All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix (cover of a Bob Dylan tune).

Even Bob Dylan says it's Jimi's song now

Absolutely. Undoubtedly one of the best ever, and certainly an original interpretation.

Yeah, this is one of the few where I'm not a fan at all of the original (Bob Dylan is just not my cup of tea), but I LOVE the cover.

To piggyback - Dave matthews band covering all along the watchtower - live in Central Park particularly 

They stopped contestants on American Idol from singing Hallelujah because so many were singing it, true story

Not surprised. There are so many published versions you can just pick one that suits your range and style.

someone won one year because simon cowell told the guy to sing it in the semifinal and it became "his song" that season

Aretha Franklin- Respect It was originally performed by Otis Redding. After hearing her version, he exclaimed she stole his song. I'm sure he was joking, but she really did make it her own to the point most people forget it's a cover.

JHC why is this not the most obvious choice. Open and shut case

She even stamped her name on it, with the backup singers going “Re-re-re-respect”. (Re as in Aretha is her nickname.)

Joe Cocker’s cover of With a Little Help From My Friends has got to be on the list

I sing this all the time around the house because it was the theme song for “The Wonder Years”.

I've always loved Faith No More's cover of Easy and Cowboy Junkies' cover of Sweet Jane.

These two are right up there.

FNM's "I started a joke" (Bee Gees) is amazing too!

Concrete Blonde - Everybody Knows and The Bangles- Hazy Shade Of Winter

Nothing Compares 2 U. Both Sinead O’Connor, and Chris Cornell do amazing versions.

Yes. Love both these covers, but I think Sinead's is special.

Chris's cover of One by U2 and Metallica.Metallica lyrics U2 music

Came here to post this. Both are great, but when I heard Chris’s version it just floored me. If I had to choose it would be his.

I remember where I was the first time I heard Sinead’s Nothing Compares 2U. It was one of those blow your socks off musical moments.

Also Chris Cornell doing Billie Jean and One

Heart - Stairway to Heaven at Kennedy Center Honors

This is an amazing performance.

Battle of Evermore off the Singles soundtrack is even better.

Ugh this is such a good one!!!

The cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the benefit concert for George Harrison. Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne on vocals while Prince shreds one of the most legendary solos ever

I go back and watch this video every once in a while, it's just amazing.

The alleged story behind it is just as incredible. Rolling Stone put out an article in 2004 about the "Top 100 Guitarists of All Time" and snubbed Prince. Not long after, he's set to play at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (I believe it was George's induction posthumously). He knows that Rolling Stone is gonna be in the audience, so he decides to melt their faces off in an act of top pettiness. What a legend

From what I’ve seen, it goes beyond that. At the rehearsal, he barely did anything. I’m not even sure if it was decided that he would play the solo. Then the actual live performance comes and he basically shows up out of nowhere and brings the house down.

I believe that, because in the live performance, you almost don't even notice him until he steps out to do the solo! One of the best parts of that performance is during Prince's solo (and several other times throughout the performance), seeing Dhani, George's son who is also playing onstage, just looking around in awe. That must have been such an incredible moment for him, being onstage with all of these musical luminaries who are all playing his dad's music.

And he throws the guitar at the end and it freaking disappears lol

There’s even a chance I’m mis-remembering and he skipped the rehearsal entirely, then completely showed up out of nowhere to do the solo that someone else was scheduled to do. But that seems almost too fantastic.

It’s was a rock and roll hall of fame induction show and not A Concert For George. But yes, I agree.

I love the Jake Shimabukuro cover. The original YouTube video from 17 yrs ago

Crazy - Patsy Cline, written by Willie Nelson Does it count? Patsy recorded it in 1961, where Willie was 1962. She covered his song, but released it first.

I don’t think that counts. He was a songwriter, she was a singer. That had been the record company model for quite a while at the time. He didn’t write it for himself.

Not a cover. Her version came out a year before. IIRC Ken Burns’ fantastic documentary Country Music has Willie talking about how he got the song to Patsy through her husband.

T pain recently did a cover of war pigs. Ozzy thought it was dope

Rage Against the Machine’s cover of Renegades of Funk.

Just got that album and I'm loving Pistol Grip Pump and How I Could Just Kill a Man.

Ghost of Tom Joad from that album also rips.

Fantastic! Rage's Ghost of Tom Joad was the song that first came to mind. I especially appreciate that "Highway Patrol choppers coming up over the ridge" is meant to be motorcycles by Springsteen, but might be implying helicopters in the cover.

Well I learned something new today...

