This has probably been done before, but I didn't see anything recently, so...I was wondering what you guys/gals think are the best/worst covers songs that groups have attempted? Songs that both amazed you or downright let you down after you heard the cover for the first time.

Best:

"All Along the Watchtower" - Bear McCreary
"When the Levee Breaks" - Stream of Passion
"Master of Puppets" - Apocalyptica
"Have Not Been to Oxford Town" - Zoe Poledouris

Worst:

"Snap Your Finger Snap Your Neck" - Demon Hunter

I've never really been a fan of cover versions as I always think that you can never better the original.

However, I'd have to say that the worst cover version is anything by the 'band' G4 - a group of normal-looking blokes who cover contemporary songs in a vaguely operatic fashion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G4_%28band%29

The fact that their debut album "reached Number One for Mother's Day weekend 2005" speaks volumes.

They are one of many mainstream acts that reduce music to product.

Occasionally a cover can be better than the original.

"With a little help from my friends" was one of the Beatles throw away songs for Ringo to sing - till Joe Cocker turned it into a rock classic.

Good Covers

Phil Collins' cover of the Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love"
John Mayer-Bold as Love. Not as good as Jimi Hendrix but a very good cover.
Johnny Cash-Hurt from Nine Inch Nails
No Doubt "It's My Life"

Bad Covers
Paris Hilton-Do Ya Think I'm Sexy
Joss Stone-Son of a Preacherman, she absolutely butchered this song.\
All Saints-Under the Bridge. They didn't have the emotion that Anythony Kiedis had.
(I can't) get no satisfaction-Britney Spears, no comment.
Any covers the Puttycats do

Cat Stevens - Father & Son by Boyzone WORST

The Animals - Bring It On Home to Me by Jimmy Barnes & Diesel - BEST

if you are a fan of 80s cover music check out on itunes...click on itunes store, in the "Itunes store" box click on "music". in the third row of picture, icons, you will see one that says "the list 80... 80s rock covers" there are some pretty good ones in there

mike

...There's a few there I had and didn't even know were covers.

Going through my collection I realized I missed a few good ones:

"Back in Black" and "18 To Life" - Hydrogyn
"Lost" - Beautiful Sin (Originally The Departed by Helloween)

My favorite would have to be "Turn the Page" by Metallica, originally performed by Bob Seger.

I like Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" as best. I don't know about worst, there are a lot of bad covers out there!

The worst cover I've heard would have to be Dammit by System of a Down.

Not too sure about the best cover though...

Twist and Shout, the Beatle song that wasn't.
Stand By Me, from John Lennon's "Rock And Roll" album (it's a whole album of covers, but Ben E. King's song stands out)
Hurt, from Johnny Cash's "American IV." Most of that album is covers, some better than others. There's actually a cover of In My Life, that's not as good as I wish it were.
Big River, the Cash-penned song as done by The Grateful Dead
Hound Dog, the least-known cover, by Elvis Presley
Louie Louie, by The Kingsmen, and the cover-of-a-cover by John Belushi

As far as the worst goes, I'll leave Mr. Shatner alone, and focus on others:

I'll Be, by Bo Bice on American Idol... as a finalist
I Walk The Line, by Chris Daughtry... on American Idol, again.
Imagine by A Perfect Circle

"Baby Got Back" by Jonathan Coulton ranks right up there for me as one of the best.

Best: Sweet Jane by Cowboy Junkies, covering Lou Reed

I wonder whose "original" the OP was thinking of with Watchtower.... I'd offer both Dave Mason and Jimi Hendrix as making good covers of Dylan's tune.

Worst: most folks here are too young to have been exposed to this stuff when it was in heavy rotation...but back in the 60's when FM was spreading its commercial waves, there was a huge lack of suitable material for "easy listening" stations (too much older music was monaural and/or decidedly lo-fi), and outfits like Percy Faith, Ferrante & Teicher, Mantovani, and (my fave) 101 Strings cranked out endless LPs of saccharine arrangements covering everyone from Sinatra to the Stones. Pick any 101 Strings cover of any Beatles tune, and you're heaing the worst ;-)

S2

"Kiss Me Deadly" by Reel Big Fish.

I like it so much better than the Lita Ford version.

It's just like, "I CAN RELATE".

Because Reel Big Fish aren't an 80's hair metal act.

"Landslide" by Smashing Pumpkins is definitely on the Good list.