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Original poster

What covers of music do you prefer to the original, and which original do you prefer over the cover?

245 replies

Soubriquet · 13/08/2023 18:32

I’m a gleek. I enjoy watching glee a lot and I do like a lot of their covers.

I can’t remember all of them but start with

Last Friday Night by Katy Perry. Covered by Darren Kriss aka Blaine Anderson. I much prefer the cover to this. The original seems to lack depth.

On the other hand Here’s to us by Halestorm covered by Lea Michele aka Rachel Berry is no where near as good. Lzzy Hale just rules every song of hers and no one can compare to that.

OP posts:
Original poster
Soubriquet · 14/08/2023 08:10

Mindovermatter247 · 13/08/2023 22:36

Massive Gleek here too… before I start on the covers I prefer…
one non glee related song
fast car by Tracy chapman is so much better than the Ella eyre cover..

glee songs
Mine- santana sang it way better than taylor swift
dog days are over… just feel like it sounded much better from the new directions
nutbush city limits, I like the original but like santana’ version way more
big girls don’t cry… love kurt, Rachel and blaine singing this.
and lastly as much as I love Demi lovato, I much prefer Rachel and Brodie singing give your heart a break.

Ah. I thought Fergie’s big girls don’t cry was better than the cover

OP posts:
Cazzovuoi · 14/08/2023 08:30

I know he’s a predator and I wish I didn’t like it but …

Tainted Love - Marilyn Manson

Humidititties · 14/08/2023 08:33

Chris Cornell's version of Nothing Compares 2 U is amazing, I do like Sinead's version, but this is the one I prefer

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Music
SmartHome · 14/08/2023 08:36

I thought Alien Ant Farms version of Smooth Criminal was better than the MJ one - seems really slow in comparison.

TheSummerITurnedChubby · 14/08/2023 08:53

Probably lowering the tone here, but Taylor Swift does an awesome live version of Riptide by Vance Joy

And Elbow’s version of the Beatles’ Golden Slumbers is lovely

And Eva Cassidy singing Over the Rainbow - obviously she aced most of the songs she sang (except Autumn Leaves, as no one can do it better than Nat King Cole - which I don’t think was the original though)

SkirtingBeard · 14/08/2023 08:55

mewkins · 13/08/2023 22:24

Phil L's version is really honest and sad. The Corrs' version is insipid.

Show quote history

The Corrs are ‘on hold to customer service’ music.

I prefer Tori Amos’s version of Tom Waits’ ‘Time’. Not usually that big a fan of ‘slow it down and repeat the chorus’, but she brings out what a beautiful tune it is, compared to his (admittedly wonderful) semi-talking.

i prefer Camille O’Sullivan’s version of ‘Ship Song’ to Nick Cave’s.

Like a pp, prefer David Gray’s ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ to the Soft Cell version.

Humidititties · 14/08/2023 08:58

TheSummerITurnedChubby · 14/08/2023 08:53

Probably lowering the tone here, but Taylor Swift does an awesome live version of Riptide by Vance Joy

And Elbow’s version of the Beatles’ Golden Slumbers is lovely

And Eva Cassidy singing Over the Rainbow - obviously she aced most of the songs she sang (except Autumn Leaves, as no one can do it better than Nat King Cole - which I don’t think was the original though)

Have you heard Taylor Swift's live version of Drop of Jupiter - brilliant

TheSummerITurnedChubby · 14/08/2023 09:03

Oh and the version of Brotherhood of Man’s Kisses for Me, done in the style of Bob Dylan, by Johnny Daukes. It sounds crazy but it’s brilliant.

It was a promotional thing for Pete Paphides’ book Broken Greek, which is a great read

TheSummerITurnedChubby · 14/08/2023 09:07

Humidititties · 14/08/2023 08:58

Have you heard Taylor Swift's live version of Drop of Jupiter - brilliant

Show quote history

Yes! It’s fantastic isn’t it - she’s such a great performer

mewkins · 14/08/2023 09:34

TheSummerITurnedChubby · 14/08/2023 09:03

Oh and the version of Brotherhood of Man’s Kisses for Me, done in the style of Bob Dylan, by Johnny Daukes. It sounds crazy but it’s brilliant.

