Worst/Best Cover Song?

[Jewelsy]

Let me preface this by saying I love Beth Orton, and I love Cat Stevens, but Beth's remake of "Wild World" is absolutely awful. I'm pretty sure the song was just released (by Beth) and they're overplaying it BIG TIME. I always turn the station when this song comes on.

Like Holly above me, there are numerous covers that I can't stand (and several that I like).

[MelanieLaMew]

One of the worst covers:
Justin Guarini, Unchained Melody

One of the best:
Dixie Chicks, Landslide
(not better than the version by Fleetwood Mac [Stevie Nicks wrote it] but as good, I think)

[MelanieLaMew]

Right now they're playing that new cover (by U2?) of "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You" on the radio. To quote Simon Cowell: "Horrible!"
For one thing, the group screws up one of the best lines of lyric in the song.
The actual lyrics is "Like a river flows surely to the sea,
Darling, so it goes: some things are meant to be."

They changed "surely" to "gently." Not only is that kind of silly, since rivers are hardly always "gentle" in their flow, but it destroys the simile!

Elvis's version of that song is classic, and while I'm all for alternative arrangements, and I actually like the rhythm arrangement of this version, the funky way these guys pronounce their words (sorta sounds like baby talk in places) and the sound of their voices just don't do anything for me. Yuck!

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Someone mentioned C. Crows' "Big Yellow Taxi" as a bad cover. I don't hate that one, but the original by Joni Mitchell, is at least as good and CCs' arrangement isn't that different from hers. I prefer Joni singing her own song, in fact.
The Crows also kinda messed up a part of the lyrics. As Joni sings the song, it's:
"They took all the trees, put 'em in a tree museum,
And they charged all the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em."

"See 'em," "museum." Get it?
So why do the Crows overenunciate -- "...just to see THem..." -- thus messing up that tongue-in-cheek, Ogden-Nash-ish rhyme?

[Deep Dish]

Worst: Orgy "Blue Monday" (originally by New Order)

Best: Pete Townsend "Save It For Later" (orginally by The English Beat)

[hazyshadeof]

I love the Smashing Pumpkins cover of Landslide - much better than the Dixie Chicks one, and although I'm way biased (big Pumpkins fan), I do think it's better than Miss Nicks and Fleetwood Mac's version.

[Grisabella]

Michael Bolton's cover of "When A Man Loves A Woman":
I guess it's OK, but why bother? Percy Sledge did such a wonderful job on that song, and Bolton's cover doesn't really add anything or improve it IMO.

[buttercup]

So do I. I think I even like it better than Gloria Gaynor's version. Who knew that changing one little word would make such a difference?

But then again, I have the mind of an adolescent boy.

I must concur that Cake's "I Will Survive" is the best cover song of all time. I particularly love their deadpan delivery; the apathy adds an extra touch of f*** you to an already great f*** you song.

[ixcrisxi]

I love the Smashing Pumpkins cover of Landslide - much better than the Dixie Chicks one, and although I'm way biased (big Pumpkins fan), I do think it's better than Miss Nicks and Fleetwood Mac's version.

I really like the Smashing Pumpkins version. 'Tis very good compared to Beck... *insert shudder here*

Anyway, I hate Janet Jackson's "cover" of You're So Vain by Carly Simon. It is terrible. blech...

[Mantenna]

I really like the Smashing Pumpkins version.

I love the Smashing Pumpkins version as well! Not that I'm biased or anything. Speaking of which, they also did great versions of "Never Let Me Down Again" (orig. Depeche Mode) and "Soul Power" (orig. James Brown). Great band.

Another awesome cover is A Perfect Circle's "Diary of a Madman/Lovesong" medley they often perform live. I like it better than the originals, respectively.

Crissy, that Janet Jackson remake is dismal.

[ixcrisxi]

Sorry to make you listen to that! I don't want to start reverse corruption or anything.