Inspired by the ask.mefi.com thread (where there are many, many great covers mentioned) I sat long and hard to think of what my favorite cover songs were.
Here's my list of better than originals:
Ani Difranco - When You Were Mine (Prince): I only have a live copy of this, but it is absolutely one of my fav songs ever. She makes it alot more jazzy and slows it down from Princes pop approach.
Ben Harper - Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye): I bought the Live at Mars album just for this song alone. I have a few diff versions of him doing this, and they all rock.
Limp Bizkit - Faith (George Michael): Probably the only LB song I like, it was their first big hit and I never tired of it.
Alkaline Trio - Exploding Boy (The Cure): It's a Cure B-side, so you've proly never heard the original, but this one is better anyway.
The Starting Line - I'm Real (J. Lo): J.Lo has been Punkd, lyke omg.
Colin Meloy - Every Day Is Like Sunday (Morrissey): The Decemberists singer is only selling this EP at live shows, its an acoustic set of just Morrisey Covers and they are all really good, but this is my fav.
Postal Service - Against All Odds (Phil Collins): Ah, the song that brought gtm.com down to it's knees for the whole month of Sept, how could i forget?
And these are still worthwhile, but not better than the original:
Michael Gum - Toxic (Britney Spears): Great rendition, really makes it his own.
The Vines - Ms Jackson (Outkast): Good, just not as good as Outkasts.
Smashmouth - Why Cant We Be Friends (War): War's is still my fav, but this is just as much fun.
So the question lingers, what are your favorite covers? Coversproject.com is also worthwhile if you are into that.
06:47 PM on 01.23.05
Favorite covers....
The Pretenders - "Creep" (Radiohead)
The Cranberries - "Go Your Own Way" (Fleetwood Mac)
Letters to Cleo - "Cruel To Be Kind" & "There She Goes"
Howie Day - "Slide" (Goo Goo Dolls)
Tori Amos - "Strange Fruit" (Billie Holiday)
Iron & Wine - "Such Great Heights" (Postal Service)
BT - "Blue Skies" (Tori Amos)
That's just a fun start. =)