Cover songs typically get a bad rap, but every once and a while a remake of a catchy track comes along that's worthy of its predecessor. (Just take Sinead O'Connor's version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," for instance).
Kelly Clarkson did her own renditions of The White Stripes's "Seven Nation Army" and Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" in concert earlier this week, and her samplings weren't half bad. (Check 'em out here). It got me thinking about the other great remakes out there — I'm a big fan of Cat Powers's cover albums, Sia's "Gimme More," and even some of the takes on Rihanna's "Umbrella" that ran rampant two years ago, like Mandy Moore's.
How about you? Do you have a cover song that you like even better than the original?
Leave it in the comments, or just pop over to BuzzSugar Community's Music Review Group to discuss anything music-related!
Zagliani
I have to first say, I was AT the Kelly Clarkson concert Tuesday night in Manhattan and it was mind blowing. utterly amazing.
She also covered Patsy Cline and The Black Keys. PLUS all of her songs, she did different versions -- like a complete rock makeover of Miss Independent and then a stripped down acoustic version of Behind These Hazel Eyes. the whole thing was such a musical smorgasbord it was brilliant.
1Pixies doing Head On by the Jesus & Mary Chain, Smashing Pumpkins' version of Clones (We're All) by Alice Cooper, Lily Allen's acoustic Naive by the Kooks, and Christina Aguilera singing Mother by John Lennon (obvi I love the original too, but she sounds so amazing on that track... as Wayne Campbell would say, she can really wail!)
2I like Weezer's version of "Velouria" better than the Pixies' original (but only slightly)
Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" is better than Leonard Cohen's.
Lily Allen and Mark Ronson's version of "Oh My God" is better than the Kaiser Chiefs.
Iron and Wine's version of "Such Great Heights" blows away the Death Cab original.
3I agree on the Christina Aguilera's cover of "Mother", originally by John Lennon. I Love Lennon, but Christina sounds so restrained and heartfelt.
My favorite has to be Johnny Cash and his version of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt".
Also, The Killers version of Joy Division's "Shadowplay" is better than the original
4Joss Stone's "God Only Knows"
Paramore's "Use Somebody"
Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby"
Leona Lewis' "Run"
5I love both versions, but I think Nirvana did a great job covering "The Man who Sold The World" by David Bowie.
And of course, Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Though I love all of the versions of that song because it is utterly perfection. I think the same thing about The Beatles "Across The Universe"
I think also Kris Allen's "She Works Hard For The Money" and David Cook's "Always Be My Baby" on American Idol are better than the originals.
6I remembered "Knocking On Heaven's Door" which is originally by Bob Dylan but Guns N' Roses perfected it.
Gary Jules version of "Mad World" by Tears For Fears.
The White Stripes' cover of "Jolene" by Dolly Parton.
7I second EAP: Gary Jules' version of "Mad World" by Tears for Fears
8Oh, and the covers that Chris Daughtry did on Idol ... blew my mind!
9I know it sounds sacrilegious, but Jim Sturgess' version of 'I've Just Seen a Face' from 'Across the Universe' is better than the original Beatles tune.
10Brooke White : Use Somebody
11Leona Lewis: Run
Adele: To Make You Feel My Love
Faith Hill: If You Ask
k.d. lang or Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah
Rufus Wainwright's version of Hallelujah is my favorite version of that song, but it's a great song in general.
12Afghan Whigs cover of TLC's Creep.
13Afghan Whigs cover EVERYBODY, but their version of "If I Only Had a Heart" from Wizard of Oz is my fave
As much as I love Tim Buckley, I LOVE This Mortal Coil's version of Song to the Siren
How many versions of Use Somebody are there?
14Otis Redding's re-working of Try a Little Tenderness is a million times better than any of the number of artists (inc. Sinatra) who recorded it first.
15I have to agree with a lot of others. Here are my favorites:
Kris Allen-Heartless
16Rufus Wainwright-Hallelujah
Adele-Make You Feel My Love
Johnny Cash-Hurt
oops -- i meant mariah carey's "i'll be there"
17Yael Naim did a pretty cool version of "Toxic".
18Scala & Kolacny Brothers girl's choral version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
Well I LOVE Michael Buble, so any cover done by him is better than the original in my book, but especially the song "I'm your Man" originally by Leonard Cohen. If you have no heard it, listen to it is, its an amazingly sexy song, while the original is freaking scary as hell!
