Best cover songs (all genres, does not include songs that are sampled)

[Ignodium]

I like cover songs. They are a great way to find out about new artists and they are also a great way to liven up old classics (its what makes tribute albums so good).


Everyone who wants to, post a couple of good cover songs (or if you want, all of the ones you like, I just didnt want to spend the time doing that).



The Foo Fighters - Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty cover)

The Smashing Pumpkins - Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode cover)

[space6donkey]

Hmmm.

1. Social Distortion- Under My Thumb (Rolling Stones)

2. Talking Heads- Take Me to the River (Al Green)

3. Massive Attack- Be Thankful for what you've got (William DeVaughn????)

...sometimes these covers are so obsurce, you only find out there covers after someone else clues you in.

[NiTRO]

These are some of my favs:

Bauhaus - Telegram Sam (T-Rex)
Bauhaus - Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie)
Buddy Guy - Red House (Hendrix)
Flaming Lips - Golden Age (Beck)
Deftones - To Have & To Hold (Depeche Mode)
Nebula - I Need Somebody (Iggy Pop)
Pearl Jam - Rockin' In the Free World (Neil Young)
Soundgarden - Girl U Want (Devo)
Maktub - No Quarter (Led Zepplin)
The Sundays - Wild Horses (Rolling Stones)
Urge Overkill - Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon (Neil Diamond)
Ministry - Lay Lady Lay (Bob Dillan)

[povvy]

No Quarter (Led Zeppelin cover) - Tool
"Animals" album (Pink Floyd cover) - Les Claypool's Frog Brigade

Patrick.

[geistwerks]

i guess i haven't said this enough....


ME FIRST & THE GIMME GIMMES

come on now, get ya some gimmes :)

[Ignodium]

They had some good stuff, and some bad stuff, but some of their covers are essential (mainly Rocket Man).

[reorx24]

my fave coversongs (note: Im a BIG Beatles fan):


Mad World (Tears for Fears) - Gary Jules
Across The Universe (Beatles) - David Bowie
Nowhere Man (Beatles) - Natalie Merchant
Come Together (Beatles) - Soundgarden; Craig David
The entire "I Am Sam" Soundtrack
Manic Depression (Hendrix) - Seal
Just Like Heaven (The Cure) - Dinosaur Jr.
Snowblind (Black Sabbath) - System of a Down
Heaven (Warrant) - New Found Glory (Actually, New Found Glory covered a TON of songs, but i like this the best)

If I remember more, ill post again.....

[ToddW]

Johnny Cash- Hurt (Nine Inch Nails)

[tombertram]

Pearl Jam - Last Kiss (Wayne Cochran)

[Fopac]

Sorry for being redundant, but anything by the Me First and the Gimme Gimmes had to be the best cover of that particular song. My Favorites are ?Somewhere over the Rainbow?, ?Fire and Rain", and ?Wild World?

[pingin]

yo la tengo's fakebook : one of their best albums and basically just covers
i'm your fan : a cover album of leonard cohen songs by groups like the pixies, the house of love, nick cave, dead famous people

[tntracy]

Joan Osborne's most recent album "How Sweet It Is" is all covers of 60's & 70's soul & R&B classics (with a couple of rock numbers thrown in). She performs them all very well with her great soulful and bluesy voice.

Tom

[docmichael]

A couple of my favorite covers:

The Byrds: "Paths of Victory" (Bob Dylan)

Bruce Cockburn: "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" (Eric Idle)

Steve Harley: Love Minus Zero/No limit" (Bob Dylan)

Indigo Girls: "Midnight Train To Georgia"

Rod Stewart: "People Get Ready"

Annie Lennox: "Waiting in Vain" (Bob Marley)

Neil Young: "O Lonesome Me" (Don Gibson)

At the top of my list, though, is Shawn Colvin's version of Talking Heads' "Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place)" on "Cover Girl". Shawn's interpretation is a total revelation of this great tune! (BTW, the same album contains a great cover of Steve Earle's "Someday")

[ginalee]

Check out Travis "Hit me baby one more time" we saw them perform it live - it definitely rocked the audience and you do smile every time you hear it.

[S.O.A.D.]

Metallica- On the Road Again

[S.O.A.D.]

Nirvana- The Man who sold the world

[Zimmerman]

Rammstein - Stripped

It's a cover of a song by Depeche Mode. My favorite mix of their cover of that song can be found under several names. Tribute To D?sseldorf, KMFDM, or Heavy Metal Mix are the three names that I've found it under. That mix has the original lyrics, but the other mixes (Psilonaut, FKK, and the mix with no special designation) are pretty good. The mixes of Depeche Mode's version (there are 9 mixes that I've found with Martin Gore's vocals) are good, too, but they aren't really covers.

Andy Vask'El's cover of the same song is quite good.

Other good covers that I have include:

The Cure - World In My Eyes (originally by Depeche Mode)
Art Of Noise - Policy Of Truth (also by Depeche Mode)
Rammstein - Das Modell (originally by Kraftwerk) and
Disturbed - Shout 2000 (originally by Tears For Fears as far as I know)

Yes, I like Depeche Mode and Rammstein. How could you tell?

