Best and Worst Cover Songs

[CourtasanSatine]

That was horrible.

My favorites are: (original artist)

Jealous Guy by Gavin DeGraw (John Lennon)
Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
Mad World by Adam Lambert (Tears for Fears)
...Baby One More Time by Bowling for Soup (Britney Spears)

Bowling For Soup's version of "Baby One More Time" is so funny! Otherwise off to itunes to see if the Gavin DeGraw is on there.

 

[Wall-E1]

1. You Shook Me All Night Long - Celine Dion (Not a typo. She did it! Worst cover eveeerrr!!!)

Omg you are kidding me! I'll just have to take your word for it because I am not going to look for them on youtube.

Oh no! You must watch this video, if only to see Celine get her heavy metal groove on. You can bleach your eyeballs right after, but watch this now...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULmC8JTTVy0

My god! Someone, please give Celine a ritz cracker or something to eat?!

 

[Northstar]

My votes for best and worst...

Best:

Smashing Pumpkins' cover of Landslide
Jeff Buckley's cover of Halleluiah
Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes' cover of Rainbow Connection.

(I see quite a few of us agree on this one. Man in Black completely owned this song)

Covers that make me wish I were deaf:

William Shatner's Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - The Beatles (why Bill? why?)
Dolly Parton's Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin (for the love of all that's holy... never again)
Bono's Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen (normally I love all that is Bono but when you go all spoken word like William Shatner you get a boot to the head)
Paul Anka's vegas lounge lizard rendition of Smells Like Team Spirit - Nirvana (what were you thinking?)
And yes... the granddame of them all Celine Dion's shrieking harpy edition of Shook Me All Night Long ( I may never recover)

 

[discnewbie]

Originally Posted by Wall-E1
1. You Shook Me All Night Long - Celine Dion (Not a typo. She did it! Worst cover eveeerrr!!!)


I can't believe I just watched that version of You Shook Me All Night Long. I agree, it's got to be one of the worst covers.

 

[Wall-E1]

William Shatner's Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - The Beatles (why Bill? why?)

As if that wasn't bad enough, Leonard Nimoy almost topped Captain Kirk with his rendition of Abraham, Martin and John.

 

[SookieStackhouse]

The Good:

Dixie Chicks "Landslide" was absolutely great.
Antigone Rising "Fat Bottomed Girls"
Katy Perry "Use Your Love" is a hoot.

Not exactly a cover, more like a re-do Christina Aguilera's version of "The Beautiful People" is a great song. Who would have thought Xtina would re-do a Marilyn Manson song and make it work.

The Bad:

Until this thread, I did not know of the Celine Dion cover of "You Shook Me All Night Long"... words cannot describe how bad that was. I was laughing out loud while watching it, and I definitely wasn't laughing with her. It was so bad it was entertaining.

I never liked Sheryl Crow's cover of "Sweet Child O Mine" either.

 

[Octoberbride03]

Comments on other posts:

Hurt by Johnny Cash is probably the best cover of all time. I think even Trent Rezner said it was better than NIN.


Worst
Candle in the Wind by Elton John
This song was written for Marilyn, NOT Diana!!!!

I read that Trent was incredibly flattered that Johnny even wanted to record it. I never did hear the NIN version, but Johnny's was beautifully done as was the video.

As for Candle in the Wind. Elton wrote the first 1 so he gets away with the 2nd. First was definitely better.


No worsts of my own, but I entirely disagree with Whitney's cover on I Will Always Love you Her voice is WAAAYYYY too big for that song. Made me want to put a pillow over my head from the first note, and I didn't even know at the time that Dolly had written it. Best cover for that goes to Sheena Easton. I heard her sing it on some tv show, and it was just beautiful. I don't even remember the name of the show

 

[lizabu]

I like Dixie Chicks "Landslide" too.

Here's another terrible cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3P8gnzuAS4&feature=fvst

 

[Aimee K]

I LOVE a well done cover song!!! (And Celine Dion's isn't it, lol)

Right now I am still enthralled with Adele, who wonderfully covers:
To Make You Feel My Love, Originally Bob Dylan
Hiding My Heart, Originally Brandi Carlisle
Love Song, Originally The Cure

Anything Tori Amos Covers is also tops in my book... she does a great Landslide, as well as a Case of You originally Joni Mitchell. Her version of Smells like Teen Spirit actually started me on my weird obsession with cover songs many moons ago

 

[krcit]

I LOVE a well done cover song!!! (And Celine Dion's isn't it, lol)

Right now I am still enthralled with Adele, who wonderfully covers:
To Make You Feel My Love, Originally Bob Dylan
Hiding My Heart, Originally Brandi Carlisle
Love Song, Originally The Cure

Anything Tori Amos Covers is also tops in my book... she does a great Landslide, as well as a Case of You originally Joni Mitchell. Her version of Smells like Teen Spirit actually started me on my weird obsession with cover songs many moons ago

I'm loving Adele so I will check those out. I've heard To Make You Feel My Love and it's beautiful.

I love Dwight Yoakums version of Suspicious Minds

 

[cherbear]

it sounds like that Celine link is torturing everyone's ears...I'm scared to even listen!

Since I was at work earlier, I wanted to come back and post a vid for Seether's Careless Whisper...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7imqO-OBVk

Figured no one weighed in because maybe not many have heard it. Check it out

 

[Aimee K]

So meandering around on youtube on your links brought me to Linkin Park covering Adele's Rolling in the Deep

 

[mjantz]

Best

Hallelujah by Rufus Wainright I know most people love Cohen or Buckleys version but I prefer Rufus.
Anything off of Johnny Cashs America recordings. The man definitely put his own spin on everything.
I'll Stand by You by Shakira. On the Hope for Haiti CD. Great cover IMO.

Worst

Hallelujah by Justin Timberlake. It was also on the Hope for Haiti CD & its just soooo sloooow.

 

[FQ fan]

I like

Obandiah Parker's version of Hey Ya by Outkast
and
Ray Lamonagne's version of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley

 

[Planogirl]

it sounds like that Celine link is torturing everyone's ears...I'm scared to even listen!

Since I was at work earlier, I wanted to come back and post a vid for Seether's Careless Whisper...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7imqO-OBVk

Figured no one weighed in because maybe not many have heard it. Check it out

I love Seether.

 

[Lintasare]

Best Covers:

Seether - Careless Whisper
Metallica - Turn the Page
Tim McGraw - Tiny Dancer
Five Finger Death Punch - Bad Company
Nickelback - Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
James Durbin - Still Love Me Tomorrow

Worst Covers:

Too many to list

 

[charming23]

So meandering around on youtube on your links brought me to Linkin Park covering Adele's Rolling in the Deep

I looked it up and WOW that was amazing, love it.

 

[jog58]

Best Covers:

Seether - Careless Whisper
Metallica - Turn the Page
Tim McGraw - Tiny Dancer
Five Finger Death Punch - Bad Company
Nickelback - Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
James Durbin - Still Love Me Tomorrow

Worst Covers:

Too many to list

FABULOUS covers!

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Some very good (and bad) covers mentioned already, but have to disagree on Adele's cover of the Cure's Love Song. I haven't heard anyone top the Cure on that one yet.

One of my favorite covers is the English Beat's version of Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles)

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Which songs have been remade and are actually better than the original, and which singers should be tarred and feathered for their version of another artist's song?

The best covers...
1. Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Iz (outdoes the Judy Garland version)


I meant to comment on this before but forgot. His version is SO beautiful. I know it's classic movie sacrilege but I agree. His version gives me cold chills. And what a sad story.