loads of Spacemen 3 covers - "Will the Circle Be Unbroken", "Che", "MaryAnne", "Rollercoaster", "Starship"
altho I guess most of those aren't "famous" really
― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 12 November 2007 21:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Bill Medley: "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
― Geir Hongro, Monday, 12 November 2007 21:47 (sixteen years ago) link
Love & Rockets - "Ball of Confusion"
― o. nate, Monday, 12 November 2007 21:52 (sixteen years ago) link
Elton John "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" before The Beatles
Hall & Oates' "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" before The Righteous Brothers
― Joe, Monday, 12 November 2007 21:57 (sixteen years ago) link
Elton John "Pinball Wizard" before The Who.
― snoball, Monday, 12 November 2007 21:59 (sixteen years ago) link
Talking Heads - "Take Me To the River"
― o. nate, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Many, many Bob Dylan songs. I didn't even start listening to Dylan until I was 22 or 23.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:02 (sixteen years ago) link
Snuff - I Think We're Alone Now
― Øystein, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:03 (sixteen years ago) link
Testament - Nobody's Fault I had no idea that this was a cover until I mentioned to someone that I couldn't understand why that song was so horribly much worse than the rest of the album. Fellow looked at me and asked if I'd heard of Aerosmith. Pfft! (Hmm, I don't actually know if it -is- a famous Aerosmith song. For all I know it might be a b-side. I've never heard the original, thankfully.)
― Øystein, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:05 (sixteen years ago) link
Phil Collins - "Tomorrow Never Knows"
― Bocken Social Scene, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:11 (sixteen years ago) link
the fall - victoria mirage - tomorrow never knows bangles - live
― electricsound, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:18 (sixteen years ago) link
superchunk - train from kansas city
― electricsound, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Given my age, I think I'm allowed to not be embarrassed by knowing Paul Young's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" before encountering Joy Division.
― ailsa, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:23 (sixteen years ago) link
rainy day - holocaust rail - back of a car this mortal coil - kangaroo teenage fanclub - free again
clearly i was a late arrival to big star
― electricsound, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:25 (sixteen years ago) link
I'd claim that most famous cover versions of Dylan songs are actually more famous than the originals.
― Geir Hongro, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:29 (sixteen years ago) link
Such as?
― t**t, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:29 (sixteen years ago) link
All Along the Watchtower Mr. Tambourine Man
― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:30 (sixteen years ago) link
Yeh.
― t**t, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:31 (sixteen years ago) link
Camper Van Beethoven's "Insterstallar Overdrive" - not IO but, for me: "Pictures of Matchstick Men" Love & Rockets - "Ball of Confusion" - yes
also: "Tower of Song" - Jesus & Mary Chain "People are Strange" - Echo & the Bunnymen "Rawhide" - Dead Kennedys "Radar Love" - White Lion
― Pillbox, Monday, 12 November 2007 23:40 (sixteen years ago) link
that was me that told you that Oystein. and that song doesn't suck.
― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Monday, 12 November 2007 23:42 (sixteen years ago) link
Kristin Hersh - Trouble
― Mr. Goodman, Monday, 12 November 2007 23:46 (sixteen years ago) link
-- Joe, Monday, 12 November 2007 21:57 (1 hour ago) Link
-- snoball, Monday, 12 November 2007 21:59 (1 hour ago) Link
Oh yes, my mom was/is an Elton fan, so these. In fact, I've still never heard the original "Pinball Wizard".
― The Reverend, Monday, 12 November 2007 23:48 (sixteen years ago) link
Al Kooper's version of "Season of the Witch" Blood, Sweat & Tears "40,000 Headmen" Patti Smith "Gloria"
― The guy who just votes in polls, Monday, 12 November 2007 23:55 (sixteen years ago) link
In fact, I've still never heard the original "Pinball Wizard".
Lucky boy.
― Billy Pilgrim, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:12 (sixteen years ago) link
Actually, come to mention it...
The New Seekers "Pinball Wizard" before The Who.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:13 (sixteen years ago) link
Add the following to the list by Shakey of Dylan covers more famous than the originals:
All I Ever Want To Do - The Byrds My Back Pages - The Byrds If You Gotta Go Go Now - Manfred Mann The Mighty Quinn - Manfred Mann If Not For You - Olivia Newton-John I Shall Be Released - The Band
Arguably also "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" (Clapton, GnR) although Dylan's own version of that song has become quite famous too.
― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:14 (sixteen years ago) link
number one cup - the monkey song
(haha 'famous')
― electricsound, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:16 (sixteen years ago) link
Bad News- Bohemian Rhapsody Minutemen- Dr. Wu
― mulla atari, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:31 (sixteen years ago) link
All of the Minutemen's covers except the Creedence ones. Most of them I've heard the originals since hearing the covers, but I still haven't ever heard the original "Ack Ack Ack." And I only heard the Meat Puppets' original "Lost" for the first time in the last couple of months.
