[Closed] Covers that are more well known than the original

A modern-ish one...Valerie - Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse - originally by The Zutons

Three is the magic number - De La Soul

[url=

track[/url]

Green Manalishi done by Judas Priest.
Just listened to the original by Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green on Youtube, it's good also, a bit wierd.

[url=

in the cradle, by Ugly Kid Joe. [/url]
Originally by Harry Chapin.

Red Red Wine by UB40

a Neil Diamond song.

I fought the law by the clash (originally by the bobby fuller four).

Blinded by the Light and Mighty Quinn, both by Manfred Mann.

Arguably, the Black Crowes version of Hard to Handle is the more well known. As may be the case with the Clapton version of I Shot the Sheriff.

As may be the case with the Clapton version of I Shot the Sheriff.

debatable.. verging on don't be silly

[url=

- the knife[/url]

better known as [url=

one off the sony advert - jose gonzales[/url]

As may be the case with the Clapton version of I Shot the Sheriff.

And the Clapton version of 'Cocaine'

'step on' by Happy Mondays (1990) originally by John Kongos (1971)

[i]Whisky in the Jar[/i] played by [url=

([url=

Thin Lizzy's[/url] song)

An obvious one is Johnny Cash and Hurt. I'm pretty sure most people know it's a cover, but his version's still more famous (and better) than the NIN original.

Whisky in the Jar played by Metallica (a Thin Lizzy's song)

You are kidding, right?

CaptainFlashheart - Member

Cat's in the cradle, by Ugly Kid Joe.
Originally by Harry Chapin.

although you get people who are convinced those versions are by guns n roses and cat stevens, respectively.

johnny cash's version's my fav. 🙂

Whisky in the jar is a trad folk song is it not?

"Hurt" Johnny cash - More well known than nine inch nails. Fantastically powerful as well.

Mandy by Barry Manilow .Does he ever credit Scott English from 1970 and the fact that is was originally called BRANDY ?

All Saints version of Under the Bridge, probably better known than the Red Hot Chili Peppers original.

link to Scott English original .Horse records subsidary of Trojan .

nickc - Member

All Saints version of Under the Bridge, probably better known than the Red Hot Chili Peppers original.

come off it, there's just no way.

Horse records subsidary of Trojan .

there's a few pop' songs that can have their origins traced back to the Trojan back catalogue..

Always a nice treat when you find one..

I can't think of any off hand except perhaps Mungo Jerrys 'in the summertime' which although credited to one of the mungos has roots in a much earlier Jamaican Ska tune.. can anyone name it for me?

just thought of another reggae cover .red red wine by UB40 .Originally done by Tony Tribe on album of same name with a foxy oriental girl on the cover on Downtown records !
Neil Diamonds Holy Holy i prefer the reggae version by the Melodians on Club Reggae vol 2 .
Got me started now I Think We're Alone Now by the mall rat Tiffany .Previously done by Tommy James and The Shondelles who did Mony Mony !

'All along the watchtower' by Bob Dylan , obviously Jimi's version is more well known.

Tainted Love.. Originally a northern soul number

All this depends on how old you are surely?

how about blondie's the tide is high, originally by the paragons, lead singer john holt (100 volts of holt).

All this depends on how old you are surely?

To a certain degree, but there are plenty of tunes where the original gets no attention, then someone covers it & it slips into the public consciousness more so than the original.

For instance... Alexandra Burke & hallelujah....;-)

Green Manalishi done by Judas Priest.
Just listened to the original by Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green on Youtube, it's good also, a bit wierd.

Ya think, theflatboy?

The All saints Vid is still played on music TV now. Have you heard the RHCP original recently played anywhere?

Everybody's Talkin' - covers by The Beautiful South recently, and most famously Harry Nilsson.

Written (and the best version) by Fred Neil.

'Light my Fire' by Will young, what a musical masterpiece. Straight from the cum stained lips of the rebel himself.

