Best cover song..
 

With Arms Wide Open, originally written by Creed, but covered by Boyce Avenue. So good. I'm going to be modest and not say any of my covers. Lol

I Ain't Superstitious by The Jeff Beck Group (Original by Howlin' Wolf)
All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix (Original by Bob Dylan)
You Shook Me by Led Zeppelin (Original by Muddy Waters)
Take This Job And Shove It by Dead Kennedys (Original by David Allan Coe)
Hurt by Johnny Cash (Original by Nine Inch Nails)

Only two of the originals I dislike, and in both cases I like the artist, so this is a big compliment to every artist. I don't like Dylan's original or NIN's original, both are very boring imo.

Man Next Door original version by The Paragons ..



Cover version by Massive Attack (sung by Horace Andy) from their 1998 album Mezzanine.

I like Cream's sixteen minute version of Howlin' Wolf's Spoonful, but that's only better by a hair IMO. Both are fantastic songs.

I haven't read every post, so if this one was already listed-- apologies. But, Yes' version of "America" kills it, as does their version of The Beatles "Every Little Thing."

Heh. I never even knew that was a cover. It's always been my least favorite song on the album but I do agree that it's better than the original.

right of the top of my head i can think of 4 songs that i really feel are better than the originals (and i love the originals)


Coil - Who By Fire (originally by Leonard Cohen)
i love the subtle background cacophony....which i feel is a thousand times better than the original composition....and just think that John's voice is as amazing as Leonard's with these lyrics


Alkaline Trio - Metro (originally by Berlin)
for the most part this song just translates into a punk song damn near perfect....i mean i love the original but when i heard this for the first time i was really taken back by just how good it sound sped up and with strong guitar....i think Matt gets the vocals down as well as Terri Nunn....and i have to say the exchange of "sorry" with "fucking asshole" works perfect for the version


Current 93 - (This Ain't) The Summer Of Love (original by Blue Oyster Cult)
it is this simple.....David's voice transforms this song from a kind of creepy great rock song into an invocation of the end of times....i remember coming into an interesting night of heavy psychedelic mushrooms on a cold winter solstice listening to this track over and over and over proclaiming "This is the night we riiiiiide!).....seriously when compared to the original this version has a completely different feel and meaning


Nirvana - Son Of A Gun (original by The Vaselines)
again i really love both of these songs.....but i think it just falls in the wow this is so much better cranked up with heavy distortion.....i love Kurt's monotone take on it

I don't know if I should go back and edit onto my big list or just keep posting as they come to me, but:

Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater fame has, I believe, 4 cover band tribute band bands. One, Hammer of the Gods, is an all Led Zeppelin cover band. Another is Cygnus and the Sea Monsters doing Rush songs, Amazing Journey does The Who songs, and Yellow Matter Custard does The Beatles. YMC is his most active, as they did a second set last year. YMC is Paul Gilbert, Mike Portnoy, Matt Bissonette, and Neal Morse. I call this one "While My Guitar Gently (S)Weeps" I don't know why they didn't think of that.

Deadsy- Paint it black

Totally killed it IMO

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World

Johnny Cash - Hurt

Nirvana - Son Of A Gun

Anthrax - Got The Time Out