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Cover Songs Better Than The Original

As much as any musician tries to make it in the music business, some times there's just people that are better than you, even at your own songs. Maybe it's doing a song in a different style or with a different attitude, but sometimes the artist really can make or break a work. What are your favorite songs that were done better by someone other than the original artist?

For me, I have three that come to mind:

Filter - Happy Together (originally by The Turtles)

Avril Lavigne - Fuel (originally by Metallica)

Amanada Palmer - Polly (originally by Nirvana...I feel dirty writing that since Nirvana's my favorite band ever, but her version was just that good)

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Permalink Reply by Martin on February 25, 2013 at 4:12am

Sea of Love - Cat Power (Originally by Phil Phillips)

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Permalink Reply by AbsentElemental on February 25, 2013 at 8:56am

I wasn't familiar with this cover before you mentioned it, but I really like her voice. Nice choice.

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Permalink Reply by Melbourne on my mind on February 25, 2013 at 6:35am

The Lemonheads - Mrs Robinson and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - The Boxer. It would appear that I prefer rock/punk covers of Simon & Garfunkel to actual Simon & Garfunkel...

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Permalink Reply by AbsentElemental on February 25, 2013 at 8:18am

I love Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. They did a cover of Ghost Riders in The Sky which I prefer to any other cover I've heard of the song.

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Permalink Reply by Miss Ashley on February 25, 2013 at 9:15am

No need to doubt my serious love for The Cure.

But I prefer both Adele & 311 when it comes to "Lovesong".

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Permalink Reply by AbsentElemental on February 25, 2013 at 9:19am

I do love me some 311. I'm not a huge fan of Adele by any stretch of the imagination, though her cover of Lovesong isn't bad.

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Permalink Reply by Miss Ashley on February 25, 2013 at 10:21am

I appreciate her no nonsense attitude and her ability to remain an artist in an industry that prefers carbon copies. I'm honestly not a fan of 311 beyond that cover. I think that Lovesong remains as one of my favorite songs of all time ever.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer on February 25, 2013 at 10:06am

Nirvana's cover of The Man Who Sold the World (originally by Bowie). Nothing against Bowie, but I'm pretty sure even he preferred Nirvana's cover.

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Permalink Reply by AbsentElemental on February 25, 2013 at 10:23am

I'm really sad I didn't have this on my original list now. Same with Nirvana covering "Lake of Fire" by Meat Puppets.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer on February 25, 2013 at 10:56am

Good choice! I hadn't heard the original so I just looked it up on YouTube. Nirvana's cover is epically better.

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Permalink Reply by AbsentElemental on February 25, 2013 at 11:04am

I'd go back in time and meet Cobain if I could. He was one of my primary inspiration for getting into writing music in the first place, which in turn caused me to start blogging/writing longer stories.