― Rock Hardy, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:34 (sixteen years ago) link
Probably a lot of Jesus and Mary Chain songs, including:
Vegetable Man (Pink Floyd) Mushroom (Can)
Also:
"On Tape" by Teenage Gang Debs (Pooh Sticks) "Mobo" by The Dustdevils (Hose, see Rick Rubin) "Heartbeat" by Big Black (Wire) "I Love Her All the Time" Camper Van (Sonic Youth) a bunch of Feelies covers, inluding Dancing Barefoot, Sedan Delivery, etc. "A Fifth of Beethoven" (I was young) "Black Diamond" by The Replacements (Kiss) "Citadel" by Red Kross (Stones)
― dlp9001, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:43 (sixteen years ago) link
Let's add the Wedding Present's version of "Box Elder" RIGHT HERE...
― Mark G, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:50 (sixteen years ago) link
Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi
...
― Tape Store, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:51 (sixteen years ago) link
'Black Night' by Vic Reeves (the Deep Purple ditty)
― Mister Craig, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 01:56 (sixteen years ago) link
I heard Li Yuchun's cover of Shakira's "Eyes Like Yours" before I ever heard Shakira, at all.
Is the original Talk Talk more famous than Alice Cooper's version? I've been listening to that since it came out, and I just heard the original for the first time yesterday.
The F.U.'s version of Green Beret.
― shieldforyoureyes, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 08:04 (sixteen years ago) link
The Soft Pink Truth's cover of Crass's 'Do They Owe Us A Living?'
― Mister Craig, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 08:14 (sixteen years ago) link
The Breeders - Happiness Is A Warm Gun U2 - Helter Skelter Aerosmith - I'm Down Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Here Comes The Sun
― nate woolls, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 08:17 (sixteen years ago) link
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00002MVQO.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
― The Wayward Johnny B, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 08:49 (sixteen years ago) link
Boyz II Men - Yesterday
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 08:55 (sixteen years ago) link
"Crimson and Clover"? Would the Joan Jett version be considered as equally or more famous than Tommy James and the Shondells'?
Any covers that Nina Simone has ever done - I grew up on her, but not so much with a lot of the Dylan and Beatles and Bee Gees that she used to cover. And I still haven't heard Big Star's "Thirteen", but I know it back to front via Wilco, Elliott Smith, Kind of Like Spitting, random youtube dudes...
― Roz, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 09:23 (sixteen years ago) link
One more for Geir/Shakey: Peter, Paul, and Mary's "Blowin' In The Wind."
― nickn, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 09:22 (sixteen years ago) link
Today, Dylan's version is probably more famous than Peter, Paul and Mary's even though it wasn't back then.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 10:22 (sixteen years ago) link
I'm pretty sure the latter is played more often on oldies stations today than the former is played on classic rock stations today. So, no.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 10:24 (sixteen years ago) link
in flames' cover of 'everything counts'
― Charlie Howard, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 10:47 (sixteen years ago) link
Blur's Oliver's Army (Costello) and Maggie May (Stewart)
― Finefinemusic, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:20 (sixteen years ago) link
Krokus - Ballroom Blitz (Sweet) Bob Dylan - The Boxer (Pau Simon) Ramones - Needles & Pins (Searchers) Triumph - Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh)
― christoff, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 21:12 (sixteen years ago) link
Is "Venus" by Bananarama more famous than the Shocking Blue original. I don't think so generally, but it probably is for my generation.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 23:00 (sixteen years ago) link
I heard Stars do "This Charming Man" on some Darla comp; at least a year went by before I found out it was a Smiths song.
― pgwp, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 23:17 (sixteen years ago) link
Japan - "Ain't that Peculiar" (Marvin Gaye)
Jim White - "King of the Road" (Roger Miller) Charming Hostess - "Won't you keep us Working?" (Residents)
― Cliftonb, Thursday, 15 November 2007 01:40 (sixteen years ago) link
Oh yeah, I'll sign up on the Ramones "Needles & Pins" and Charming Hostess. Also, Nomeansno - Would we be alive? (Residents again) Melvins - Goin' Blind (Kiss) Entombed - God of Thunder (Kiss) Oblivians - Sunday You Need Love (Trio, though I suppose this might not be overly famous either. It is the best thing ever though)
― Øystein, Thursday, 15 November 2007 08:44 (sixteen years ago) link
I don't know if this counts, but maybe Alicia Keys' cover of "How Come U Don't Call Me?"
― The Reverend, Thursday, 15 November 2007 08:54 (sixteen years ago) link
The Residents, "Good Lovin'" / The Rascals, "Good Lovin'".
There's bound to be other Residents' tracks because they often covered songs that were 60s US hits but did nothing in the UK.
― Wrote For Lunch (Tom D.), Friday, 5 March 2021 09:25 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtuUpoiKQtQ
― Stevolende, Friday, 5 March 2021 12:04 (three years ago) link
Great, didn't look at th evideo playing since it started with a record label picture.Oh well .mainly posted because it would be teh opposite of the thread.Covers of odd choices by artists well known for other stuffTHihk this should be sharablehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QV8KN9fDaE.
― Stevolende, Friday, 5 March 2021 12:07 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfnOaLQHKh8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-QT3AWtcjI
― xzanfar, Tuesday, 6 April 2021 19:15 (two years ago) link