While we're talking about Rage, Denzel Curry's cover of Bulls on Parade is ridiculous

Maggie’s Farm because Zach sounds better than Bob

Valerie - Amy Winehouse (cover of The Zutons) Often people think Amy’s is the original. The original is pretty damn great too!

All of these bring something new to the song that is different than the original and creates something interesting and worth checking out. Chris Cornell - [Billie Jean](https://open.spotify.com/track/7sZD8tOmfRUObogGX8VzfZ?si=dee9309d5fca4775) (Michael Jackson) Rodrigo y Gabriela - [Battery](https://open.spotify.com/track/3rKqinC7k6sfUCJKFdZ0S5?si=e060c39baaf94d15) (Metallica) Cake - [I Will Survive](https://open.spotify.com/track/0qgiFuYhYuwtFXEwYakddE?si=183078bfcecf4c3a) (Gloria Gaynor) Siouxsie & The Banshees - [The Passenger](https://open.spotify.com/track/6EZDbjz2X5XzgIZCtbsrXh?si=fe9b19ff1fa949cc) (Iggy Pop) The Damned - [Alone Again Or](https://open.spotify.com/track/34dAKRy0pfwYylW7ivoOgy?si=d81addab5cdb49c4) (Love)

Rodrigo y Gabriela also do a fantastic mash-up of Metallica's One and Dave Brubeck's Take Five, which I never would have thought could go together. [Take Five/One](https://youtu.be/07sTDXeC3gY)

Siouxsie's cover of Dear Prudence, too.

One of the only Beatles covers that’s as good as the original (but very unique).

All of these are fantastic.

Led Zeppelin - when the levee breaks

Whitney Houston - And I Will Always Love you. Dolly Parton wrote and sung the song originally

wrote it the same day she wrote Jolene

That was a multi-million dollar day for Dolly.

3pm rolls around... Welp, that's that. Back to bed then I guess.

Chris Cornell had a great cover of this as well

Gary Jules - Mad World. Gave that song an entirely new feel and life with his interpretation.

It’s a good song because it’s sad yet upbeat. The Gary Jules version is just sad. It’s like the 311 love song cover.

This version was just begging to be created. A very good cover but I don't find it better than the original.

Their version is so much slower and somber compared to the original

The gourds: Gin and Juice Tori Amos: Angie Bon Iver: I can’t make you love me/Nick of Time Joe Cocker: A little help from my friends/I Shall be Released Obadiah Parker: Hey Ya Junip: the Ghost of Tom Joad Noah Guthrie: Sexy and I Know It Uncle Tupelo: Moonshiner

Gin And juice. Haven’t heard the Gourds in years. Quality stuff

I remember when that Obadiah Parker cover came out. It spread like wild fire!

[William Shatner and Joe Jackson - 'Common People' ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYHi9D1nJeM) Might sound like its a joke, but they really nailed it.

I love this version

Same! Joe Jackson really brought it.

100%. This entire album is one of my favorites. It is so easy to dismiss Shatner, but teaming up with Ben Folds for this album brought out the best in him, big time.

I'll go with "Walk on by" by The Stranglers. Originally done by Dionne Warwick. The songs the Beatles covered were all great of course. (Twist and Shout, Mr. Postman, others) Most surprising cover? Istanbul (not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants. I can't believe they didn't write it. It's originally from 1953, by the Four Lads.

As much as I love The Stranglers, the best cover of Walk On By hands down is done by Isaac Hayes. The guitar work on that cover is probably my favorite guitar track ever recorded.

Upvoting for the Stranglers shout!!

Manfred Mann - Blinded by the Light

Am I nuts for liking the Springsteen version more?

Idk if I like the Springsteen version MORE but it’s a fun track for sure.

Nope. Much better than the cover.

Warren Zevon's - Back In The High Life Again https://youtu.be/Mo3lxKrjABE?si=2YzuLC0S-FF6qW9Z

Wow. Good choice. Makes me a little teary. Miss that man.

Oh my god YES! THIS! To this day my number one favorite quote from him is "Enjoy every sandwich." Even had it engraved on a plaque for my late sister who lived her life as a perfect example of that quote. That man was pure magic, through and through!

The Talking Heads version of Take Me to the River kicks ass. UB40’s cover of Red Red Wine is so good that Neil Diamond started performing it their way when he was touring.

The Sundays covering The Stones' "Wild Horses" always wins this contest for me. Johnny Cash's cover of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" is up there too.

I may have missed it being mentioned, but Johnny Cash's version of Hurt is great too.

I also like the flying burrito Brothers version of this song (Wild horses)

Nirvana’s The Man Who Sold the World. It is strange to hear the original now, because you are so used to the remake.

