Favorite Cover Songs

A friend started a discussion on Facebook called "10 cover songs I like better than the originals." He got many enthusiastic replies. Without specifying a number (and in no particular order) here is my list:

• You Can't Hurry Love - Stray Cats
• Heigh-Ho - Tom Waits
• My Funny Valentine - Elvis Costello
• Top of the World - Shonen Knife
• Do the Clam - The Cramps
• Needles and Pins - Ramones
• Little Sister - Dwight Yoakum
• My Favorite Things - John Coltrane
...And, a ridiculous song made sublime:
• The Joker - k.d. lang

Unchained Melody--Righteous Brothers.

Under the Boardwalk - John Melencamp
Just My Imagination - Rolling Stones
Viva Las Vegas - Dread Zeppelin

Knock On Wood -- Amii Stewart
Mac Arthur Park -- Donna Summer
Summertime -- Billy Stewart
Twist And Shout -- Beatles
Whiskey Bar (Alabama Song) -- The Doors
Mack The Knife -- Bobby Darin
Blue Moon -- The Marcels

RecVPPlayer

"Working Class Hero" - Green Day
"Maggie's Farm" - U2

I know people say you can never mess with John Lennon or Bob Dylan, but both of the bands above, in my opinion, get a pass.

Mr Tambourine Man - THe Byrds has to be up there somewhere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj0H1d9_lgw

Tonyrob

Heard it Through the Grapevine - Creedence Clearwater Revival
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix
Satisfaction - Devo
Nothing Compare to U - Sinead O'Connor
Working Class Hero - Marianne Faithful

Working Class Hero - live


I Fought the Law - the Clash
Proud Mary - Ike & Tina Turner

Edited to add two more:

Dear Prudence - Siouxsie and the Banshees
Downtown - the B52s

Does Stevie Ray Vaughn's version of Mary had a little Lamb count?

With links and in no particular order...

• Dancing in the Street covered by Van Halen
  
  
• Crazy (as in Gnarls Barkley... not Patsy Cline) covered by Shawn Colvin
  
  
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow covered by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
  
  
• Ring of Fire covered by Ray Charles
  
  
• Wild Horses covered by The Sundays
  
  
• Superstar covered by the Carpenters
  
  
• Fields of Gold covered by Eva Cassidy
  
  
• Wild World covered by Marc Cohn
  
  

Every one of those is better than the original. And in many cases, that's sayin' something because the original ain't too shabby!

- Jeff

"America the Beautiful," by Ray Charles