Mainstream speaking it’s hard to beat All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix.
Some of these are a bit more obscure, but I think these deserve mention for either transforming or faithfully updating the original songs:
Visigoth covering Necropolis by Manila road: https://youtu.be/QWixcWq1HPk
Cradle of filth covering Temptation by Heaven 17: https://youtu.be/MfMa2lrFxhY
The unseen covering Paint it black by the Rolling Stones: https://youtu.be/QAowDvxJN1A
Type O Negative covering Cinnamon girl by Neil Young: https://youtu.be/BO9aD4mzSE8
Electric Callboy covering Everytime we touch by Cascada: https://youtu.be/AuBXeF5acqE
Marylin Mansion covering Tainted love by Soft Cell: https://youtu.be/srcb-zmKDOE
HIM covering Wicked game by Chris Isaak: https://youtu.be/8oYodfK4DkE
And who can forget the Guns and Roses cover of Knocking on Heaven’s door by Bob Dylan: https://youtu.be/k04tX2fvh0o (I’m pretty sure this is another case of a super popular cover eclipsing the original by another super star)
[Edit] Forgot this amazing cover of Pink Floyd’s Welcome to the machine by Shadows Fall: https://youtu.be/kvMDk3M3c1c
Kind of a pet peeve of mine, but Tainted Love was originally performed in the 60s by Gloria Jones, a black soul singer. Considering the lyrics of the song, I think it could be interpreted as an interracial love affair, which adds a political dimension to the song that the Soft Cell version seems to lack. I would consider it to be some sort of cultural appropriation even if it’s hard to define. In any case, it doesn’t really sit right with me that Soft Cell and later Marylin Manson had all the artistic and financial success with it while Gloria Jones is mostly forgotten about. Don’t get me wrong, I like all three versions (and there are quite some more even) in a vacuum, but I think it’s worth pointing out this bit of background info.
Thanks for adding that comment. I do recall reading about this somewhere but I forgot to add her as the original artist.
That said, listening to the cover by Manson it’s pretty clear he’s primarily inspired by Soft Cell’s version of the song.
If we’re going obscure, chvrches is worth a mention: https://youtu.be/msgimk3mV6g
This Kendrick Lamar cover is incredible. Similarly, they have a cover of the Arctic Monkeys that’s awesome.
Wow. Never heard this version of the song, but man did Chvrches knock out it the park. It’s almost unrecognizable but familiar at the same time.
Any chance somebody knows how to find saved comments on the Boost android app?
I’ve saved this one to listen to that Manila Road cover later but can’t find where they’re stored so commenting here instead. Sorry!
My vote goes to Jimi and ‘All Along the Watchtower’.
IIRC Dylan’s response to hearing Hendrix play it was “oh that’s how you play that song.”
Hurt was always a great track. But Cash picked it up and put a folk singers life of real pain behind it. In addition he picked it up and blessed it right squarely in front of the faces of the original nine inch nails fans that are starting to age, like you saying see what’s coming. It almost made it personal.
I’m a huge NIN fan, and the first time I hear Cash sing Hurt, I cried.
Every thing you said his soul is just there so raw and worn.
Even Trent has said it is not his song anymore
I stopped listening to radio and spotify some time ago. I only pop out a few times a year and look for new stuff to add to my repo. I had heard this came out which is a bit unusual. New tracks don’t make the news very often.
I expected it to be good because Cash is historically good. I expected it to be just another cover that I would like and respect but not like as much as the original.
The first time I heard it it was very strong, I didn’t really shed any tears though. I knew Trent’s history with the song, and I knew he put his experiences into that song.
I think it was when I read the piece the independent did on his cover before I realized the actual gravitas.
When cash recorded this, his wife was on her deathbed and he not far from it. You can almost feel him slipping away while he’s singing it. It’s the last prayer of a dying man.
That’s some amazing work.
American IV was a powerful album of covers. We’ll Meet Again makes me cry every time. He’s talking directly to his wife, and you can feel the fear and despair behind his words as he’s comforting and reassuring her as she’s dying. Ugh, feels for Christmas this year it is.
Cash didn’t just cover Hurt, he claimed it.
Didn’t the original authors say it was his song now or something
Trent from nine inch nails basically gave it to him.
I really love “when the levee breaks” by Led Zeppelin, but the original by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy deserves more recognition.
sinead o’connor nothing compares to you
Goldfinger covering 99 Red Baloons
That Hurt cover is amazing.
Also putting a shout out to one I haven’t seen mentioned yet.
Maggie’s Farm by RAtM is also a great cover
interesting, I think its one of the worst covers I’ve ever heard - and I love RATM. It’s just a covers album to get out of a contract and the track in question just doesn’t do it for me.
The only worse cover I can think of is RHCP - subterranean homesick blues
If we’re sharing favorite covers
Never more covering The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkle
The cover by Disturbed is good to: https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4
My dad listens to that very often
Hurt is great too, but I was blown away by Disturbed’s cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence the first time I heard it. And even now it gives me chills.
Check out the thrash band Nevermore’s cover of the sound of silence, epic. Came out a fair bit earlier
As a metal song, it’s pretty good. As a cover, I think it barely counts. They essentially just played a brief homage to the melody at the very beginning, then abandoned it entirely. They lifted the lyrics almost one for one, for the most parts, but it bared no other resemblance to the original.
I like Disturbed’s cover because it transforms the song’s tone and the genre of the original while still being recognizable and truly paying homage to it. And it’s even outside Disturbed’s typical style. It’s incredibly unique.
That’s fair.
The Disturbed cover is so much better than the original that it makes the original sound like a bar cover.
In what way is it better? The Disturbed cover is just… Loud.
I honestly thought we’d escaped the Disturbed cover of Sound of Silence as a culture in the mid-to-late 2010s. It’s aggressively shit.
It’s so good, I know!
how about Hurra Torpedo’s Total Eclipse of the Heart
There have been countless covers of “while my guitar gently weeps” but I think none of them were as flamboyant as the collaboration between Dani Harrison, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lyne, and of course Prince.
I don’t agree with folks saying this is the best guitar solo ever but man does Prince pour his heart and soul into it.
After watching 12tone’s analysis of this solo it gave me an all new appreciation for this cover and Prince. Don’t get me wrong, before I thought Prince was top 10 now I’d consider his in contention for number 1.
Classics up in here! But for my money, and tears, Heart honoring Led Zeppelin at the Kennedy Center with Stairway to Heaven trumps all. And that performance was indeed an honor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFxOaDeJmXk
I can’t even add to that comment. Made Robert Plant cry, maybe you will too.
Holy cow, that’s one way to honor a band’s legacy. I’m not surprised it moved Plant to tears. Can you imagine sitting there, seeing this immense spectacle and going “Holy shit, we inspired all these people”? Must be mind blowing.
Gawd dayum that’s an amazing cover
Naw, it’s got to be Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”. Or maybe the Beatles with “Twist and Shout”. Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love”?
It’s a long listen, but I’m a fan of the extended Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go from Soft Cell
