And I’m not saying that the original is bad. You have to have a good song to have a good cover in my opinion. But sometimes the cover artist just understands the mission and takes what the original song did and expands on that a hundred times over.
What’re some of your guys’s favorites?
Very common opinion, but “Hurt” originally by NIN covered by Johnny Cash. He really puts his mark on it, especially considering how old he was when he did the cover.
I might be the only person who prefers the original
I don’t prefer one or the other. The two are so different from each other that it’s hard to even think of them as being the same song. It just depends on my mood which one I want to listen to.
Good point.
I share this view. Someone elsewhere on the thread said that the best covers are ones that recontextualise the original, and this song/cover feels like the perfect example of it. I just can’t directly compare the original to the cover because they’re going for such different things
I definitely prefer the original. The layering and orchestration is better and more complex (but not too complex). I prefer Rezner’s voice in that as well. I don’t hate Cash’s version, but I don’t love it.
Nah, I also prefer the NIN one. It’s just that Cash did a great job at the cover.
I think Kermit’s cover of Cash’s cover was brilliant.
Definitely a classic.
There’s also the Sevendust version from Southside Double-wide Acoustic Live… just to stir the pot a little more 🙂
Haven’t heard it. I know what I’ll be listening to next. Thanks.
Jimi Hendrix’s version of All Along The Watchtower by Bob Dylan. It’s likely to be the only version of the song most people have ever heard.
And even Dylan agreed it was better
Is it still a cover if the original artist agrees to let you adopt the song? Dylan said it’s Hendrix’ song now.
Nirvana did a bunch of great ones during their brief time together.
The Man Who Sold The World has already been mentioned, but their versions of Turnaround by Devo, Plateau and Lake of Fire by Meat Puppets, and Where Did you Sleep Last Night and They Hung Him On A Cross by Leadbelly are all beautiful renditions in their own ways.
Of those, I’d say that Where Did You Sleep Last Night and both of the Meat Puppets covers are just as distinctly re-stanked by that Nirvana magic as their Bowie cover was. I like their version of They Hung Him On A Cross more than the original too, but tbh it always made me feel a bit weird hearing a white man singing that one. I get that it came from a place of reverence and compassion, but…idk man. I am both mixed race and have mixed feelings on that one lol. At the same time though, if any white man was to cover that one, I’m glad it was him since the hurt inherent to Kurt’s voice was a perfect match for the vibe and tone.
also Jesus doesn’t want me for a Sunbeam which came from unplugged too.
some of my favorite covers nirvana did though were not off unplugged, Love Buzz, Molly’s Lips, And I Love Her
Nirvana’s version of The Man Who Sold the World.
This is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I quite liked the original even.
Goldfinger version of 99 red balloons absolutely nails it in my opinion
The Donnie Darko (slowed down version) of Tears for Fears, Mad World.
Great choice. That was done by Gary Jules, btw.
Both versions are good, but I still prefer the original. I love sad songs that sound happy.
Also it’s funny how everyone including myself initially thinks that the original is the cover.
My personal favorites that I like better than the originals and I LOVE the originals:
Whiskey in the Jar - Metallica
Take On Me - Reel Big Fish
99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger
Land of Confusion - Disturbed
La Isla Bonita - Twilight Guardians
Spaceballs - Majestica
Black Betty - Spiderbait
Thriller - Scandroid
Electric Avenue - Skindred
That Spaceballs cover made my day
Yes!!! AWESOME! I think it’s totally great. 😂
Whitney Houston’s “I will always love you”. I love Dolly Parton but Whitney slayed this song.
I think this is the main one. That song (as performed by Whitney) is absolutely iconic and absolutely transcendental. The Dolly version is good, but if it weren’t for Whitney it would be just another Dolly Parton song.
The Disturbed cover of Land of Confusion
Or Disturbed’s cover of Sound of Silence
I grew up listening to the original and I still like it very much, but that cover is one of the greatest songs I’ve ever listened to
Yea, that song+video might be the origin of the phrase “goes hard”.
Crooked Fingers - Long Black Veil
Johnny Cash - Hurt
A weird one:
“Sludgefest”, an old Alvin and the chipmunks pop record slowed back down to the speed the vocals were recorded.
The result is unironically good – a grimy, moody sound, with deep growling guitar.
i also enjoyed this
This is fucking awesome. Thank you for sharing!!
This is absolutely awesome, thanks for the introduction to it.
Way better understanding of the holy mission, ×1699 times expansion on what the original did
No one can compete with the king of parodying Weird Al
A Perfect Circle’s version of Imagine by John Lennon is my favorite cover song. They add so much groove, atmosphere and melancholy to the song. It’s beautiful.
Eric Clapton’s unplugged version of Layla is an entirely different experience than the original.
“See if you can spot this one…”
I will survive by cake.
My first high school dance freshman year they played the original and i belted out every word from memory because i spent all summer listening to Fashion Nugget.
Were you surprised that the original lock was only stupid, not fucking?
In the same vein, Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm.