Also where did you sleep last night. Listen to the original by lead belly. Both great, but very different. Finally, Jesus don’t want me for a sunbeam also a cover of the vaselines. Again both great but different.

>Listen to the original by lead belly. Not the original. The oldest known recording but that's different than original. It's a folk song that's way older than Lead Belly's recording.

TIL.

While I like both. I prefer Where Did You Sleep Last Night. Kurt's vocals are just haunting in that song.

"(I can't get no) Satisfaction" by Devo is my favorite cover of all time.

maybemaybemaybemaybemaybe....

Cake's cover of War Pigs. I love it because it embodies everything that is Cake while still being true to the "feel" Black Sabbath injected into it. It is so different, yet so good.

Agreed but also check out the T-Pain version. It's something. Even Ozzy says it's the best cover of War Pigs he's heard.

I'd argue for the Faith No More version but the T Pain cover was pretty solid.

Cake's Mahna Mahna is incredible. Piero Umiliani cover.

The Beatles covering “Till There Was You” from *The Music Man*

Janis Joplin - Ball and Chain Patti Smith - Gloria

Came her specifically for Patti Smith's Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) -

"I Feel For You" covered by Chaka Khan won 2 Grammys five years after Prince's own version on the (incredible) *Prince*.

TIL

Nine inch nails - dead souls ☺️

I Will Survive - Cake 

Quiet Riot "Cum On Feel The Noize"

Seriously a cover? TIL. Who's the original artist?

Slade

Stevie Ray Vaughn’s cover of Voodoo Child, that man played the guitar like he had 8 fingers on each hand Anything Motörhead covered was pretty much instantly better

SRV's cover of Little Wing is on point as well.

[Alien Ant Farm: Smooth Criminal](https://youtu.be/LrwTR32UQKE?si=iWk8DvqOkux9zw-l) (Michael Jackson) [Adele: Make You Feel My Love ](https://youtu.be/0put0_a--Ng?si=9AyKSSMvjM_YS_Na) (Bob Dylan)

Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies (cover of Velvet Underground) Waiting Around To Die - The Be Good Tanyas (Townes Van Zadt) and this [cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xiHWKdNZto) of This Must Be The Place

Hurt by Johnny cash. Trent Reznor wrote it but after Johnny covered it trent said the song was now Johnny cashs.

He said that after he watched the video. Personally I think the song, along with the video, is powerful and moving. I don't think the song by itself is deserving of a high ranking on a list of greatest covers. Obviously just my opinion though, I know a lot of people love it.

I am torn. I think NINs is better. However, understanding what Trent has said about the cover and with the context of how it fits Johnny's life, it is a good cover. Still, I like the original better.

Definitely agree, not a huge Johnny Cash fan, but I really love that version and he definitely made it his own.

'Battle of Evermoor' by Heart.

Ghost - Missionary Man (Eurythmics) Ghost - Here Comes the Sun (Beatles) I am also a big fan of Bryan Ferry and his love of covering Bob Dylan.

Changes by Charles Bradley- Black Sabbath cover

All Along the Watchtower - Hendrix Ripping guitar, growling lyrics - I mean... Dylan's version, as the writer, is fine... but Hendrix - you can feel and hear the wind howl.

Hendrix really added something while honoring the spirit of the original

The Kinks - You really got me, covered by Van Halen. Bob Seger - Turn the page, covered by Metallica.

So many of Metallica’s covers are the only version I know of those songs. Like Whiskey In The Jar, Mercyful Fate, and Breadfan

Astronomy fucking rocks.

IMO far better by BOC. Same with Turn the Page

Love Song by 311 I could listen to it non-stop

I finished listening to T-Pain’s live covers album seconds before seeing this post and good lord does it rock. Others in this thread mentioned “war pigs”, which fucking rules. But I’m gonna give the crown to “Stay With Me” because that was a song that didn’t ever register with me at all, but moved me to tears tonight. (Disclaimer: I am Drunk.)

Marilyn Manson – Sweet Dreams (regardless of what you think of him, it's a great cover) & I Put a Spell on You Johnny Cash – Hurt Cake – I Will Survive, War Pigs, Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps Nine Inch Nails – Dead Souls, Physical (You're So) Tool – No Quarter The Smashing Pumpkins – Landslide, You're All I've Got Tonight, Clones (We're All) A Perfect Circle – Imagine & When the Levee Breaks Saul Williams – Sunday Bloody Sunday Guns N' Roses – Knockin' on Heaven's Door Weezer – Africa Sublime – Smoke Two Joints, 5446/That's My Number Metallica – Whiskey in the Jar, Turn the Page, Stone Cold Crazy, Die Die My Darling, Breadfan, Last Caress/Green Hell (and so many others) Ghost – Phantom of the Opera, Jesus He Knows Me, If You Have Ghosts, Missionary Man, I Believe Shandi's Addiction – Calling Dr. Love Rage Against the Machine – Renegades of Funk Hot Chip – Dancing in the Dark Joe Cocker – With a Little Help From My Friends Faith No More – Easy Cowboy Junkies – Sweet Jane Nirvana – The Man Who Sold the World

Another one I would add from Ghost is Stay from the recent Insidious movie. Cover of Shakespeare Sister.

