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
+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


I am not saying that these covers are better than the originals, but, I like them and they can stand on their own:

1. Black Box Recorder: "Seasons in the Sun" 
2. Prince: "Creep"
3. Ryan Adams: "Wonderwall"
4. Shonen Knife: "Top of the World"
5. Roy Orbison: "Love Hurts"
6. Righteous Brothers: "Unchained Melody"
7. Sam Cooke: "Unchained Melody"
8. Solomon Burke: "A Change is Gonna Come"
9. Odetta: "Times They are a Changing"
10. Nouvelle Vague: "Guns of Brixton"
11. Cowboy Junkies: "Thunder Road"
12. Be Good Tanyas: "Waiting Around to Die"
13. Rolling Stones: "Sister Morphine"