Best rock cover songs, list your favorites

Yup, the Everly's did not write "Love Hurts," but I think they were the first to release a recording of it. Likewise, Shel Silversteen wrote "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan," but again, I think it was for Dr. Hook.

Larryi, A largely unknown local band called Savage Grace did an excellent cover on their lone album of "All along the Watchtower", including drums sounding like galloping horses.
I feel its better than Dylans, and Jimi's.

Here are a few more of my favorite choices on the "That's a cover?" list.

"Money Changes Everything" was recorded by The Brains before Cyndi Lauper hit with it and "Patches" (best worst song ever?) was written by Norman "General" Johnson (of both The Showmen and The Chairmen of The Board) before Clarence Carter's take on the song charted. However, my favorite is probably "(You've Tied Me Down with) Battleship Chains" covered by the Georgia Satellites.

It was written by Terry Anderson of The Woods. The song was on a Woods record that sold almost zero copies (I've got one!) so most people know the tune as a Satellites song. BTW, my wife refused to let the band play the song as the recessional at our wedding, despite the fact that it is lyrically perfect for that purpose.

Marty

marty, that's damn funny. my wedding processional was "chains", the carole king/little eva song, later covered badly by the beatles. agree with you on "patches" too--definitely the greatest bad song ever, with "billy, don't be a hero" a close contender.

Ozzy,
I will have to look for that obscure cover.

Marty,
I did not know that "Battleship Chains" by Georgia Satellites was a cover. Is the original worth looking for?

There are so many good covers of certain artists who are great song writers, with limitations as performers. I can think of a number of Leonard Cohen songs that I much prefer covers, e.g., "First we Take Manhattan" (R.E.M.), "Hallelujah" (Jeff Buckley), and "Everybody Knows" (Concrete Blonde).