Best cover songs
 

Wild Horses- The Sundays :thumbsup: My favorite for sure!!!

that is definitely an amazing song - so beautiful

best cover song...hmm...Lady Marmalade (Pink, Mya, Lil Kim, Christina)

so are u a Sundays fan?

As a general rule, I hate covers. But the following are quite good:

"All Along the Watchtower" Jimi Hendrix (original by Bob Dylan)

"Sweet Dreams" Marilyn Manson (original by Eurythmics) Actually I really like most of his covers, like "Personal Jesus" and "Tainted Love"

"Reconsider Me" Stevie Nicks :shocked: :shocked: (original by Warren Zevon)

"Feel A Whole Lot Better" Tom Petty (original by The Byrds)

"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" Guns 'n' Roses (original by Bob Dylan)

"C'est la Vie (You Never Can Tell)" Bob Seger (original by Chuck Berry)

"Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" The Kingston Trio (original by Peter, Paul and Mary)

that's all I can think of at the moment.

Some of my favourite cover songs:

Stevie Nicks- At Last
David Bowie- China Girl
Dream Theater- Achilles Last Stand
Dream Theater- In The Flesh
Jimi Hendrix- All Along The Watchtower
Johnny Cash- Hurt
Metallica- So What
Metallica- Sabbra Cadabra
Tool- No Quarter
Stevie Ray Vaughan- Voodoo Child
Led Zeppelin- Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
Cream- Crossroads
The Doors- Alabama Song
Eric Clapton- Cocaine
Deep Purple- Hush

Off the top of my head -- two Leonard Cohen songs:

Famous Blue Raincoat - Tori Amos
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley

too many to list...

Because the Night - Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs (originally by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith)

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow (originally by Judy Garland)

kd lang - Crying (originally by Roy Orbison)
plus any Patsy Cline covers by kd lang

Just a couple I can think of:

It's My Life - No Doubt
More Than This - 10,000 Maniacs

Patti Smith~ When Doves Cry (Prince)

Joe Cocker~ With A Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles) ...a.k.a. Wonder Years theme song

Janis Joplin~ Little Girl Blue (Nina Simone)

The Farmer's Daughter~ Fleetwood Mac (The Beach Boys)

Great Beatle covers:

"With A Little Help From My Friends"---Joe Cocker
"Things We Said Today"---Dwight Yoakam (one of the best Beatle covers EVER)
"One After 909"---Willie Nelson
"Come Together"---Aerosmith
"Let It Be"---Danny Kirwan
"Eleanor Rigby"---The Jazz Crusaders
"I Am The Walrus"---Styx
"It's All Too Much"---Journey
"I Don't Want To Spoil The Party"---Rosanne Cash
"Taxman"---Stevie Ray Vaughan
"Helter Skelter"---Pat Benatar
"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"---Elton John
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"---Prince w/the Traveling Wilburys (from the George Harrison Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony)
"Every Little Thing"---Yes
"Day Tripper"---Cheap Trick
"Run For Your Life"---The Pair Extrordinaire
"All My Loving"---The Pair Extrordinaire
"I Call Your Name"---The Mamas & Papas
"I Saw Her Standing There"---Bob Welch


Great Solo Beatle Covers:

"Come & Get It" (Paul McCartney)---Badfinger
"Live & Let Die" (Paul McCartney)--GnR
"Maybe I'm Amazed" (Paul McCartney)---Faces
"Love Comes To Everyone" (George Harrison)---Eric Clapton
"Run So Far" (George Harrison)---Eric Clapton
"Beware Of Darkness" (George Harrison)---Concrete Blonde
"Beware Of Darkness" (George Harrison)---Leon Russell
"All Things Must Pass" (George Harrison)---Paul McCartney (at the Concert For George)
"Strawberry Fields Forever/Help/Give Peace A Chance" medley (John Lennon)---Paul McCartney
"Imagine" (John Lennon)---Fleetwood Mac
"Jealous Guy" (John Lennon)---Roxy Music
"Grow Old With Me" (John Lennon)---Mary Chapin Carpenter

Great Dylan covers:

"Highway 61 Revisited"---Johnny Winter
"Silvio"-The Shadowblasters
"Subterranian Homesick Blues"---Harry Nilsson & John Lennon
"Don't Think Twice, It's Alright"---Eric Clapton
(as mentioned below) "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"---Eric Clapton
"If I Don't Be There By Morning"---Eric Clapton
"Sign Language"---Eric Clapton
"Born In Time"---Eric Clapton
"Mr. Tambourine Man"---The Byrds
"My Back Pages"---The Hollies
"Love Minus Zero/No Limit"---Fleetwood Mac
"Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"---Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
"All Along The Watchtower"---Jimi Hendrix (and Dave Mason's version isn't too shabby either)
"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"---Leon Russell
"Masters Of War"---Leon Russell