Someone should have been shot for that one. I know state sponsered murder might seem a little harsh for a bad song but really, have you heard it?

surely the fact that you are even aware that will young released a version says more about you than it does about will.. his managers or jim morrisson himself?

The Doors - Just a Band.

To paraphrase scroobius pip

That I have the radio on in the car?

[i]'Light my Fire' by Will young, what a musical masterpiece. Straight from the cum stained lips of the rebel himself.

Someone should have been shot for that one. I know state sponsered murder might seem a little harsh for a bad song but really, have you heard it?[/i]

actually, WY's version is a pretty faithful reproduction of Jose Feliciano's murdering of said song. So perhaps we should string up JF & not WY instead

and there's more:

Nothing Compares To You - Sinead O'Connor, written by Prince. Actually, an improvement on the original, IMO
I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston, written by Dolly Parton. Not an improvement

"Got My Mind Set on You" -cover version released by George Harrison in 1987.

...written by Rudy Clark and originally recorded by James Ray in 1962.

Lady In Red, murdered by Crispy Burger, originally by Bob Marley...brilliant reggae tune back in the day.

That I have the radio on in the car?

yeah yeah.. will young fanboy

Mr Tambourine man- beautifully arranged by the Byrds, awful originally by Dylan. likewise All I really wanna do (is baby be friends with you).

Dear Prudence - Siouxsie and the Banshees was originally a Beatles song I think?

Byrds Tambourine Man is the perfect pop single - what more could you want in a radio song?
How about This Mortal Coil's cover of Song to the Siren? Probably more known than the original fantastic Tim Buckley version. They're both brilliant though.

House of the rising sun, by the animals.....Original dates back to the twenties or so and (I think)Woody Guthrie

Cover, or sampled - I'm still not entirely sure!

8)

Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley

Originally by Leonard Cohen who I beleive he himself admits Buckleys cover is better.

Bringing this back to slightly more of the modern era,

No Doubs version of it's my life, originally a Talk Talk song

Red hot chilli peppers, higher ground originally by stevie wonder

Red hot chilli peppers, higher ground originally by stevie wonder

See, this is where we start to fall down - I don't think I've ever heard the Chillis version, but I know Wonder's original well.

can i still pleed youthfull ignorance at 27?

claptons insipid cover of " cocaine " might have given jj cale a leg up carreer- wise but is nowehere near as good as the origonal despite frantic guitar noodling

mrBenn... as I read the title of this thread the first thought was Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah

another one..

Natalie Imruglia's Torn (Considered the original) was originally recorded by some Norweigian bird...

however - I will let Natalie off cos she is better looking and sings better than said Norweigian bird..

claptons insipid cover of " cocaine "

Clapton insipid ? 🙄 No disrespect to JJ Cale but Claptons 'noodling' made a classic of a merely ordinary arrangement by Cale. IMHO of course.

Hidden track on Amy Macdonalds new album "Dancing in the Dark" originally by Springsteen. Great, but I wouldnt expect anything else of her.

Any Dylan song you can think of is done better by someone else. Fact

Moneys too tight to mention - Simply Red, originally done by the Valentine Brothers

Rolling stones - Love in Vain. originally done by Robert Johnson.

Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix, no one really knows who was the actual writer of this, but quite a few bands had done it before him

Rhinestone Cowboy done by Glen Campbell, oringal done by Larry Weiss

Red hot chilli peppers, higher ground originally by stevie wonder

See, this is where we start to fall down - I don't think I've ever heard the Chillis version, but I know Wonder's original well.

What an empty void your life must be.Both are great songs imo.....

Seriously?

Weak of cover of the weakest track on Innervisions AFAIAC

Remember when I first heard "Eve Of Destruction" by Barry McGuire in the late 70's.I thought **** me someone has murdered this classic Dickies song,LOL 😉

Seriously?

Weak of cover of the weakest track on Innervisions AFAIAC

Yes mate,but then if we all liked the same stuff what a boring place the world would be to live in.....

