Covers of songs that better the original

[Ginger Tea]

Manson's version of Tainted Love definitely is a lot better than the original. He makes it bad ass whereas it just sounds lame in the original.

I've never heard the original (unless you are refering to the soft cell cover, just as the Righteous brothers Unchained Melody wasnt the first version, both just more famous) I prefer My Ruins cover vs Mansons
Rock N Roll N*gger by Manson is better than patti smiths, but she has owned a few covers.

Hayseed Dixie probably did 'No Covers' as they probably milked that genre. I thought the ukellee orchestra of great britain was a copy cat, but they have been going for over a decade, both are hit and miss, but i dont think they beat the originals hands down

Failure's cover of Enjoy The Silence rocks and is very similar to the Mike Shinoda remix from 04, just with Dave Ghans vocals instead

Although it's been a while since I heard it, the Sugar Cubes (bjorks old band) did a song called Hit and I got Diana Vickers Debut dirt cheap as I kinda liked Once after someone said I should listen to it as she was playing that week, did't grab me enough to go see her live.
She covered said song and afaik she wasnt even born when the song came out, It's not better, its just ended up on my covers play list as its a cover and its cheezy as hell.

B*witched released a song called "to you I belong" which is a good song done badly, I always thought Type O Negative could have made that song something

[LexiaFira]

Orgy's cover of blue monday's song "how does it feel" is better but thats my opinion.
And I agree with MadMike on the "Am I evil" cover hehe
and Disturbed Land of confusion

[Ginger Tea]

Orgy's cover of blue monday's song "how does it feel" is better but thats my opinion.
And I agree with MadMike on the "Am I evil" cover hehe

New Orders "Blue Monday", It's been almost a decade since I last heard the Orgy version, but its better than Novel Vague's attempt

If I didnt say it earlier, Marylin Mansons cover of Gary Numan's "Down in the Park" compares favourably depending on which version you put it up against
20th aniversary version Numan wins
Piano version (from Telekon?) Numan wins
Original version Manson 8/10
any version from the Pioneers of sound/Hybrid albums Manson or the Original

Nine Inch Nails Metal (again a Numan Cover)
20th aniversary Numan
Original NiN wins

And although really a totally different topic
I really hate the 2000's trend of remixing songs but not saying "song by band remixed by guy" but "song by remixer"
most are remixes, some are dance covers, but I honestly don't know which are genuinly covers and not remixes and what p**ses me off the most is due to them not giving credit in the title, most people dont know of the original version so think its new, when the remix of Jefferson Airplaine's "somebody to love" came out I was the only person I knew who had heard of the band and the original, the UK single didnt even have the original version as a b side (I didnt have it as i thought it was s**t but the guy in the next room used to play it non stop loud time and again so I asked him if it did)

[Akasa]

Hooverphonic's cover of Depeche Mode's "Shake the Disease"

I just love it.

[Lace Neil Singer]

If I didnt say it earlier, Marilyn Mansons cover of Gary Numan's "Down in the Park"

Oh god yes. Also his version of Patty Smith's Rock And Roll N_r is good.

[linguist]

almost any cover of a bob dylan song is guaranteed to be better that the original. man could write an amazing song, but couldn't sing to save his life. among my favorites are jimi hendrix's "all along the watchtower" and mike ness' "don't think twice." also, jay-z does a pretty rockin' cover of oasis' "wonderwall."

[ExRetailDrone]

I love Godhead's cover of Eleanor Rigby. I don't mind The Beatles' version, but Godhead put such darkness into the sound that really fits with the words. It's wonderful.

I agree with CrashHelmet about Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. My husband gives me shit about having a punk/ska cover to everything

I have a cover of Madonna's Like a Prayer that was done by Bigod 20, and I think I like it more than Madonna's version, even though I love hers. There's something about that song set to a more industrial beat that gives it something extra.

Metallica's version of Turn the Page trumps the original by FAR in my opinion.

[draggar]

I'm torn on this one, "Get It On"

originally done by T-Rex:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19Iqw...eature=related

covered by The Power Station:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUc629OcQPo

Both are great versions.

While Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silenceis far superior:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diT3FvDHMyo&ob=av3e

Lacuna Coil did a very good job with it (especially since Andrea Ferro didn't sing lead):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx58hXh4pVA

Tori Amos covering "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (live) - another one that is close to the original:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qikAa...eature=related

[crashhelmet]

A ska cover I forgot to list before is Reel big Fish's cover of "There's Nothing like A Dame" from South Pacific. The original is very blah and almost monotone. Their cover starts ska and ends in a disco-like funk.

