Covers Better Than The Original

[Xeyuzio]

Well I would choose Fate: Rebirth, the Miku cover is so much better, it's made by the same artist but like with different music. Anyways post yours. :'D

[TheAsterisk!]

I'll go ahead and take the vaguely phrased parts of your post for all it's worth, so there will be no vocaloid involved.

For a truly astounding case of the cover as a great improvement, consider "America," originally performed by Simon & Garfunkel:


Now consider that Yes transformed this lethargic little lullaby of a song, originally running about 3:40, into a ten-and-a-half minute rock piece, complete with little solos and whatnot:


Really, only the lyrics and a few snippets are still immediately recognizable as originating from the S&G song.

[Kaitou Ace]

Hm, how about
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
They Might Be Giants' cover of the song is more well known then the original, and they upped the tempo and added a violin intro. To me, and I think many others, its the definitive version of the song. The original song is by The Four Lads and was first recorded in 1953.

[Phylloh]

I have a tie for favorite covers. The first one is Rufio's cover of Madonna's Just Like A Prayer. It's really really good.
The other is Sparks's the Rescue's cover of Need You Now. Need you now i honestly think sounds better than LAdy Antebellum's version of it

[oigrrrl805]

Beki Bondage from Vice Squad did a cover of Nirvana's Smell Like Teen Spirit for her solo album.


I'm probably gonna get hate for my next choice, but I also choose Miley Cyrus' cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

[Fuuj1n]

[.Sev]

Jimi Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watch Tower" has always been the best version, and I also prefer his cover of "Hey Joe".
And I wouldn't say it's better but I do like nirvana's cover of "The Man Who Sold the World".

[SakuraKiss13]

The Glee cast always slays the original songs. and definitely this one is proof:

[blueangel06661]

I feel like I'm on Ecstasy or something when I listen to this song..

Major Tom is a fictional astronaut created by David Bowie, heard in his songs "Space Oddity," "Ashes to Ashes," and "Hallo Spaceboy[citation needed]." Bowie's own interpretation of the character evolved throughout his career. 1969's "Space Oddity" depicts an astronaut who casually slips the bonds of the world to journey beyond the stars. In the 1980s song "Ashes to Ashes," Bowie reinterprets Major Tom as an oblique autobiographical symbol for himself. Major Tom is described as a "junkie, strung out in heavens high, hitting an all-time low". This lyric was interpreted as a play on the title of Bowie's 1977 album Low, which charted his withdrawal following his drug abuse in America. A short time later, there is another reversal of Major Tom's original withdrawal, turning 'outwards' or towards space.

Other major artists who have featured Bowie's character include Peter Schilling in his "Major Tom (Coming Home)" (remade by Shiny Toy Guns in 2009 and William Shatner in 2011)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Tom

The girls voice is just... GAH COULD LISTEN TO IT ALLLL DAY

[SuXrys]

Johnny Cash - Hurt

^ + 1
Seriously, that is one of the best songs that I know of.
(and then im talking about Johnny's verison... it's just so powerful!).


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How about "Ugly Kid Joe - Cats in the cradle" ?

 

Or Rufus Wainwright's version of the song "Halleluja" (You know, the 'Shrek song'). There can only be his version for me now ....