Covers that are arguably better than the originals:

I like just about all of Dread Zeppelin's covers of Led Zeppelin's songs.

I too like Little Wing & Voodo chile from SRV better (Slightly) than Hendrix's

I grew up listening to the "British Invasion" bands...not knowing that they were playing their hero's/influence's music. Now I listen to both their stuff and the people who inspired them in their youth.

Tall Shadow
 
Hello, Just to get my two cents worth in.................Johnny cashes' cover of Billy Joe shavers' song "If I give my soul" From the "Unearthed" box set. It's sung so simply and with such integrty that it darn near tears your heart out.
 
Not always easy ....

Creedence did a good cover of 'heard it through the Grapevine', though cannot replace the original.

I've just started listening to the original Tim Buckley version of "Song to the siren", having only previously heard the 80's cover by "this Mortal Coil". At first I preferred the cover, but Tims original version is growing on me.

Sometiimes it's especially hard. "Strange Weather" by Tom Waits. His version or Marianne Faithfulls ?


Agree with the comments about hendrix covers. There is a BBC CD with his cover of "Day Tripper". The legend is that one of the beatles played on this recording, not sure if this has ever been confirmed, but it's a fantastic version .


and who could forget the Dickies cover of paranoid ?😀
 
Re: Not always easy ....

jives11 said:


I've just started listening to the original Tim Buckley version of "Song to the siren", having only previously heard the 80's cover by "this Mortal Coil". At first I preferred the cover, but Tims original version is growing on me.




I've heard Robert Plant do a cover of this too...

This Mortal Coils version is one of my favorite songs.

Rob.
 
CCR covers I always consider better. Joe Cocker has never not improved a song by covering it. Also Dion is very good at covering songs. George Thuroughgood & The Destroyers brought a lot of old blues songs to life that died or were born dead.

Sevendusts version of Hurt based on Johnny Cash's, on their album Southside Double Wide is damn good.