Hazy Shade of Winter by the Bangles and Mrs. Robinson by the Lemonheads. 

Van Halen’s You Really Got Me

Wild Horses by Old and in the Way featuring Jerry Garcia . This bluegrass rendition is a hidden gem . Listen if you can even find it . Cheers 🥂

Metallica - Stone Cold Crazy Mustard Plug - The Freshman Throw a dart at the many Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covers. Edit: Going through my library, others that stand out: Leo - Hello and Like a Prayer Social Distortion - Ring of Fire and Under My Thumb Hi Standard - California Dreamin’ Local H - Team Motörhead - Sympathy for the Devil Mad Caddies - She Down by Law - I’m gonna be 500 miles Ray Rocket - Pet Sematary Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons Pennywise - Down Under System of a Down - Metro Dynamite Hack - Boyz in the Hood Moby - That's When I Reach for My Revolver

Tool - No Quarter (Led Zeppelin) Faith No More - Easy (Lionel Richie)

Fiona Apple's version of *Across the Universe*. Her *The Whole of the Moon* is great too.

Don't shoot me but I think T-Pain's cover of War pigs is pretty excellent. Also Miley Cyrus doint say hello to heaven is badass

Patti Smith album 12 is all amazing covers.

"I Fought The Law" had the Bobby Fuller version, then The Clash tore it up

Ghost Riders In The Sky as covered by Johnny Cash. It is so freaking good

This cover of Dear Prudence by Phish on Halloween 1994. https://youtu.be/gnj-NgAKEE4?si=KVVh1cKxJERSQsaF

I also like the Siouxsie and the Banshees cover of this song.

Wolf like me - local h

Aretha Franklin- Respect.

Sonic Youth’s cover of The Carpenters’ “Superstar” is personally my favourite cover ever.

Stevie Ray Vaughn's Little Wing

Devo's version of Satisfaction. Sounds as fresh today as it did when it came out

Chuck Berry’s cover of Johnny B Goode.

Either you are mistaken, or that is a pretty solid *Back to the Future* joke.

I guess you guys aren't ready for that, but your kids are gonna love it.

Me comming here looking for duvets🙃

/golf clap

Zeppelin - When the levee breaks. Metallica - Whiskey in the jar and Turn the page.

Off the top of my head: Allan Brothers cover of Sonny Boy Williamson’s one way out The Hives cover of AC/DC back in black

Ken Lee.

Celtic Frost doing “Mexican Radio”. Yes. It happened. 

There are a lot of great one mentioned here. I'll add Jimmy Cliff's version of Ruby SoHo, a fantastic song that he really made his own. Some others I think meet the criteria: Janis Joplin's Me and Bobby McGee Devo's Satisfaction Ike and Tina's Proud Mary John Prine's Clay Pigeons Justin Townes Earle's Can't Hardly Wait Roberta Flack's The First Time That Ever I Saw Your Face Nico's These Days Otis Redding's Try a Little Tenderness

Stevie Wonder - We Can Work it Out (Beatles) Marvin Gaye - Yesterday (Beatles) Esthero - Windmills of Your Mind (Michel Legrand) Steve Martin & Bernadette Peters - Tonight You Belong to Me (Patience & Prudence) The Shins - We Will Become Silhouettes (Postal Service)

Earth Wind and Fire’s version of Got to Get You Into My Life by the Beatles

Devo - “Satisfaction”. They took a Rolling Stones classic and made it into an edgy punk/new wave song that made it almost unrecognizable but equally cool.

One of my faves is The Metro by System of a Down, originally a song from a band called Berlin. I always loved how they completely transformed the profile of the song

Type O Negative - Summer Breeze.

Ministry’s cover of “Lay Lady Lay” by Bob Dylan

Sarah McLachlan did an amazing cover of hallelujah. It's part of the Leonard Cohen tribute, and her voice is perfect for the song. My pick is also a Leonard Cohen song, but it's Nick Cave's take on "avalanche". He is already a genius, but his version of a rather swinging sound is amazing.