Great Jimi Hendrix covers:

"Stone Free"---Eric Clapton
"You Got Me Floatin'"---PM Dawn
"Purple Haze"---The Cure
"Red House"---Buddy Guy
"Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)"---Stevie Ray Vaughan
"Angel"---Rod Stewart & Faces
"Little Wing"---Derek & The Dominoes
"Little Wing"---Concrete Blonde
"Room Full Of Mirrors"---The Pretenders
"Up From The Skies"---Sting

Great Buddy Holly covers:

"Words Of Love"---The Beatles
"Well All Right"---Blind Faith
"Not Fade Away"---The Rolling Stones
"Peggy Sue"---John Lennon
"It Doesn't Matter Anymore"---Linda Ronstadt
"It's So Easy"---Linda Ronstadt
"That'll Be The Day"---Linda Ronstadt
"Raining In My Heart"---Leo Sayer
"Maybe Baby"---Don McLean (of "American Pie" fame)
"True Love Ways"---Peter & Gordon
"Fool's Paradise"---Sam Cooke


Great Motown/Stax covers:

"You Really Got A Hold On Me" (Smokey Robinson)---The Beatles
"Knock On Wood" (Eddie Floyd)---Eric Clapton
"Can't Get Next To You" (The Temptations)---Savoy Brown
"I'm Losing You" (The Temptations)---Rod Stewart
"You Keep Me Hanging On" (The Supremes)---Vanilla Fudge
"Please Mr. Postman" (The Marvellettes)---The Beatles
"Twist & Shout" (The Isley Bros)---The Beatles
"Ain't Too Proud To Beg" (The Temptations)---The Rolling Stones
"I Don't Need No Doctor" (Ashford & Simpson)---Humble Pie
"Heat Wave" (Martha & The Vandellas)---The Who
"Heat Wave" (Martha & The Vandellas)---The Jam (cover of The Who's cover of Martha & The Vandellas)
"I Thank You" (Sam & Dave)---ZZ Top
"Soul Man" (Sam & Dave)---The Blues Brothers
"Respect" (Otis Redding)---Aretha Franklin
everything on The Commitments soundtrack
"Tell It Like It Is" (Aaron Neville)---Heart
"In The Midnight Hour"---Roxy Music


Chuck Berry Covers:

"Carol"---The Rolling Stones
"Little Queenie"---The Rolling Stones
"Around & Around"---The Rolling Stones
"Rock & Roll Music"---The Beatles
"Roll Over Beethoven"---The Beatles
"Sweet Little Sixteen"---Ten Years After
"Brown Eyed Handsome Man"---Buddy Holly
"Too Much Monkey Business"---Leon Russell (w/Bruce Hornsby)
"Johnny B. Goode"---Jimi Hendrix
"Memphis"---Johnny Rivers
"Roll Over Beethoven"---Electric Light Orchestra
"You Can't Catch Me"---John Lennon


Other great covers:

