What's a song where you like a remix or cover better than the original?
1mon 9d ago by lemmy.world/u/makeshiftreaper in asklemmy
And don't get cute and do songs people don't know are covers like I Will Always Love You or Torn
Johnny Cash did a good job with "Hurt"
Trent Reznor himself admitted that it’s Cash’s song now.
And Cash had been skeptical about covering it.
Good for anyone who likes that version, but I could never get into it. It is okay, but will always pale in comparison to the raw emotions of the original, in my opinion.
I dunno, I think Cash is just as rawly emotional, it's just a different expression of a slightly different emotion. Reznor is expressing bleak despair in the midst of a Downward Spiral of self abuse, Cash is expressing bleak regret bearing the weight of decades of decisions.
Maybe it's just because I have a soft spot for old, tough men expressing vulnerability, but
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here
.
What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
hits way more raw coming from an old guy.
Cash's version has the same emotion but it's coming from a completely different place.
I recently learned that the guitar on the original is actually a synth, blew my mind
NiN has Something I Can Never Have for the feels. Give Johnny's ghost this one.
Social Distortion did a good job with Johnny Cash.
I think it's differently good but still prefer the original. I think there's something more compelling in the arrangement and orchestration of the original.
I'm not saying you're wrong but I do think the love of this cover is one of the most insane popular opinions in all of music. I will die on the hill that if it was anyone other than the man in black, everyone would agree.
It sounds so, so bad to me. People say you can really hear the hurt in his voice but he sounds no different than any old man who used to sing but hasn't kept up the practice. It's warbly and honestly sounds like shit. The instrumentation is equally boring
People (not you) say there's more emotion than the original but Trent Reznor sounds like he's actively going through withdrawals, expressing several different emotions as the song evolves.
Sorry for the rant. I'll cap it off by saying it's equally dumb to me that the song is about pain and regret but Cash's music video just....aggrandizes his life with a montage of classic Johnny Cash moments.
You've just said what I've been thinking all these years. Except the video. I think that might be why people praised it. They knew he didn't have long to live and the video is pretty heartbreaking when you think he might have chose the song because he was bitter about losing everything he ever worked for.
IMHO, the cover sucked but I do think it was from the heart.
I went back and watched the video and ehhh I dunno, it's footage of old shows and concerts mixed with some really on-the-nose imagery. Though I don't disagree with your final point.
I haven't listened to it in awhile and I forgot the mix is pretty bad, too lol
Pretty much any song he covered ended up being the definitive version.
Yeah....but only because he's Johnny Cash. No way the cover was getting radio play if it was just some random old guy who recorded it
He actually wasn’t an old guy his entire career.
Yeah and he was making good music until he became one
Mercy seat and In my life are masterpieces in the original but his renditions are immaculate. It's something about his low emotion, speaking from a position of looking back at the events rather than being emotional and in them like the originals.
Also Johnny Cash with "The Mercy Seat"
It's a toss up between Cave and Cash for me. Both are fantastic songs.
All along the watchtower covered by Hendrix.
All Along the Watchtower covered by Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica).
Cool but disagree
There's no way you actually like Dylan's version better. It's shit compared to hendrix's version.
Even Dylan preferred Hendrix's version.
Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm
Came here for this
Thank you, cultured netizen
Same
It may be a trite answer for this question, but I still gotta go with Gary Jules' cover of Mad World by Tears for Fears from the Donnie Darko soundtrack. I appreciate both versions, but the cover is truly haunting. I also heard that version first, and I was at the right age when Donnie Darko came out for it to make a lasting impression on me.
For me it's a toss-up between the Gary Jules cover and the Alex Parks cover.
Also by the Imagine Dragons version was great.
Soft Cell — Tainted Love
The Coil version is cool (coil?) as well.
The Living End did a rockabilly version with some energy!
Broken Peach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q45yicposyI
ZOMG, no one has mentioned this version of What's up by 4 non blondes
Its sung by he-man and friends and is catchy AF, even in 2026
This was my introduction to this song, and for the longest time I thought it was original content.
homelander looking disgusted at "original content".jpg
I’m going to save this for later, but then never check my saved threads
Here's your reminder!
Hallelujah
Written and originally sung by Leonard Cohen:
But it was Jeff Buckley's hauntingly beautiful cover of it that made the song known to the world:
I'm pretty sure it was pretty big by Cohen and Cales version (the one Jeff would use) and I don't think it was before Jeff's death his version really exploded and then subsequently through Shrek did it become everyone's song.
But Jeff really revitalised the song with hiss masterful voice. Leonard was a master in many areas but his voice wasn't his big strength.
