Best Covers

Leonard Cohen covers have been mentioned throughout.

Great CD of covers: I'm Your Fan

The songs of Leonard Cohen by:

R.E.M., Ian McCulloch, Pixies, and many others

Hauser And Girlfriend Benedetta Caretta Perform Awesome Cover Songs - The Music Man

In addition, for those who like the Disturbed cover of Sounds of Silence, they did it live on Conan and a Google search will find it. Even better than the official version posted above. 

Also, for the wildest covers out there, anything by 2cellos. Lots of stuff to find on the net.

Cheers,         Crazy Bill

I nominate J. Cash's cover of "The Mercy Seat" a cover of Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds from the 1988 release Tender Prey. On the lighter side, Any cover that I've heard by Big Head Todd And The Monsters, or Lake Street Dive has been excellent (both BHTATM, and Lake Street Dive get mucho play at my house, most of the catalog is on CD)...

my little garage punk band did Leonard Cohen's "Teachers" my favorite, since I got to croak it.

"A Case of You", Diane Krall on Live from Paris album.

-"Fellin Alright" Joe Cocker

-"Reelin in the Years" Brooklyn Charmers (on YouTube studio version)

-"Not Dark Yet" Lucinda Williams (on You Tube" )

Years ago a friend gave me a CD with 14 different versions of Sympathy for the Devil and now of them was the Rolling Stone’s cover.  The one by Jonathon Round was particularly disturbing.  I just did a search and there’s thirty plus versions.

Jerry Garcia, Whiskey in the jar.

An excellent cover.

Phil Manzanera Live - Tomorrow Never Knows

2x Zevon covering “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”, since he had cancer and was.

Shane Ericks “Superstar”; if you didn’t know it wasn’t Karen Carpenter…

Johnny Cash covered “Hurt” by nine inch nails.

Jennifer Warnes “Famous Blue Raincoat” (whole cd of Leonard Cohen’s music)

CSN’s Woodstock which I thought they wrote forever (Joni Mitchell did).

“All Along The Watchtower” had a chilling version (if you like the TV show) in Battlestar Galactica.

Sinead O'Connor;

'Nothing Compares 2 U'

Simply ethereal.

Dave Mason "All Along The Watchtower"

Rolling Stones "That's How Strong My Love Is"

Riding with the King -  BB King and Eric Clapton

Thing Called Love - Bonnie Raitt

Covers of tunes by the incredible John Hiatt

Exhorder's cover of Black Sabbath's Into The Void. They gave this song the maximum heaviness it always deserved.

The picks that stand out to me above are Disturbed's Sound Of Silence and Hendrick's All Along The Watchtower.

Some great cover bands....

Gov't Mule , Cowboy Junkies, Cat Power...

Only three come to mind. The Rockets cover of "Oh Well", David Gilmour's "There's No Way Out Of Here" " and Juice Newton's "Angel Of The Morning".

Rob Dickinson - "Wish You Were Here"

Whiskey in the Jar - Metallica  "Garage Inc." album. In fact the whole album is covers

I always think of these guys on the greatest cover threads

Dwight Yokum kickin’ big Country ass . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sma7807ndP4

Imagine him doing an entire record of Dead covers!

Emmylou’s done a bunch, including this, one of my favorites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1k53OZZiSY

Taj supercharging Diving Duck Blues:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EYNNEvKe30&list=OLAK5uy_kua_bplHWDjg5KVL29G3JWfyCqNJBptDc&index=8

Ry Cooder's made a career of covers ... here's just one: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Mx9npkNlI

So many, but #1 for me is from back in the day;

Tom Rush's cover of Joni's "Urge for Going"

tony1954:

Don't know if Joe saw this (think it came out maybe a year before his death), but he did enjoy Belushi's impression.

