This includes either older songs that were remade in the '80s or '80s songs that were remade in the '90's or more recently. Among my faves are two Tommy James songs that were remade in 1987, were actually on the charts at the same time (of course, you know what they are - I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany and Mony Mony by Billy Idol).

"Take My Breath Away" - covered by Jessica Simpson - it is absolutely horrible.

Warren Zevon covered "Raspberry Beret", I thought it was pretty good, but I don't think I'd call it the best.

"Take My Breath Away" - covered by Jessica Simpson - it is absolutely horrible.

Warren Zevon covered "Raspberry Beret", I thought it was pretty good, but I don't think I'd call it the best.


I agree! Of course, I'm somewhat biased because I'm not a Jessica Simpson fan.

I thought it was kind of strange when Tom Jones covered Prince's "Kiss", but that's just me.

"Take My Breath Away" - covered by Jessica Simpson - it is absolutely horrible.


I know this isn't an 80s song, but you can't forget her other butchering of another great song: Angels by Robbie Williams. GACK! The original is soooooooo much better. Same for No Doubt's cover of It's My Life and the Ataris' version of Boys of Summer. As for one I liked, I kind of liked Bowling For Soup's cover of I Ran.

I'll have to agree and say that the worst cover I've heard is Jessica Simpson's Take My Breath Away.
As for best I'd have to say it's the cover of Peter Gabriel's in your eyes done by Jeffrey Gaines.

Here are some more of my faves:

You Keep Me Hangin On - Kim Wilde
Lean on Me - Club Nouveau
Red Red Wine - UB40
Smokin in the Boys Room - Motley Crue

I recently made a CD some of my favorite cover tunes.  Here it is:

1.  Abracadabra - Sugar Ray
2.  It's My Life - No Doubt
3.  Summer Of 69 - Bowling For Soup
4.  Don't Dream It's Over - Sixpence None The Richer
5.  Love Song - 311
6.  Boys Of Summer - The Ataris
7.  Brown Eyed Girl - Shaggy
8.  Don't Change - Goo Goo Dolls
9.  If You Leave - Good Charlotte
10. Jenny / 867-5309 - Blink 182
11. Baker Street - Foo Fighters
12. I Want You To Want Me - Letters From Cleo
13. Goody Two Shoes - Unwritten Law
14. What I Like About You - Suicide Machines
15. Mrs. Robinson - Lemonheads
16. Dreams - The Corrs
17. Wild Horses - Jewel
18. Message In A Bottle - John Mayer
19. Time After Time - Matchbox 20

Some of the Best: '80's, '90's, & Recent Covers

Bananarama "Venus"
Van Halen "You Really Got Me"
Run DMC "Walk This Way"
White Lion "Radar Love"
Billy Idol "Mony Mony"
Psuedo Echo "Funky Town"
UB40 "Red Red Wine"
Bangles "Hazy Shade Of Winter"
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Higher Ground"
Club Nouveau "Lean On Me"
Talking Heads "Take Me To The River" (Might've been late 1970's)
Kim Wilde "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
Debbie Gibson "Still Of The Night"
Love & Rockets "No New Tale To Tell"
Motley Crue "Smokin' In The Boys Room"
Naked Eyes "There's Always Something There To Remind Me"
Poison "Your Mama Don't Dance"
Honeydrippers "Sea Of Love"
Foo Fighters "Darling Nikki"
Harvey Danger "Save It For Later"
311 "Love Song"
Pearl Jam "Last Kiss"
Lenny Kravitz "American Woman"
Nirvana "The Man Who Sold The World"
10,000 Maniacs "Because The Night"
Soupdragons "I'm Free"




Worst:

Ginuwine "When Doves Cry"
Twisted Sisrer "Leader Of The Pack"
Winger "Purple Haze"
Jessica Simpson "Take My Breath Away"
Metallica "Turn The Page"
Madonna "American Pie"
Taco "Puttin' On The Ritz"
No Doubt "It's My Life" (was OK until it was waaaayyy overplayed & the original is better)
Sixpense Non The Richer "Don't Dream It's Over"
The Ataris "The Boys Of Summer"
The entire Mandy Moore "Coverage" album
Every good song butchered on "American Idol"

I recently made a CD some of my favorite cover tunes.  Here it is:

1.  Abracadabra - Sugar Ray

I heard that Steve Miller gave them his blessing and even was involved in the recording....I liked it also, stingr22 :D

I recently made a CD some of my favorite cover tunes.  Here it is:

1.  Abracadabra - Sugar Ray

I heard that Steve Miller gave them his blessing and even was involved in the recording....I liked it also, stingr22 :D


Me too.  It may even be (dare I say it) better than the original! 

I recently made a CD some of my favorite cover tunes.  Here it is:

1.  Abracadabra - Sugar Ray

I heard that Steve Miller gave them his blessing and even was involved in the recording....I liked it also, stingr22 :D


Me too.  It may even be (dare I say it) better than the original! 
Dare I say it...I agree :)

I thought it was kind of strange when Tom Jones covered Prince's "Kiss", but that's just me.