Fun trivia: In the movie it's Cales version but on the official soundtrack it's Rufus Wainwright performing it, who happens to have a child with Cohen's daughter.
I love k.d. lang's version
Maggie's Farm by RATM.
That whole album is full of contenders. I love minor threat's "in my eyes", but honestly I think rage's cover just edges it out for me. Zach just goes all in on the vocals and it's so good.
Didn't know that was a cover, but also recently found out that Ghost of Tom Joad was a cover too. That's the one I came to post.
BWAA BWAA chka BWAA chka BWAA chka chka
That part goes so hard
Then he fights you
every time
you slam the door!
Ballad of a Thin Man is one of Dylanz edgiest, least-pleasant songs. Bob cant keep his voice straight singing it. Kula Shaker does it justice.
Orgy - Blue Monday
Chris Cornell - Nothing Compares 2 U
Love that blue Monday cover
Love that Chris Cornell cover
Orgy - Blue Monday
Hell yeah, I loved Orgy. Still do, but I used to too. That cover of Blue Monday got heavy rotation in middle school. Their first two albums, 'Candyass' and 'Vapor Transmission' still hold up. At least much better than some of the rubbish that got lumped into nü metal by proximity back then.
I like Sinead O'Connor's version, but it still counts because it's also a cover.
Chris Cornell's Ave Maria gives me chills!
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
Mad World
I was shocked when I finally heard the original after hearing like 3 or 4 covers of it first. Tears for Fears' original version is just... It's not bad, but it's the least good version of that song. Lol.
Holy shit I could not disagree with you more. Tears for Fears’ original version is far superior to any cover I’ve heard, including and especially Gary Jules.
You’re welcome to your opinion but wow I can’t stress enough how much I hate it.
I admire your courage to speak your truth ;)
Eric Clapton — I Shot the Sheriff (original by Bob Marley)
Disturbed — Sound of Silence (original by Simon & Garfunkel)
Manfred Mann — Blinded By the Light (original by Bruce Springsteen)
I love all of the original artists, but someone else did the definitive version of all of these. Disturbed is probably debatable, but I do think it's better.
The disturbed song soured on me after the singer signed bombs for use against Gaza. I don't care what your political motivations are, signing bombs meant for killing people is bad. Fuck that band.
Politics aside, I also think the cover just sucks. This isn't about the band, I think the covers for Shout and Land of Confusion are ok, but I really don't understand why people like the cover for Sound of Silence.
I wouldn't go so far as to say it sucks, I think it's fine, but it's super overrated
Remember the good ol' internet, where you just LimeWired their music, without ever knowing what shitheads they really are?
Godsmack was another like that for me.
What's wrong with Godsmack? I liked their first album, but didn't pay much attention beyond that.
Well this site covers what I initially bristled at, but maybe he took it down later.
Regardless, I think everyone's entitled to their opinion, but if you're willing to make those opinions public (and have any reach whatsoever), I just hope you can speak intelligently on the topic first. Just my $.02
Cheers!
Try the Pentatonix cover. Its much better with no baggage.
Oh. That's fucking horrible. I had no idea. That version of the song is amazing, but fuck that fucking guy.
I'm baffled by how much people like the Disturbed version. I find it to be considerably worse than the original.
I enjoy the rock-opera quality. The way it goes from soft and gentle to powerful and intense. It reminds me of Phantom of the Opera, which I quite enjoy. Now, Meatloaf probably would've done it much better, but to my knowledge he never did.
The Disturbed COVID video makes me cry every time.
I gave up on the Disturbed version before any politics came into it. Just kinda overproduced.
Pet Shop Boys, Always on my mind, IMHO much better than the Elvis Presley original.
Cake - I will Survive
The cake version slaps hard. I love it
This is my answer. Such a fine album, too.
Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World
- Jimi Hendrix – "All Along the Watchtower”
Johnny Cash – "Hurt”
Aretha Franklin – "Respect"
Joe Cocker – "With A Little Help From My Friends"
Jeff Beck - “Morning Dew”
Glen Campbell- “Wichita Lineman”
Bruce Springsteen - “Trapped”
Janis Joplin - “Me and Bobby McGee”
Talking Heads - “Take Me To The River”
Janis for sure
Trapped, hell yes!
Slight thing, Campbell didn't write Withita Lineman, but it was written for him.
Fun fact, Jimmy Webb, who wrote it, hated the "And I need you more than want you / And I want you for all time" line and begged the producers to change it when that plus the ambiguity of the key its in are arguably what make the song.
