Cover songs that surpassed the originals.

[Kaysaar]

I like the Aerosmith version of Come Together better than the original Beatles version, although both are great songs:

Beatles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJqNxKdgyqM

Aerosmith:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER7hK...eature=related

Also, I also prefer Alian Ant Farm's cover of Smooth Criminal when compared to Michael Jackson's original.


Michael Jackson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wgS5PNTvgg

Alien Ant Farm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB_yIGt7_Dg

[BobCox2]

I don't agree with all the cover versions picked as better here
http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/p...oversongs.html
but they at least are all good covers.

[Croup]

The MxPx version of "Summer of 69" is miles better than the original Bryan Adams version. Look them up if you have the time.

[Ankeli]

Sweet Dreams (are made of this) by Eurythmics

and (yet another) superior cover by Marilyn Manson

[Voorhees]

There's not many I agree with so far, maybe Hurt and anything Aerosmith covered with the possible exception of Love Me Two Times.
Here's a couple I think were kicked up a notch:
White Wedding - Billy Idol
and
White Wedding - Deathstars
*
Summer Breeze - Seals and Crofts
and
Summer Breeze - Type O Negative
**
Cum on Feel the Noize - Slade
and
Cum on Feel the Noize - Quiet Riot
***
There's more, I'm bored with thinking of them though.

[plasmo]

I don't listen to too many older songs (before 1980s or so), but when I do, I'm amazed by the number of "new" songs that are actually covers of old, or even ancient, songs. So, most of the "originals" I post are probably actually covers themselves, but whatever.

Standard Disclaimer: almost all the covers I'm posting are faster versions of the originals. In most cases, I like both versions, and which I prefer simply depends on my mood at the time. There, now I don't have to write this for every video.

La Isla Bonita
Madonna
Alizee
I've always like Madonna's songs, but I've never really liked her voice. Not to mention that while Madonna is dirtier, Alizee is cuter.

Canon in D
Pachelbel
Jerry C
Eh, I've got a thing for electric guitars.

Hotel California
Eagles
Gipsy Kings
The Standard Disclaimer definitely applies here, since the Eagles' version is great. It's probably more of that I think of the hilarious scene in The Big Lebowski when I hear the Gipsy Kings' version.

Calabria (warning: fairly naughty videos)
Alex Guadino
Enur
The Anthem by Pit Bull
The Enur version is really the original, and I prefer it by far, although since the Guadino version came out first, lots of people get it backwards. And Pit Bull's version isn't really a cover, more of a remake, but it's still a fun song. The producer sure hates everything anybody else did with his song, though: interview.

The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Charlie Daniel's Band
Primus
One of those songs that's been covered a thousand times, but I like the Primus version the best. I think the Guitar Hero 3 version by Steve Ouimette is about the worst.

Axel F
Harold Faltermeyer
Crazy Frog
One of my absolute favorite songs from the 80s, although the cover has a little more going on in the song. Plus, everybody freaked out about an animated frog's penis.

Milkshake
Kelis
D-Tune
I'm only going to include one mainstream song covered into a dance track because it happens with every song that gets popular. Plus, I'm not sure how many people would consider it to be "covering," although I often prefer the dance versions (but not the slower/longer techno/trance versions) to the originals.

Street Fighter 2, Guile's theme
SSF2T original
remix
OK, this is again more of a remix than a cover, but still, I love it. Not to mention lots of people play this on guitar.

Transformers (the movie, not the TV show, although that's a fun song, too)
Lion
Black Lab
And I'll finish with one where I absolutely love the original and despise the cover, although the actual theme for the 2007 movie is pretty good. Then again, most of the songs in the original movie were rocking, too, especially Dare and The Touch. Man I loved the 80s. I wonder what will happen with the GI Joe movie theme in the new movie.

Yeah, like I said, I don't listen to anything very old.

I agree with Alien Ant Farm and Marilyn Manson, too.

[Uncle_Mike]

Black Eye Peas - My Hump
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXKxs8Ge_9g

Alanis Morissette "My Humps"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91sqAs-_-g

^_^

[nosignal]

Over the rainbow. Yeah that one.

I also like Ewan McGregor's Your Song and Muse's Feeling Good.

[pancakeman]

Yeah, I like the electric Canon as well. It's just neat.


And that stupid list Bob posted got to Crossroads before I could. Robert Johnson was good, but he's got nothing on Clapton.

[WildBerry]

Eleanor Rigby

Original made by the beatles

Cover made by "pain"

Pain is a one man band. It's one person that does vocals, writes the songs and playes all instruments. I like the cover more because of the rock theme but the cover also seems more pure. The beatles version seems so.... infused, twisted.

I've been looking for this one since I got out of the Army where I heard that first time. I thought it is, rather than being a better cover, a perfecting cover - making the original mood better fit the expressions that man of today expects to hear. And I love how he kept the moody strings.

I'm really so thankful for this I want to nail you. Even with the nitpick, this is without a doubt the cover I relate to most.

Only covers I can think of myself at the moment are Working Class Hero (Lennon -> Green Day) and Behind Blue Eyes (The Who - Limp Bizkit), and for both saying that the cover exceeds the original is stretching it. Lennon delivered his song without the emo feel, and The Who just were more rock.