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

[Soubriquet]

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.

Prefer the cover : Word Up by Gun.
Prefer the original : Almost all of them, but Lily Allen’s slaughter of Keane’s Somewhere only we know was particularly grim.

Prefer the cover : Word Up by Gun.
Prefer the original : Almost all of them, but Lily Allen’s slaughter of Keane’s Somewhere only we know was particularly grim.

Move over Taylor

The original Valerie by The Zutons.

The Mark Ronson/Amy Winehouse cover just got played non bloody stop when it came out and I went right off it. I don't mind it now, but still prefer the original.

Bauhaus's version of Ziggy Stardust is infinitely superior to David Bowie's.

still haven't had time to go through the thread but another favourite of mine is Nina Hagen's version of Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode)
And Souxie and the Banshees doing Iggy Pop's Passenger.

gah - i actually came here to say Word Up by GUN.

And Walk this Way by Aerosmith with Run DMC is better than their original

er???

Erasure and Eurythmics are the originals...

must agree about Dolly Parton. That song is not to be belted out the way Houston did, it is a small, gentle song.

forgot to answer the 2nd half: Everything Tom Petty ever recorded is far superior to anyone who dares cover it. I have said it. I will not be swayed.

Marilyn Manson sweet dreams (though the original.is fantastic as well of course).

Rufus Wainwright hallelujah

Whiskey in the jar by Metallica

Tuesday's gone by metallica

Live and let die by guns n roses

Phantom of the opera by nightwish

Without you by Mariah Carey

I will always love you my Whitney Houston (though I love dolly parton)

House of the rising sun by Sinead o' Connor (please listen to it. If angels existed they would sound like that)

That Chichiwa or something kids song by that holiday rep guy with the monkey

See also Joni Mitchell. I accept that she's a genius but her voice is a three aspirin headache.
I prefer Judie Tzuke's version of God Only Knows to the Beach Boys, blasphemous I know. Also her version of Fall At Your Feet.
Thin Lizzy's version of Rosalie, although I love Bob Seger.
The Wings version of Live And Let Die is much better than GnR's bloated monstrosity.

Until you've heard John Otway's version of House Of The Rising Sun, complete with 'heckling' you haven't lived. One of the funniest things I've ever witnessed. 'That's two things'

Queen were my band as a kid (saw them 10 times) and George's version is definitely better. I thought Liza Minelli killed We Are The Champions too.

Certainly agree about Joni M. The devotion she inspires never ceases to amaze me.

You're wrong about "God Only Knows". Just wrong.

I understand the devotion. I think she's a genius songwriter, but that voice...

Janis Joplin had a similarly 'interesting' voice - baffled me as to why she was so popular. If crowdfunding had been around back then, there would have been enough raised to buy her a Mercedes Benz within a few hours, on condition that she got in it and drove it a very long way away from any recording studio!

I love Cat Powers version of House of the Rosing Sun. There is so many great versions

Original versions
Nothing Compares 2U - The Family (technically the original release, although recorded after Prince's version).
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen - vastly superior to Frankie's version, although my DH passionately disagrees.

Covers
Both Sides Now - Glen Campbell
Streets of London - Sinead O'Conner
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Joan Baez

I’m a massive Neil Young fan, but I prefer this version of Harvest Moon. Just beautiful.

Also Earth Wind & Fire’s version of Got to get you into my life.

Original of Nothing compared to you, by Prince and Rosie Gaines, is the best.

UB40- can't help falling in love with you, is my guilty pleasure.

I never understand all the love for Disturbed version if Sound Of Silence on these threads, I LOVE the original, it is just so beautiful in it's simplicity, and the cover feels overwrought and overdone, plus I just don't like his voice!

But sticking with the Simon and Garfunkel theme - I MUCH prefer The Bangles' version of Hazy Shade of Winter!

"Word Up" by Gun is the best cover ever.

And - I'm not sure if it fully counts as a cover - but Slash's version of Paradise City that he did with Fergie and Cypress Hill is on my regular playlist over the original!

@monpetitlapin definitely with you on comfortably numb. Pink Floyd put so much feeling into it.

@Keyworks I love the Pet Shop Boys version of Always on my Mind

The Pet Shop Boys version of Where The Streets Have No Name is definitive too.
The ultimate cover that's better than the original surely has to be Joe Cocker's With A Little Help From My Friends. Ringo's version is perfectly fine, but Joe Cocker turned into something completely different and beautiful. Paul McCartney told him the song was his now.
I like covers that are completely different from the original, like Devo's version of Satisfaction.
Can't bear Eva Cassidy. Bland ruins of some of my favourite songs. Songbird belongs to Christine McVie. End of.