Bangles: Hazy shade of winter
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: I love Rock’n’Roll
Bodyjar did a good rock cover of Hazy Shade of Winter. Very fun to play along with on guitar!
VKTRS by TPotUSoA is neutral genre swap, probably a downgrade honestly. The original has a wistful, nostalgic tone that supports the content of the lyrics. I just binged all the covers I could find, and the only one that really does anything with it is Postmodern Jukebox.
I love the original, and I love The Presidents, so I have love for both versions.
I mostly listen to electronic music, where remix culture is huge. There are countless examples of remixes that I prefer to the original mix. Some of these examples, I dislike the original mix but do like a particular remix. And sometimes, I do still like the original mix but I just like a remix even more .
Give some examples?
This is a pretty arbitrary non-exhaustive unordered list, but here are some remixes that I have posted to trap@lemmy.world recently:
- Jay Z - Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Brillz & Z Trip Remix) (2013) YouTube
- X&G - Whiplash (ft. Josh Pan) (um.. Remix) (2016) Bandcamp
- Dabow - Ya Booty (DMVU Remix) (2022) Bandcamp
- Galantis - Hunter (NGHTMRE & Rickyxsan Remix) (2018) SoundCloud
- What So Not - Touched (Slumberjack Edit) (2014) SoundCloud, YouTube
- RL Grime - Core (TYNAN Flip) (2017) SoundCloud
- Migos - Bad and Boujee (OFFICIAL RL Grime Edit) ft. Lil Uzi Vert (2017) YouTube
- HARDWELL - Spaceman (Carnage Festival Trap Remix) (2012) SoundCloud
- Flosstradamus, FKi 1st, graves - Came Up (ft. Post Malone & Key!) (Casper and B. Remix) (2017) SoundCloud
- Flosstradamus - Rollup (Baauer Remix) (2012) SoundCloud
- Flosstradamus - Mosh Pit (Meaux Green & Party Favor Remix) (2014) SoundCloud
- Carnage - I Like Tuh Feat. ILoveMakonnen (Lil Wayne & G-Eazy Remix) (2015) SoundCloud
- AFK & Carbin - Boss (ft. Cody Ray) (G-Buck Remix) (2018) SoundCloud
- CHVRCHES - The Mother We Share (Vanic Remix) (2014) SoundCloud
- Don Toliver - FWU (NXSTY remix) (2025) SoundCloud
- The Game - El Chapo (feat. Skrillex) (QUIX & THIEVES Remix) (2015) SoundCloud
- €URO TRA$H - B€NZ (Dysomia Remix) (feat. Syaqish) (2022) SoundCloud
- Travis Scott - Goosebumps (NGHTMRE Remix) (2017) SoundCloud
- Billie Eilish - Copycat (um.. remix) (2017) SoundCloud
- MEDASIN & X&G - The Zoo (feat. josh pan) (um.. Remix) (2017) SoundCloud
- SOPHIE - HARD (Revazz Remix) (2017) SoundCloud
Of all the remixes I posted to that community, the one that I see that I do not actually like better than the original mix is a particular Christmas variation that I posted on Christmas. It is effectively the exact same thing as the original mix, just with the melody of the main synth changed to sound like the "Jingle Bells" melody. Which does not make it bad by any means. On the contrary, I think it achieves what it was reaching for rather well. But more often than not, I am not particularly in the mood to listen to Christmas-themed music, and as such, I would prefer the original.
Thanks! Bunch of interesting names on there (um.. Especially!). Keen to go through this
Random: I remember seeing um.. mention that they regret choosing a name that has punctuation in it because it makes things worse for search engine optimization reasons, but that it was all worth it anyway to overhear the mass confusion around staff members at a music festival talking to each other over their walkie talkies about the artists "um.." and "sumthin sumthin".
Imagine something like:
STAFF 1: Who's next on the main stage?
STAFF 2: Uh... um..
STAFF 1: ...um what?
STAFF 2: And then it's... sumthin sumthin.
STAFF 1: Wait, who??? I need to know exactly!
Haha. Joke's on us now though, because these days internet searches suck universally regardless of punctuation.
This is a person of culture right here
David Draimen is a bootlicking chud but I love Disturbed's cover of Sound of Silence. Fuck
out of the loop, what'd he do?
He signed a bunch of Israeli bombs
David is awesome and their cover is awesome!
The cover is awesome, but he is still a bootlicking chud
I prefer Perfect Circle's Fiddle And The Drum.
I like their Imagine too. The whole.album I generally like more than the originals.
Even "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums", which is effectively a cover of their own song "Pet".
