Cover Songs that are better than the Original

"Mannford Man"

Haha!  That is a good one.



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Hate to override Jimi but Savage Grace did the best version of "All Along The Watchtower". (And there were MANY.)

Some that have not been mentioned yet:
Burning Down the House - Bonnie Rita (Road Tested)
Papa was a Rolling Stone - Was (Not Was)
Ode to Billie Joe- Tom Scott (Patty Smyth vocals)
People Get Ready- Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart

Agree with you on People Get Ready; might not be better than the original (at least the vocal side, not a big fan of Stewart's voice), but the guitar work by Beck is superb.

The Rascals  People Get Ready

Money (That's What I Want) Flying Lizards in 1979
 covered by the Beatles in 1963
 written by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford,
   performed by Barrett Strong 1959
Mr Tambourine Man covered by the Byrds 1965
 Bob Dylan also 1965