Cover songs that are better than the originals.


There is an active thread about terrible cover songs so I thought I'd start one about cover songs that are better than or have completely eclipsed the originals. I'll start:

Randy Newman wrote Momma Told Me Not to Come for Eric Burdon who recored it with the Animals and Newman recorded it too. I have the Newman version and like it but Three Dog Night really seem to capture the mood of the song best in my opinion.
n80
the Animals cover of House of the Rising Sun
Cream cover of Crossroads

Hendrix cover of All along the watchtower
Johnny Winters cover of Highway 61

No insult to Bob Dylan on the last two his originals are great but these two covers have always knocked me out.
+1 on Hendrix's cover of Along The Watchtower -- according to Bob Dylan, the gold standard of his song.  In fact, +1 on all of the songs that Jimi covered, such as Wild Thing, Johnny B. Goode and Like A Rollin' Stone!

Well, I didn't know until now that Mercury Blues by David Lindley was a cover, so now that I do, I'll agree that it is a favorite of mine as well.

SRV - Little Wing

Van Halen - Pretty Woman

Joey Ramone - Wonderful World

Vanessa Fernandez - Be Thankful for what You Got