It was a promotional thing for Pete Paphides’ book Broken Greek, which is a great read

I have brought this book on holiday with me! Looking forward to it.

MaidOfSteel · 14/08/2023 09:36

No Doubt's cover of It's My Life is good, but not a patch on Talk Talk's piece of musical wonderfulness original! One of my favourite tracks.

Comefromaway · 14/08/2023 09:40

Cover version I prefer

Always on My Mind by the Pet Shop Boys, I don't like Elvis

Comefromaway · 14/08/2023 09:43

Prefer the original of Don't Stop Believing than the Glee version which is odd for me as I love MT versions of songs usually.

Niftythrifter · 14/08/2023 09:57

Jeff Buckley Hallelujah for cover over the original

I like Jose Gonzales’s version of Hand on Your Heart in a different way to Kylie’s. He really makes a throw away pop song in to something more.

Niftythrifter · 14/08/2023 09:58

Much prefer the Kylie version of Only Love Can Break Your Heart over the Saint Etienne version.

Original poster
Soubriquet · 14/08/2023 10:09

Oo I thought of one that’s not glee

Starships. Originally by Nicki Minaj, covered Lindsey Stirling ft Megan Nicole.

OP posts:
Roosmarjin · 14/08/2023 10:24

Independent Women - Elbow's version is better than Destiny's Child

Hit me baby one more time - much prefer Travis' version

Noizettely · 14/08/2023 10:28

The Stranglers version of Walk On By is better I think than Dionne Warwick’s version. The instrumental section in the second half probably helps.

WildCherryBlossom · 14/08/2023 10:49

Yesss! @Roosmarjin Travis did an amazing cover of Hit Me Baby One More Time.

SwedishEdith · 14/08/2023 11:39

Niftythrifter · 14/08/2023 09:58

Much prefer the Kylie version of Only Love Can Break Your Heart over the Saint Etienne version.

Is that not a Neil Young original which is the best version.

Niftythrifter · 14/08/2023 12:14

@SwedishEdith haha! I did not know that. I’ll have to listen to the original then!

aSofaNearYou · 14/08/2023 14:08

Derrymum123 · 14/08/2023 02:56

Only you by The Flying Pickets is far superior to the Alison Moyet/Yazoo version .

I think the opposite.

I also really like the Per Shop Boys version of Always on my mind but it was the Willie Nelson one I grew up with and loved. I prefer most covers of Can't Help Falling in Love to the original- Elvis ballads seem to lend themselves to covers.

HopeSpringsInfernal · 14/08/2023 18:22

Yes to Patti Smith's version of Because the Night,
Also prefer The Damned's cover of Alone Again Or to Love's version. David Bowie's cover of Sorrow, and the only one who does justice to You Don't Own Me is Lesley Gore

Sussurations · 14/08/2023 18:48

All my fave covers have been mentioned -
Pet Shop Boys Always On My Mind (it is indeed the best cover ever)
Walker Brothers No Regrets
The Byrds Hey Mr Tambourine Man

I massively prefer the Tears For Fears Mad World over Gary Jules, and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah over Jeff Buckley’s (both covers i really dislike)

Scott Walker’s covers of Jacques Brel are amazing - not better, but I really love both versions of the songs.

fpurplea · 14/08/2023 19:32

The vast majority of mine have been mentioned already. I'm spilt on a lot. I'd have always said Placebo over Kate Bush for Running Up That Hill, but after Stranger Things I'm converted. And both NIN and Johnny Cash's versions of Hurt are mind blowing.

Ones I don't think have been mentioned yet, Alfie Boe's cover of Run by Snow Patrol and Rammstein's cover of Depeche Mode's Stripped.

But Disturbed's Sound of Silence is just one of the best things I've ever heard.