Fortunately, Tom Jones had the excellent Art of Noise backing him up. I preferred that version to Prince's because he shrieked all the way through it.

His version of Burning down the house (originally done by the great Talking Heads) wasn't bad either. I think he was backed up by that lady from The Cardigans. However, he came a cropper when he attempted 'She drives me crazy' (originally done by an o.k Fine Young Cannibals). It just wasn't his song . . .

Other good covers include . . .

80s classics that covered older songs
'Mony Mony' - Billy Idol (Tommy James and The Shondells)
'I think we're alone now' - Tiffany (Tommy James and The Shondells again)
'Always on my mind' - Pet shop boys (Elvis Presley)
'Don't leave me this way' - Communards (Thelma Houston)
'Ever fallen in love with somebody' - Fine Young Cannibals (Buzzcocks)
'La Bamba' - Los Lobos (Ricky Valens)
'A little help from my friends' - Wet Wet Wet (Beatles)

Nice 90s/00s covers
'True Colours' - Phil Collins (Cyndi Lauper)
'In the Summertime' - Shaggy feat. Rayvon (Mungo Jerry)
'Walking in Memphis' - Cher (Mark Cohn)
'Mandy' - Westlife (Barry Manilow)
'Witch doctor' - Cartoons (David Seville)

I thought it was kind of strange when Tom Jones covered Prince's "Kiss", but that's just me.


Fortunately, Tom Jones had the excellent Art of Noise backing him up. I preferred that version to Prince's because he shrieked all the way through it.

Yeah, IMHO he shrieked WAY to much for me to like him ::)

"Take My Breath Away" - covered by Jessica Simpson - it is absolutely horrible.

I totally agree. I heard that song on the radio the other day and didn't like it at all. :P

I think the new version of It's My Life is ok,but it is overplayed so much.

Howard

Worst covers:

Ministry: Lay Lady Lay (Bob Dylan)
Thompson Twins: Revolution (The Beatles)
Gang Green: Voices Carry ('Til Tuesday)
MxPx: Take on Me (A-Ha)
Slapshot: Bigmouth Strikes Again (The Smiths)
Everclear: Bad Connection (Yazoo)
Inkubbus Sukkubus or Mephisto Waltz: Paint it Black (Rolling Stones) +
Rumania: Africa (Toto)
Nick Carter (BS Boys): Open Arms (Journey)
Barenaked Ladies: Careless Whispers (Wham)
Puff Daddy: Been Around the World (Lisa Stansfield)
Puff Daddy: Everybreath You Take (The Police)
Puff Daddy: Break My Stride (Matthew Wilder)
any cover of Video Killed the Radio Star (The Buggles)
Coil: Tainted Love (cover of Soft Cell's cover)*
2Pac: Broken Wings (Mister Mister)
Devo: Bread & Jam (?)
Dolly Parton: Walking on Sunshine (Katrina & The Waves)
Madonna: American Pie (Don McLean)
Tina Turner: The Best (Bonnie Tyler, I think)

+ "Paint it Black" is one of my favorite Stones songs.  One of these two female Goth bands did a  cover of it in which the changed the lyric "like a newborn baby, it just happens every day," to "like a stillborn baby, it just happens every day," proving once again that Goth kids have only a comic book sense of morbidity.

* I love Soft Cell and I love Coil, this cover of "Tainted Love" is what introduced me to Coil.  They made a great video, now archived in the Smithsonian, featuring Marc Almond.  Truth be known, this slo-mo extra-morose version is just not very good.

Some of the best '80s covers...
Kim Carnes' remake of "More Love" (Smokey Robinson&The Miracles in '67)
Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" (Gloria Jones in '64)
Phil Collin's "A Groovy Kind of Love" (Wayne Fontana in '67)
Quiet Riot's "Cum on Feel the Noize" (Slade in '73)
The Flying Lizard's "Money" (Barrett Strong in '60)

As for '80s songs covered in the '90s or 2000s...  :(
Other than Cindi Lauper doing a good remake of her '80s, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" in '95, I can't think of another good remake of an '80s song. There have been many but I can't think of one off hand (  ??? ) that actually improves on the original.

:D

How about Nina Hagen - My Way

"Take My Breath Away" - covered by Jessica Simpson - it is absolutely horrible.


So that's who did it. I wondered who it was that did that awful remake; anytime I hear it on the radio I instantly change the station it's so bad! :P

I recently made a CD some of my favorite cover tunes.  Here it is:

11. Baker Street - Foo Fighters

15. Mrs. Robinson - Lemonheads

I didn't know anyone made a cover of Baker Street. I know Gerry Rafferty originally did it in the 70s. I do know the Mrs Robinson cover (which I believe was done in the early 90s, right?).

I just heard Quiet Riot's 'Cum on feel the noize' - not a bad effort.  :)

Worst covers

Softly whispering I love you - Paul Young (The Congregation)
Jump - Girls aloud (Pointer Sisters)
Spirit in the sky - Gareth Gates (Norman Greenbaum followed by Doctor and The Medics)
I will always love you - Rick Waller (Whitney Houston)
Light my fire - Will Young (The Doors followed by Amii Stewart)
Like a prayer - Mad'house (Madonna)
Land of make believe - Allstars (Bucks Fizz)

If it hasn't already, I'm wondering who's going to cover 'Together in Electric Dreams' originally done by Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder . . .

If its gotta be a great cover from the 80's, i would certainly add Orgy's cover of "Blue Monday" and Disturbed's cover of "Shout" retitled "Shout 2000". I never knew that Blink covered "Jenny", I would like to hear that.

*bump*

Clear Static covered "talking in your sleep" by the Romantics. It was pretty cool.
I agree that Jessica Simpson'a covers all suck!

Tiffany "I Think We're Alone Now"
Sweet Sensation "Love Child"
Bangles "Hazy Shade of Winter"

;)

"Take My Breath Away" - covered by Jessica Simpson - it is absolutely horrible.




I agree.

I think Hall and Oates did a great job a their least album redoing alot of the old songs.

My "Best" List :

Culture Club "Starman" (Came out in '98 but thought I'd mention it anyway :))
Boy George "Everything I Own"
Roxy Music "Jealous Guy"
Siouxie And The Banshees "Dear Prudence" and 'This Wheel's On Fire"
Bangles "Hazy Shade Of Winter"
Bow Wow Wow "I Want Candy"
The Tourists "I Only Wanna Be With You"
U2 "Everlasting Love"
UB40 "Red Red Wine" and "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You"
Nirvana "Love Buzz"
Robert Palmer "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"
Grace Knight "Fever"
Kate Bush "Rocket Man"
INXS "The Loved One" (1986 Kick version)
Naked Eyes "Always Something There To Remind Me"
Van Halen "California Girls"
The Angels "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place"
ZZ Top "Viva Las Vegas"
Dragon "Celebration"
Sonic Youth "Addicted To Love"
Anything off Elaine Paige's Queen tribute album

My "Worst" List:

Bandaid 2004 "Do They Know It's Xmas"
Marylin Manson "Sweet Dreams"
Van Halen "Pretty Woman"
Tiffany "I Saw (Him) Standing There"
Anything by The Teen Queens
Whoever had to audacity to try and cover "Radio Ga Ga" recently, dunno his name.
Ditto for "Moonlight Shaddow"

Best:  The Racket, 2000, covering Erik B. and Rakim's Paid in Full.  You can get it on the American Psycho soundtrack.  It's a very '00s/alt-rock version of the track that captures the essence of the original.

Worst:  80s new-waver Kim Wilde, 2002, covering Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild.  Steppenwolf's original is most famous for being in one of the greatest road movies of all time: Easy Rider.  Kim's cover is actually really good Eurodance.  As for capturing the essence of the original, and I say this as someone who likes both rock and Eurodance, if you play it within 1000 feet of any motorcycle, the motorcycle's owner will find you, you will get your a*ahem*ss kicked, and you will have deserved every punch of the beatdown you receive.

I like Gwen's cover of It's My Life (as you can probably guess from my avatar  ;D).

Jessica Simpson "Take My Breath Away" could make me sick, it just wasnt her at all. True colors-phill collins could win the beat for me.. though we cant forget Walk this way... That run-dmc- Aerosmith thing. Gotta love it

BEST (Ten at Random)

Ai No Corrida - Uniting Nations f/ Laura More (2005)
original: Quincy Jones (1981)

Stand Back - Linus Loves f/ Sam Obernik (2003)
original: Stevie Nicks (1983)

Hold On - Santana (1982)
original: Ian Thomas (1981)

Break My Stride - Unique II (1997)
original: Matthew Wilder (1983)

Chain Reaction - Steps (2000)
original: Diana Ross (1986)

That's Freedom - John Farnham (1991)
original: Tom Kimmel (1987)

Self Control - Royal Gigolos (2004)
original: Laura Branigan (1984)

Desire - Capitol Sound (1995)
original: Roni Griffith (1981)

Everywhere - LnM Projekt f/ Bonnie Bailey (2003)
original: Fleetwood Mac (1987)

Like A Prayer - Madhouse (2002)
original: Madonna (1989)

Worst, any Marilyn Manson remake of an 80's song. 

Worst, any Marilyn Manson remake of an 80's song. 


His cover of "Sweet Dreams" was awful.  >:(

the worst

Jessica Simpson "take my breath away"

Britney Spears "i love rock n'roll"


and the Best

Sonata Arctica "still loving you"

Worst

311's Lovesong- The Cure should sue them

Best

Sandra (Cretu)- All You Zombies (better than the original!)
Sandra's All You Zombies

Eighties covers of older songs:
"You Can't Hurry Love" by Phil Collins
"California Girls" by David Lee Roth
"Downtown Train" by Rod Stewart
"Always Something There To Remind Me" by Naked Eyes

Newer covers of '80s songs:
"Don't Dream it's Over" by Sixpence None The Richer
"Boys of Summer" by The Ataris
"It's My Life" by Gwen Stefani
"Cruel Summer" by Ace of Base