"Move It On Over" (Hank Williams)---George Thorogood
"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" (John Lee Hooker)---George Thorogood
"Whole Lotta Love" (Willie Dixon)---Led Zeppelin
"Proud Mary" (CCR)---Ike & Tina Turner
"Green River" (CCR)---Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings
"Rockin' All Over The World" (John Fogerty)---Carl Wilson
"Sloop John B." (the Kingston Trio)---The Beach Boys
"Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him" (Yoko Ono)---John Lennon
"Walking On Thin Ice" (Yoko Ono)---Elvis Costello
"I'm Moving On" (Yoko Ono)---Eddie Money
"Nobody Sees Me Like You Do" (Yoko Ono)---Rosanne Cash
"Pinball Wizard" (The Who)---Elton John
"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" (Elton John)---The Who
"Madman Across The Water" (Elton John)---Bruce Hornsby
"Border Song" (Elton John)---Eric Clapton
"Pretty Woman" (Roy Orbison)---Van Halen
"You Got It" (Roy Orbison)---Bonnie Raitt
"You Really Got Me" (The Kinks)---Van Halen
"You're No Good" (Everly Bros)---Linda Ronstadt
"You're No Good" (Everly Bros)---Van Halen (cover of Linda Ronstadt's Everly Bros cover)
"When Will I Be Loved" (Everly Bros)---Linda Ronstadt
"When Will I Be Loved" (Everly Bros)---Fleetwood Mac
"Dark End Of The Street" (Everly Bros)---Peter Green Splinter Group
"Call Me The Breeze" (JJ Cale)---Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Cocaine" (JJ Cale)---Eric Clapton
"After Midnight" (JJ Cale)---Eric Clapton
"Travelin' Light" (JJ Cale)---Eric Clapton
"I'll Make Love To You Anytime" (JJ Cale)---Eric Clapton
"Walkin' After Midnight" (Patsy Cline)---Garth Brooks
"Dixie Chicken" (Little Feat/Lowell George)---Garth Brooks
"Crazy" (Willie Nelson)---Patsy Cline
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"---Eric Clapton
"Come Rain Or Come Shine"---BB King & Eric Clapton
"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" (James Taylor)---Eric Clapton
"You've Got A Friend" (Carole King)---James Taylor
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" (Carole King)---Dave Mason
"If I Were A Carpenter" (Tim Hardin)---Bobby Darin
"Wild Horses" (Rolling Stones)---Leon Russell
"Smashed" (Mose Allison)---Leon Russell
"It Doesn't Matter" (Stephen Stills)---Firefall
"Battle Of Evermore" (Led Zeppelin)---The Lovemongers
"Rock & Roll" (Led Zeppelin)---Heart
"Eight Miles High" (The Byrds)---Roxy Music
"I See You" (The Byrds)---Yes
"Without You" (Badfinger)---Harry Nilsson
"She's Not There" (The Zombies)---Santana
"Spooky" (Classics IV)---Atlanta Rhythm Section
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (The Animals)---Elvis Costello
"Don't Bring Me Down" (The Animals)---Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
"Willin'" (Little Feat/Lowell George)---Linda Ronstadt
"Lotta Love" (Neil Young)---Nicolette Larson
"Look Out For My Love" (Neil Young)---Linda Ronstadt
"Stay" (Maurice Williams)---Jackson Browne
"I Shot The Sheriff" (Bob Marley)---Eric Clapton
"Stand By Me" (Ben E. King)---John Lennon
"Heart Full Of Soul" (The Yardbirds)---Chris Isaak
"For Your Love" (The Yardbirds)---Fleetwood Mac
"Surf's Up" (Brian Wilson)---Bob Welch
"Black Dog" (Led Zeppelin)---Paris
"Keep On Growing" (Derek & The Dominoes)---Sheryl Crow
"Big Yellow Taxi" (Joni Mitchell)---Lindsey Buckingham
"Woodstock" (Joni Mitchell)---Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
"Leaving On A Jet Plane" (John Denver)---Peter, Paul & Mary




Although GnR's is pretty good, I prefer Eric Clapton's reggae treatment of it (see above)


Actually, the original was by Pete Seeger.

Oh, yeah, Leonard Cohen:

"Everybody Knows"---Concrete Blonde

:eek: :eek: a great coverversion.....based on a 30second snippet?
OR DO YOU KNOW MORE ??????? ;) ;)

Oh, ChiliD, you forgot one:

Here Comes The Sun (Beatles) ---Lindsey Buckingham





:p

Excellent list. :nod:

As for someone's comment about judging Big Yellow Taxi from a 30 second snippet, that's really all you need to discern whether a song is good or not.

That one was pretty good, but nothing moves me like the Clapton/McCartney version from Concert for George.

I agree that Clapton did a great job on this one, but GNR's version just seemed somehow more memorable. Maybe it's just because I grew up with GNR. My mom used to be a big fan.

On another note, Warren Zevon did perhaps the most poignant version of this song for his final album, The Wind.

Most of the good ones have already been said. Have to mention Janis Joplin's Me and Bobby McGee. It kicks Chris Christopherson's (sp?) version'a @ss.

I gotta add Siouxsie & The Banshees covers of Dylan's 'This Wheel's On Fire', and Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit', complete with her Billie's funeral requiem. Also, her cover of Iggy Pop's 'The Passenger' is delightfully fun.

No, I didn't...that was an INTENTIONAL omission...due to it not meeting the qualifications of "Great Beatle Cover"...now if I'd titled the list, WORST Beatle covers, it would be right atop the list followed closely by Kris Kristofferson's (note the spelling of his name with "K"s) version of "Paperback Writer".

