And I’m not saying that the original is bad. You have to have a good song to have a good cover in my opinion. But sometimes the cover artist just understands the mission and takes what the original song did and expands on that a hundred times over.
What’re some of your guys’s favorites?
Jimi Hendrix’s version of All Along The Watchtower by Bob Dylan. It’s likely to be the only version of the song most people have ever heard.
And even Dylan agreed it was better
Is it still a cover if the original artist agrees to let you adopt the song? Dylan said it’s Hendrix’ song now.
A weird one:
“Sludgefest”, an old Alvin and the chipmunks pop record slowed back down to the speed the vocals were recorded.
The result is unironically good – a grimy, moody sound, with deep growling guitar.
i also enjoyed this
This is absolutely awesome, thanks for the introduction to it.
This is fucking awesome. Thank you for sharing!!
Goldfinger version of 99 red balloons absolutely nails it in my opinion
I prefer the 7 Seconds version
Very common opinion, but “Hurt” originally by NIN covered by Johnny Cash. He really puts his mark on it, especially considering how old he was when he did the cover.
I think Kermit’s cover of Cash’s cover was brilliant.
I was just about to say this.
Yes that’s a great one
This is the one.
Heartily seconded, came here to say this.
Nirvana did a bunch of great ones during their brief time together.
The Man Who Sold The World has already been mentioned, but their versions of Turnaround by Devo, Plateau and Lake of Fire by Meat Puppets, and Where Did you Sleep Last Night and They Hung Him On A Cross by Leadbelly are all beautiful renditions in their own ways.
Of those, I’d say that Where Did You Sleep Last Night and both of the Meat Puppets covers are just as distinctly re-stanked by that Nirvana magic as their Bowie cover was. I like their version of They Hung Him On A Cross more than the original too, but tbh it always made me feel a bit weird hearing a white man singing that one. I get that it came from a place of reverence and compassion, but…idk man. I am both mixed race and have mixed feelings on that one lol. At the same time though, if any white man was to cover that one, I’m glad it was him since the hurt inherent to Kurt’s voice was a perfect match for the vibe and tone.
The Donnie Darko (slowed down version) of Tears for Fears, Mad World.
Great choice. That was done by Gary Jules, btw.
Both versions are good, but I still prefer the original. I love sad songs that sound happy.
Also it’s funny how everyone including myself initially thinks that the original is the cover.
Way better understanding of the holy mission, ×1699 times expansion on what the original did
No one can compete with the king of parodying Weird Al
The Disturbed cover of Land of Confusion
Or Disturbed’s cover of Sound of Silence
I grew up listening to the original and I still like it very much, but that cover is one of the greatest songs I’ve ever listened to
Yea, that song+video might be the origin of the phrase “goes hard”.
A Perfect Circle’s version of Imagine by John Lennon is my favorite cover song. They add so much groove, atmosphere and melancholy to the song. It’s beautiful.
This is the opposite of what you’re asking for, sorry, but I find that more people are familiar with the A Perfect Circle version of The Nurse Who Loved Me than they are with the original version by Failure.
Both very good versions song, but the original still blows me away.
Apologies for doing the opposite of what you asked, but this was just the first thing that came to mind.
Ween’s version of All of My Love. Which I’ve only ever heard through a crappy phone recording of a live event. Despite that, it’s still better than the original.
Nirvana’s version of The Man Who Sold the World.
This is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I quite liked the original even.
Joshua Ray Walker “Cuz I love you”, his whole cover album really. The way he makes that Cher song into a country 2 step dance song is amazing.
Bob Schneider’s cover of Running on Empty is haunting.
It’s not so different but God I love the 9 minute November Rain by Connor Christian and the Southern Gothic.
A-ha’s acoustic version of Take On Me is wonderful and very different from the original.
I’m all about Reel Big Fish’s cover
Is that what Ellie plays in TLOU2?
Not sure? I first heard it on The Magicians.
