Covers that are better than the original

[Army of GOD]

Quiet Riot -Cum on Feel the Noize

And not sure if this counts as a "cover", because it's still Ozzy singing, but Randy Rhodes is just one of the greatest guitarists ever:

Paranoid

[Army of GOD]

And I ESPECIALLY don't know if this counts, but come on, it's friggin' Ice Cap Zone:

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Sonic+Ice+cap+remix/1VTD8H

[DAZMCFC]

Caught in a Trap by Fine Young Canibals.


never liked Elvis, so this was going to be better anyway.

[kevusher]

I'm going to add Placebo covering Kate Bush:

Running up that hill

Shame it gets over played on a bunch of fun b-movie trailers nowadays, Daybreakers being the big culprit here. Still, It's a good reason for pop music as a a decent genre.

That whole Covers album is worth a listen to be honest.

[jimboston]

I was going to say "Hard to Handle" by the Black Crowes... because I heard a version by the Grateful Dead and it was terrible (and I am a Dead fan).

However... I wanted to double check... and just now found out it was Otis Redding was the original artist.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://s0.i ... 3pnQlHFaaw

Sorry for the bad link... but it's pretty good. I like the Black Crowes version, but it's not drastically better.

[Symmetry]

Kind of a cover, but The Edge singing Sunday Bloody Sunday is much better than the album version with Bono:

Youtube

Still, that was actually the first version I heard, so the original is kind of a "cover" for me.

[bbqpenguin]

Creep
Radiohead<The Pretenders (yeah, I know, crazy right?)

I will survive
Gloria Gaynor<Cake (actually the only Cake song I like)

Smooth Criminal
Michael Jackson< AAF




EDIT: alas, seems like dave beat me to #2

[Juan_Bottom]

Ok a lot of this thread is just waaaay off base. I didn't know that Bon Iver was even coverable though.

But anything this girl touches turns into beautiful gold:
Amy Winehouse- You Know I'm No Good- Cover on ukulele/kazoo

There is no better Polish-American YouTube Ukelele cover artist in the world. And I mean that.
God she's awesome.