There are plenty of bad cover songs out there.

But I'm sure there are some covers that were better than the original...
Songs can be from any decade (not just the 00s)

I have one ! Though I couldn't say it renders the original redundant, but it's certainly 'up there' and one of the best covers I've  heard. ;)

'Eleanor Rigby' by Aus. band Zoot. It charted in 1971. :)

Covers I like, they don't all render the original redundant:

Johnny Cash: Hurt (orig. Nine Inch Nails)
Johnny Cash: Personal Jesus (orig. Depeche Mode)
Laibach: Across the Universe (orig. The Beatles)
Annebel Lamb: Riders on the Storm (orig. The Doors)
Blancmange: The Day Before You Came (orig. Abba)
Aztec Camera: Jump (orig. Van Halen)
BiGod20: Like A Prayer (orig. Madonna)
Coil: Who By Fire (orig. Leonard Cohen)
OMD: Waiting for the Man (orig. Velvet Underground)
Sunshine Blind: Space Age Love Song (orig. A Flock of Seagulls)
Soft Cell: Hey Joe (orig. Jimi Hendrix)
The Human League: Rock 'n' Roll (orig. Gary Glitter)

The Human League: Rock 'n' Roll (orig. Gary Glitter)

I also like their cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" by The Righteous Brothers. As for Johnny Cash's covers of "Hurt" and "Personal Jesus"...er...no...I like the originals better. :) Although, I was impressed by his covers of those songs, and amazed that he would covers songs like that! Now, imagine if he'd done "Closer!" :D

The only song I can think of that I like better than the original is "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth" by Martin Gore, originally by Sparks. Actually...come to think of it...all of Martin's covers are fantastic!! :)

Absolutely Vile

I also like their cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" by The Righteous Brothers. As for Johnny Cash's covers of "Hurt" and "Personal Jesus"...er...no...I like the originals better. :) Although, I was impressed by his covers of those songs, and amazed that he would covers songs like that! Now, imagine if he'd done "Closer!" :D
I don't like all the covers I mentioned better than the original, even though that's what the thread called for.  I do like DM's "Personal Jesus" better than the Cash cover, but it took Cash's interpretation for me to be able to appreciate "Hurt" because I don't like NINs music.  "Closer," I can hear Cash singing "I wanna **** you like an animal..."
:D
I never cared for Human League's cover of the Righteous Brothers, but the Gary Glitter cover is a riot.

The only song I can think of that I like better than the original is "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth" by Martin Gore, originally by Sparks. Actually...come to think of it...all of Martin's covers are fantastic!! :)

Absolutely Vile

Martin does sing that song better than Sparks.  I like Martin's cover of "In A Manner of Speaking" as much as the Tuxedomoon original.  They each have a distinct flavor.

Oh, I really liked The Bangles' version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Hazy Shade of Winter."

'Eleanor Rigby' by Aus. band Zoot. It charted in 1971. :)


Agreed on that one, manda - as I think I mentioned to Fuss (who 'supplied' me with it...!) it puts a different edge on a Fabs' song which I never really cared for much in the first place...good stuff...

A few from me...

'Tower Of Strength' - Frankie Vaughan
'Bobby's Girl' - Susan Maughan
'Bend Me Shape Me' - Amen Corner
'Rock And Roll Music' - Beatles

...all 60s British versions of American songs, but they wipe the floor with the originals IMO (especially the red-hot Fabs' effort...)

People with a good memory may remember a song called 'Little Darling' by The Diamonds (1957) - for all the hoo-hah about white groups sanitising original black RnB songs, this effort is an exception...the original (by The Gladiolas) sounds flatter than the plastic it was pressed on...!!

I nearly forgot the 80's standards, which are also covers (done better than the original)!

"Always Something There To Remind Me" - Naked Eyes (originally Sandie Shaw)
"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell (originally...Ed Cobb? Or something?)

The Naked Eyes and Soft Cell versions, I've grown a bit tired of, but they're still better than the originals. :)

Absolutely Vile

I nearly forgot the 80's standards, which are also covers (done better than the original)!

"Always Something There To Remind Me" - Naked Eyes (originally Sandie Shaw)
"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell (originally...Ed Cobb? Or something?)

