I was thinking about this yesterday when a cover song came on my Ipod and started to think about the best cover songs ever - songs that leave you thinking this artist did it originally or did it better than the original.
Here is my list:
1. Hurt - Johnny Cash covering Nine Inch Nails
2. Respect - Aretha Franklin covering Otis Reading
3. I Will Survive - Cake covering Gloria Gaynor
4. Take Me to the River - Talking heads covering Al Green
5. Low Rider - War covering Drunken Boats
5A. one last one for good cause - Me and Bobby McGee - Janis covering Kris Kristofferson
this was a hard one to keep to 5 because there are some notables left off this list:
I Fought the Law - Clash covering Bobby Fuller Four (the Clash did nothing but rock)
Crazy Mary - Pearl Jam covering Victoria Williams (this is played at almost every PJ
show)
I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston covering Dolly Parton - made famous by that movie with Kevin Costner
Satisfaction - Devo covering The Stones (love techno pop)
Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm covering jacko (way better than the original)
Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead covering Prince
All Along the Watchtower - Hendrix covering Dylan - I do think the Dead version is best though)
Hound Dog - Elvis covering Big Mama Thorton (Elvis made everyone's songs a hit)
Tainted Love - Soft Cell covering Gloria Jones
Come on Eileen - Save Ferris covering Dexy's Midnight Runners
Hungry Like a Wolf and Take on Me - Reel Big Fish - no list is complete without RBBF
here are some tunes we might want to forget -
William Shantner covering Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (oh my, there have been some great covers of this song but Captain Kirk???)
Dolly Parton covering Stairway to Heaven
Hillary Duff covering Stairway to Heaven
Paul Anka covering Smells Like Teem Spirit
Sid Vicious covering My Way - a song Sinatra made famous!
Enjoy!
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2 comments:
This is a great subject Bill! I have 2 full folders of coversongs in my itunes. Tough to pick a top 5...so here are just 5 I love.
1). Radiohead - Nobody Does it Better
2). Angie Aparo - Rocketman/Major Tom
3). Heather Nova - I'm on Fire
4). Ryan Adams - Wonderwall
5). Jenny Lewis - Handle With Care
Others to note would be Pennywise covering "Stand By Me," Ted Leo covering "Since U Been Gone" and Eddie Vedder doing "You've got to hide your love away."
yes...slo diggity does. She has made me some awesome CDs!!
1. Radiohead- Nobody Does it Better
2. Sinead- Nothing Compares to you
3. Brandi Carlile- Folsom Prison Blues
4. Ted Leo- Since U Been Gone (thanks steph!!!)
5. Whitney- I Will Always Love You
I know you all mentioned most of these...but this was off the top of my head. Great topic. I will be thinking and might come back to add!!
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