Orgy “Blue Monday”
Stairway to Heaven - Frank Zappa
And the absolute greatest part of his cover is that when it comes to the guitar solo at the end you think either he or Belew (whomever was on that tour) are about to shred Jimmy Page's solo they do not.
Instead he does a homage by having this horn section cover Page's solo note for note.
With a Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker
Devo’s cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.”
And Dr Hook's Cover of the Rolling Stone.
Janis Joplin - Piece of my Heart
Edit: Came back to add Blondie - The Tide is High. I was trying to think of it earlier, but it eluded me.
Also Joplin's recording of Me and Bobby McGee.
Heatwave. Linda Ronstadt crushed it.
All Along The Watchtower, because Hendrix.
I'm surprised no one has said Metallica's cover of "Turn The Page". The original Bob Seger version is great, but I feel like James and the boys did it better.
Several of the Garage Inc covers are great.
I like Metallica's version but I don't like the music video for it. I'm pretty sure the song is supposed to be about a band on the road and they made the music video about a single mom stripper/hooker(?) that was on the road. It really just didn't match with all the lyrics. But that's just how I feel about it. It doesn't seem to bother anyone else.
I was scrolling through the comments before posting about it, heh. I used to sing it at karaoke quite a bit.
Black History Month (Death From Above 1979), remixed by Death From Above 1979
Hurt (Nine Inch Nails), covered by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash did a great cover of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage," too.
The Cash version of Hurt is the definitive one.
I always thought Suzanna wrote that song
Yes, she's the original song writer and performer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%27s_Diner
Oh I misunderstood. I've never heard any other version. I'll check it out
This is the original https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mto47BMT3yA
The one you've heard is a remix.
Like Jxl vs Elvis - Little Less Conversation
Every time we touch - Electric callboy
Still waiting - Electric callboy
ECB is awesome.
Jose Gonzalez' cover of Heartbeats by The Knife is otherworldly, although The Kinfe's live version is also incredible. both are, in my opinion, better than the album version.
The Jennifer Saunders version of Holding Out for a Hero from Shrek 2
The Rufus Wainright version of Hallelujah from Shrek 1 (but the Jeff Buckley and John Cale versions are even better)
Norther - Final Countdown
Ramones - Do You Wanna Dance
Kill Your Idols - Goodbye to You
Judas Priest - Green Manalishi
AFI - Hanging Garden
Joan Jett - Love Hurts
Against All Authority - Centerfold
Fear Factory - Cars
and while not “better”, Cradle of Filth’s - Hallowed Be Thy Name is so over the top it circles back to entertaining.
Comfortably Numb by Scissor Sisters
Ring of Fire by Wall of Voodoo
Rusty Cage by Johnny Cash
I Feel Love by Dengue Fever
All I Want/Heroes by Lightouts
Going to have to disagree on Comfortably Numb. To me that is a song that cannot be covered
Land of Confusion by Disturbed is pretty good.
In flames made a cover, too - I think I was living under a rock big enough to only listen to this cover first.
Hurt by Johnny Cash - much better than the NiN version, to the point that Trent Reznor basically said "yea, it's his song now, he nailed it".
And then I have some more controversial takes...
-Faith by Limp Bizkit (instead of George Michael). Yes, I know, but seriously, it slaps.
-99 Red Balloons by Goldfinger.
-Gin and Juice by The Gourds.
Wicked Game - HIM
Radioactive - Within Temptation
The Trooper - The Hu
Viator (Ryu's theme) - Lame Genie
Toss A Coin To Your Witcher - Dan Vasc
Rather Be - Pentatonix
Baker Street - Foo Fighters
Don't Stop at the Top - Children of Bodom
They Don't Care About Us - Saliva
They Don't Care About Us - 2Cellos
Quite the collection and I love it
If we're talking great "They Don't Care About Us" covers, it's impossible to leave Beast in Black out of the conversation.
- Sinead O'Connor's version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U".
- Joe Jackson's version of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh, Well".
- The Ramones version of the Spider-man TV show theme song.
Ramones version of California Sun is also better than the original
Kelly Clarkson covered Taylor Swift’s Better Man in her TV show a couple of years ago and it was an entirely different song. Like she felt it in her bones. She elevated it.
Postal Service turned Such Great Heights from a low-fi, indie-folk coffee shop vibe (originally done by Iron & Wine) into 100% millennial optimism pop.
Hilary & Hayley Duff covered Our Lips Are Sealed and I’m just kidding that one was actually terrible.
Iron & Wine's version is the cover - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Such_Great_Heights#Track_listing
Wow haha thanks for the info!
