Good song covers

EgonSpengler

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One of my favorite "barstool games": Name some good cover songs. Bonus points, if points were being awarded (they're not), for covers that you like better than the original.

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David Bowie's "Oh! You Pretty Things" by Irish folkie Lisa Hannigan.


 
Batch mode! :)
 
Here's a few I'm a fan of. Not sure they're better than the originals, as the originals are all great, but they stand up well and the covering bands' have put their own style on them rather than simply sounding like a knockoff.



 
Here's a few I'm a fan of. Not sure they're better than the originals, as the originals are all great, but they stand up well and the covering bands' have put their own style on them rather than simply sounding like a knockoff.
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I think thats whats needed to make a cover worthwhile, otherwise might as well stick with the original.

I wouldn't say this is better than the Peggy Lee original or the PJ Harvey cover but its very much her own take on it

 
This one goes back a ways, but I still like it: Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird cover Public Enemy's "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos"


 
UK: nul points so far.
Next contestant... Germany.
 
Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails.
 
In This Moment - "We Will Rock You (feat.Maria Brink, Lzzy Hale and Taylor Momsen)"


I know it's popular, even a rite of passage, to cover Queen in some capacity, but I really think this is a good one. Hale and Momsen are two of my favourite rock artists these days, too.
 
Fairport Convention managed to do that rarest of things, improve upon a Dylan song. Judging from covers over the following 40+ years, no one took notice, but here it is:

EDIT:
Well, there's this classic which is better than the original:


Are you talking about Soft Cell or Gloria Jones?
 
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Speaking of Fairport Convention, it's often interesting to look at how different folk bands interpret some of classic songs from that genre. I guess they're all covers, but who knows what the original sounded like? Child wrote many down for the first time over a century ago, but the songs were old even when he did that. Here's FC and one the other greats of the Electric Folk movement, Steeleye Span doing the ballad Tam Lin. I slightly prefer the latter's, but, then, I am a total Spanner...

 
Are you talking about Soft Cell or Gloria Jones?
I think I actually like the Soft Cell version the best. Manson did get Chyler Leigh in a hot tub, though. Points for that.

EDIT: Might as well post the link.

 
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I think I may have posted this already in the other thread, but I like Lower Dens' cover of Hall & Oates' "Maneater."


 
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