Music Cover songs better than the originals?

It's not rare that musicians make their own iteration of an already existing piece. Sometimes they don't sound that remarkable, but sometimes they turn out to be pretty good to your pleasure.

So what cover songs do you prefer over the originals?

As for me, an example is Counting Crows' Big Yellow Taxi. It has a way better vibe than Joni Mitchell's version imo.

The first one that comes to mind is Bad Romance performed by Halestorm.

Bjork- It's oh so quiet (originally by Betty Hutton)

It might just me my nostalgia talking, but I think the Bjork version is just better.
I just think it has a nice thing with it being slower at first, then gets faster during the verses.
I just really like it a ton, and grew up with the Bjork version.

The Chain by Three Days Grace is better than Fleetwood Mac's Version, as is Three Day's Grace version of Give Into Me, Michael Jackson was cool and all, but his version of the song was really long...

John Cale has a version of Heartbreak Hotel that's freaking weird and incredible. Also, you can't go wrong with Nirvana's version of The Man Who Sold the World or any of the covers on Unplugged.

Mandatory mention of Johnny Cash's version of Hurt (originally a NIN song).
Placebo's Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush), Disturbed's Land of Confusion (Genesis), James Young's What is Love? (Haddaway), Halestorm's Get Lucky (Daft Punk) and a sizeable portion of Caleb Hyles' covers also.

The Shrek 2 version of Holding Out for a Hero is so much better than the original Bonnie Tyler version.

boyce avenue's cover of hemorrhage (in my hands) is better than the original purely because it sounds more intimate and not like whiny butt rock. but i still like the original bc i'm a fucking sucker for stupid early 00's butt rock honestly. lmfao

Quiji said:

No Doubt's cover of It's My Life >>>>> the original version by some irrelevant band.

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Waaauw don't you dare say that about Talk Talk >:c

I prefer London Grammar's cover of Nightcall to the original by Kavinsky. She has a beautiful voice.

"I'm a Believer" by Smash Mouth. Yup, that's actually a cover. And I like it more than the original (which was performed by The Monkees).

Phosphophyllite said:

"I'm a Believer" by Smash Mouth. Yup, that's actually a cover. And I like it more than the original (which was performed by The Monkees).

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Haha yeah, I know that one by The Monkees. Don't know which one I prefer actually. Also do people not know that Smash Mouth's version is a cover? :P

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by Otis Redding is the first song I think of when anyone mentions cover versions that are better than the original.

I'll have to have a think about others.

I def have to agree that No Doubt's It's My Life gets me grooving way more than the original. That's the only cover I can think of right now that I absolutely enjoy over the original

gimmepie said:

Mandatory mention of Johnny Cash's version of Hurt (originally a NIN song).
Placebo's Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush), Disturbed's Land of Confusion (Genesis), James Young's What is Love? (Haddaway), Halestorm's Get Lucky (Daft Punk) and a sizeable portion of Caleb Hyles' covers also.

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Heck yeah on Johnny Cash's version of Hurt. He poured in so much emotion into it! It was like a different song. So very well done.

Heart's take on Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven at the Kennedy Center Honors is just incredible. One of my favorites.

DigitalMewtwo said:

Heck yeah on Johnny Cash's version of Hurt. He poured in so much emotion into it! It was like a different song. So very well done.

Heart's take on Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven at the Kennedy Center Honors is just incredible. One of my favorites.

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I honestly can't even listen to the original anymore haha

gimmepie said:

I honestly can't even listen to the original anymore haha

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Ah. I still can, they're just different takes on it.

DigitalMewtwo said:

Ah. I still can, they're just different takes on it.

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Certainly. It's not that I don't like the original it's just that I don't really have any desire to listen to it because it's so dramatically eclipsed.

gimmepie said:

Certainly. It's not that I don't like the original it's just that I don't really have any desire to listen to it because it's so dramatically eclipsed.

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Fair point. Johnny Cash's version is very powerful, musically, and I can see how it could eclipse the original.

Probably just as good if not slightly better than DJ Sammy's Heaven.