Helpless, kd lang
Suspicious Minds, Waylon Jennings/Jessi Colter
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Johnny Cash
Peace Train, Dolly Parton :D
After The Gold Rush, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
It's My Life, No Doubt
So You Wanna Be A Rock and Roll Star, Patti Smith

:nod: yeppers, this is a good one

Lili Marlene - Carly Simon

1984 - Tina Turner

Ball Of Confusion - Tina Turner

In The Ghetto - Dolly Parton

Stairway To Heaven - Dolly Parton (as odd as it looks written down, she really does an amazing job with this)

Sweet Dreams - Maria Bello (from the craptacular "Duets" movie. I consider this on par if not slightly better than the original version)

These Boots Are Made For Walking - Geri Halliwell (Fun and sassy, unlike the horrid mess Jessica Simpson made out of it)

I Still Miss Someone - I love Dolly's and Stevie's versions of this

I really enjoy how Pat Benetar did Wuthering Heights. She sang it extremely well.

Most of the other's I like have been covered, esp Chili, man what a list!

Indeed, and I love the photo in your sig.

Oops, just realized I wrote "Gold Dush"! :laugh: off to edit

Forgot about that; she did an amazing job and what a beautiful song.

Off the top of my head...

Take Me To the River (Al Green) - Talking Heads
Train In Vain (The Clash) - Annie Lennox
I Still Miss Someone (Johnny Cash) - Emmylou Harris
You'll Never Know (Rosemary Clooney) - Bette Midler
Two of Us (Beatles) - Michael Penn and Aimee Mann
Ghost Riders In the Sky (Johnny Cash) - Deborah Harry
Runaway (Del Shannon) - Bonnie Raitt
Something Stupid (Frank and Nancy Sinatra) - Nicole Kidman and Robbie Williams
It's Raining Men (Weather Girls) - Geri Haliwell
Burnin' Down the Spark (Calexico) - Nancy Sinatra
Motherland (Natalie Merchant) - Joan Baez
Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac) - Chaka Khan

Venice did a great version of Landslide.

With a little help from my friends must be the alltime best cover.

I totally forgot about that one. And I can't believe I forgot Tina Turner's version of Let's Stay Together! That one is incredible.

love.love.love. this too

you've got the Gold Dust Project on the brain :lol:

my sig was like so funny to me, you know...I thought back to the time when Lindsey, reportedly, put his jacket over his head and did Stevie's Rhiannon dance and she got upset and then Chris, again reportedly, chased him down and gave him a good slap...when I saw this pic, I was like, aha, Stevie's revenge...

I'm embarrased to say that that's the only song I know of theirs although there is another on the tip of my tongue. :(

GREAT!!!

Great Fleetwood Mac (& related) covers:

Black Magic Woman---Santana (duh! :shrug: )
Black Magic Woman---Dennis Brown (reggae, mon)
Oh Well---Joe Jackson
Oh Well---The Black Crowes w/Jimmy Page
Oh Well---Billy Sheehan
Man Of The World---Justin Hayward (of the Moody Blues)
Man Of The World---Midge Ure (of Ultravox)
Green Manalishi---Judas Priest
Green Manalishi---The Melvins
Rattlesnake Shake---Aerosmith
Hypnotized---The Pointer Sisters
Rhiannon---Pamala Stanley
Rhiannon---Waylon Jennings
Rhiannon---JYNXT (Jeremy Spencer's kids)
Gold Dust Woman---Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
Never Going Back Again---Matchbox 20
Go Your Own Way---The Cranberries
Go Your Own Way---Wilson Phillips (hey, I like it)
Don't Stop---KC & The Sunshine Band
The Chain---Kick Axe
You Make Loving Fun---Cyndi Lauper
Landslide---The Dixie Chicks (Again, I like it)
That's Alright---Nora somebodyorother
Spare Me A Little Of Your Love---Annie McLoone (of Walter Egan's Professional Band fame)
Stand Back---Rod Stewart (I hear nothing wrong with this)
Don't Let Me Down Again---Rusty Weir
Lola (My Love)---Rusty Weir
Think About It---Rusty Weir
Don't Let Me Down Again---Richard Torrence & Eureka

More great miscellaneous covers:

