Hendrix - All along the watchtower

Sandy Denny’s version of Richard Farina’s “Quiet Joys of Brotherhood”.

Just about anything that Eva Cassidy did.
Here is one.
 

@painter24

The Airplane version of Wooden Ships was released 6 months after the CSN version, but they were both recorded in March of 1969.

Furthermore, Paul Kantner co-wrote the song with Crosby and Stills, and the narrative concept is really Paul’s. Lyrically, it has a politically edgy tone to it that CSN lacked until Young joined the trio. The “wooden ship” that the three were sailing on off the coast of Florida - when and where the song was written - belonged to Crosby.

Therefore the Airplane version is not a cover. It’s an original, and arguably THE original. The fact that it is in so many ways a Kantner song may go to why - at least imho - it is the decidedly superior version.

Kantner did not get authorship credit on the CSN version because of some record label or contract thing.

"I Will Survive" Cake

Ring of fire: Social Distortion.

 The Clash - I Fought the Law.

The Clash: Pressure Drop.

 Toots & the Maytals - Country Road

Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music : Jealous Guy.

Well.... you might have to listen to this to hear what I mean.  There's a gorgeous transsexual singer/composer called Sopor Aeternus. Every so often, she does a cover version - and makes it utterly her own! This is her doing 'Holding Out for a Hero', originally by Bonnie Tyler.  Think of the camp disco track, then listen to this....

 

I think Sopor's a hugely undervalued artist - hopefully after listening to this, you'll agree with me.

She's also got a wonderful, totally deadpan sense of humor going through everything she does!  I've met her a few times, guess I'm biased. Love to know what you think.

Yours respectfully

Chris.

Good one @normb .

Molly Hatchet’s “Dreams I’ll Never See” over The Allman Brothers Band’s “Dreams.”

only because I’m about 5 years too young to have fully appreciated the Allman Brothers for  another decade of so.

I haven't gone through all the responses in this string but....

Elton John: Lucy In The Sky
Sinead O'Connor: Nothing Compares to U
Tom Jones/Art of Noise: Kiss
Eva Cassidy: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Joe Cocker: With a Little Help from My Friends
Jimi Hendrix: All Along the Watchtower
Aretha: Respect
Patti Davis: Because The Night

Of course tons more, but I'd have been remiss if I didn't stick my two cents into this thread!   -Wayne
 

Johannes Brahms' Variations on a theme by Haydn.

Sergei Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini.

The cover including great guitar solo.

The original with the originator and the cover artist.

Cover of a cover.

The cover.

The original. 

Cover of a cover.

@nickofwimbledon - indeed, Johnny Cash has done a number of great covers. 'Personal Jesus' is excellent, but my favourite is his version of Nick Cave's great 'The Mercy Seat'. Really like 'Rusty Cage', too.... 

Wichita Lineman by The Meters is very good.

There are lots of great covers here and I’ll try organon a proper answer later.

For now, and given the songs already mentioned, I am surprised not to see lots of support for Mr. Cash singing Personal Jesus. 
 

Mind you, as soon as I typed that, I realised that I need to mention:-

Bert Jansch’s cover of Davey Graham’s Angie (no, not the Rolling Stones song) and the Stones’ cover or Robert Johnson’s Love In Vain.

Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

vanilla fudge keep me hangin on

@sokogear Guess you missed my earlier posts.  I was going to get after her Buddy Holly stuff, but I just can't say anything against any Buddy song.  To me, as a person who was coming up at the time, Buddy and Elvis and Jerry Lee and Chuck are the masters, period.  You can redo their stuff, but it will never be like it was originally.  It was hard enough for me to pick Linda's version of a Smokey song.  As I posted, it is kind of heretical to one of the all time greats...

@julie_priest I just listened to it and to me, it sounds like the Ronstadt ARRANGEMENT, which is clearly different from Smokey's, and it is good, no doubt.  I guess if you prefer a male version, that would be the one to go to.

Cheers!

@richopp 
"This is TOTAL HERESY, and I apologize to one of my favorite vocalists, but Linda Ronstadt's ARRANGEMENT of Smokey Robinson's "Ooo, Baby, Baby" is really good."