The Naked Eyes and Soft Cell versions, I've grown a bit tired of, but they're still better than the originals. :)

Absolutely Vile


Ed Cobb was the guy who wrote 'Tainted Love', AV...Dave Ball once met him and 'he hugged me hard, VERY hard...!' - not surprising considering the money Soft Cell's version must have made him...!

The original version was by Gloria Jones, later to gain infamy as the girlfriend (and driver of the car that killed him) of Marc Bolan...

Another one whilst I'm here...Madness' cover of 'It Must Be Love' is now the preferred version of Labi Siffre's original...

Ed Cobb was the guy who wrote 'Tainted Love', AV...Dave Ball once met him and 'he hugged me hard, VERY hard...!' - not surprising considering the money Soft Cell's version must have made him...!

The original version was by Gloria Jones, later to gain infamy as the girlfriend (and driver of the car that killed him) of Marc Bolan...

Oh, OK. I'd heard the original once and couldn't remember who it was by, but I knew Ed Cobb had written it. I just vaguely remembered the song.

Absolutely Vile

There was also a Hall and Oates version of You Lost That Lovin Feeling.pretty good but not as good as The Righteous Brothers in the 60's.


Howard

I nearly forgot the 80's standards, which are also covers (done better than the original)!

"Always Something There To Remind Me" - Naked Eyes (originally Sandie Shaw)
"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell (originally...Ed Cobb? Or something?)

The Naked Eyes and Soft Cell versions, I've grown a bit tired of, but they're still better than the originals. :)

Absolutely Vile


A band called Marvelous 3 also did a cover of "Always Something There To Remind Me".  It is an excellent cover, probably one of the best IMO.  Its definitely worth a download.

A few other covers that I like:

"Mexican Radio" by doubleDrive (originally Wall of Voodoo)
"Shout 2000" by Disturbed (originally Tears for Fears)

And of course, Guns N Roses had many excellent covers, all better than the originals with the exception of Sympathy for the Devil which disappointed me.

"Smooth Criminal" By Alien Ant Farm


Howard

I just remembered that I'd heard a Gregorian chant cover of "Vienna" by...some group. Can't remember their name. ;) Anyway...although it can't possibly be better than the original, it comes awfully close. Lovely.

Absolutely Vile

"Smooth Criminal" By Alien Ant Farm


Howard


I love that song
BTW: i heard a Bowling for soup cover of "I Ran", so i just wanna know if the original is good

I love that song
BTW: i heard a Bowling for soup cover of "I Ran", so i just wanna know if the original is good


I can almost guarantee you that the original is better than that, judging from what I've heard of Bowling For Soup! :)

Absolutely Vile

I like bowling for soup.

I like bowling for soup.


I don't, so my opinion may be biased. ;)

Absolutely Vile

What does "biased" means?

What does "biased" means?


It means that something may be based on what I think of something (preconceived notions). For example: I don't like Bowling For Soup's music, so of course I'm not going to think that their cover of A Flock Of Seagulls' "I Ran" is going to be any better than the original! :)

Absolutely Vile

AFI's cover of "Halloween" completely and UTTERLY rends the Misfits one obsolete. But the Misfits are good too.  ;)

Fire-Pointer Sisters
it's originally a Springsteen song but they turned up the flame

Fire-Pointer Sisters
it's originally a Springsteen song but they turned up the flame



Don't forget The Ohio Players as well who also sang "Fire".


Howard

AFI's cover of "Halloween" completely and UTTERLY rends the Misfits one obsolete. But the Misfits are good too.  ;)

Oh, the Misfits "Halloween."  I prefer Siouxsie & The Banshees' "Halloween," and I still like Ministry's "(Every Day Is) Halloween" for old times' sake.

"Smooth Criminal" By Alien Ant Farm


Howard
I liked thier version MUCH better than Flit-Boy's ;D

I don't know if these total annihilate the original version or not, but they are fine covers that are equal to (or for some even better than) the original...

