Less famous covers that you knew before the more famous originals

Talking Heads - "Take Me To the River"

Many, many Bob Dylan songs. I didn't even start listening to Dylan until I was 22 or 23.

Snuff - I Think We're Alone Now

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.)

Phil Collins - "Tomorrow Never Knows"

the fall - victoria
mirage - tomorrow never knows
bangles - live

superchunk - train from kansas city

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.

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

Many, many Bob Dylan songs. I didn't even start listening to Dylan until I was 22 or 23.

I'd claim that most famous cover versions of Dylan songs are actually more famous than the originals.

Such as?

All Along the Watchtower
Mr. Tambourine Man

Yeh.

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

that was me that told you that Oystein. and that song doesn't suck.

Kristin Hersh - Trouble

Elton John "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" before The Beatles

-- Joe, Monday, 12 November 2007 21:57 (1 hour ago) Link

Elton John "Pinball Wizard" before The Who.

-- 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".

Al Kooper's version of "Season of the Witch"
Blood, Sweat & Tears "40,000 Headmen"
Patti Smith "Gloria"

In fact, I've still never heard the original "Pinball Wizard".

Lucky boy.

Actually, come to mention it...

The New Seekers "Pinball Wizard" before The Who.

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.

number one cup - the monkey song

(haha 'famous')

Bad News- Bohemian Rhapsody
Minutemen- Dr. Wu

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.

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)

Let's add the Wedding Present's version of "Box Elder" RIGHT
HERE...

Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi

...

'Black Night' by Vic Reeves (the Deep Purple ditty)

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.

The Soft Pink Truth's cover of Crass's 'Do They Owe Us A Living?'

The Breeders - Happiness Is A Warm Gun
U2 - Helter Skelter
Aerosmith - I'm Down
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Here Comes The Sun

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00002MVQO.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Boyz II Men - Yesterday

"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...

One more for Geir/Shakey: Peter, Paul, and Mary's "Blowin' In The Wind."

Today, Dylan's version is probably more famous than Peter, Paul and Mary's even though it wasn't back then.

"Crimson and Clover"? Would the Joan Jett version be considered as equally or more famous than Tommy James and the Shondells'?

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.

in flames' cover of 'everything counts'

Blur's Oliver's Army (Costello) and Maggie May (Stewart)

Krokus - Ballroom Blitz (Sweet)
Bob Dylan - The Boxer (Pau Simon)
Ramones - Needles & Pins (Searchers)
Triumph - Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh)

Is "Venus" by Bananarama more famous than the Shocking Blue original. I don't think so generally, but it probably is for my generation.

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.

Japan - "Ain't that Peculiar" (Marvin Gaye)

Jim White - "King of the Road" (Roger Miller)

Charming Hostess - "Won't you keep us Working?" (Residents)

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)

I don't know if this counts, but maybe Alicia Keys' cover of "How Come U Don't Call Me?"

The first version I heard of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was the Nicki French version.

And of course the first version of "Hip To Be Square" I heard was the Sesame Street cover.

Japan's 'All Tomorrow's Parties', of COURSE.

The Velvet Underground couldn't improve on that.

Faith No More "Let's Lynch The Landlord"

Granted the original wasn't that famous either.