Will second the Blue Monday by Orgy. Still kinda prefer theirs, whatever taste points that loses me.
Dynamite Hack's novelty cover of Boys In The Hood. Alien Ant Farm's novelty cover of Smooth Criminal, although that was pretty famous I guess. From the same period, whoever sampled/interpolated "Sundown, I think it's a sin..." or whatever.
Oh, all the Metallica nods remind me of their "Turn the Page" which qualifies for me here.
Foo Fighters doing "Down in the Park" by Gary Numan.
Erase Errata doing "Boris the Spider" by The Who live. Was YEARS before I figured out wtf that spider song was.
Smashing Pumpkins "Landslide," which a friend and I somehow interpreted as a weird, acoustic version of "Drown."
Almost certain I heard "Octopus's Garden" by Raffi or some other kid-friendly artist as a tot.
And of course, mountains of things parodied by Weird Al, in fact, virtually everything parodied by Weird Al before the late nineties or so, I knew originally via Al. I was a nerdy kid.
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:11 (fourteen years ago) link
Some of the stuff on this thread is kind of iffy to me though. No way is REM's "Superman" less famous than the original! And Van Halen's "You Really Got Me" is probably approaching higher recognition than the Kinks' version.
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:16 (fourteen years ago) link
Agreed. I was going to mention Mazzy Star's "Blue Flower" cover, but that's clearly better known than the original.
― dlp9001, Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:19 (fourteen years ago) link
Slowdive - Some Velvet MorningMercury Rev - If You Want Me to StayMotley Crue - Smokin' in the Boys Room & Anarchy in the UK
― Pullman/Paxton Revolving Bills (Pillbox), Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:26 (fourteen years ago) link
"Will second the Blue Monday by Orgy. Still kinda prefer theirs, whatever taste points that loses me."
hmmm, like a billion?
― scott seward, Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:26 (fourteen years ago) link
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - "Ferry Cross The Mersey"
― Squash weather (Eazy), Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:28 (fourteen years ago) link
speaking of the kinks, i'm pretty sure i heard pretenders cover of stop your sobbing first. and speaking of the pretenders, it's possible that i heard everything but the girl's cover of kid before the original. cuz even though my brother had the pretenders debut when it came out i don't think i ever listened to the whole thing till years later.
― scott seward, Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:29 (fourteen years ago) link
When I was a little kid I only knew Anne Murray's "You Won't See Me," "Daydream Believer" and "Danny's Song." Haven't heard any of these since I was at least 8 years old.
― billstevejim, Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:36 (fourteen years ago) link
I think Orgy and New Order's "Blue Monday"s are just about equally famous.
― billstevejim, Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Smashing Pumpkins "Landslide,"
― billstevejim, Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:39 (fourteen years ago) link
Now that I think about it, as late-80s pop & thrash metal was my first musical obsession, I'm sure a lot of classic rock & punk staples were first heard via dudes in tights w/ poodle hair. A few others that spring to mind: "Radar Love" by White Lion; "Gudbuy t'Jane" by Britney Fox; "Purple Haze" by Winger
― Pullman/Paxton Revolving Bills (Pillbox), Saturday, 12 September 2009 16:40 (fourteen years ago) link
I was going to mention Mazzy Star's "Blue Flower" cover, but that's clearly better known than the original
Yeah, but Pale Saints cover version FTW!
― girls just wanna have mixtapes (Masonic Boom), Saturday, 12 September 2009 17:45 (fourteen years ago) link
Hmmm, along those lines though, I think Bongwater's "The Drum" might qualify as less famous than Slapp Happy's. Tough call. Anyway, heard the Bongwater version first, and still kind of prefer it.
― dlp9001, Saturday, 12 September 2009 18:04 (fourteen years ago) link
Mazzy Star > Pale Saints in terms of "Blue Flower" IMO, but the "here comes the fuzz pedal" section of the PS version never fails to give me the spine chills. Both versions totally rule, btw. Still haven't heard the original.. Maybe this should be polled?
