Ask Lemmy

Very common opinion, but "Hurt" originally by NIN covered by Johnny Cash. He really puts his mark on it, especially considering how old he was when he did the cover.

Jimi Hendrix's version of All Along The Watchtower by Bob Dylan. It's likely to be the only version of the song most people have ever heard.

Nirvana's version of The Man Who Sold the World.

The Donnie Darko (slowed down version) of Tears for Fears, Mad World.

Goldfinger version of 99 red balloons absolutely nails it in my opinion

Nirvana did a bunch of great ones during their brief time together.

The Man Who Sold The World has already been mentioned, but their versions of Turnaround by Devo, Plateau and Lake of Fire by Meat Puppets, and Where Did you Sleep Last Night and They Hung Him On A Cross by Leadbelly are all beautiful renditions in their own ways.

Of those, I'd say that Where Did You Sleep Last Night and both of the Meat Puppets covers are just as distinctly re-stanked by that Nirvana magic as their Bowie cover was. I like their version of They Hung Him On A Cross more than the original too, but tbh it always made me feel a bit weird hearing a white man singing that one. I get that it came from a place of reverence and compassion, but....idk man. I am both mixed race and have mixed feelings on that one lol. At the same time though, if any white man was to cover that one, I'm glad it was him since the hurt inherent to Kurt's voice was a perfect match for the vibe and tone.

The Disturbed cover of Land of Confusion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV4oYkIeGJc

A weird one:

"Sludgefest", an old Alvin and the chipmunks pop record slowed back down to the speed the vocals were recorded.

The result is unironically good – a grimy, moody sound, with deep growling guitar.

My personal favorites that I like better than the originals and I LOVE the originals:

Whiskey in the Jar - Metallica

Take On Me - Reel Big Fish

99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger

Land of Confusion - Disturbed

La Isla Bonita - Twilight Guardians

Spaceballs - Majestica

Black Betty - Spiderbait

Thriller - Scandroid

Electric Avenue - Skindred

Whitney Houston's "I will always love you". I love Dolly Parton but Whitney slayed this song.

A Perfect Circle's version of Imagine by John Lennon is my favorite cover song. They add so much groove, atmosphere and melancholy to the song. It's beautiful.

Hurt (Nine Inch Nails) by covered Johnny Cash

Just a Friend (Freddie Scott) covered by Biz Markie

The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie) covered by Nirvana

Also, on a personal note, I am struggling to not post any remixes. ^Ah^ ^shit.^

Crooked Fingers - Long Black Veil

Johnny Cash - Hurt

Amish Paradise

Way better understanding of the holy mission, ×1699 times expansion on what the original did

faith no more’s easy

I will survive by cake.

My first high school dance freshman year they played the original and i belted out every word from memory because i spent all summer listening to Fashion Nugget.

Eric Clapton's unplugged version of Layla is an entirely different experience than the original.

This is the opposite of what you're asking for, sorry, but I find that more people are familiar with the A Perfect Circle version of The Nurse Who Loved Me than they are with the original version by Failure.

Both very good versions song, but the original still blows me away.

Apologies for doing the opposite of what you asked, but this was just the first thing that came to mind.

Judas Priest's "Painkiller" covered by Death is incredible.

If anyone wants to take a chance on a cover I recorded (all instruments and vocals) of Enslaved's "Havenless", check it out at this link (https://youtu.be/b1ByxMMnSfw)

Such Great Heights covered by Streetlight Manifesto. This is one of the songs that makes me think about how much I love my wife.

Cardigans, Burning Down the House with Tom Jones. Of course the original is incredible, but this version slaps.

Against All Odds by The Postal Service

my mind was blown when I learned that was Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie on vocals

Happy Together by Slothrust

this live version is especially fantastic, from an album of covers by them, I think the Baby One More Time cover is more popular but I prefer the recontextualization of this one

Changes by Charles Bradley

ridiculously emotional, can really feel his pain in it. I would never have thought this was a Black Sabbath cover had it not been mentioned at the top of the video

I Will Survive by Cake

no notes. perfect cover.

Billie Jean by The Civil Wars

never would have thought this would work as a duet but it's perfect, 10/10

Someday I Suppose by Drug Church

Boston.

I love a good cover, the best covers recontextualize the meaning of the song imo

Tori Amos has an amazing cover album but her rendition of the Eminem song ’97 Bonnie & Clyde is honestly horrifying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4-bXS5LJGM

Also her cover of the Boom town rats I don’t like mondays is my favorite version of that song.

Devo - Head Like a Hole

Heartbeats.

Original by The Knife,

cover by José González.

Same words, same melody, completely different universes.

Vines' version of MGMT's Kids

Her style is a super stripped-down one with almost all instrumentation just being her voice through a vocoder. This cover includes a bit more traditional instrumentation than usual for her work, but it's still quite stark next to the original. It comes across as very pensive, which I think works nicely with the lyrics

Frog Brigade - Animals

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Shawn Colvin - I'll Be Back

Sonic Youth - Superstar (btw not originally by The Carpenters)

Save Ferris' cover of Come On Eileen, by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

“(I can’t get no) Satisfaction” as covered by Cat Power. It completely omits the guitar riff and chorus, and lays bare the song for the empty life that it portrays. You wouldn’t even recognize it for The Rolling Stones.

While I love the original version, Seethers cover of Careless Whisper is one of my favourite songs ever.

Gonna go retro with this one: Madness' cover of Labi Siffre's It Must Be Love

If I remember rightly, Siffre appears in Madness' music video for the song, so it had his seal of approval too. (I mean, yeah, they wouldn't have done a cover if he hadn't agreed to it, but appearing in the video is a force multiplier on that.)

Aretha Franklin - Bridge Over Troubled Water (originally by Simon and Garfunkel)

Sly & The Family Stone - Que Sera, Sera (originally Doris Day)

The Isley Brothers - Love The One You're With (originally Steven Stills)

A Perfect Circle - When the levee breaks.

Extremely far away from Led Zeppelin. But it's just so nice and soothing.
Also, "Peace love and understanding" from the same album, for the same reasons.

Electric Callboy - Every Time We Touch

Obediah Parker – Hey Ya (Originally Outkast)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=c745E7T_Wvg

Ninja Sex Party's cover of "The Last Unicorn." I think the original is lovely, but their version just clicks with me.

~~Shrek 2's version of "I need a hero."~~