Is this...
1) a list of cover songs,
2) a list of great songs that happened to be covered, or
3) a list of songs that were recorded by someone other than the original artist *and* the cover of the song is better than the original artists performance / interpretation?
Just because a song is competently covered, doesn't make that cover great. A great cover makes the song better.
For example...
The Bauhaus cover of "Ziggy Stardust". Bauhaus gives this song the big production, glam-rock performance it deserves. It's still a Bowie song, but Bauhaus makes it their own with this performance, and IMHO far better than the original.
The Sisters of Mercy cover of "Gimme Shelter". Slow. Brooding. Minimal. Powerful. Excellent.
The Foo Fighter's cover of "Baker Street" is right at the threshold of that criteria. It's a very, very competent cover, and I prefer it to the original, but it doesn't elevate the song to the next level. It pains me to say that, but it is what it is.
1) a list of cover songs,
2) a list of great songs that happened to be covered, or
3) a list of songs that were recorded by someone other than the original artist *and* the cover of the song is better than the original artists performance / interpretation?
Just because a song is competently covered, doesn't make that cover great. A great cover makes the song better.
For example...
The Bauhaus cover of "Ziggy Stardust". Bauhaus gives this song the big production, glam-rock performance it deserves. It's still a Bowie song, but Bauhaus makes it their own with this performance, and IMHO far better than the original.
The Sisters of Mercy cover of "Gimme Shelter". Slow. Brooding. Minimal. Powerful. Excellent.
The Foo Fighter's cover of "Baker Street" is right at the threshold of that criteria. It's a very, very competent cover, and I prefer it to the original, but it doesn't elevate the song to the next level. It pains me to say that, but it is what it is.