You like a cover song better than the original. Why?

[JosephDredd]

Most of the time I just dislike the sound of the original because I've never been a fan of the band/artist and an artist I like gives it a sound I like, but every now and then I feel like some songs are basically different songs when sung by different artists. For instance, Canadian upper-middle-class Drake has that stupid song "started from the bottom now we're here" and it would come across as literally a different song if covered by an artist who had spent their childhoods kicking around in the gutter of an American ghetto, struggling to get by (especially if that artist tended to sing really personal songs in the first place -- think Tracy Chapman covering that Drake song).

Some artists can literally take someone else's song and it make it more powerful than it ever was because of who they are and what they've been through. Remember when Johnny Cash died and the MTV tribute had a bunch of people singing multiple versions of Trent Reznor's "Hurt" and didn't sing a single Johnny Cash song?

Thoughts?

 

[ObsoleteSoul]

CCR's "ive heard it through the grapevine" over Marvin's

Just like the sound better. More lush or what have you.

 

[Nonsense]

Yeah same.

I love Van Morrison's Comfortably Numb miles better than Pink Floyd's. Just darker, more atmospheric.

 

[Jim Cozad Jr.]

GNR's knockin' on heaven's door and live and let die are 10x better than the originals imo...maybe I just like a little harder rock than the originals...

 

[FrankNStein]

Metallica's version of "Whiskey in the Jar" and "Die, Die My Darling" and Megadeth's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" are what immediately popped into my head. Also, Iced Earth did a very good cover of "Burning For You" and Killswitch.Engage did a good one of "Holy Diver".

 

[freaky]

Sometimes the cover is more fitted for today's style. Like a lot of the old songs are super slow. Sounds much better faster. Then there are fast songs that sounded much better when slowed down or the acoustic version of it.

Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson for example. It's not a cover but the original sucked balls compared to her American Idol version.

Daniela Andrade is another cover artist who I really like. Her acoustic versions are much better. Very soothing and relaxing compared to the more upbeat original.

Then there's the artist who just suck balls like Rebecca Black. Katy Perry did a cover of her song "Friday" in one of her concert and it sounded much better.

 

[LEWIS540]

Danzig wrote "Thirteen" for Johnny Cash, then later covered his own song.

Danzig's version was superior.

 

[ObsoleteSoul]

GNR's knockin' on heaven's door and live and let die are 10x better than the originals imo...maybe I just like a little harder rock than the originals...

Solid picks.

 

[Tamriel Terror]

Mad world peformed by Gary Jules. Loved that version ever since I heard it in the Gears of War 1 trailer.

Gears of Feels.

 

[FyrFytr998]

Hatebreed's version of "Refuse/Resist" over Sepultura's. It just sounds more polished. "For the Lions" is a great cover album.

Also a fan of Stone Sour's "Burbank" cover albums.

 

[Mr Mojo Lane]

Metallica's version of "Whiskey in the Jar" and "Die, Die My Darling" and Megadeth's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" are what immediately popped into my head. Also, Iced Earth did a very good cover of "Burning For You" and Killswitch.Engage did a good one of "Holy Diver".

Metallica's Garage Inc. b/c they could play their instruments better than the original guys.

Probably my favorite song is "Mercyful Fate", but I don't like King Diamond's voice, so the Metallica cover is way better

 

[astrozician]

Cum on feel the noise by Quiet Riot. Originally by Slade, I think the heavy metal approach is more effective.
Never been to Spain, Polk Salad, Impossible Dream (and others) by Elvis. You can't go wrong with Elvis.
Ghost Riders in the Sky by Johnny Cash. Johnny, like Elvis, has done some excellent covers of others' originals.
Always and Forever by Luther Vandross. Originally by Heatwave, original is boring and oversung. Luther's voice is perfect.

I'm sure there are more.

 

[SoberAwakening]

Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" was better than the NIN version. You can feel and hear that pain, heartbreak, and loneliness when Johnny sings it.

 

[lostdog000]

chris cornell sings thank you better than robert plant

 

[Anung Un Rama]

Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah > Cohen's.

 

[ObsoleteSoul]

Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" was better than the NIN version. You can feel and hear that pain, heartbreak, and loneliness when Johnny sings it.

I disagree.

Hurt is a pretty juvenile song imo. The lyrics sound like the thoughts of a jaded young man, and seems more appropriate coming from Trent's voice. I still like both versions though.

 

[dc007]

Hendricks' All Along the Watchtower is much better than Dylan's and pretty much most of the covers of Dylan are better.

 

[SoberAwakening]

I disagree.

Hurt is a pretty juvenile song imo. The lyrics sound like the thoughts of a jaded young man, and seems more appropriate coming from Trent's voice. I still like both versions though.

Knowing what Mr. Cash was going though during that point in his life, and following his overall career to that point, the lyrics take on a different meaning.

 

[ajwbjj87]

Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" was better than the NIN version. You can feel and hear that pain, heartbreak, and loneliness when Johnny sings it.

So true, honestly to me the NIN Version is kinda shit, I was really impressed with how much better Johnny made it.

 

[MaureenCretis]

All covers are inferior to the originals.