Cover songs are a staple in the music industry and have been around for decades. While some cover songs are simply mediocre, others have become more popular and well-known than the original version. A recent internet survey asked, “what cover song is actually better than the original?” and here are the top 19 answers.
‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin
“Aretha Franklin had a habit of taking a song and making it better, that’s for sure.”
“I feel like if I opened this thread and saw people listing only Aretha Franklin songs, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“I agree and would add her covers of ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ and ‘Natural Woman.'”
‘Hard To Handle’ By The Black Crowes
“Otis Reading wrote it, but the Black Crowes version is the one we all know and love.”
“Otis also wrote Respect, which was covered by Aretha Franklin.”
“Not every song is perfect for the writer. These Arms of Mine, White Christmas, and Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay are my favorites. But The Black Crowes OWN this one.”
‘Black Magic Woman’ By Santana
“Poor Peter Green can’t catch a break; no disrespect to him, but Judas Priest’s version of Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) blows his original out of the water.”
“Santana made the music cry out as he played it; not many have that skill.”
“I will add that both Peter and Santana have the same guitar stylings.”
‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ By Marvin Gaye
“Gladys Knight did a great job, but Marvin just killed all competition with his version.”
“When I hear the Marvin Gaye version, all I can think of are those silly dancing raisins.”
“There are a few excellent covers, including The Creedence Clearwater Revival version with the chugging guitars. The song is obviously solid.”
‘1985’ By Bowling For Soup
“Sr-71 has some solid music, but their version lacked the harmonies.”
“It was written by Mitch Allen, singer for SR-71; he’s buddies with Bowling For Soup and updated the song for them. Mitch is also a producer & has written songs for many groups and singers and produced on many albums.”
‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’ By Nirvana
“It’s from their unplugged album. It’s an old, old song; Lead Belly did it way back in the 1920s. I find the Nirvana version haunting and beautiful.”
“That whole album is fantastic. You could feel Cobain’s love of the source material pouring through on all the covers; he clearly had a passion for doing justice to under-heard gems.”
‘All Along The Watchtower’ By Jimi Hendrix
“Even Bob Dylan liked Hendrix’s version better, saying of it: “I liked Hendrix’s record and, ever since he died, I’ve been doing it that way. Strange how I always feel it’s a tribute to him in some kind of way.” Powerful stuff when the copy becomes the inspiration!”
“Dylan’s biggest strength has always been songwriting. The number of his songs that get covered and are incredible is really sort of astonishing.”
‘When the Levee Breaks’ By Led Zeppelin
“I’ve only recently realized how much Led Zeppelin “borrowed”, which I suppose was common then, but they weren’t particularly great at giving credit where it was due.”
“Wait, is the Zeppelin version a cover? My world is falling apart.”
“It’s a country blues song written and first recorded by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy in 1929. It’s about the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.”
‘I Love Rock And Roll’ By Joan Jett
“The original was by British band The Arrows in the 1970s.”
“As an AC/DC fan and a Joan Jett fan, how did I not know about this until just now?”
“Yeah, a good chunk of her covers are better than the originals.”
‘Got My Mind Set On You’ By George Harrison
“Originally recorded by James Ray, who was a 5′ tall black guy who was homeless when he got his breakout hit. He literally came out of nowhere to become a star.”
“I prefer Weird Al’s version “This Song’s Just Six Words Long,” but I guess that it’s a parody.”
‘Tainted Love’ By Soft Cell
“Came here to say this. Most people do not know that the original was recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. But it was Soft Cell who made it great in 1981. Dozens of artists have covered this song since then, including a decent one by Marilyn Manson.”
“I’ve heard this multiple times but always assumed it was a modern artist doing a ‘postmodern jukebox’ style cover of Soft Cell; never realized it was the original!”
‘All Through the Night’ By Cyndi Lauper
“Yes! Plus, her versions of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Money Changes Everything. Her cover of When You Were Mine is amazing too. That whole album is pure fire.”
“It helps that the original is terrible.”
‘Torn’ By Natalie Imbruglia
“She did it best, but someone else was lying cold and naked on the floor before her!”
“It was written in 1991 for Preven as a solo track. Lis Sørensen released the first version in Danish in 1993. Two of the writers released a grunge version in 1995. Then Trine Rein did another in 96′. Finally, there’s Natalie’s 1997 version.”
‘I Fought The Law’ By The Clash
“Written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and popularized by the Bobby Fuller Four. The first 20 seconds of the Clash version are insane.”
“The Clash’s super-power was their covers, for real.”
‘Hush’ By Deep Purple
“There’s even a cover of the cover version by Kula Shaker; it’s not bad, but I find it funny that they are covering the Deep Purple version and not the original.”
“Didn’t even know that was a cover until last year, and I’ve heard that song all my life.”
“Most of these are debatable; this is not.”
‘Scarborough Fair’ By Simon And Garfunkel
“Simon rearranged the lyrics, so they’re all spoken by the man. The original song told the tale of a man who meets a lady going to the fair, and she has vocal replies.”
“It was flat-out stolen from Martin Carthy with no credit given to him. The LP even lists the songwriters as Simon and Garfunkel! That’s how seminal it was.”
‘Nothing compares to you’ by Sinead O’Connor
“Came here to say this. This song is haunting. Prince is a legend, but (no disrespect to him) O’Connor brought some real feeling to this one. It takes the breath away.”
“I don’t know if I consider Prince’s version a cover; I thought he only wrote the song and made his own version later. But I agree, her take on it is better.”
‘Red, Red Wine’ By UB40
“Neil Diamond said that they made him a ton more money and recognition with that cover, and he was very thankful for it.”
“Their version is so good that Neil is known to play it like that too. There are YouTube videos of his live shows that show this.”
Blinded by The Light By Manfred Man
“Mann has admitted he did occasionally slip on the recording instead of “Revved up like a deuce…” It was genius to switch between the two, to leave people wondering.”
“I’m 48 and didn’t know it was a cover until this year.”
“This is going to be an unpopular opinion: I like almost all Bruce Springsteen covers more than his originals.”
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