― Pullman/Paxton Revolving Bills (Pillbox), Saturday, 12 September 2009 18:45 (fourteen years ago) link
Other trax I thought of: "People are Strange" by Echo &TB; "Hot Rod Lincoln" by All; "Tower of Song" by Jesus & Mary Chain; "Rawhide" by Dead Kennedys
― Pullman/Paxton Revolving Bills (Pillbox), Saturday, 12 September 2009 18:49 (fourteen years ago) link
It's funny: Mazzy Star make one tiny chord change to the song that vastly improves it over the Slapp version, even though I'm generally a huge Slapp Happy fanboy.
― dlp9001, Saturday, 12 September 2009 18:51 (fourteen years ago) link
most Velvet Underground songs I first heard through others (so uncool was/am I):
Mitch Ryder - "Rock and Roll"Big Star - "Femme Fatale"The Feelies - "What Goes On"
― henry s, Sunday, 13 September 2009 00:07 (fourteen years ago) link
Heaven & Earth's cover of "Sixty Years Old" convinced me to seek out Elton John's original, and from there I began to take seriously an artist I'd blacklisted ever since I watched the relevant bit of Princess Di's funeral on tv.
― sleighdog mcdonald (unregistered), Sunday, 13 September 2009 00:53 (fourteen years ago) link
joy divisions cover of 'sister ray' haha
― zappi, Sunday, 13 September 2009 01:21 (fourteen years ago) link
In the eighties at the Kennel Club in Philadelphia, I often heard Pretty Poison's cover of the Tuxedomoon song "No Tears," having never heard the original at that point. I wish I could find it now in mp3 form, I think it was on a flexi disc and I haven't heard it since. It's great.
― Fruitless and Pansy Free (Dr. Joseph A. Ofalt), Sunday, 13 September 2009 01:56 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm still convinced The Sea and Cake's 'Sound and Vision' is better than the original Bowie song (which I didn't hear until much later). Barely anyone agreed with me, I made a poll on this.
― CaptainLorax, Sunday, 13 September 2009 03:31 (fourteen years ago) link
oh.. Red Red Meat's 'I'm not in Love' is better than the 10cc version. Also heard the Red Red Meat version first. Talk about a kick ass guitar solo in the middle
― CaptainLorax, Sunday, 13 September 2009 03:33 (fourteen years ago) link
Both "Proud Mary" and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" I chiefly knew via the versions on this LP I owned as a six-year old
http://paintinglady.com/music/images/TheBells_StayAwhile.jpg
Also: "Bang a Gong (Get it On)" (Witch Queen), "Like a Rolling Stone" (Jimi Hendrix)
― Random trolling, brutal snubs, darted zings & decisive bans (Myonga Vön Bontee), Sunday, 13 September 2009 09:49 (fourteen years ago) link
everything on the rainy day albumida's version of 'everybody knows this is nowhere'
― surfin on my face (electricsound), Sunday, 13 September 2009 09:54 (fourteen years ago) link
Beach Boys - "I was made to love her" before Stevie Wonder's original
― CaptainLorax, Sunday, 13 September 2009 15:50 (fourteen years ago) link
I've still never heard CCR's "Don't Look Now" -- only ever heard the Minutemen cover.
― Hugh Manatee (WmC), Sunday, 13 September 2009 16:51 (fourteen years ago) link
Pretty sure I heard Bauhaus' version of "Ziggy Stardust" before Bowie's, and a lot of times I still prefer it to the original.
― Sean Carruthers, Sunday, 13 September 2009 16:54 (fourteen years ago) link
Megadeth's "No More Mister Nice Guy" before Alice Cooper'sSoundgarden's "Girl U Want" before Devo's
these are pretty bad:Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" before Tommy James and the Shondells...Michael Bolton's "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" before Otis ReddingMichael Damian's "Rock On" before David Essex
― VegemiteGrrrl, Monday, 14 September 2009 04:30 (fourteen years ago) link
hole 'gold dust woman' (lol)
― waiting for the Beatles catalogue to be StairMastered (haitch), Monday, 14 September 2009 04:33 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm pretty sure Tiffany's version of "I Think We're Alone Now" is a lot more well-known than the original, I know at the very least it was a #1 and the original wasn't.