Father & Son..... murdered by Boyzone, masterpiece by Cat Stevens.

Bringing this back to slightly more of the modern era,

No Doubs version of it's my life, originally a Talk Talk song

Kidding, right? No way is the useless No Doubt version better known than the excellent original.

stilltortoise - Member

Any Dylan song you can think of is done better by someone else. Fact

Umm you are being a little loose there, its more than fact, its scientifically proven, by extensive research, funded by unbiased high court judges, with transparent bank accounts.

DrJ - Member

Bringing this back to slightly more of the modern era,

No Doubs version of it's my life, originally a Talk Talk song

Kidding, right? No way is the useless No Doubt version better known than the excellent original.

As a Talk Talk devotee, I love the No Doubt version, they both have merit..

"without you" - versions by Neilson and Mariah Carey are both more well known than the original by UK band Badfinger - both of the writers killed themselves, partly down to issues over money from that song

Marvi Gaye's "Heard it Through the Grapevine" was sung first by Gladys Knight and the Pips

"I Wanna Be you Man" by the Stones was written by Lennon and Mccartney, and sung by Ringo on the first Beatles album

Think more people might know St Ettienne's "only love can break your heart" than Neil Young's original (debateable that one)

Agree it's partly a generation thing.

My daughter was playing 'Just Can't Get Enough' by The Saturdays in the school band the other day... most of her friends oblivious to the fact it is of course an (inferior ;-)) cover of the early (Vince Clarke penned) Depeche Mode original.

Vince has done well from his songs being covered,

Not sure it falls into the same category but Alison Moyet was well p!ssed when the Flying Pickets 'Only You' went to number one (Yazoo got it to number 2).

'Dollar' also got an Erasure song 'Oh L'Amour' much higher in the charts than Erasure did.

Strangely enough Erasure had chart success of course with their 'Abba' covers EP.

The tide is high - originally late 60s by the paragons - original rocksteady. Covered by blondie and atomic kitten amongst others

kula shaker - hush - deep purple
vic reeves - dizzy -
manics - theme from Mash -

Fuel My Fire - The Prodigy, original by L7
Little Red Rooster - The Rolling Stones, original by Howling Wolf

Because the Night by Patti Smith, originally by Bruce Springstein or how ever you spell it.

Also Handbags and Gladrags by Rod Stewart and Sterophonics was originally by Chris Farlowe.

not much to do with the thread as such but can anyone forget the murdering of Ever fallin in love?(with someone you shouldn't have) by Fine Young Cannibals. Jeezus what a festering pile that effort was.

I can't think of any off hand except perhaps Mungo Jerrys 'in the summertime' which although credited to one of the mungos has roots in a much earlier Jamaican Ska tune.. can anyone name it for me?

I know it...it went like this:

[i][b]"Grab an Outspan, small ones are more juicy naturally"[/b][/i]

Back to the question, are Dr & the medics remembered for Spirit in the Sky ahead of Norman Greenbaum? UB40 associated with Red Red Wine more than Neil Diamond? Hey Joe...you think of Hendrix rather than whoever did it first (I can't even remember)

Best cover version though, Red Sky Coven -> Wonderful World 8)

Anything Elvis did was a cover, and pretty well known.

The saints are coming - greenday/u2. Originally by the Skids!
How many people have covered Unchained Melody!?
Kingston Town UB40...
Rolf Harris - Stairway to Heaven 😆

Nightclubbing by Grace Jones. Totally different and so much better than Iggy Pop's original

[url=

Outta Compton -Nina Gordon[/url] 🙂

Another Judas Priest cover, Diamonds and Rust written by Joan Baez
or
Only Women Bleed written by Alice Cooper and sung by Julie Covington

the Deep Purple version of Hush is also a cover, originally written in 67 by Joe South for Billy Joe Royal
but i'll agree with a few others here and say it's age based whether something appears more popular or not