Best/Worst Cover Songs

[LarsVenice]

I think almost all the covers of Bob Dylan's songs are better than the originals - I have a hard time listening to his voice. OTOH, I think the new covers of Beatles songs are pretty dreadful, compared to the originals.

I saw a documentary on the history of R&R, and the covers by Pat Boone of Little Richards' songs were a travesty.

I liked Janis Joplin's Ball & Chain - originally by Big Mama Thornton
and Joe Cocker's You Can Keep Your Hat On - original by Randy Newman

 

[bokan800]

Best: Here are my selection for Best covers

Tina Turner: (This woman is crazy great)
Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Let's Stay Together - Al Green

Marilyn Manson: (His cover of 80's disco music are pretty awesome in my opinion.)
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These) - The Eurythmics
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
You Spin Me Right Round - Dead or Alive

Janis Joplin: (Anything this woman covers turns into gold)
Me and Bobby Mcgee - Roger Miller
Summertime - Composed by George Gershwin

Annie Lenox:
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel

How Soon is Now? Covers: (A couple of these song covers are really cool)
Love Split Love (Charmed Theme Song)
t.A.T.u.

Dilana Smith: (Pretty much like Janis Joplin)
Zombie - The Cranberries
Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
Mother Mother - Tracy Bonham
Cat's in the Cradle - Garrt Chapin
Behind Blue Eyes - The Who
Roxanne - The Police

Nancy Sinatra: (I love her version more than Cher because it's much slower and haunting)
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Cher

Korn:
Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd

Gun's and Roses:
Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stones

The Pussycat Dolls: (Or should I say Nicole Scherzinger)
Feeling Good - The Roar of the Greasepaint--The Smelly Crowd

DJ Sammy: (The techno version of this song is awesome)
California Dreamin' - The Mamas and the Papas



Worst: I don't have an actual list for worst covers because once I hate it, I just forget about it.

 

[chatolandia]

The worst cover I've ever heard is by Counting Crows, and their abysmal rendition of 'Big Yellow Taxi', it should be criminal. (I agree!)

I love Aretha Franklin's Respect and Tina Turner's Proud Mary.

Mainly because the both overshadowed the originals.

 

[theFallenGod]

Good covers:

Tainted Love: Gloria Jones
remade by: Soft Cell, Marilyn Manson, Coil, Skinny Puppy, ...damn near everyone although Coil is my favourite

Holding Out for a Hero: Bonnie Tyler
remade by: Jennifer Saunders for Shrek 2 (awesome cover)

Caught A Lite Sneeze: Tori Amos
remade by: Voltaire (this one is soo good)

Hurt: Nine Inch Nails
remade by: Johnny Cash ( he put so much pain into this song that it made it sound so real, I actually liked it better than the original)

BAD covers:

Satisfaction: Rolling Stones & I Love Rock and Roll: the Arrows/Joan Jett
Remade by: Britney Spears (wtf)

 

[threepointshooter]

Best Cover:

TLC - If I Was Your Girlfriend
(from the CrazySexyCool album; originally released by Prince in 1987)

 

[theFallenGod]

Have anyone heard of Richard Cheese? My friend told me about him, I never heard his music. He does "Lounge" covers of songs such as:

"Naughty Girl" (Beyoncé)
"Rape Me" (Nirvana)
"People = Shit" (Slipknot)
"Baby Got Back" (Sir Mix-A-Lot)
"Closer" (Nine Inch Nails)
"Down With the Sickness" (Disturbed)
"Freak on a Leash" (Korn)
"Welcome to the Jungle" (Guns N' Roses)
"Enter Sandman" (Metallica)
"Man in the Box" (Alice in Chains)
"Material Girl" (Madonna)
"Milkshake" (Kelis)
"Last Resort" (Papa Roach)

I really like some of these songs. I should check them out myself.

Regarding Richard Cheese... he does an awesome country version of Gin & Juice by Snoop... and I personally Love his version of Chop Suey by System of a Down... And Down with the Sickness can be heard on the recent remake of Dawn of the Dead.... and it fits so well....

