Covers that you love much more than the originals
MIYNT- Baby One More Time
This is is a strange one because it completely changes the mood and not even in an unexpected way. Well, it is unexpected. But given the lyrics (unaltered), it feels much more tone appropriate.
Side note- Max Martin Wrote and co-produced this song and many of britneys stuff, and taylor swift, and many other #1/top10 spots. Mad.
All About That [upright]bass
Who doesn't love upright base?
Redbone | Childish Gambino
I actually heard this one before the orig so this might be a bias for me. But when I finally got around to listening to the orig, it felt empty. Turns out i love those trailing high notes and it wasn't entirely the same feeling without it
That's all I've got for now but I bet a one or two sprung to mind for you
Hurt by Johnny Cash is probably the GOAT cover in my opinion. Widely regarded to be the better version (Originally by Nine Inch Nails)
It was an amazing when Trent did it, but Cash took it to a whole other level. Perhaps GOAT cover indeed. I will say that All Along the Watchtower was way better when Jimi did it - I’d say that if they don’t tie for first place, that Jimi’s cover is a very close second to Cash’s.
You know that's a really good point! I had forgotten that Hendrix's version wasnt the original
Trick answer because that's not a Nine Inch Nails song. It's a Johnny Cash song which Trent Reznor accidentally covered several years before Cash's version was released.
Trent says Hurt isn't his song any more.
I like Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah infinitely more than Leonard Cohen's original. Same thing with pretty much any Bob Dylan song—the man is a terrific songwriter, and a terrible singer.
Bonus: Walk Off The Earth's cover of Frankie Valli's Can't Take My Eyes Off You is really, really good.
Bon Jovi's Hallelujah is pretty good too
I had no idea Bon Jovi had covered Hallelujah 🤔
Disturbed's cover of the sound of silence by Simon and Garfunkel is mine, I prefer the lower octave, it makes it easier to sing along to!
This is one of my favorite covers (adding link) Disturbed - Sound of Silence
They also do a great cover of Land of Confusion by Genesis Disturbed version
A Perfect Circle did a cover of Imagine that I really enjoy.
I really like their version of No Quarter as well!
Charles Bradley did a soulful verson of Black Sabbath's "Changes" which sounded amazing!
Charles Bradley performs soulful cover of Black Sabbath's 'Changes'
Ulver's cover of Solitude by Black Sabbath has always gotten to me more than the original. There's something really chilling about it.
Surprised that nobody has mentioned Mad World and Running Up That Hill yet
Feeling Good by Muse and Sound of Silence by Disturbed
I don't know if I love it substantially more than the original (they're both great), but Iron and Wine's cover of The Postal Service's Such Great Heights is one of my favorites.
Manfred Mann's version of Blinded by the Light is much better than the original Springsteen version.
Agreed. I do like the Springsteen version but Manfred Mann’s version is basically definitive. Springsteen wrote a lot of songs that other people made famous!
Reggie Watts "covering" Van Halen's Panama.
Do you have a link to the original version of Redbone? I thought it was an original.
As for my cover, I like Delaney & Bonnie's Superstar but the single didn't really become a mega-hit until The Carptenters covered it.
My favorite version is from Sonic Youth, who recorded it as a tribute to Karen Carpenter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp7eSUU9oy8 Here ya go.
Stories like those where a cover becomes a mega hit like that, are always interesting to me. Thanks for sharing
This is about covers, though, right? Who was Childish Gambino covering with Redbone?
The one i linked in the OP was the cover of the orig (gambino's song) so I'm not entirely sure what you mean.
ha. derp. With the formatting I wrongly assumed that was the original.
Long day.
As a gift, here is Boyz in the Hood by Dynamite Hack -- not really better, just different and enjoyable.
No worries, It is a bit confusing to be fair.
Here's some eye, ear, and possibly heart candy for you in the form of Mr Sandman by Pomplamoose
Satisfaction by Otis Redding. Mick Jagger said being covered by Redding was one of his proudest moments.
The Man Who Sold The World by Nirvana.
I feel like posting Postmodern Jukebox is cheating in this tree so I won’t.
One that I do love is a cover of Mr Brightside by Run River North
https://youtu.be/rUPL8CaL0ps
Yoink. That's going in my playlist! Thanks for that.
Is there a keyword for the severe thematic shifts that these covers do? Because these are among my favorite types of covers because of how revealing they are of the lyrics.
Man, I'm seeing this band name float around a lot. I tried listening to them for a while and, while a lot of their covers are great, so many of their covers seem just super cheesy and unnatural to me. I dunno, maybe they'll grow on me.
I know what you're saying, and I agree. They swing and miss at some, but when they hit one, it goes out of the park!
Stone Sour's cover of Wicked Game by Chris Isaak is phenomenal.
Mack the Knife, LOL. Especially Bobby Darin's which most have copied.
Little Wing by Stevie Ray Vaughan
The original, by Jimi Hendrix, is also really good but SRV's take is just so powerful and tells a great story without using any words.
Karl Denson - Hang Me Out To Dry
The Electric Flag - Sunny
Ghost - Here Comes The Sun
Violent Femmes - Crazy
Daniela Andrade's covers of Creep (Radiohead) and Summertime Sadness (Lana Del Rey) had me pleasantly surprised the first time I came across them.
I haven't listened to Daniela Andrade for a while, thanks for the reminder! She's got some really great tracks.
Bauhaus's cover of T-Rex's Telegram Sam is excellent.
Also I prefer All Saints' Under the Bridge to the Chillis version, but I'm aware that's fairly controversial. Never really been a RHCP fan.
Best bestest cover not already mentioned is The Czars' version of Song to the Siren which is just full on chills all over amazing. John Grant's voice, at it's best, can reduce me to a quivering mess in seconds flat. (see also the not-a-cover Glacier)
Feel Good Inc. - cover by Leo Moracchioli
I like the original song, but I love this metal cover. If you like it, check out more covers by Leo! He does a great Africa and Somebody That I Used To Know.
I'm a big fan of Cake's I Will Survive and Me First and the Gimme Gimme's Rich Girl.
I really like The Civil Wars - The One That Got Away
Nirvana - My Girl
Song origins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Pines