Can't wait for his album on the 9th! YAY!
Other than him, I loved Chris Allen's Heartless, and "Ain't no Sunshine."
19I agree, popcollin, I love that whole soundtrack! Don't be ashamed!
20I love Fiona Apple's version of "Across The Universe" a bit better than the original.
And I LOVELOVELOVELOVE Jeff Buckley's Bob Dylan cover, "If You See Her, Say Hello" from Live at Sin-e. Amazing. I think its better than Hallelujah, but that's just me. Speaking of Dylan, "A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall" by Edie Brickell is great too. LOL I like Dylans songs, just not when they're song by him!
I'm just getting into the Lucksmiths and I love their version of the Smiths "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out." I've never really liked Morrissay's voice but the Smiths songs are great.
I also love Cake's "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps"--isn't that a Doris Day cover or something? I don't know but it's good!
Placebo's version of Bowie's "Five Years" is amazing too. I like it better than the original because it's more acoustic and sped up, if that makes sense.
And Ingrid Michaelson's version of "Can't Help Falling In Love" and "Over The Rainbow" are awesome. Actually make me like those songs.
Matt Nathanson's "Romeo + Juliet" is better than the original, I think. I hate the original, but I love this version.
Ryan Adam's and Cat Power's version of "Wonderwall" is great too.
How could I forget? I love "Wild Horses" by the Sundays...light years ahead of the original.
And the Youth Groups "Forever Young"--modern twist on a song that's a little too '80s.
Sorry for the novel but I was literally JUST thinking about this so I had a lot of the songs on my mind
I have to agree with Buzz that Cat Power's covers are so so good (to name a few of my favorites: Wonderwall, Wild is the Wind, Lost Someone, New York). I also love Lily Allen's cover of "Naive". I like it better than the original.
21A Day to Remember's Since You Been Gone originally by Kelly Clarkson. its less whiny
22oh and heartless by the fray!
23Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah trumps all others.
Incubus also has a cover of "No Scrubs" that is classic.
24Lilly Allen's "Womanizer" (Britney Spears)
Jamelia's "Numb" (Linkin Park)
Janes Addiction's "No Rain" (Blind Melon)
David Cook's "Eleanor Rigby" (Beatles)
and admittedly,
25Adam Lambert's "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash)
Rufus Wainright's Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
26Soft Cell's Tainted Love (Gloria Jones)
The Fugees' Killing Me Softly (Roberta Flack)
UB40's Red Red Wine (Neil Diamond)
Chantal Kreviatzuk's Leaving on a Jet Plane (Peter, Paul & Mary -- written by John Denver)
NUFAN's Fairy Tale of New York (Shane McGowan)
Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" is amazing. I also like:
27Iron and Wine's version of "Such Great Heights"
The Fray's "Heartless"
Lea Michele's "Take a Bow"
Nada Surf's "If You Leave"
The Killers doing Joy Division's Shadowplay and Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have fun! Even my mother said it was better than the original.
28http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RrRSPjLvWI
I love Lily Allen and Mark Ronson's Oh My God too!
yeah, I think, bar none, Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Halleluah" triumphs all covers - better than the original; one of the best songs of all time; my second favorite song of all time - one of the greats.
29Gary Jules's cover of Tears for Fears "Mad World," with his haunting voice perfectly suited for the eerie ballad is another of my favorites; how amazing was it in "Donnie Darko?"
and lastly, another of my all-time favorites, which I still can't believe is a cover; Johnny Cash's beautiful, slowed-down version of Nine Inch Nails's (! crazy) "Hurt" - he made that song a believable, genuine masterpiece...
a lot of the Punk Goes Pop covers are really great too; especially (I don't know who) the one of Britney Spears's
30"Baby One More Time"...
A lot of my favorites have already been mentioned...
Nirvana - "The Man Who Sold the World" (David Bowie)
Rufus Wainwright - "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen)
Mark Ronson featuring Lily Allen - "Oh My God" (Kaiser Chiefs)
David Cook - "Always Be My Baby" (Mariah Carey)
The Killers - "Romeo and Juliet" (Dire Straits)
I also have to agree with popcollin, I don't mean to be sacrilegious but I liked some of the songs in Across the Universe better than the original versions by The Beatles, particularly "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "I've Just Seen a Face."
31Orgy's cover of "Blue Monday by New Order.
32Metallica's cover of "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger.
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