I think my top pick for this would be Spirit in the Sky.  Originally done by Norman Greenbaum in 1970, it topped the charts in the UK and Canada, and reached #3 in the USA and is one of the greatest songs of the psychedelic era. 

Enter Doctor and the Medics in 1986.  Their (then) modern spin on it equaled Greenbaum's success in the UK and Canada, but only reached #69 in the US.  In my list of greatest cover songs of all time over any decade, this is in the Top 10!

Doctor and the Medics vs Norman Greenbaum

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Here is one that not many people know is a cover song ... 

Hold On was a popular hit for Santana in 1982.  It was written and first recorded in 1981 by Ian Thomas (you may remember him for his 1973 hit Painted Ladies).  Both versions were Top 40 hits in Canada, but you're not likely to hear the Ian Thomas version on the radio, as most stations will opt to play the Santana version as it was more successful and will still meet their Canadian Content requirements.


Santana vs. Ian Thomas ...

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I liked Pseudo Echo's 1986-87 cover of "FunkyTown" (originally performed by Lipps Incorporated; their version was recorded in 1979 but was a U.S. hit in early 1980).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWjdir5fl_E

I also kinda like the original too.

I like this song getting the early 80s synthpop treatment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJGqHhneIg4

There are a lot of covers of this Supremes classic, but this is easily the best version, in my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quO9p_6OItQ

As much as I really shouldn't be liking something like this, I can't help but dig those rich, cozy, and propulsive late 80s instruments in this cover, not to mention the singing is inoffensive enough that it doesn't spoil the mood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SqFRYW0mrI

The original from 1982 sounds like an inferior clone of "1999," spoiled further by its use in Glitter. This update, however, gives it a delicious late 80s edge, even though it's from an album released prior to Janet Jackson's Control.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YO0WyOGHjU

This here may be repetitive, but it still strikes a great balance between that unmistakable Rolling Stones touch and that 80s-style production I have such a soft spot for. Its music video also notably features animation by a young John Kricfaluci, 5 years before the premiere of Ren & Stimpy, although the cartoon itself isn't exactly politically correct by today's standards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAkMTu6q2pY

Technically, this is a cover of an italo disco song, though it actually came out about the exact same time as the original it was based on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HInA9jKyoKE

This was originally an obscure song by the Paragons that came out 14 years before the cover that popularized it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppYgrdJ0pWk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6H9Y1H_RRg
Robert Palmer- You Are In My System (1983)

originally sung by The System (1982)

"Hazy Shade Of Winter" by The Bangles (1987): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmb0q746abg

Original by Simon & Garfunkel (1966), entitled "A Hazy Shade Of Winter": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnZdlhUDEJo

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Original by Bill Withers

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Original by Bill Withers


I like both versions.