

(what can I say, I'm a child of the 80s)

[KCattheStripe]

I love almost everything mentioned... plus Limp Bizkit's covers of "Faith" and "Behind Blue Eyes". I find Faith to be better than the original, and Behind Blue Eyes to be good, nowhere near as good as the original but still very good.

Fred Durst butchered "Behind Blue Eyes"

Cover songs should be butchered. They would be pointless if they sounded the same as the originals. I like both versions. Limp Bizkit's version is good on some occasions. The Who's is good on other occasions. Same goes for Faith, Come Together, All Along the Watchtower, Smooth Criminal, A Little Help From My Friends, etc. All good songs with good covers.

Nope. The other covers you mentioned took the original songwriters intent and built upon it because they felt they had something to add to that message.  For example Hendrix talked about how he always felt Dylan wrote what Hendrix couldn't articulate and after covering All Along the Watchtower Dylan still won't play any other arrangement than Hendrix's. Behind Blue Eyes is a great song that Fred Durst cut the balls off of.

Once again, I like one on some occasions, I like the other on other occasions. I don't see what the problem is with that. I don't have to be loyal to one song. They're both good in my opinion, and you are also giving your opinion. Stop stating your opinions like they are facts.

 I was saying that cover songs shouldn't be butchered. You can like the song, in fact I hope you do. But you can't deny it's a castrated version of the original.

[dig616]

I see Nirvana's cover of Bowie getting a lot of credit in this thread, and deservedly so. However, getting overlooked is Nirvana's cover of a different song from that very same "Unplugged in NYC" session- their cover of The Meat Puppets' "Lake of Fire." I'd say it's an even better cover than "The Man Who Sold The World," and I haven't seen it mentioned once.

[StartOrien]

Here's a few more on a slow day at work

Beck - Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams)

Lemonheads - Ms. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel)
Lemonheads - Thirteen (Big Star)
Lemonheads - How Will I know (Whitney Houston)

Ryan Adams - Wonderwall (Oasis) This one might take honors for my favorite du jour.

Dave Grohl - Tiny Dancer (Elton John)
Foo Fighters- Baker Street (blanking on the original singer)

[StartOrien]

I see Nirvana's cover of Bowie getting a lot of credit in this thread, and deservedly so. However, getting overlooked is Nirvana's cover of a different song from that very same "Unplugged in NYC" session- their cover of The Meat Puppets' "Lake of Fire." I'd say it's an even better cover than "The Man Who Sold The World," and I haven't seen it mentioned once.

TP, that whole album is probably in my top 10, they're both great songs but I'd take "Lake of Fire" over "Man Who Sold The War"

[vwoodruff]

I have to go with "Masters of War" - originally recorded by Dylan, covered by Eddie Vedder & Mike McCready (w/ GE Smith of SNL) at the Dylan celebration in 92 or 93. Powerful. If you haven't heard it, do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8GHBk_HSXg

These guys were just breaking on to the scene at the time. They absolutely nailed it...

[KCattheStripe]

Here's a few more on a slow day at work

Beck - Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams)

Lemonheads - Ms. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel)
Lemonheads - Thirteen (Big Star)
Lemonheads - How Will I know (Whitney Houston)

Ryan Adams - Wonderwall (Oasis) This one might take honors for my favorite du jour.

Dave Grohl - Tiny Dancer (Elton John)
Foo Fighters- Baker Street (blanking on the original singer)

I don't like that cover of Wonderwall, but I get why others do. Have you seen the vid of Grohl covering Stairway to heaven?

[Neurotic Guy]

Janice Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee (Kris Kristoferson - whose version is also great)

Ray Charles - Georgia (Hoagy Carmichael)

[rondohondo]

Elliott smith covering Neil Young's harvest moon

http://www.rawkblog.net/mp3/bootlegs/Elliott%20Smith-Complete%20Live%20Covers%20Compilation/33%20Elliott%20Smith%20-%20Harvest%20Moon%20%28Neil%20Young%29.mp3

[KCattheStripe]

Janice Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee (Kris Kristoferson - whose version is also great)

Ray Charles - Georgia (Hoagy Carmichael)

TP for the nice call on georgia.

[StartOrien]

Here's a few more on a slow day at work

Beck - Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams)

Lemonheads - Ms. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel)
Lemonheads - Thirteen (Big Star)
Lemonheads - How Will I know (Whitney Houston)

Ryan Adams - Wonderwall (Oasis) This one might take honors for my favorite du jour.

Dave Grohl - Tiny Dancer (Elton John)
Foo Fighters- Baker Street (blanking on the original singer)

I don't like that cover of Wonderwall, but I get why others do. Have you seen the vid of Grohl covering Stairway to heaven?

Ha, ya, him mouthing the solo was hysterical. And even though it was a joke, and he seemed rather intoxicated I thought the band killed it when they came back in after the mouth-solo.

[KCattheStripe]

Here's a few more on a slow day at work

Beck - Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams)

Lemonheads - Ms. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel)
Lemonheads - Thirteen (Big Star)
Lemonheads - How Will I know (Whitney Houston)

Ryan Adams - Wonderwall (Oasis) This one might take honors for my favorite du jour.

Dave Grohl - Tiny Dancer (Elton John)
Foo Fighters- Baker Street (blanking on the original singer)

I don't like that cover of Wonderwall, but I get why others do. Have you seen the vid of Grohl covering Stairway to heaven?

Ha, ya, him mouthing the mouth-solo was hysterical. And even though it was a joke, and he seemed rather intoxicated I thought the band killed it when they came back in after the mouth-solo.

Also, him pretending to forget the lyrics was hysterical.

[rondohondo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yylhC7h3Ew

Blind Melon covering candy says

[MattG12]

Here's a few more on a slow day at work

Beck - Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams)

Lemonheads - Ms. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel)
Lemonheads - Thirteen (Big Star)
Lemonheads - How Will I know (Whitney Houston)

Ryan Adams - Wonderwall (Oasis) This one might take honors for my favorite du jour.

Dave Grohl - Tiny Dancer (Elton John)
Foo Fighters- Baker Street (blanking on the original singer)

I don't like that cover of Wonderwall, but I get why others do. Have you seen the vid of Grohl covering Stairway to heaven?

I love the Dave Grohl cover of Stairway! Of course that too happens to be butchered.

[KCattheStripe]

Here's a few more on a slow day at work

Beck - Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams)

Lemonheads - Ms. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel)
Lemonheads - Thirteen (Big Star)
Lemonheads - How Will I know (Whitney Houston)

Ryan Adams - Wonderwall (Oasis) This one might take honors for my favorite du jour.

Dave Grohl - Tiny Dancer (Elton John)
Foo Fighters- Baker Street (blanking on the original singer)

I don't like that cover of Wonderwall, but I get why others do. Have you seen the vid of Grohl covering Stairway to heaven?

I love the Dave Grohl cover of Stairway! Of course that too happens to be butchered.

Fair enough, butchering for Irony and Humor's sake is different.