Paint It, Black (Rolling Stones)---U2
Fortunate Son (CCR)---U2
This Wheel's On Fire (Bob Dylan)---Julie Driscoll w/Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (THIS is the version they used for the AbFab theme)
I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan)---The Band
Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Duke Ellington)---Paul McCartney
Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen)---Dwight Yoakam
Tired Of Waiting (The Kinks)---Dwight Yoakam
She Smiled Sweetly (Rolling Stones)---Lindsey Buckingham
The Singer Not The Song (Rolling Stones)---Lindsey Buckingham
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window (The Beatles)---Joe Cocker
You Can Leave Your Hat On (Randy Newman)---Joe Cocker
Unfinished Melody (Righteous Brothers)---Heart
You've Lost That Loving Feeling (Righteous Brothers)---Johnny & Edgar Winter
First There Is A Mountain (Donovan)---Allman Bros Band (listed as "Mountain Jam")
One Way Out (Sonny Boy Williamson)---Allman Bros Band
Hideaway (Freddie King)---John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (w/Eric Clapton)
The Stumble (Freddie King)---John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (w/Peter Green)
All Your Love (Otis Rush)---John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (w/Eric Clapton)
The Stumble (Freddie King)---Peter Green Splinter Group
Homework (Otis Rush)---Peter Green Splinter Group
Homework (Otis Rush)---Rick Vito
Homework (Otis Rush)---Fleetwood Mac
Homework (Otis Rush)---J. Geils Band
Season Of The Witch (Donovan)---Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper (w/Stephen Stills)
Don't Be Cruel (Elvis Presley)---Ringo Starr
Don't Be Cruel (Elvis Presley)---Cheap Trick
Love In Vain (Robert Johnson)---Rolling Stones
Crossroads (Robert Johnson)---Cream
Stop Breakin' Down (Robert Johnson)---Rolling Stones
Dust My Broom (Robert Johnson)---Elmore James (everybody else's cover is based on Elmore's cover)
You're Sixteen (Johnny Burnette...Billy's uncle)---Ringo Starr
No No Song (Hoyt Axton)---Ringo Starr
Mama Told Me Not To Come (Randy Newman)---Three Dog Night
Joy To The World (Hoyt Axton)---Three Dog Night
The Show Must Go On (Three Dog Night)---Leo Sayer
Hard To Handle (Otis Redding)---The Black Crowes
Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell)---Counting Crows
Ghost Riders In The Sky (Johnny Cash)---The Outlaws

Garbage do a great cover of Vic Chestnut's Kick My Ass. It's actually my favorite song Garbage does 'cause her lyrics suck so much! :lol:

Shirley Manson's lyrics suck? :shocked:

You are on craaaaaaaaaaaazy queen. :xoxo:

I think her lyrics are ridiculous. Her early lyrics were better but I can't even listen to the new record. The lyrics are hideous! And it's WAY over produced.

I love the new record. :laugh: I don't understand how you can call it overproduced in comparison to their previous three albums, though. "beautifulgarbage" and "Version 2.0" were so slick that putting them in water would cause an ecological disaster to rival that of the Exxon Valdez.

At Last - Stevie
Life on Mars? - Annie Lennox
Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O' Connor
I Will Survive - Cake
There Is Nothin' Like a Dame - Bernadette Peters
Stay - Bruce Springsteen & Jackson Browne
I'm On Fire - Johnny Cash
Que Sera Sera - Sly & The Family Stone
So In Love - K. D Lang
Blue - Sarah McLachlan (with Joni Mitchell)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Rosemary Clooney or Etta James
Under Pressure - Annie Lennox (with David Bowie)
Dreams (Cranberries) - Faye Wong
Hurt - Johnny Cash

...and many more...

Romy

oh my gawd what an awesome song this is...

I also MUST add Tori Amos' cover of Can't Get You Out of My Head - the way that woman played and sang this song completely changed how I think and feel about it - it's so much darker in a fragile kind of way - Love.

The one that comes to mind...
 

is Great White's version of Led Zep's "Babe (I'm Gonna Leave You)" from the "Stage" release.

Many of the ones already mentioned....

When You Say Nothing At All -- Allison Kraus (Keith Whitley)
Baby, Now That I've Found You -- Allison Kraus (The Foundations)
Lemon Tree -- Fool's Garden (Peter, Paul and Mary)

Well, many on my list have already been mentioned, though I'm shocked it took 30 posts to get to "Black Magic Woman," but similarly:

Fellin' Alright (Traffic) - Joe Cocker.

DHT's cover of Listen to Your Heart <333333

I freakin love this song too! Who did it originally?

Have you heard the version that incorporates New Orleans news reports and the song is a candlelight remix - it is so sad

Oh no problem. Here's where the Story ends and Summertime are a couple songs that u might know. maybe its one of those?