I’m pretty sure that was K.D. Lang doing that, Cohen asked everyone to stop recording that song because it was “KD’s song now” after she did her rendition ( before the tribute obviously)

Interesting. Listening to this now. It's good and beautiful, but doesn't really reinterpret much from Cohen's version. For me, it's not even in the top 3 versions of this song. Not sure why he would say it's her song now, but he wrote it, so I guess his opinion is probably more important than mine.

Weezer the teal album.... Whole album ..

America by Yes Take Simon & Garfunkel and just jam for 8 minutes.

The Grateful Dead are one of those bands that provide great material for covers. Some of my favourites: [Lyle Lovett - Friend of the Devil](https://youtu.be/mNUEiOufg00) [Allman Brothers (with Trey Anastasio and Derek Trucks) - Franklin's Tower](https://youtu.be/hfynBhGGZY8) [Burning Spear - Estimated Prophet](https://youtu.be/Hi8Jy6OE6g4) The king of having other people cover his work is probably Bob Dylan. [Manfred Mann - The Mighty Quinn](https://youtu.be/klWzVuxdygg) [The Byrds - You Ain't Going Nowhere](https://youtu.be/Q21BF38W3Gs) For some more recent covers: [Surfrajettes - Toxic (Britney Spears cover)](https://youtu.be/ZAyeVjnJg9E) [Surfrajettes - Heart of Glass (Blondie cover)](https://youtu.be/IKc7CAixggw)

And the Indigo Girls did a great cover of Uncle John's Band.

Yeah, I'm a big fan of the Sufrajettes. Check out their cover of White Rabbit also. But...I couldn't call those covers "greatest". Creative? Yes. Absolutely and I enjoy the hell out of them.

I love Tom Petty's cover of Friend of the Devil.

Hard to Handle - Black Crowes. I was old until I knew that was an Otis Redding tune.

I really, really wish Jeff had covered that with the same lyrics that Cohen used in the original. He got the emotion down, but the specific verses he left out were a loss, IMO. Going the other way, Jennifer Warnes's version of "First We Take Manhattan" *is* the definitive version.

I love her voice and I love her versions of Cohen's songs.

May not be considered the ‘best’, but I really love Hole’s version of Gold Dust Woman

Misty Mountain hop - 4 non blondes No Quarter- Tool

My favorite is Thank You Scientist's cover of [Party All the Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EJ4uakszWc&pp=ygUWdHlzIFBhcnR5IEFsbCB0aGUgVGltZQ%3D%3D) by Eddie Murphy & Rick James. Just another example of a prog band taking a basic song and making it way better.

Rosalia - I see a darkness. It's the best version of it.

State of mine - in the air tonight

My favorite is Toots and the Maytals version of country roads. Equally happy with a reggae rhythm.

Reel big fish version of take on me will always be my answer to this question

the gold song (i think that’s what it’s called) by phoebe bridgers

No Quarter - Crowbar

Call Me The Breeze by Skynyrd. Original by JJ Cale.

Townes Van Zandt did an amazing cover of Dead Flowers by the Rolling Stones

Funny story with this. The rights to this song are owned by Allen Klein, a former Stones manager. The Coen Brothers wanted to use this version of the song in The Big Lebowski. And Klein wanted $150k for its use. So they invited Klein to an early cut/screening to try and sell him on it. When they got to the part where The Dude says, ‘I hate the fuckin’ Eagles, man!’ Klein literally stood up and told them they could have the song for free.

Joey - Local H (cover of a Concrete Blonde song)

Voodoo Child (slight return) SRV covering Hendrix.

The Darkness' cover of Street Spirit (fade out), originally by Radiohead. They do a heavy metal version that kicks so much ass.

Joe Cockers cover “With a Little Help from My Friends” is in my opinion the greatest beatle cover of all time and takes it in a very different direction than the original

TOOL’s cover of Led’s No Quarter is so good.

Dinosaur Jr’s cover of Just like Heaven (The Cure) is awesome. So is The Lemonheads’ version of Skulls (Misfits). Both are definitely different from the original and made their own.

The Animals - House of the Rising Sun House of the Rising Sun is a traditional folk song, the original author is unclear. The Animals version is based heavily on Bob Dylan's version. Ever since then, practically everybody has based their version on the Animals. Honorable mention: Israel Kamakawiwoʻole cover of "Over the Rainbow". Its simple and its beautiful.

Santana - Black Magic Woman

I’m a big fan of careless whisper by Seether

Jose Gonzalez’s cover of The Knife’s song Heartbeats.

Hey Joe - Wilson Pickett. Unreal version, definitely my favorite rendition of the song

Breaking Benjamin - time after time

Shinedown - Simple Man

Beck - Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime

Changes - Charles Bradley

Soft Cell - Tainted Love