Which cover versions improve on the original?

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Inner Life's version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" slaughters the original.

― Andy K (Andy K), Monday, 9 September 2002 13:20 (twenty-three years ago)

that's the winner!

― michael w., Monday, 9 September 2002 13:32 (twenty-three years ago)

That one dude who set his guitar on fire and then choked on vomit did a pretty good cover of this song by that one nasal Northern Minnesota guy with the Jew-fro. I think it was about the Jehova's Witnesses or something.

(Well, it's a tired answer. I had to make it interesting somehow.)

Also, the Ramones' version of "Let's Dance" is ace.

― Nate Patrin, Monday, 9 September 2002 14:25 (twenty-three years ago)

It's Cat Power. It's Wonderwall. It still hasn't been officially released.

And I dunno if it's better, but Cinerama's version of London runs the Smiths very, very close...

I also remember Paul Heaton doing a fantastic version of Lean On Me a few years ago too, the Radio 1 Christmas Carols thing.

― Mr Swygart (mrswygart), Monday, 9 September 2002 14:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Neu!'s Weissensee covered by Autechre is so much more addictive/hypnotic than the original. The best thing I know of Autechre.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Monday, 9 September 2002 15:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Aztec Camera's version of "Jump."
Bob Dylan's version of "Belshazar."
Elvis Presley's version of "Hound Dog."

― Burr, Monday, 9 September 2002 16:37 (twenty-three years ago)

The Wedding Present covering "Red Shoes By The Drugstore".

― Poppy (poppy), Monday, 9 September 2002 17:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually, the Wedding Present's take on "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones is completely ejacutastic!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 9 September 2002 18:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Scooter's take on "The Logical Song". Having said that, my left testicle's cover of "The Logical Song" would be better than the original.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 9 September 2002 18:25 (twenty-three years ago)

My favourite cover of Song To the Siren is by Elvis impersonator The King. There are literally thousands of covers that improve on the original. The best ever, for me, might be Al Green's version of the Bee Gees' How Can You Mend A Broken Heart. Aretha's Respect, already mentioned, and I Say A Little Prayer (Dionne Warwick was first), and Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Gladys Knight was first) all leap to mind too.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 9 September 2002 19:11 (twenty-three years ago)

The King, oh no, not the guy who covers songs as Elvis, like "Come As You Are" etc.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 9 September 2002 19:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, a whole album of covers of songs by other dead stars, called Gravelands. The first three tracks on it (Come As You Are, Love Will Tear Us Apart and Song To The Siren) are all terrific, though most of the rest is rather less good.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 9 September 2002 19:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Apart from the fact that nothing could ever possibly piss over Aretha Frankli,

I bet Ronan could!

There are several gothy/new beat versions of early Depeche Mode songs on _I Sometimes Wish I Was Famous_ that I vastly prefer to the originals. I'm thinking in particular of Systema The Affliction's "Shouldn't Have Done That", Pouppe Fabrik's "Photographic", Signal's "My Secret Garden" and Ater Koma's "The Sun And The Rainfall". S.P.O.C.K's "Ice Machine" comes very, very close to beating the original.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 9 September 2002 20:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Joan Jett's "Crimson and Clover" and Eugene Chadbourne's "Oh Yoko" belong on the list.

― dan (dan), Monday, 9 September 2002 20:05 (twenty-three years ago)

GRACE JONES - she´s lost control (joy division) BEN WATT - you´re gonna make me lonesome when you (B.Dylan) BYRDS - my back pages (B.Dylan) CARL BEAN - i was born this way (Valentino) DRAGONS (they are cchinese and have a violin!) - anarchy in the uk (sex pistols) get off my cloud (rolling stones) SCHNEIDER TM - the light 3000 (smiths) Y PANTS - off the hook (rolling stones) Jay-Z Foxy Brown - Ain´t no nigga (Four tops) are a few of them
'

― Jens (brighter), Monday, 9 September 2002 20:25 (twenty-three years ago)

The Raincoats' "Lola" is one of the best covers ever.

― mike a, Monday, 9 September 2002 20:38 (twenty-three years ago)

wedding present "let's make some plans" - the definitive version of an anaemic original.
napalm death "nazi punks fuck off" - it just gives it the anger it was always meant to have.
14 iced bears "summer nights" - a revelation, i always thought i hated that song.
and mr swygart is right - cinerama's "london" is the peerless, partly because it's almost a rewrite.
the fall "lost in music" - the original just doesn't sound right any more.

― kieron, Monday, 9 September 2002 20:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Bob Dylan's version of "Belshazar."

Better than the Johnny Cash original?! This is something I have to hear.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 9 September 2002 21:04 (twenty-three years ago)

"Gravelands" was ace but by the time "Return To Splendour" was released the joke had pretty much worn thin (I mean, "Under The Bridge"? "CHILD Of A Preacher Man"??)

― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 9 September 2002 21:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Otis Redding's version of Daytripper

Peaches version of Rock Show

― Dave Beckhouse, Monday, 9 September 2002 22:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmm. From my perspective, it seems like Weird Al's "Polka Power" and "Alternative Polka" improved on a number of originals each, and were also the most entertaining things he produced.

― Captain Sleep (Captain Sleep), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 06:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Luna's cover of Beat Happening's "Indian Summer."

Sonic Youth's cover of Neil Young's "Computer Games."

― nickn, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 06:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Glad to see someone namecheck the Dragons. But the best cover of Anarchy I know of was the version by Frazier Chorus - a B s-de - made it spookily menacing, fragile and beautiful. A gem.

I'll think of some more in a minute. My mind's gone blank.

― jon, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Cat Power - Satisfaction. By taking away the melody and the chorus Chan Marshall strips away everything that sucks about this song. I am not sure if what is left after is beautiful, but it grates less, for sure.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry, I missed the Elvis remix thread...anyway, the best cover ever and I can't believe I forgot it upon first posting is Killdozer's version of the Jessi Colter single "I'm Not Lisa."

― Ryan McKay, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Sonic Youth's cover of Neil Young's "Computer Games."
Hyou mean "Computer Age", yes?

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 13:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Paul Simon's "Boy in the Bubble" as done by the Blue Aeroplanes. Even Paul Simon fans (egh) like it.

.. Vanilla Fudge's version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On"

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 18:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, and Johnny Cash's versions of "One" and "Rusty Cage" - FAR superior.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 18:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Just listening to Bethany Curves cover of Gouge Away which is far more scary than the Pixies original.

My Bloody Valentine's cover of 'Map Ref 41°N 93°W' ever so slightly improves it also.

bis's recent cover of 'Shack Up' was better than the A Certain Ratio version they were covering (it was an ep of Factory covers) but not as good as the Banberra original.

That's all Ican think of at the moment that hasn't been mentioned.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 20:43 (twenty-three years ago)

mr bungle doing billy squire's "the stroke" is AMAZING

― chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 20:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Some more:
- I wouldn't say that Low's version of Transmission is better than the original but the slow motion is a new interesting perspective of the song.
- The Motorcycle Boy's Run, Run Run is much better than VU's original. One reason is the voice of the female singer.
- The Dandy Warhols version of AC/DC's Hells Bells is quite nice. Pretty slow and melodic.
- The Red House Painters version of Kiss Shock Me is more classic than the original which I don't even remember.
- The AC/DC cover album of Mark Kozelek/RHP is very nice as well.
- Johnny Cash's version of Nick Cave's The Mercy Seat is brilliant and more impressive than the original (his voice is better and his phrasing as well).
- Stina Nordenstam's Purple Rain version is quite bizarre but I like it.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 21:38 (twenty-three years ago)

lovejoy's second attempt at biff bang pow!'s 'the beat hotel' is better than the original, i've not actually heard lovejoy's first try.

― keith, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 02:36 (twenty-three years ago)

i'm surprised no one's said this but, hendrix's 'all along the watchtower', or 'hey joe', or probably anything he ever even thought about covering completely annihilated the original.

― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 04:22 (twenty-three years ago)

The best covers are transformations of catchy songs by artists who feel whole universes of emotions beyond those of the originators (as opposed to covering a Hank Williams song, which no one could possibly screw up). So I'll pick the Pet Shop Boys' "Go West" - takes the Village People's fun-but-cheesy original, adds some earnestness and thus intensifies the joy a hundredfold, and then adds a tragic undercurrent (you only Go West if there's something you need to escape from).

― B:Rad (Brad), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 05:32 (twenty-three years ago)

To be fair to the Village People the particular undercurrents (AIDS escapism and the fall of Communism) the PSB put in weren't actually available in 1979.

Am I the only person who prefers Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" by far? I don't think it's a very good song in the first place and I think Hendrix' version gives it a gravitas it really doesn't earn, and unearned gravitas = horrible bombast, nice guitar work or no.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 05:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Wall of Voodoo -- "Pretty Boy Floyd."
Radiohead -- "Rhinestone Cowboy" (okay, I don't like the original all that much, which makes it too easy)
Kate Bush -- "Rocket Man" (and I -do- like the original, and would ordinarily prefer the best of Elton to the best of Kate).
David Bowie -- "My Death" (does it count as a cover if it translates the lyrics?)
Elvis Presley -- "Sweet Caroline"
Radio Iodine -- "These Boots Were Made For Walkin"
Luxt -- "Genie in a Bottle"
Razor Skyline -- "One Night in Bangkok"

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 05:57 (twenty-three years ago)

idunno how many songs mentioned here have, uh, gravitas but, hendrix just blew things up, i think.

― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:11 (twenty-three years ago)

And I'm reeeeeally tempted to say Bowie's cover of the Pixies' "Cactus" (which is saying something, as a former Masshole), but the novelty hasn't worn off enough yet for me to say for sure.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Nice guitar work (sorry blowing things up) w/no relation to song is no better than Whitney vocal-diva stuff w/no relation to song.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:17 (twenty-three years ago)

As a Dylanite, off the top of my head I can't think of any cover that improves on his Bobness (especially true of "Mr Tambourine Man"). "Watchtower" might get close (the guitar work at least fits the theme), but Dylan could sing better.

― B:Rad (Brad), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:23 (twenty-three years ago)

I think The Byrds' "Mr Tambourine Man" is as good as the Dylan track. I'm a Dylan fan too but I think he's written a few dull or rubbish songs and unfortunately his most famously covered ones ("Watchtower" and "Knocking on Heaven's Arsing Door") are two of them.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:26 (twenty-three years ago)

well, if you put it that way, whitney made 'i will always love you' hers too. whether anyone likes it/her/the original or not (i sure don't). i don't particularly think a song needs to have any substance whatsoever to be good music anyway...

― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom is right on about "Watchtower." The only Dylan covers I like nearly as much as the originals are by the Byrds, but really I find it hard to call those songs 'covers' - I mean, the Byrds could sing the ingredients list of a cereal box and I'd probably still find it lovely.

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Fair do's. I wasn't really talking about substance....I suppose I'm saying that some artists (eg Hendrix, Whitney too probably) have such a unique and strong style that they shouldn't do/have done covers, cos they just overwhelm the material and make it sound like a novelty record.

Actually Justyn is right in that the Byrds also did this, and I love them because they make everything sound so flat and pretty. So my point sort of falls apart.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:37 (twenty-three years ago)

ehh, i don't even remember the last time i cared to listen to hendrix anyway :)

― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:58 (twenty-three years ago)

flaming lips: "after the gold rush"

chocolate watchband: "baby blue"

shellac: "jailbreak"

the swamp rats: "louie louie"

hendrix's "like a rolling stone" at monterey is better than his other dylan covers. it's also a proven scientific fact that loadsa dylan songs are done better by other people. i think d. zarakov will back me on this...

― cameron, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:30 (twenty-three years ago)

re: proven scientific fact that loadsa Dylan songs done 'better' by other people. Can I just say 'good' yes, 'interesting' yes, 'accoplished' yes, but 'better' nooooo siree.

― Roger Fascist (Roger Fascist), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:37 (twenty-three years ago)

i forgot the lips version of knives out which is rather wonderful. suddenly the song becomes a strange thing in between guitar feedback and epic western soundtrack, maybe not better than the original but an interesting take on it

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:53 (twenty-three years ago)

The Heptones' version of "I Shall Be Released" is a heap better than Dylan's.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Suede's cover of Elvis Costello's Shipbuilding off the Help album is the best Suede song, and the best Elvis Costello song.

Ditto the Pixies, Leonard Cohen, I Can't Forget, I'm Your Fan

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 12:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Skipping 155 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPdoWp-PHFU

― Maresn3st, Friday, 11 June 2021 12:40 (four years ago)

Nina Simone also makes the most definitive version of Sinnerman. I wasn’t even aware it was a cover until recently via another thread on ilm.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 11 June 2021 14:50 (four years ago)

Nina Simone's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes?" is also the definitive version IMHO.

― raven, Saturday, 12 June 2021 09:21 (four years ago)

I still love the original but boy is this one smooth take on this song

kali uchis - venus as a boy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47oiB_quDf8

― Swanswans, Saturday, 12 June 2021 09:30 (four years ago)

Nina Simone does a lot of reinventions of very white singer songwriter stuff on the material I have collected as Sugar In My bowl.
Have found that an odd companion to black militancy which I thought she was about at the time.
BUt the versions are really good from what I've heard of them and I'm really glad to have them

― Stevolende, Saturday, 12 June 2021 11:54 (four years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgZ3B-2q-g

― Being cheap is expensive (snoball), Saturday, 12 June 2021 15:36 (four years ago)

four years pass...

PJ Harvey - “Highway 61 Revisited”. So thrashing and brutal. Never cared much for the original, tbh.

― brimstead, Thursday, 7 August 2025 18:40 (nine months ago)

Elvis Costello: What's So Funny 'bout Peace Love and Understanding smokes the original Brinsley Schwarz version.

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 8 August 2025 01:04 (nine months ago)

The Fauns' version of Doot Doot". Heard the original for the first time (didn't even know it was a cover), and their version is better.

― beard papa, Friday, 8 August 2025 04:39 (nine months ago)

chocolate watchband: "baby blue"

OTM

And ditto re: Nina Simone, on a zillion tracks.

This is not an improvement as such, but I recently suggested Sebadoh's rendition (this one) of Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" when someone asked about interesting covers IRL. That person really didn't dig it, which *obviously* means I should foist it on others now that I've been reminded godammit.

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Friday, 8 August 2025 06:27 (nine months ago)

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