DeKay

Purple Rain - Inter Arma

Easy - Faith No More

Take On Me - Reel Big Fish

Holy Diver - Killswitch Engage

Africa - Weezer

Shawn Colvin "This must be the place (naive song)". Her album "Cover Girl" is all covers and has some real gems.

In the "hilarious" category:

"Jump" - Aztec Camera

"I Will Survive" - Cake

"Pump It Up" - Prozak For Lovers

In the "Wow, that took courage and talent to tackle that one:"

"Walk On the Wild Side" - Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

"River" - Rosanne Cash (Joni Mitchell)

"Just a Little Lovin" - Shelby Lynne [an entire album of songs done by Dusty Springfield] 

@garebear +1 on Gregg Allman's version of "These Days," although I've always liked the original version by Jackson Browne just as much. However, I think the ultimate version is when Gregg and Jackson perform it together live at the "All My Friends" tribute concert for Gregg. 

I heard that the only performers at that show who knew that Gregg was terminally ill were Jackson Browne and Don Was; thus, making that performance even more poignant.

@dekay 

Joe's performance at Woodstock was epic.

I honestly expected his vocal chords to snap and his head to explode at some point during the song.

I'm not a big covers fan. I usually prefer the original. But, this cover of a Percy Sledge song is absolutely my favorite.

Here's another one (not quite as good as the previous, but still with that same thing).

I keep forgetting to look her and this guy up further (seems like he has a lot of videos).

DeKay

Here's one I posted last year.  Something about the way she sings (she sings "outside" the songs) that I really enjoy.

DeKay

Our local NPR station has both a news and a music station.  The Colorado Sound at 105.5 has a DJ that does a Boil and Cover segment and comes up with the best and most interesting covers and plays them both.

Dar Williams 'comfortably numb'

 DAR WILLIAMS - COMFORTABLY NUMB (youtube.com)

and +1 on Johnny Cash's 'Hurt'

I Am the Walrus - Boingo

Wild Horses - The Sundays

Dance Me Til the End of Love - Madeline Peyroux

Miss Otis Regrets/Just One of Those Things - The Pogues with Kristy MacColl

It's Alright with Me - Tom Waits

So In Love - k.d. Lang

My Way - The Sex Pistols

Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Warren Zevon

After the Gold Rush - k d lang

Hurt - Cash

Mark Kozelek's album of Bon Scott-era, AC/DC covers, "What's Next To The Moon".

https://open.qobuz.com/track/7166385

I vote for Joe Cocker,I’m an old farte.

Quicksliver Messenger Service -- Happy Trails

So many great songs! Bonnie Raitt’s  cover of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” is also very good.

Pink Floyd's The Nile Song from the More film soundtrack performed by Voivod on Angel Rat.

Gregg Allman’s cover of Jackson Browne’’s ; “‘ These Day’s “”. Gregg Allman owned that song which JB wrote that when he was only 16 years old. It first appeared on Gregg’s  first solo album ; “ Laid Back “ and played it throughout his career. 

Linda Ronstadt covered Jackson Browne’s songs magnificently. “Rock Me On The Water” early in her career, “For A Dancer” with Emmylou Harris later.  Her cover of Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou” was an encore every time I heard her.  Rod Stewart covered Elton John’s “Country Comforts” and Dylan’s “Only A Hobo” beautifully.  Ry Cooder did a great version of Ben E. King’s “Gypsy Woman” and many others, like his version of “Everything Will Work Out Fine” with David Lindley.  I love Diana Krall’s “California Dreaming”, Talking Heads’ “Take Me To The River”, many Stones R&B covers, like “I’m A King Bee”, “Oh Carol” and “Cry To Me”.  The Dead, “Me & My Uncle” and “Mamma Tried”.

The Allman Brothers - Statesboro Blues

For my money, the king of covers will always be Joe Cocker!

I fought the Law - The Clash

I want Candy - Bow Wow Wow

Lay Down Sally Jerry Garcia Band

"Under the Boardwalk" Tom Tom Club