Best songs played by non-author artists...

I like many cover albums. Among my favorites:

"Odetta Sings Dylan" (amazingly good version of "Times They are a Changin'").

"If I Were A Carpenter" (various artists covering Richard and Karen Carpenter songs--check out "Yesterday Once More" done by Redd Kross and "Top of the World" by Shonen Knife).

"Nouvelle Vague" (self titled--covers of new wave classics in a bossa nova style. Check out their version of The Clash's "Guns of Brixton").

"Twelve" by Patti Smith (her cover versions of some of her favorite songs).

"Wrecking Ball" by Emmylou Harris

"Golden Throats 1" (great compilation of spectacularly bad vanity covers by celebrities--includes famous Shatner versions of "Lucy in the Sky" and "Mr. Tambourine Man," the recently deceased Andy Griffith doing "House of the Rising Sun," Sebastian Cabot reciting the lyrics to "It Ain't Me Babe," Mae West doing "Twist and Shout").

"Stay Awake" (covers of Disney movie classics--check out Tom Waits' "Heigh Ho" and Sinead O'Connors "Some Day My Prince Will Come").

Elton John - Pinball Wizard and Lucy in the Sky

Patty Smith - Because the Night (does anyone remember the Springsteen version?)

Shelby Lynne - Breakfast in Bed

Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons covers "If it be Your Will" by Leonard Cohen. Talk about pathos. His interpretation will leave you speechless. It's on a live concert album featuring multiple artists performing excellent takes on Cohen's songs. The concert movie is also excellent.