People frequently make the claim that a cover simply cannot be better than the original song. Although this is often true, there are a few exceptions to that rule. Here are 10 of them.
Twist and Shout (The Beatles)
Despite being one of The Beatles biggest hits, they didn’t actually write this song. It was originally written by The Isley Brothers.
Valerie (Amy Winehouse)
Again, this track is one of the most well-known songs sung by Amy Winehouse, but it wasn’t written by her. It was actually written by The Zutons.
I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston)
The track which defined Whitney Houston’s career was actually written by Dolly Parton.
The Man Who Sold The World (Nirvana)
It’s not often that we would rank Nirvana over David Bowie, but this article is all about exceptions. Their live unplugged cover of the Bowie original is spot on.
Mad World (Gary Jules)
‘Mad World’ was originally by Tears For Fears but Gary Jules and Michael Andrews slowed it down and stripped it back in this superb cover.
Dazed and Confused (Led Zeppelin)
Jake Holmes released this song in 1967 but Led Zeppelin made it famous in 1969.
I Fought The Law (The Clash)
Many bands covered this song but The Clash’s edgy punk cover of this Bobby Fuller Four original is what kicked off their musical careers.
Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley)
Leonard Cohen’s original ‘Hallelujah’ is beautiful but Jeff Beckley’s cover is haunting.
All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix)
Bob Dylan’s original version is a classic, but Jimi gave it the edge that was missing.
I Need A Hero (The Fairy Godmother from Shrek 2)
This is no disservice to Bonnie Tyler’s iconic original but this cover is iconic.