It's interesting reading about the musical taste on here. I feel the average demographic of lemmy is mostly USA based late gen X guys.
Been listening to "EDM" since long before it was known as that. Remixing has been the way with electronic music since it's inception.
A small amount of my favorite remixes in no particular order
The Prodigy - Out Of Space (Cut & Run Booty Space Mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsKfApf3jJg
Databass vs. Koma & Bones - Fade In 'The Program' (Koma & Bones Mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su3o-SG2IHM
Feelin Kinda Strange (Bass Kleph & Nick Thayer Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wB0ogEg6ew
Stanton Warriors - Shake It Up (Hook N Sling Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_W403tQrvU
The Streets - Blinded by the Lights (Nero Remix) www.youtube.com/watch?v=MomOlmprVO8
Freedom Failure One life left (John B Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtZmoVm9mAA
Juice WRLD - Conversations (Skeler Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUEVJ0N6I1A
I Feel Love (Dj Jamx & De Leon Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kEzFLkBR88
Sizzla I'm Living (Ed Solo & Stickybuds Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGqWkWUe-U0
TV On The Radio did an amazing version of Mr Grieves by Pixies
Waaaaat
I love Mr Grieves.
Charles Bradley singing “Changes”
This. Charles really made that one his own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfaOf70M4xs
A lot of Scary Pockets covers. Viva La Vida is a great one
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JP3nskD7ebU
Edit: how could I forget, Get Busy by Lawrence might be my favorite cover ever
Chris Cornell's cover of Nothing compares to you
And his cover of "Billie Jean."
Omg that song is awesome. Thank you for the recommendation!
Wow, I commented three other songs, but this one is it. This is going into my playlists.
Judas priest - diamonds and rust
That brings me so much joy. Thanks for the reminder of the insanely creative stuff some people were up to during the covid lockdowns.
Memories Can't Wait by Living Color (Talking Heads cover) I love Talking Heads with all of my being, but this cover knocks the original out of the park.
Common People by William Shatner (Pulp cover) The original can't compare to the raw emotion in this version. I recommend listening to the entire album 'Has Been'. It's so good.
I Believe by Melissa Hollick (Chris Isaacs cover) The first time I played Wolfenstein: The New Order, this song over the end credits got me right in the feels. Fuck me, I'm choking up again re-listening to it again just now.
Baker Street - Foo Fighters Boys of Summer - The Ataris
I'll go with Common People, the Will Shatner version.
Faith No More's cover of War Pigs is so much better than the original Black Sabbath version.
I'd say it's hard to beat original War Pigs, but T-Pain's version comes close.
I'll throw in some German ones for fun:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu-D86SdOIo(Destillat remixed by VNV Nation, original by Das Ich)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E0pHytx4W4(Eisbrecher cover of Goldener Reiter, original by Joachim Witt)
Destillat is good in both versions, I think, but I definitely prefer the Das Ich version.
Interesting! I think in my case I'm probably influenced by the fact I heard the remix first, so the original sounds strangely off-beat or weirdly syncopated
Voodoo People by Pendulum (original Prodigy)
I prefer the original solely because it was on the Hackers (1995) soundtrack
The Interrupters cover of "Bad Guy" and the Hailstorm cover of "Get Lucky" are 2 of my favorites.
Rebecca Black‘s cover of Fame is a Gun https://youtu.be/3sni1ckbBqw
Supernaut by 1000 homo djs
I came here to say this!
It took a fairly average Sabbath song (not an insult!) and turned it into a headbanging anthem!
Drowning Pool’s Bodies done by Psychostick.
I love another cover by We're Wolves
Limp Bizkit - Behind blue eyes
What lol. A song so bad it marks the end of the band
I 100% agree with you.
Thin Lizzy - whiskey in the jar
The placemats - black diamond
Manfred Mann - blinded by the light
Thin Lizzy - whiskey in the jar
Whiskey in the Jar is actually a traditional Irish song with unknown origins.
I was only 19 by The Herd
Excellent cover. I'm not much into hip-hop but The Sun Never Sets is an awesome album overall.
Kim Wilde & Nena: Anywhere, any place, any time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8_8oeGwfnQ)
Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann is one of my favorite songs and I wasn't really a fan of this version. A translation of the original lyrics feels a lot better than the adaptation here.
But would have a straight translation had the ridiculous levels of sapphic tension and awkward early-00s aesthetic?
No, but it would have had mid-'80s Nena raiding tombs dressed as a Goth cavewoman.
Blinded by the Light
Written by Bruce Springsteen, but I think Manfred Mann did it much better.
