Greatest Covers Songs of all time

The Top Cover Songs by Famous Bands/Singers

The Joe Cocker All-Stars: Cover songs that are either vastly superior to the original or just completely original musical arrangements 

Joe Cocker "Get by with a little help from my friends”, “You are so beautiful”, “The Letter” and “Feelin’ Alright” 

He’s the king of the “Cover where the band makes it there own”. 

UB40 is a great example of this with “Red Red Wine” - which is a PERFECT COVER in my opinion

Rod Stewart was really good at this as well. 

Boyz in the Hood By Dynamite Hack - another great example

Take on Me - Reel Big Fish - another great example

In Bloom - Sturgill Simpson  

Ryan Adams “Wonderwall” and like 10 other songs by him 

Johnny Cash "Rusty Cage” 

I will Survive by “Cake” 

Gin and Juice - The Gourds

You Really Got me - Van Halen (honorable mention to Diamond David Lee Roth for “Just a Gigolo” 

Faith - Limp Bizkit (hate it, but gotta give ‘em credit) 

Straight Away Covers

Ring of Fire by Social Distortion

You might Think by Weezer

Hurt by Johnny Cash

Voodoo Child - Stevie Ray Vaughn 

Here’s a straight ahead cover the STINKS — Phil Collins - Can’t Hurry Love — THAT’S how you make a great song WORSE! KARAOKE Style 

Carless Whisper by Seether - that’s exotic dancing music right there 

Smoking in the Boys Room - Motley Crue 

Land of Confusion - Disturbed 

Covers in which you thought they were the Original

Whitney Houston “I will always love you” All-Stars  — This song isn’t even great — SHE IS JUST SO TRANSCENDENT and her voice is impossible to explain with words

Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin Cover by Kris Kristofferson 

Urge Overkill “Girl you’ll be a woman soon” 

Nirvana "Lake of Fire”  

Gary Jules and Michael Andrews "Mad World” 

Take me to the river - Talking Heads — THAT WAS AN AL GREEN JAM???? 

Tainted Love - Soft Cell — i just thought the “where did our love go part” was a cover  during the outro

"It’s my Life" No Doubt

My top 5

Signs by Tesla 

Scarlet Begonias by Sublime (Honorable Mention)

Gypsy Kings - Hotel California - in Spanish and from an iconic scene for the Big Lebowski (honorable mention) 

All Along the Watch Tower - Jimi Hendrix 

Knocking on Heaven’s door - GNR

Sweet Dreams are made of This - Marilyn Manson (honorable mention) 

Blue Monday by Orgy 

Mony Mony - Billy Idol (this is my #6) 

It’s My Life - No Doubt 

Nothing Compares 2 U - Prince cover a song he wrote and gave to somebody else to make famous - In addition it’s been covered by Chris Cornell, The Dixie Chicks, Capital Cities, Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies and More 

No Woman, No Cry - The Fugees 

Red Red Wine - UB40

Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann (stole it from Bruce Springsteen and made it a bigger hit) that one’s for your Rosco. In addition - Manfred Mann took Bob Dylan’s Mighty Quinn to Number 1 in the 1960’s

Fun Fact: Bob Dylan covers being better performed by somebody else are plentiful - Guns N’ Roses, Manfred Mann, Jimi Hendrix,  the Byrds with Mr. Tamborine Man  

Leonard Cohen’s Alleluja has been remade a ton but it took like 4 iterations until Jeff Buckley NAILED IT - covered by Malcolm Gladwell