Favorite/Worst Cover Songs

[isukendall]

The hands down best for me is Hurt by Johnny Cash.

I've got a huge list of Pearl Jam favorites and I'm not sure where to begin. I'll just list Crazy Mary, Sonic Reducer and Throw Your Arms Around me to start.

For me the worst by far is when Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page redid Khasmir. They renamed it Come with Me (heh heh Beavis they said come with me) so maybe it doesn't count, but I remember them doing it on SNL or some late night show and wanting to break my TV. How can someone take their own song and do that to it?

I had an old Pearl Jam bootleg that had some awesome covers on it. For all you digital yunguns, bootlegs were CDs that were near impossible to find that cost a crapload of money back in the day. Anyhow, it included covers of "Light My Fire" and "Break on Through" by the Doors, "Baba O'Rielly" and "The Kids Are Alright" by the Who, and "Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. All were pretty stellar. I believe some of the same versions may have been rereleased on the Lost Dogs CD.

I hate Hurt by Johnny Cash.

NIN's is one of my favorite song and I think Cash ruined the emotion of the song. Just my opinion.

Good thing Trent Reznor's opinion matters more on the subject than yours [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlzjqPGdOSM]Johnny Cash - Hurt (Commentary by Trent Reznor) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[AlleyAddict]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oqIPcrHZow&feature]N.W.A - Express Yourself (HQ) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Cybone]

Personally, i really like this cover...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ejeEBlDESc"]Obadiah Parker - Hey Ya [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

 

[je4cy23]

Not only is Johnny Cash's Hurt one of the best covers ever, it's the best song of the 90s. Also, from Cash's CD "The Man Comes Around" I love his cover of Desparado.

I also like:
Judas Priest: The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) (Fleetwood Mac)
Judas Priest: Diamonds and Rust (Joan Baez)
Lyle Lovett: Step Inside This House (Guy Clark)
Lyle Lovett: This Old Porch (Robert Earl Keen)
Patti Griffin: Stolen Car (Bruce Springsteen)
and you have to say that Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You has to be up there too.

 

[KneeGusto]

80+ Posts and NO DREAD ZEPPELIN? Blasphemers!

These guys can cover 2 songs at once...

 

[peachy]

Lots of good covers mentioned.
I really like Red's cover of Ordinary World by Duran Duran.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQeq_T_2VE8&ob=av2e]Red - Ordinary World - YouTube[/ame]

The I Am Sam soundtrack has some fantastic Beatles covers. Faves include Sarah McLachlan's Blackbird, and Ben Harper's Strawberry Fields.

STP cover of Dancing Days by Zeppelin is also awesome.

A Perfect Circle absolutely nailed Marvin Gaye's What's Going On.

And no cover list is complete without Gary Jules covering Tears For Fears Mad World. His version blows away the original. That song is haunting.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4]Mad World - Gary Jules - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Jordanj6502]

I guess The Fray's cover of Heartless deserves mention. I am not a fan of The Fray, but this cover is good.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBTdJHkAr5A]The Fray - Heartless - YouTube[/ame]

 

[cyson]

I like Limp Bizkit's cover of Behind Blue Eyes... I like the original as well though... Both great songs

Limp Bizkit's cover of Faith is over the top. Never much cared for the original.

 

[ketchupnmustard]

Don McClean's American Pie is an awesome song.

Madonna's cover of it is a sin against nature.

 

[spudhawk]

Lots of good covers mentioned.I really like Red's cover of Ordinary World by Duran Duran.[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQeq_T_2VE8&ob=av2e]Red - Ordinary World - YouTube[/ame] The I Am Sam soundtrack has some fantastic Beatles covers. Faves include Sarah McLachlan's Blackbird, and Ben Harper's Strawberry Fields. STP cover of Dancing Days by Zeppelin is also awesome. A Perfect Circle absolutely nailed Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. And no cover list is complete without Gary Jules covering Tears For Fears Mad World. His version blows away the original. That song is haunting. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4]Mad World - Gary Jules - YouTube[/ame]

That song is amazing, I always thought that was REM. GREAT, GREAT MOVIE.

Pearl Jam's Baba O'Riley and SoundgardenLs version of the Doors Waiting for the Sun were my favorites until I bought Cash's American Recordings. Rubin and Cash were an incredible team.

 

[CYCLNST8]

I saw no mention of Homegrown's "Barbie Girl." Wayyy better than the original. Also love Fear Factory's cover of Gary Newman's "In Cars"

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REX6TO9BELQ]Family Guy - Stewie's Mix-tape of Gary Numan Cars - YouTube[/ame]

 

[CYCLNST8]

Just remembered Primus's version of "Nativity in Black" with Ozzy. Love how Les Claypool is on top of the mix.

 

[isukendall]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO9bWOnZpT0&feature=related]Ben Harper - Sexual Healing - Live in Milan - YouTube[/ame]

 

[cyhiphopp]

Lots of good songs mentioned so far.

Johnny Cash - Hurt is still probably my favorite. I am also very partial to 311 - Love Song. It's better than the original.

I will add another that I really like.

Pantera - Planet Caravan


I am not even a Pantera fan but they nailed this cover of a Sabbath song.

 

[cyhiphopp]

From back in the days when I really liked ska:

Reel Big Fish - Take On Me
Goldfinger - Rio

 

[ISUtamu]

My favorites

Johnny Cash cover of I hung my head by Sting
Trivium cover of Master of puppets by Metallica
Rise Against cover of - Any Way You Want It by Journey
Disturbed cover of Shout by Tears for Fears
Weird Al "cover" of Gangsters Paradise by Coolio

 

[mapnerd]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but I dig a lot of what Me First and the Gimme Gimmes have released. They punkify a lot of different types of music - country, showtunes, classic rock, etc.

 

[ccruzen]

A few I haven't seen listed:

Brown Eyed Girl by Jimmy Buffet (Originally Van Morrison) - I swear half the people I know don't know this was originally by The Man.

Wonderwall by Ryan Adams (Originally by Oasis) - One of the best covers ever in my opinion.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World Medley by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Originally recorded by Louie Armstrong and Judy Garland) - Amazing piece of music.

A Pirate Looks At Forty by Jack Johnson (Originally by Jimmy Buffet)

 

[VikesFan22]

A few I haven't seen listed:

Brown Eyed Girl by Jimmy Buffet (Originally Van Morrison) - I swear half the people I know don't know this was originally by The Man.

Wonderwall by Ryan Adams (Originally by Oasis) - One of the best covers ever in my opinion.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World Medley by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Originally recorded by Louie Armstrong and Judy Garland) - Amazing piece of music.

A Pirate Looks At Forty by Jack Johnson (Originally by Jimmy Buffet)

I love Wonderwall by Oasis so I had to check out Ryan Adams' cover. Not a big fan but that could be because there aren't a whole lot of covers I do like. I like the original feel to songs because while listening to covers, I try to make it sound like the original if that makes sense.

 

[State43]

I love me some Richard Cheese
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWnLyTxSQiY]Richard cheese: ("Chop suey!") - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evqews-KTfI&feature=related]Richard Cheese - Gin and Juice - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm_J4CYnlzI]Richard Cheese - Me So Horny (2 Live Crew) - YouTube[/ame]