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Song covers that are better than the originals

I was listening to Billy Idol's cover of LA Woman, and I thought to myself that his version is way better than the original. So I thought I'd post a few covers that I enjoy more than the originals and see what others can add. My top five in no particular order:

LA Woman - Billy Idol
Just a Gigolo - David Lee Roth
Feelin Alright - Joe Cocker
Roll Over Beethoven - The Beatles
MacArthur Park - Donna Summer
slanski62
armstrod
498 posts
 
Golden Palominos covering The Ocean by Led Zeppelin. Don't think they ever recorded it, but they performed it as the encore at the Paradise in Boston on 3/7/86. Syd Straw on lead vocals, with Jack Bruce and Bernie Worrell in the band. Awesome show, awesome cover.

David
cyclonicman
693 posts
 
Mary J Blige's rendition of U2's "One".
theo's avatar
theo
2,331 posts
 
Actually Dave Mason's Version of "All Along the Watchtower" is good too and I beleiev he played back up on the Hendrix recording.
One more for my list:
Sweet Jane-Cowboy Junkies
dekay's avatar
dekay
2,959 posts
 
"Smoke on the Water" by a Japanese orchestra.

Heard Deep Purple do it live once (terrible), but like this version.

Not kidding (give it time to get going).

I also collect Koto music, which is how I ran across it.

Smoke on the Water
timrhu
2,778 posts
 
Patti Smith's version of George Harrison's Within You Without You.
Joe Cocker's version of With A Little Help From My Friends.
Tori Amos singing Leonard Cohen's Famous Blue Raincoat. Yes Jennifer Warnes' version is beautiful but Amos nails the emotional weight of the song.
Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah.
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