Covers Better Than Original - YouTube Examples?
 

Anyone want to post video examples of covers that you think are better than the original?

I was going to post Little Wing by Jimi, Stevie, Carlos Vamos, and Monte Montgomery - but couldn't find a Jimi video of the song, and decided the covers are not better anyway . . .

Stevie Ray's Little Wing is the best one. Van Halen's You Really Got Me does it justice. And their totally impromptu live version of Won't Get Fooled Again was pretty good too.

This was recorded later for MTV, back when it still had something to do with music and tv.

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YouTube - Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

YouTube - Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower In Concert

YouTube - Johnny Cash - 'Hurt"
YouTube - dynamite hack boys in the hood

Maybe not better, but a lot more ubiquitous than the real one.

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Man, I'm a big JLH fan, but this version of 'Boom, Boom' absolutely rules. Way, way better than the The Animals take on the song or the version The Yardbirds did. http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2...p/msmiley1.gif

A lot of Led Zepplin is actually covers of very old blues stuff...

True.

And related...I wont say this is better, but this is the best Zep cover Ive ever heard. Kudos to Pink for tackling this one....and that Justin Derrico kid surely can play the banjo.

YouTube - Pink - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - Live in Australia 2009 DVD - Funhouse Tour

John Mayer is great in concert. I was hesitant to go see him, but my wife wanted to. I get the feeling he doesn't like his own popular music, but does it to pay the bills. He would probably be happy playing blues in a little dive bar somewhere. That seems to be more his style then overplayed, autotuned pop radio rock.

This one is good too.
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Corrs. Everybody Hurts - REM

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nkp-U36c_wo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/r4GBnpS83As" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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Cowboy Junkies cover of Lou Reeds Sweet Jane.
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BHTM's version of Tangerine is waaaay better than the original...

Not really better just approached from a completely different perspective, massively layered guitars, huge engineered sound compared to the more minimalistic raw approach of the original. I really like it though.
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and the Judas Priest cover of Johnny B Goode, just like Rob's vocals on this one tough choice between this and their cover of Diamonds and Rust.
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two of my favs - although Cash's Personal Jesus is great too. And NIN's Hurt by Cash is one of his best ever.

Manson rocks... and tainted love is one of the best vids ever...

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"Midnight at the Oasis" by "That Dog" rocks!!

YouTube - That Dog - Midnight At The Oasis (Maria Muldaur cover)

Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard's "Hallelujah" is stunning- here is an old master, Johhny Cash,owning a new song. Hurt.

YouTube - Johnny Cash Hurt

this guy was memorable:

YouTube - kurt nilsen beautiful day

Good stuff, though the Soft Cell version was also a cover.

Tom Waits song made popular by Rod Stewart, but much better by

Everything but the Girl.

YouTube - Downtown Train (Acoustic) Everything But The Girl

Another cover that completely reinterprets the original Tears for Fears song:

YouTube - Gary Jules - Mad World (Official Music Video)

Video by Michel Gondry

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Is there any cover that has eclipsed the original more than this one?

I think not!

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Won't Back Down - Johnny Cash


YouTube - I won't back down - Johnny Cash (lyrics)

One of my all-time covers. Blows the original out of the water, IMO:

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I'm on a rediscovering Led Zep kick right now and as far as covers that take the original to a completely different place, these make me smile. I think Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie and Robert Johnson would smile too.

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Two more of Joe Cocker redoing Randy Newmans songs

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Randy Newman and JJ Cale have lot's of great covered songs between them

Hardflex - have to disagree about Cocker's cover of Leave Your Hat On. Newman's is so much edgier- Cocker's version is just too 'nice'.

Gotta disagree with you on this one.... Cowboy Junkies did it justice, in fact it's one of my favorites in their repetoire.

Now THESE guys....

Watch THE fan going wild at the beginning.

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YouTube - Ray Charles - Live Paris -1968 -Yesterday

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The Showdown covering Wayward Son

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foxpaws, we'll agree to disagree. Cockers Version I think has a feel to it that's great fun and infectious. It brightens my mood every time I hear it.

To each his own.