Tainted Love - Soft Cell (already mentioned by absVile. It's the mother of all cover songs)
Cruisin' - Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis
Come And Get Your Love - Real Mccoy
This Masquerade - George Benson
A Groovy Kind of Love - Phil Collins
Money (That's What I Want) - The Flying Lizards
Cum on Feel the Noize - Quiet Riot
Now That We Found Love - Third World
Light My Fire - Jose Feliciano
More Love - Kim Carnes
The Look of Love - Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66
The Fool on the Hill - Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66
Strawberry Letter 23 - The Brothers Johnson

;)
:)

I can almost guarantee you that the original is better than that, judging from what I've heard of Bowling For Soup! :)

Absolutely Vile

I'm sure BFS doesn't do right by that song, but neither has Mike Score since 1985!
:P

I don't know if these total annihilate the original version or not, but they are fine covers that are equal to (or for some even better than) the original...


A Groovy Kind of Love - Phil Collins
More Love - Kim Carnes


Phil did a GREAT job with "You Can't Hurry Love" though..I think it was better than the original :) As for Kim..I think that was her best song and I LOVE$ her version :-\\

...
As for Kim..I think that was her best song and I LOVE$ her version :-\\


Do you remember its little 10-15 second synthesizer opening. A nice intro. that I use to love to hear.
;)

Kiss by Prince (1986) was done much better by Tom Jones and Art of Noise (1988). It had a great style. IMO not many people seem to remember the original.

I prefer the Tom Jones version too.  I can remember the Prince version.

Siouxsie and the Banshees covered a Beatles song and I prefer the cover version.  But for the life of me I can't remember what the song was!  :-[

Kiss by Prince (1986) was done much better by Tom Jones and Art of Noise (1988). It had a great style. IMO not many people seem to remember the original.


Oh stop talking foolishness ;D

Do you remember its little 10-15 second synthesizer opening. A nice intro. that I use to love to hear.
;)


Sure do :)

I prefer the Tom Jones version too.  I can remember the Prince version.

Siouxsie and the Banshees covered a Beatles song and I prefer the cover version.  But for the life of me I can't remember what the song was!  :-[


Siouxsie And The Banshees did "Dear Prudence." I agree that their version is better!

Absolutely Vile

Wishing On A Star-Rose Royce and Expose.I prefer Rose Royce's version.



Howard

Turn the page by Metallica, it's just one of those that has to be done in that specific way, Bob Seger version is neat, but, it just dosent do the song justice.

Siouxsie And The Banshees did "Dear Prudence." I agree that their version is better!

Absolutely Vile


That's the one AV.  I knew it was a girls name but couldn't picture The Beatles doing 'Christine' or, likewise, The Banshees doing 'Eleanor Rigby'!

Tiffany
Tommy James and The Shondells

"I Think We're Alone Now".



Howard

Siouxsie And The Banshees did "Dear Prudence." I agree that their version is better!

Absolutely Vile

I'd agree with that also. Siouxsie & TB also covered 'Helter Skelter', another Beatles song. Also covered by U2, as (I believe) was 'All along the watchtower'- of the many covers of the latter song, I prefer Jimi Hendrix's to anyone elses...
Anyone heard the Soft Cell's version of 'Where did our love go?' (originally by The Supremes, I think)? It was released as the B-side to 'Tainted Love' in the UK, I think it's superb...

"Let's Stay Together"

Al Green
Tina Turner


Howard

"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell (originally...Ed Cobb? Or something?)

I never knew that was a cover...until just now...but I do know that the super-long mix is segued together with "Where Did Our Love Go" (obviously a cover).



Cruisin' - Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis

Money (That's What I Want) - The Flying Lizards

Cum on Feel the Noize - Quiet Riot

I like those, especially the "Cruisin'" cover. I've never heard Smoky Robinson's version, but I love HL and GP's duet. 8)

One covered song that hasn't been mentioned yet is "Funkytown"; I definitely prefer the cover (Pseudo Echo) over the original (Lipps Incorporated).

One covered song that hasn't been mentioned yet is "Funkytown"; I definitely prefer the cover (Pseudo Echo) over the original (Lipps Incorporated).


I like the Lipps, Inc. one better. ;)

There's a cover I just thought of while playing the Penguin Games that I haven't mentioned: Sid Vicious' cover (of sorts) of Frank Sinatra's "My Way!" I love it! :)

Absolutely Vile

Oh stop talking foolishness ;D


Heh heh. Guess you like the Prince version. I don't mind it - I just sounds a little flat.