Ask Lemmy

David Byrne's cover of Drivers License. The original is good. But I like his version more.

Grandaddy - Fun x3. Like that way more than The Beach Boys version. Entirely different song.

James Houston - Big Ideas Don't Get Any. The whole video is a work of art, literally (college project) and figuratively. Just master class execution. Radiohead even called it out as a notable cover. One of my favorite Radiohead songs =p

Voodoo People by Pendulum (original Prodigy)

Memories Can't Wait by Living Color (Talking Heads cover) I love Talking Heads with all of my being, but this cover knocks the original out of the park.

Common People by William Shatner (Pulp cover) The original can't compare to the raw emotion in this version. I recommend listening to the entire album 'Has Been'. It's so good.

I Believe by Melissa Hollick (Chris Isaacs cover) The first time I played Wolfenstein: The New Order, this song over the end credits got me right in the feels. Fuck me, I'm choking up again re-listening to it again just now.

Alkaline Trio's cover of 'Rooftops' by Hot Water Music. So much more anger and release.

Limp Bizkit - Behind blue eyes

Charles Bradley singing “Changes”

Animal (the muppets) - wipeout

Can't hear it without getting cheered up. Never fails.

The classic Whitney Houston singing I Will Always Love You.

Well, maybe not better, but worth to mention, leo has to appear somewhere in this post:

Sultans of Swing metal cover by Leo Moracchioli (feat. Mary Spender)

for covers, a couple of songs where original is pretty sucky by Scary Pockets.

Wonderwall - oasis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jftpg_6SUYk&pp=ygUYc2NhcnkgcG9ja2V0cyB3b25kZXJ3YWxs

Rolling in the deep - adele https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTIOugluWb8&pp=ygUhc2NhcnkgcG9ja2V0cyByb2xsaW5nIGluIHRoZSBkZWVw

A cover band that does everything better: Leonid and Friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jko3HdUOLhc&list=RDjko3HdUOLhc&start_radio=1 (chaka khan)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_8aZZ9d_EA&list=RDjko3HdUOLhc&index=2&pp=8AUB (steely dan)

Chicago song you never heard of but they make their greatest hit if it was produced/executed this well

TV On The Radio did an amazing version of Mr Grieves by Pixies

sun is shining - bob marley --wingsuit flying remix. Could be best techno song ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W6Fa6rNlAY&list=RD3W6Fa6rNlAY&start_radio=1

Georg Levin got somebody new. 2nd Chorus punched up quite innovatively, and better drum track. Nothing taken away or interfering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LOEMSuxYPQ

Harder better (daft punk) -- piano intro, more pop format, but also more advanced dance beat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwu-m39ek-w

woodstock - csny is a cover of Joni Mitchell

Personally I have 2:

Discoproof as a remix of Bulletproof

A Little Less Conversation - Junkie XL

Tenacious D - Time Warp

Baker Street - Foo Fighters Boys of Summer - The Ataris

Book of Love -Peter Gabriel Hurt - Johnny Cash

"Spanish Eyes" cover by Faith No More

Shinedown's cover of Simple Man is incredible.

Time and the Breathe Reprise by Greensky Bluegrass slaps harder than Pink Floyd's original.

And hol up... Torn by Natalie Imbruglia is a cover? Who does the OG? :O

Gamma Ray's «It's a Sin» (original by Pet Shop Boys)

I'll throw in some German ones for fun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu-D86SdOIo (Destillat remixed by VNV Nation, original by Das Ich)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E0pHytx4W4 (Eisbrecher cover of Goldener Reiter, original by Joachim Witt)

Does Strejda Donald by Gutalax count? (Old MacDonald Had a Farm cover)

As much as I like the original, I really like this cover of Smile Again by 40mp.