Ginger tea reminded me of Type O Negative's cover of "Summer Breeze" (Seals and Crofts?). Completely opposite end of the spectrum in relation to the original, but good none the less.

Bob Dylan wrote and recorded "To Make You Feel My Love," which Billy Joel later covered, but I like the Garth Brooks version of it and I'm not much of a country fan.

Frank Sinatra covered "Something" by The Beatles. i don't know if i'd say it's better than the original, but I like it better.

CH

[ZedOmega]

I saw Duran Duran mentioned and have to mention the Mnemic cover of Wild Boys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDc0rVbmnY

Of course, the only thing I've found that really trumps that is Rockwell's 'Somebody's Watching Me' done by Raunchy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82tw2GCE5dg

[linguist]

Bob Dylan wrote and recorded "To Make You Feel My Love," which Billy Joel later covered, but I like the Garth Brooks version of it and I'm not much of a country fan.

ah yes. covers of covers. i think my favorite is gary oldman's cover of sid vicious' cover of frank sinatra's "my way" in sid and nancy. apparently the filmmakers couldn't get rights to the original recordings for the movie, so the actors performed all the songs themselves. gary oldman blew sid vicious away, and both are better than sinatra.

[Ginger Tea]

With a Little Help from my friends goes thus
Joe Cocker (only heard the woodstock version)
John Belushi on Saturday Night Live as Joe Cocker
Whomever played John Belushi in Wired being John Belushi being Joe Cocker
random drunk karaokie singer
other random drunk karaokie singer
original beatles
wet wet wet

[tropicsgoddess]

Here are some of my favourite cover versions that I believe were better than the original. ^^

Tainted Love - Marilyn Manson
Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson

Manson has done a lot of covers over the years, but these two are my favourites. He always makes the song completely his own, and I always prefer Manson's version to the original. The guy's a genius.

Agreed. I found while I was on youtube that Pink did a cover of Divinyl's "I Touch Myself" while on the funhouse tour and I love it! Much more sensual and sexier than the original.

[Ginger Tea]

bit too slow for me that one, but its way better than "the girls of FHM" or whomever lent their T&A to the video of the dance cover/remic a few years ago

Original Version
Accoustic from Enough Rope, although when she starts she has a far away look in her face like shes trying to remember the words and looks like someones nan, I'm sure I used to fancy her way back when

but a related link was right said fred's "I'm too sexy" has anyone made a cover

[Bloodsoul]

My Choice of Covers - Part I

Cibo Matto - Cover of Nirvana's "About a Girl"
As a big a Nirvana fan I am, I'm also a huge Cibo Matto fan, and this cover is just pure fun.

Cibo Matto - Cover of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun"
I never imagined anyone could make Black Hole Sun even more psychadelic than it originally was; hearing it sung in French was a neat twist, too. Shame their version is so short, though.

Everclear - Cover of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl"
I have to say I enjoy Everclear's version much more than the original for its romantic vibe. When Van sings, "making love in the green grass", I just don't feel anything as I do with this cover.

Gary Jules/Michael Andrews - Cover of Tears For Fears' "Mad World"
I suppose it helps that I heard the cover version first; hearing the poppy original feels odd at times.. but then cosidering that it's Tears for Fears, too, it definitely works, too. So, in the end, I'm torn.

Nirvana - Cover of Rod McKuen's "Seasons in the Sun"
I highly doubt that the band was taking this effort seriously, but I think that's the charm I find in it; just the guys having fun. Honestly, I do like the Terry Jack's version more, but deep down I do feel something wholesome from Nirvana's effort.

Pearl Jam - Cover of Wayne Cochran's "Last Kiss"
To be honest, it might have been the J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers version that I heard, but I prefer how Eddie sings it. That, and combined with being in an accident myself (thankfully with no fatalities), really hits home with me.

The Marked - Cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Fire"
The Marked was Billy Corgan's old band before the Smashing Pumpkins. On of their demo tapes there's a recording of "Fire" done in a very Sinatra-sort of way. "Move over, Rover, and let Billy take over!"

Note: As much as I love Green Day (well, haven't checked out anything after Shenanigans, honestly), I can't really add their cover of The Kink's "Tired of Waiting For You" to this list because they really don't do it any differently.