I swear I'll got off the jazz thing, but you've never heard more thoughtful drumming in your life. I gaurantee it. Herbie Hancock - Tell me a Bedtime Story
Operation Ivy - Boots are Made for Walking
Tell me "You Shook Me" wasn't written to be a country/bluegrass song, and I'll kick you in the nuts: Hayseed Dixie - You Shook Me
Forgot another: "Take On Me" Reel Big Fish > whatever crappy '80s band did it originally
Javelin wrote: Bad Company by 5 Finger Deathpunch > Bad Company by Bad Company Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm > Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson
Uuuuuuuggggg. Don't ever burn me a mix tape.
I think Metallica's cover of "Whisky in the Jar" is better than both the Thin Lizzy cover, and any playings of the "traditional" version I've heard.
Luke wrote: Tough call, that one. Another that always amuses me, is Ben Folds covering Dr.Dre's 'Bitches ain't sh*t'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDqtUEWJgoY&feature=fvst
Ben Folds' version is much much better than the original.
poopshovel wrote: Jawbox - "Static"
Who is the original artist on this one??? I never knew it was a cover. Haven't heard this song in AGES.
Speaking of Jawbox,
The Deftones covered "Savory"
Jawbox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFvz1JQAPgQ
Deftones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgz942_0G00
...but I'll assume you knew that. 
poopshovel wrote: Even if you hate jazz, you owe it to yourself to check out The Bad Plus. Dig the end where the key goes from minor to major. berkeleying hilarious: The Bad Plus - Iron Man
A friend of mine introduced me to their cover of "Tom Sawyer" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gGR-lbiFQk
They are indeed rad. 
I finally have one to add! "You're so Vain" by Faster Bob Costascat > Carly Simon.
Mr. Big - Mr. Big Free - Mr. Big
Could not find studio cut or Mr. Big Mr. Big.
Oh, and almost all tracks on Tesla's Real to Reel and Real to Reel 2.
In reply to Twin_Cam:
It was a band named Ah-Ha
Not to mention the cool animated pencil sketch video that went with it.
+111111 on ANY cover of Dylan being an improvment.
Puff the magic dragon- Polly Scattergood >Peter, Paul and Mary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFJrLEaPTJA
gamby wrote:poopshovel wrote: Jawbox - "Static"Who is the original artist on this one??? I never knew it was a cover. Haven't heard this song in AGES. Speaking of Jawbox, The Deftones covered "Savory" Jawbox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFvz1JQAPgQ Deftones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgz942_0G00 ...but I'll assume you knew that.
The original was by TAR. They later released a live record and jokingly said "This is a jawbox cover" before they played it. 
Deftones is one of those 'guilty pleasure' bands for me. I really really like them, and I know it's stupid, but they're one of those bands where I don't want to be associated with the people who typically like them. I know, I'm a dork.
Have you heard their cover of Drive Like Jehu's "Caress?" Definitely not better than the original IMO, but more proof that they're awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKZee5htEQ0
ClemSparks wrote: I have no idea who the "original" was done by... Muppets don't do original music, to my knowledge... But Cake did an AWESOME "Mahna Mahna." Pretty much any cover Junior Brown does is AWESOME.
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/4552
Adding still further dimension to the film's warped appeal is the soundtrack by Piero Umiliani, which mostly strikes a haunting note of romantic melancholy but also gave to the world the 1970 novelty hit 'Mah-ná Mah-ná' - the best-known mondo song since Mondo Cane's Oscar-winning 'More'. This sprightly, humorous number accompanies gratuitous footage of shy teenage girls wearing towels inside a sauna, then running outside in the snow to plunge themselves into icy waters. (You can almost hear Scattini offering a bonus to anyone who drops their towel along the way, as only one or two do.)
Junior Brown did a great Surf Montage with "Pipeline", "Run Don't Walk" and "Secret Agent Man"...
Not sure if this one was posted yet.
Social Distortion "Ring of Fire" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96x_FiQIB6E
Not necessarily better than Cash but not any worse and definitely awesome.
Frankenstein. Overkill > Edgar Winter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CTDLq39eK8
The rest of it? You people are weird!
AngryCorvair wrote: my wife says Sexual Healing: Soul Asylum > Marvin Gaye but I disagree
Maybe it does something special for her, but I do not agree either.
"I Will Always Love You" - Dolly Parton > Whitney Houston > Dolly Parton.
crack is whack, crack is cheap, crack took Whitney's voice.
spitfirebill wrote:AngryCorvair wrote: my wife says Sexual Healing: Soul Asylum > Marvin Gaye but I disagreeMaybe it does something special for her, but I do not agree either.
Also in disagreement, though pre-"runaway train" Soul Asylum is good stuff. This is on my top 5 of meat & potatoes rock records:
pr00f:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCcAf78LoX4
This thread brings to mind a great T-Shirt that Gabe (former GRM staffer) used to wear:
" Your Favorite Band Sucks "
Who the berkeley is Gabe?
Edit: Oh, you mean Noelle's wife?
Twin_Cam wrote: Glad someone got the one that first popped into my head, Killswitch Engage's "Holy Diver" over Dio's, To hear KSE play that live is freaking mind-blowing.
BLASPHEMY!!!! They butchered the solo section, and it's unforgivable in my book. The video is pretty funny, but that's about it. I've seen them do it live too, but it still doesn't hold a broadsword to the original. Dio rules!!!
And I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but that stupid talentless butt rock band Shinedown can go take their tour bus off of the top of the Grand Canyon for their butchering of the Skynyrd classic (and one of my favorite songs) Simple Man. With them, I hope they have all those other butt rock bands like Nippleback, Puddle of Mudd, etc. with them. Should be easy, because I'm pretty sure they are all in one giant band. They all sound EXACTLY the same.
Some of my faves: -Burn in Hell: Dimmu Borgir > Twisted Sister (probably the most appropriate and well done cover in the history of cover songs)
-Would?: Opeth > Alice in Chains (you guys really need to hear this if you like AiC, they nail it)
-Easy: Faith No More > The Commodores (eerily and hilariously perfect)
Into the Pit: The Absence > Testament (I think one of Testament's guitar players guests in on that one though)
Lord of this World: Corrosion of Conformity > Black Sabbath (They even get the vintage sound going and slow it down a little for some extra goodness)
Arcarsenal: The Empire Shall Fall > At The Drive In (this band is fronted by Killswitch Engage's old singer Jesse Leach, and dare I say that they are better. They totally nail this song and add their own unique style to it.)
Baker Street: The Foo Fighters > the dude from the 70's singer/songwriter era that originally did it (obscure and good cover)
I'll have to think of some more. I have lots of these on the Ipod.
In reply to SilverFleet:
Gotta give some love to Dee and the boys for the original Burn In Hell!
and the Baker Street guy is Jerry Rafferty, also of Stealer's Wheel (clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you!)
Oh, and poopie, i'm gonna kick you in the nuts for that Cardigans E36 M3 you pulled back there. berkeley you!
Junior Brown covers Red Simpson's "Highway Patrol"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_wLVCLPx0M
and pretty much any song that Gary Hoey does is a cover. no lyrics, but a decent guitar riff or two.
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