Remixes are bit of weird thing, because depending on the genre the original release might already include remixes. See here: https://basskruit.bandcamp.com/album/kopstoot-ep("Ketel (Requake Remix)" is my favourite on that EP)
I do enjoy it when the remix or cover completely changes the song's genre. Anyone up for metal remixes of pop songs? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jfpsiLx21k&list=RD8jfpsiLx21k
Skream's remix of La Roux's "In for the kill" is a true classic IMO. Hey, that's the second La Roux remix in this thread!
I liked the Skream remix, but the cut and run in for the pill bootleg worked a lot better on dance floors.
This a pretty controversial one, but Remix to Ignition was way better than Ignition. It was nice having something so hot and fresh out the kitchen.
Am I Evil - Metallica, originally by Diamond Head
Somebody that I used to know - Walk Off the Earth, originally by Gotye
Common People - William Shatner and Ben Folds, originally by Pulp.
The first because Metallica was just SO much cleaner, second because I thought the song was trash until I heard it by somebody who didn't mumble through the whole thing, the third... well the Shatner one isn't exactly good, but it's at least entertaining, which is more than can be said for the original.
For a particularly recent example, I think Maphra's cover of Doomed by Bring Me The Horizon is fantastic.
Yesssssss
Well, maybe not better, but worth to mention, leo has to appear somewhere in this post:
Sultans of Swing metal cover by Leo Moracchioli (feat. Mary Spender)
Type O Negative's version of "Summer Breeze" https://youtu.be/XNo7ZZryuSQ
Word Crimes, by Weird Al Yankovic
Axel F
That frog lives rent free in my head.
Time and the Breathe Reprise by Greensky Bluegrass slaps harder than Pink Floyd's original.
And hol up... Torn by Natalie Imbruglia is a cover? Who does the OG? :O
Animal (the muppets) - wipeout
Can't hear it without getting cheered up. Never fails.
Maniac by Carpenter Brut
Propane Nightmares - Celldweller Remix
One of my favorite songs
Nice to see Celldweller mentioned :)
His "Tragedy" is also great.
Knocking on heaven's door by GnR
Heavy metal mania by Gamma Ray
The GnR version is a cover. Originally was some by Bob Dylan.
Yes, I specified which cover since it's certainly been covered by more people.
Fly Like an Eagle - Seal
Gamma Ray's «It's a Sin» (original by Pet Shop Boys)
I am partial to Ghost's version of It's a Sin.
The Cascada versions are all better than their originals
Sound of Silence - Disturbed (this song is now theirs as far as I’m concerned; the original has zero percent of the emotion it was supposed to have)
Bizarre Love Triangle - nearly every remix is better. The original vocals are so, so bad.
Boys of Summer by The Ataris.
Or if you prefer EDM, maybe Boys of Summer by DJ Sammy
The Coldcut remix of Eric B & Rakim’s “Paid In Full” takes the track to a new level.
Black Magic Woman -- Santana. Original by Fleetwood Mac.
Touch and Go -- Emerson Lake and.... POWELL. Cover of an old folk song called: Lovely Joan
Blinded by the LIght -- Manfred Mann original by Bruce Springsteen.
Alone -- Heart... Can't remember the original artist off hand.
Cradle Of Filth - Sleepless, cover of Anathema - Sleepless.
I am an enjoyer of Cradle Of Filth, but objectivly, their version has more color.
Doomed cover by maphra.
Maphra is killing it. I’ve listened to her cover way more than the original for almost all her covers
The classic Whitney Houston singing I Will Always Love You.
Feeling Good has like a hundred covers, but my favorite is Michael Buble:
Haha, indeed it has. My favorite is by Muse
Tori Amos’s Raining Blood
It's fun that it exists. Props to Tori. But it's not very good.
I think her version of "Time" by Tom Waits is the best thing from Strange Little Girls.
Her cover of " '97 Bonnie and Clyde" is haunting, too.
Devos rendition of (I can't get no) Satisfaction really turns a mediocre song into something special.
Does Strejda Donald by Gutalax count? (Old MacDonald Had a Farm cover)
Nonpoint - In the air tonight
2! Drum breaks.
Alkaline Trio's cover of 'Rooftops' by Hot Water Music. So much more anger and release.
That split was one of my favorites from that era.
Chvrches cover of "Do I Wanna Know?" by the Arctic Monkeys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjwwmFrsX_E
Their one of Kendrick Lamar's "Love" is also pretty excellent, but I'm not sure if it's better than the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msgimk3mV6g
But it probably is.
Shinedown's cover of Simple Man is incredible.
Take me to church metal cover
This is amazing
"Thunder Road" by Tortoise and Bonnie Prince Billy is phenomenal in a weirdly haunting way.
