To throw in my 2 cents. I'll agree that Buckley's "Hallelujah" is the best cover song. All other versions of "Hallelujah" that I have heard come nowhere near to the passion that is in Buckley's.

 

:thumb:

I was just thinking about this the other day, but now I'm drawing a blank on my answers. While it may be obvious, I think the best covers are the result of a talented band recognizing something in a song the original artists didn't, or otherwise having a completely different interpretation. Covers that simply mimic the original are usually terrible.

 

Good call. :thumb:

Aerosmith's version of Come Together

Faith Plus One's version of I Get On My Knees.........

How about "Try a Little Tenderness" which was covered by Otis Redding after being recorded in 1932 ??

One Shining Moment second version was better than the original, the original was by the writer, David Barrett, he then recorded it with Teddy Pendergrass, the one you may be familiar with

Willie Nelson version of Moment to Remember as opposed to Kris Kristofferson who wrote it

Joe Cocker's Get By With A Little Help From My Friends is better than The Beatles I think.

I love Wild Horses by the Stones but I also think The Sundays version is almost mezmorising.

Life In A Northern Town Big Town

Killing Me Softly by the Fugees

After Midnight + Cocaine (Clapton)

Me and Bobby Magee (Joplin)

Nothing Compares To You (Can't stand her but Sienad (sp) O'Conner)

That's a few off my head.

Landslide, Dixie Chicks

 

I like Fleetwood Mac but that was a good tune too. The Smashing Pumpkins also redid it. All 3 versions are good. It's just a good song.

 

Gary Jules' version of "Mad World" by Tears For Fears.

 

Ryan Adams' cover of Wonderwall by Oasis.

 

I agree with "Mad World".

 

I disagree on "Wonderwall"... I love Ryan Adams, and I love his version of this song, but I definitely don't think it's better than the Oasis original.

Joe Cocker's Get By With A Little Help From My Friends is better than The Beatles I think.

I love Wild Horses by the Stones but I also think The Sundays version is almost mezmorising.

Life In A Northern Town Big Town

Killing Me Softly by the Fugees

After Midnight + Cocaine (Clapton)

Me and Bobby Magee (Joplin)

Nothing Compares To You (Can't stand her but Sienad (sp) O'Conner)

That's a few off my head.

 

 

Definitely agree on the bolded.

I was just thinking about this the other day, but now I'm drawing a blank on my answers. While it may be obvious, I think the best covers are the result of a talented band recognizing something in a song the original artists didn't, or otherwise having a completely different interpretation. Covers that simply mimic the original are usually terrible.

 

:thumb:

 

I think that normally cover versions that take a song in a whole different direction musically but still remain true to the song itself stand the best chance of being a good cover. Not all of them can do this, but the odds are better.

Jeff Buckley -- "Hallelujah" (originally Leonard Cohen)

 

Pearl Jam -- "Last Kiss" (originally Wayne Cochran and the CC Riders, but more famously J Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers... Guess that means this one counts twice)

I like the way Wednesday did Last Kiss. I.M.O. it's the best one of all.

How about "Try a Little Tenderness" which was covered by Otis Redding after being recorded in 1932 ??

 

Ahhh...you're right. I never put much thought to it, but Redding's version is a cover. I even own an album with an earlier version than Redding's: Aretha Franklin did a version in '62 on The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin, and Redding didn't do his version until '66 on The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul.

I disagree on "Wonderwall"... I love Ryan Adams, and I love his version of this song, but I definitely don't think it's better than the Oasis original.

 

Haha, I guess that's where we differ...I'm not an Oasis fan at all.

Haha, I guess that's where we differ...I'm not an Oasis fan at all.

 

Blasphemy!