Have you heard Seal's version from the Soul 2 album? 

Ima say Aerosmith “Come Together”

Ray Charles doing "Eleanor Rigby".

Yes to Jimi’s "All Along the Watchtower." Two of my favorite covers are below.

"A House Is Not a Home" -- this Bacharach/David tune was debuted by Dionne Warwick, and maybe the most popular cover was by Luther Vandross. Dusty Springfield never recorded it, which is mystifying when you hear her live version w/the composer on the piano and singing the 1st run-through:

"Walk This Way" -- This Scary Pockets/Judith Hill cover pushes all the buttons, especially the super-slow meter (risky but so effective for a slow build) & Judith’s astounding voice lighting up the tune.

Townes Van Zandt's cover of the Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers"

Yes - Paul Simon’s America. 

How bout Ryan Adams covering Taylor Swift's, "1989" albumin its entirety - guilty pleasure that TS (I mean talent is talent). He does a great job with that LP front to back; it's pretty fun!

What a great thread.... 

I'll add some obscure alternative ones...

Bizarre Love Triangle - Frente (New Order)
Pure Imagination - Smoking Popes (Willy Wonka)
Toxic - Local H (Brittany Spears)
True - Duvall (Spandau Ballet)

The Cure doing Purple Haze on the tribute Lp Stone Free. 

@rrm 

Gordon Lightfoot: Me and Bobby McGee. So much better than Janis Joplin

Actually the song, written by Kris Kristophersen, was first recorded by Roger “King of the Road” Miller. Then by Kenny Rogers and THEN by Gordon Lightfoot…Joplin recorded it in 1970 IIRC and yes, almost any version is better than hers unless you are a diehard Joplin fan. I’m not.

Lyle Lovet's version of Friend of the Devil

Hard for me to admit, but it is better. 

@rrm - how is it compared to Kris Kristofferson's original? 

@inscrutable, thanks for the rec! I hadn’t heard their version before. You’re correct that it’s a unique approach to the song, and a really good one. Beautiful harmonies and strong individual singing. 

Feeling Alright - Joe Cocker

All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

@jimcrane since you mentioned it, if you’ve not heard, check out the Canadian Tenors version … very different treatment from most and probably my favorite.

And can’t wait for the new doc to be more widely available.

K.D. Lang’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is superior to Cohen’s original and to all the other covers I’ve heard (and there are a lot of them). Her cover is on “Hymns of the 49th Parallel,” a terrific disc of her covers of other songs written by Canadians.

Gordon Lightfoot: Me and Bobby McGee. So much better than Janis Joplin

Listen to any Linda Ronstadt album and you'll hear several.

@inscrutable , I especially like Bonnie's cover of McCuller & Lasly"s I Can't Make You Love Me.

Okay, Manfred Mann’s version of Blinded by the Light is not on my top 10 (or, even top 1000) list of favorite songs, but consistant with the OPs intent, it is infinitely better than Bruce Springstien’s original.

The Chantel’s version of the Ventures Pipeline

Joan Jett’s version of I Love Rock and Roll. Joan took the Arrow’s version and created a rock and roll classic.

The Blue Man Group’s version of the Who’s Baba O’Riley is really kick ass. And, yes, it helps to have a visual. Their version of I Feel Love is time well spent as well.

If you haven’t experienced Quicksilver Messenger Service’s version of Roy Rogers and Dale Evan’s version of Happy Trails, consider yourself fortunate.

Does Tomita’s version of Pictures at an Exhibition count?

Chantal Chamberland's version of U2's Miss Sarajevo

Inger Marie Gundersen's version of (Sittin' on) The dock of the bay

"Better" is probably the wrong term in the above cases, but they are both very different but valid arrangements of the originals.

oooh...this is heresy...cowboy junkies sweet jane

Feat's "Lonesome Whistle" kills me, as does pretty much any Lowell George vocal.

"Spanish Moon" (Little Feat) by Gov't Mule...Warren Haynes puts some ass into this classic song meant to be driven hard live....and the Mule delivers. And yes, this is a very bold statement considering the world knows the song from the epic live double-album "Waiting for Columbus", one of the best live albums ever released.