Thick of it (Ray Walter Music remix)
Susanne Sundfør - The Kiss: https://youtu.be/sfkSn62OypU
Stevie Wonder's cover of Gangsta's Paradise
Diamonds by Steam Powered Giraffe.
I'll be honest though I didn't know it was a cover until recently. Who'd'a thunk it
Natalie imbruglia - Torn
Hope I spelled that right
Walk this way
Tell me why - 1991 Remix
Love is not enough - Hybrid minds remix
Alaska - Sofi Tukker Remix
On Hold - Jamie XX remix
Higher ground - Flight facilities remix
California Heaven - Medasin remix
Scout Niblett's version of No Scrubs.
DragulAPT by DJ Cummerbund
Word Up - Korn. Completely shits all over the original sung by Cameo.
Africa - Quietdrive. This one is quite divisive, so I'll also link Weezer's more faithful cover.
Midnight At The Oasis - The Brand New Heavies. Don't get me wrong, Maria Muldaur's original version was great, but it just works so much better as an acid jazz and funk song.
As for remixes...
One Night Stand (Sunship Remix) - Mis-Teeq. It's so much better than the original by a mile. Alesha Dixon genuinely drops some fucking bars in the remix.
Selekta (SIDEQUEST Remix) - Kyle Gordon. I don't understand why this isn't the official version. The difference is that this version is 45 seconds longer and has an additional verse.
While we're talking Kyle Gordon, Little V and OBKATIEKAT absolutely killed it with their "Planet of the Bass"
Zebraheads cover of Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne.
Pretty much every song in Elite Beat Agents. Tbf, they get a very interactive emotional buildup to each song. Some examples:
- September
- Canned Heat
- You’re the Inspiration
- The Anthem
- Jumping Jack Flash
Basically every Rolling Stone's song as a cover is better than the original.
-
Gimme More (SID) [Machinae Supremacy covering Britney Spears]. MaSu's vibe strips away the hyperclean polish to deliver something much closer to the raunchy, voyeuristic feel of the song's lyrics. The fact that they're a really good band also helps.
-
F*ck Tha Police [Dope covering NWA]. I'll admit, this one is just personal preference. Please don't crucify me.
-
Battle Hymn [Beast in Black covering Manowar].
-
Down with the Sickness [Ai Mori & Violet Orlandi covering Disturbed].
-
Army of the Night [Amaranthe covering Powerwolf].
-
Ballroom Blitz [3TEETH covering The Sweet].
-
Got The Time [Anthrax covering Joe Jackson].
-
Bring The Noise [Anthrax on the track with Public Enemy]. Going back to the original is like driving a Ford Model T.
It comes close:
- Breaking the Law [Fightstar covering Judas Priest]. Halford is too iconic to beat, but Fightstar's apocalyptic world-weariness lends itself well to their take on the song, as opposed to the original's unserious attitude.
I always think of Thomas Dolby’s cover of “I Scare Myself” (original by Dan Hicks). Dolby did a great job smoothing out the arrangement and some of the harmony, and I think he just sings it better. And holy fucking swanky trombone solo!
The S.O.U.L. System - It's Gonna Be A Lovely Day
- Susanne Vega's cover of the Story of Issac is somehow more Cohen than Leonard Cohen's version.
- Motorhead does Sympathy for the Devil the way it always should have been done.
- Briana Buckminster and Billy Moran made a pretty much perfect acoustic cover of Carry on Wayward Son.
- I have always loved the original, but the Jerry Douglas / Mumford and Sons version of The Boxer has replaced it.
- Clutch now owns Fortunate Son IMO, no one else should play it.
Sleeping in my car - Children of Bodom
Elton John's cover of the Beatles "Lucy In The Sky" took that song beyond the stratosphere. Amazing.
Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal performed by Alien Ant Farm.
Book of Love -Peter Gabriel Hurt - Johnny Cash
There used to be this guy who would always do these really unique remixes and mashups of different songs that you would never think would work, but they were always really amazing.
He would upload them to his YouTube account during the 2010s, but he seems to have disappeared. I'm pretty sure he went by Tae-K and his account was something like TKRmx?
The most memorable ones for me were a mashup of Wale with the 90's X-men theme song and Ella Fitzgerald with Wiz Khalifa.
Edit: Oh shit NVM, found it!: X-men+Wale
There was this other guy who made an 8-bit remix of Danger Mouse's Grey album, but I can't remember his name. It also seems to have disappeared.