 

[sb]

Best
Boys Of Summer - DJ Sammy
Famous Blue Raincoat - Tori Amos
American Pie - Madonna
Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson
Worst
I Love Rock n Roll - Britney
Angels - Jessica Simpson

 

[getoverit]

One I like:

-Britney - Satisfaction/I Love Rock And Roll
-Paris - Do You Think I'm Sexy?
-Jessica - These Boots Were Made For Walking/Angels/Take My Breath Away
-Mandy Moore - One Way Or Another/Have A Little Faith In Me
-Brandy - Everything (I do I Do It For You)
-A*Teens - Dancing Queen
-Destinys Child - Emotions
-Jennifer Love Hewitt - Me and Bobby Mcgee
-Linday Lohan - Edge of Seventeen
-Pink/Mya/Lil Kim/Christina/Missey - Lady Marmalade

One I dont like:
-Alanis - My Dumps
-Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
-No Saints - Lady Marmalade

 

[White-Teeth]

My absolute favourite cover of all time is Patti Smith's version of Van Morrison's "Gloria".

Other greats that haven't been mentioned so far:

Morrissey's version of Patti Smith's "Redondo Beach", My Bloody Valentine's cover of Wire's "Map Ref 41N 93W", and Nirvana's "The Man Who Sold the World" (originally by Bowie).

Worst: Rufus Wainwright's affected and over-played version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".

 

[Danugh]

Any UMBRELLA cover is horrible.


Rihanna owns it, Grammy here we come


Best Cover? I dunno, perhaps i will always love you by Whitney!

 

[LatinoSTAR]

Worst Covers Ever

Material Girl- Haylie And Hilarie Duff (Orginal By Madonna)- Abismal

Our Lips are Sealed- Haylie And Hilarie Duff ( original By The Go Gos)

 

[matt1980111]

I love mostly all of Whitney's covers. 'I Will Always Love You', 'All the Man I Need' 'I'm Every Woman'.

 

[kevbo]

Some of the Good:
"Come Together" by Aerosmith
"You Really Got Me" by Van Halen

Some of the Bad:
"I Swear" by All4One
"Somebody to Love" by Anne Hathaway

 

[kevbo]

"Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin is a good cover

 

[gaz1978]

The Eagles did a decent version of Tom Waits' "Old 55"
Bruce Springsteen did a superb version of Bob Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom", and also a pretty impressive version of Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream"

Rod Stewart ruined "Tom Trauberts Blues" by singing it too well.

I dont like novelty covers - like when Coldplay do "Hit me Baby One more Time" or something crass like that.

Or when someone stupid covers a song they dont have any real understanding of. There was a charity version of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" a few years ago, featuring luminaries like the Spice Girls. Did they know what the song is actually about? Almost certainly not.

 

[niconico00]

Hole did a cover version of Stevie Nicks' Gold Dust Woman
And it's really good!

 

[LarsVenice]

I love the original Fats Domino version:



but I like Cheap Trick's version even more:



Also, as much as I like Chuck Berry's version of his own song:



I have to admit that I like the Beatles' version just somewhat slightly better, although I might be changing my mind - this one is a close call:

 

[initiallyyours]

The Good:

Vanessa Carlton's cover of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" is cool and piano-driven.

"Get Your Freak On" by KT Tunstall is really really interesting because well, she plays guitar and she actually sings it. Definitely worth a listen.

Sarah McLachlan's version of "Dear God", originally by Xtasy (sp?). The last part of the song is... wow.

The Bad:

"I Believe I can Fly" by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Why did this song even need to be covered, especially really badly?

 

[ZacEfron]

Worst Covers Ever

Material Girl- Haylie And Hilarie Duff (Orginal By Madonna)- Abismal

Our Lips are Sealed- Haylie And Hilarie Duff ( original By The Go Gos)

1) HILARY and not Hilarie
2) I THINK THESE song are FANTASTIC and I love it
3) I would Like to listen sing you

W HILARY DUFF she's so perfect and I LOVE Love Is a Battleflied TOO


and NOW shut up

 

[Linxus87]

I've been listening to New Found Glory's cover of Sixpence None the Richer's Kiss Me.

I also remember burning out my Blaque CD, especially their cover of Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time.

Gary Jules' cover of Mad World is also one of my favorite covers.

I don't really listen to covers, so I can't think of one that I would classify as the worst. In my list, I suppose I'd choose NFG, since it's the newest on my list, lol. No other reason..