― musically, Monday, 14 September 2009 04:53 (fourteen years ago) link
i know both tiffany and ratcat's versions better than the orig
― suzi cointreau (electricsound), Monday, 14 September 2009 04:54 (fourteen years ago) link
also: husker's 8 miles hi
pretty sure there are equally or more famous covers out there of all of Tommy James' hits.
― Pullman/Paxton Revolving Bills (Pillbox), Monday, 14 September 2009 05:10 (fourteen years ago) link
the lucky bishops' versions of 'time of the season' and 'gone is the sad man'
― suzi cointreau (electricsound), Monday, 14 September 2009 05:11 (fourteen years ago) link
lush doing 'love at first sight' and 'i'd like to walk around in your mind' although basically no fucker had heard the vashti track when they covered it
― suzi cointreau (electricsound), Monday, 14 September 2009 05:12 (fourteen years ago) link
holy crap suzi, I forgot all about ratcat!!! now THEM I loved. unashamedly.
― VegemiteGrrrl, Monday, 14 September 2009 05:26 (fourteen years ago) link
Blackstreet's cover of "Money Can't Buy You Love"
― The Reverend, Thursday, 30 December 2010 22:49 (thirteen years ago) link
My Way by the Sex Pistols came before the original version. Sure this has already been mentioned.
― (kelpolaris) (kelpolaris) (kelpolaris) (kelpolaris) (kelpolaris), Thursday, 30 December 2010 23:00 (thirteen years ago) link
First version of Help! I heard was this one:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJY7KW_YAac&feature=related
― A brownish area with points (chap), Friday, 31 December 2010 01:04 (thirteen years ago) link
Butthole Surfers "Hurdy Gurdy Man"Don McLean - "Crying" (the Roy Orbison song)
― Maltodextrin, Friday, 31 December 2010 09:18 (thirteen years ago) link
Me playing Light My Fire on pianoMy quite out of touch dad: Ah, lemme guess - Jose Feliciano!Me: Um no, The DoorsDad: Who the fuck are The Doors?
― B-Boy Bualadh Bos (ecuador_with_a_c), Friday, 31 December 2010 14:07 (thirteen years ago) link
grace jones' love is the drug
― Kim, Friday, 31 December 2010 14:16 (thirteen years ago) link
The Cure - "Foxy Lady"Bauhaus - "Telegram Sam"Siouxsie & The Banshees - "Dear Prudence", "Helter Skelter"Sisters Of Mercy - "Gimme Shelter"
― LeRooLeRoo, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 22:21 (thirteen years ago) link
Pet Shop Boys - you are always on my mind
― Not the real Village People, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 22:26 (thirteen years ago) link
Jeff Buckley: "Hallelujah" (not familiar with the Cohen one until later)
― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 01:43 (thirteen years ago) link
I'd argue Buckley's is the more famous version these days.
― A brownish area with points (chap), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 02:44 (thirteen years ago) link
Primal Scream and Kate Moss - "Some Velvet Morning"
― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 04:00 (thirteen years ago) link
^ heard Slowdive's version before the original as well. Not really that good a song...?
― heh (kelpolaris), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 04:09 (thirteen years ago) link
I was surprised a couple years ago to learn that "Blue Monday" by Orgy was a cover of a very highly regarded song by a very highly regarded oldies act called New Order. as crappy a cover as it was, they really made it their own.
― i probably busted a nut when i was tossing her cookie salad (unregistered), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 04:33 (thirteen years ago) link
other depressing ones:
Limp Bizkit - Faith (George Michael)311 - Love Song (The Cure)Foo Fighters - Darling Nikki (Prince)Limp Bizkit - Behind Blue Eyes (The Who)Big Yellow Taxi - Counting Crows + Vanessa Carlton (Joni Mitchell)The Ataris - Boys of Summer (Don Henley)
the early '00s was a dark time for alt-rock bands covering baby boomer chestnuts, although in fairness couple of these songs are just inherently awful, particularly "Big Yellow Taxi".
― i probably busted a nut when i was tossing her cookie salad (unregistered), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 04:55 (thirteen years ago) link