Dolly's "Free Bird" brings a whole new emotion to it
Also In This Moment's "Air Tonight" The drum drop goes so much harder than Phil's
Billy Talent's - Ever fallen in Love (with someone you shouldn't).
Both are great but I love BT :D
El-P's remix of the Nine Inch Nails song Only.
Wankelmut Remix of Asaf Avidan's "one day we'll get old / reckoning song"
Most of my top ones have been covered, so I'll go with A3's "hotel california"originally but the eagles. Both are great.
A lot of the Warpzone songs :)
Bananarama - A Trick Of The Night (Dub) I love the journey this takes you on, and I love good dub mixes. The regular version is very slow/ballad.
The Justice League movie version of Come Together by the Beatles covered by Gary Clark Jr and Junkie XL
In the early 90s, Adamski made a cover of the Doors' Soul Kitchen that's an absolute banger.
Wolf Like Me - Local H
I didn’t even know it was a remix until much later.
The one I always think of in response to this question is Cirice, originally by Ghost, but covered by Saint Raven. The original is good but I like what Saint Raven did with the vocals.
Placebo's cover of Kate Bush's 'Running up that Hill'. The song gives me chills.
It helps that I find Kate Bush's voice like nails on a blackboard.
I'm not judging but that's so funny considering Brian Molko's famously shrill voice. "The music is awesome, but that singer..." Is a response I got a lot introducing friends to Placebo
Best Coast doing the song Rhiannon
It's close, because I LOVE the original but Porter Robinson's cover of the Fontaines DC song Favorite is amazing and everyone in my family likes it so much. The interview where he talks about the song also great.
Probably more if I think about it, but those 2 came to mind as really good covers that do something different from the original songs.
ETA - just about anything by Bob Dylan or the Grateful Dead sounds better to me when another band does them, Dylan in particular writes amazing songs but I don't like his delivery of them and the Dead, that sound annoys me so much I cannot.
Foo Fighters covering "Down in the Park" by Gary Numan. They take an already haunting song and make it more haunting.
Almost all elvis songs. Rock was to unrefined in that period.
Sublime - Rivers of Babylon
Body Movin remix by Fatboy Slim.
I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany
Teardrop by Jose Gonzales, Cry by Gayngs, Dance Macabre by Ghost Carpenter Brut remix.
As much as I like the original, I really like this cover of Smile Again by 40mp.
sun is shining - bob marley --wingsuit flying remix. Could be best techno song ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W6Fa6rNlAY&list=RD3W6Fa6rNlAY&start_radio=1
Georg Levin got somebody new. 2nd Chorus punched up quite innovatively, and better drum track. Nothing taken away or interfering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LOEMSuxYPQ
Harder better (daft punk) -- piano intro, more pop format, but also more advanced dance beat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwu-m39ek-w
woodstock - csny is a cover of Joni Mitchell
"Spanish Eyes" cover by Faith No More
for covers, a couple of songs where original is pretty sucky by Scary Pockets.
Wonderwall - oasis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jftpg_6SUYk&pp=ygUYc2NhcnkgcG9ja2V0cyB3b25kZXJ3YWxs
Rolling in the deep - adele https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTIOugluWb8&pp=ygUhc2NhcnkgcG9ja2V0cyByb2xsaW5nIGluIHRoZSBkZWVw
A cover band that does everything better: Leonid and Friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jko3HdUOLhc&list=RDjko3HdUOLhc&start_radio=1 (chaka khan)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_8aZZ9d_EA&list=RDjko3HdUOLhc&index=2&pp=8AUB(steely dan)
David Byrne's cover of Drivers License. The original is good. But I like his version more.
Grandaddy - Fun x3. Like that way more than The Beach Boys version. Entirely different song.
James Houston - Big Ideas Don't Get Any. The whole video is a work of art, literally (college project) and figuratively. Just master class execution. Radiohead even called it out as a notable cover. One of my favorite Radiohead songs =p
Every time we touch by Electric Callboy
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Paul Anka
La mamá de la mamá (El Alfa), también Na de Na (de Angel & Khitz)
Almost every VOCALOID / vocal synth cover, as long as the tuning / overall quality is good.
Wanna send a big "fuck you" shout out to the person that down voted me for sharing. Now your down vote is justified.
Screaming Females' cover of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off it a much better, actually rebellious version, but the best cover will always be Reggie Watts' version of Paradise City by Van Halen.
Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner
Sorry, what? That's the original.
The one everyone knows from the radio. That version is a remix.
Suzanne Vega, the author, often sings it acapella. If it has a beat, it's not the original.
There is an original that was released, a capella, on an album of hers. That was remixed with a similar rhythm for the single.