[bhauke]

Gotta put my vote in for just about anything Metallica covers. They're usually better than the originals. Two standouts:

Am I Evil? (originally by Diamondhead)
Breadfan (originally by Budgie)

Butch

[dcbell]

Tricky's version of Black Steel (originally Public Enemy)

space6donkey - never realised that Talking Heads' 'take me to the river' was originally performed by Al Green; have to try and dig the original out. Any good, cos the THs' track is superb?

[devastor]

My favorite punk covers are:
Reel Big Fish - Brown-Eyed Girl (originally CCR)
Reel Big Fish - Take On Me (A-ha)
Less Than Jake - I Think I Loved You (orignally ?)
H20 - Like A Prayer (Madonna)
New Found Glory - Gin & Juice (Snoop Dogg..funny!!)

[Hephador]

Originally posted by devastor
Less Than Jake - I Think I Love You (orignally ?) ^^^^^David Cassidy if I recall.^^^^^

Anyway, too many really good punk covers out there but one that sticks out in my mind is Social Distortion's cover of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire....especially live.

[dcbell]

Originally posted by devastor

New Found Glory - Gin & Juice (Snoop Dogg..funny!!)

... is that the country&western version? ... redneck styles meets Compton ... v good.

[devastor]

Originally posted by dcbell
... is that the country&western version? ... redneck styles meets Compton ... v good.

I know the version you are talking about but, this cover is like Slow Punk Rock version by New Found Glory. I like it a lot

[Zaphod]

"Hurt" by Johnny Cash owns. When Otis Redding heard Aretha Franklin's version of "Respect" he said "That's her song now." Trent Reznor should say the same thing.

But, by the same respect, "Dead Souls" by Nine Inch Nails (originally Joy Division.)
Also really like "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" by Barenaked Ladies (Bruce Cockburn) and "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)

[trix]

hmmm no ones mentioned -

Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams (Eurothmetics cover)

[Henrik]

Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is amazing. Also most covers by Tori Amos, such as that of Simon & Garfunkel's "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her".

[reorx24]

My current fave covers:

After the Gold Rush (Neil Young) - Flaming Lips
Here Comes the Sun (Beatles) - Nina Simone
Hand of Doom (Black Sabbath) - Slayer
Communication Breakdown (Led Zep) - Soundgarden
Back That Thang Up (Juvenile) - New Found Glory

[Lazurus]

Originally posted by devastor
My favorite punk covers are:
Reel Big Fish - Brown-Eyed Girl (originally CCR)


And if by CCR you mean Van Morrison...

[SalsaVibe]

"""""""""does not include sampled songs"""""""""

Does that really need to be pointed out?
I think most of us understand Cover songs, if not well I guess I am shocked

[noryen]

I like the songs on the Depeche Mode Tribute album (all DM covers). Most notably I like:
"Shake the Disease" by Hooverphonic
"Somebody" by Veruca Salt


Another cover I like is "Paint it Black" by Vanessa Carlton (Rolling Stones cover).

[loki102]

for me it's Metallica's cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Astronomy"

"Baker Street" (Gerry Rafftery) by the Foo Fighters ranks a close second

[SunByrne]

I like covers that are obviously different from the original, yet also still recognizably faithful. Faves include:

The Cure's cover of "Purple Haze"
The Bangles' cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter"

I also like the Limp Bizkit cover of "Faith" because it cracks me up...

[Zimmerman]

Statemachine did a pretty good cover of Paint It Black (originally by The Rolling Stones). An MP3 of it is available for free on their website. Their cover of Stripped (originally by Depeche Mode) is wonderful, but not free.

Metallica's cover of Nothing Else Matters (originally by ZZ Top) is phenomenal.

Ozzy Osbournes cover of Stayin' Alive just cracks me up. It's great.

Whatever you do, DO NOT listen to Bono's cover of Hallelujah and expect it to be anything like any other version that you've heard. It's an aquired taste to say the least. It is good in its own way, but it's just so WEIRD to hear that song how he does it.

[wolfpacker]

I really like some of the ones mentioned : Man who sold the world, take me to the river, all along the watchtower.

Here are ones i didn't see (apologize if i missed) and really like :

Depeche Mode - Route 66 (Bobby Troupe)
White Stripes - Jolene (Dolly Parton)
Corrs/Bono - When the Stars Go Blue (Ryan Adams)
Cake - I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
Jane's Addiction - Sympathy for the Devil/Sweet Jane medley
NIN - Get Down Make Love (Adam Ant)
Dillon Fence - Dreaming (Blondie)
Pixies - Head On (J&M Chain)
RHCP - Higher Ground (Stevie wonder)
Van Halen - You Really Got Me (Kinks)
Love spit love - How Soon is Now (Smiths)
Santana - Oye Como Va (Tito Puente Jr)
Sublime - Rivers of Babylon (Melodians)
Ryan Adams - Wonderwall (Oasis)