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?
I genuinely prefer Ronan Keating’s version of Words
I have the Bee Gees original on vinyl, yet I always go back to Keating.
Bruce Springsteen - Staying Alive
That’s awesome
Kind of the opposite but “As the World Caves In”. Most people know the cover by Sarah Cothran , but I think the original by Matt Maltese is way, way better.
It’s a song about two people together at the end of the world, and while Sarah sings it mourning the loss of everything, Matt sings it as a love song. To me that’s the much more powerful message, that when everything is burning down, the only thing that’s left and all that really matters is being together with the person you love, and the only thing to mourn is that you won’t have more time with them.
Within Temptation’s cover of Radioactive by They Might Be Dragons. Much better. That said, nothing can beat the hilarious acid trip that is the original’s music video.
Dont you mean imagine giants? 😜
Muse did a great job of converting Feeling Good. It was a bold choice and they smashed it.
Yeah, its a great version. Almost a completely different song.
Covering Leonard Cohen. This song is one of two (the other being Grace) that got me obsessed with Jeff Buckley back in my early to mid 20’s.
It’s just beautiful.
I got to see Killswitch do Holy Diver with both lead singers.
It was amazing.
Howard’s band was opening for Killswitch just after lockdown lifted.
They killed it.
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Louie Louie - Toots & The Maytals (originally recorded by Richard Berry, popularized by The Kingsmen) https://youtu.be/BlFGvTtGMBI
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Walk on By - The Stranglers (originally recorded by Dionne Warwick) https://youtu.be/WYkqLm9cM3Y
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Maybe I’m Amazed - Faces (originally recorded by Paul McCartney) https://youtu.be/SLhoLkTyNkM
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Black Steel - Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird (originally recorded by Public Enemy) https://youtu.be/9ZJTM03UByU
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Everything is Everything - Booker T. Jones (originally recorded by Lauren Hill) https://youtu.be/A61c4FgxZz8
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Ohio/Machine Gun - The Isley Brothers (originally recorded by Crosby, Still, Nash & Young) https://youtu.be/XC6qOvfgDJI
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“Every time we touch” by Electric Callboy
Karmastition by Alicia Keys.
Stevie Wonder’s original was awesome, but the mash up is just chefs kiss.
Another New World by Punch Brothers
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.
In the same vein, Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm.
Were you surprised that the original lock was only stupid, not fucking?
I prefer Van Halen’s versions of Pretty Woman and California Girls - to some this is sacrilege but I like Eddie’s guitar work.
Quite a few famous songs people think are the originals were actually covers of songs by musicians who never got famous. Some of Elvis Presley’s hits were older blues songs. “I Love Rock & Roll” by Joan Jett was originally done by a group called The Arrows. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was originally recorded by a guy named Robert Hazard. Who?? Yeah, exactly lol.
Against All Odds by The Postal Service
my mind was blown when I learned that was Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie on vocals
this live version is especially fantastic, from an album of covers by them, I think the Baby One More Time cover is more popular but I prefer the recontextualization of this one
ridiculously emotional, can really feel his pain in it. I would never have thought this was a Black Sabbath cover had it not been mentioned at the top of the video
no notes. perfect cover.
never would have thought this would work as a duet but it’s perfect, 10/10
Someday I Suppose by Drug Church
Boston.
I love a good cover, the best covers recontextualize the meaning of the song imo
I will survive by cake is incredible! 100%. Couldnt agree more.
That cover of Billie Jean, though. Chills.
The Civil Wars pretty much made everything perfect.
And sad. But perfect.
