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

A listing of some of my favorite covers that I prefer to the originals:

  • You’ve Got The Silver (The Rolling Stones) - Susan Tedeschi
  • Summer Wind (Frank Sinatra’s version is best known but originally recorded by Wayne Newton and written by Johnny Mercer) - Lyle Lovett
  • (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night (Tom Waits) - Shawn Colvin
  • Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (recorded literally hundreds of times, but originally by Sonny Boy Williamson) - Derek Trucks Band
  • Little Red Corvette (Prince) - Heath Brandon
  • Crazy (Gnarls Barkley) - Shawn Colvin
  • Black Coffee In Bed (Squeeze) - Ernie Halter
  • Blank Space/Stand By Me (Taylor Swift/Ben E. King) - Imagine Dragons
  • Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers) - John Mayer (it’s been a fairly regular part of his live set for years)
  • Cold Cold Heart (Hank Williams) - Norah Jones
  • Little Red Rooster (first recorded by Howlin’ Wolf) - The Rolling Stones
  • Someone Like You (Van Morrison) - Shawn Colvin
  • Viva Las Vegas (written by Doc Pomus and recorded by Elvis) - Shawn Colvin (available on the Doc Pomus tribute album)
  • Downtown Train (Tom Waits) - Rod Stewart
  • I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good (Duke Ellington) - Johnny Hodges (the version on the outstanding 1961 album with Billy Strayhorn is excellent)
  • Chelsea Bridge (originally recorded by Duke Ellington with Ben Webster on tenor) - Ben Webster (the version on the Jazz ‘Round Midnight album is, in my mind, superior)
  • Pinball Wizard (The Who) - Puddles the Clown

Many great renditions of Hallelujah, but I like Jeff Buckley ( from Grace ), with K.D. Lang as a close 2nd. But as I said, many good performances of this. Enjoy ! MrD.
"Better than the original" is a high bar but this version of "Once in a Lifetime" at least rivals the original -- Naylor has a way with unique versions of songs, she often mashes up ones song's lyrics with the melody from another -- like this