Cover Me

There’s just *something* I like about cover songs and artists paying tribute to another artists. Many times cover songs are inferior versions of the originals. But here is my list of cover songs that I feel are just as good if not better than the originals:

• Garth Brooks – Fishin’ In The Dark. Orignially recorded by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Garth’s version adds a level of enthusiasm not found on the original.
• Carrie Underwood – I’ll Stand By You. Originally recorded by The Pretenders. Carrie’s version adds emotion and a country twang to an already amazing song.
• Chris Cornell and David Cook – Bille Jean. Orginally recorded by Michael Jackson. Chris did an amazing arrangement and recording while David took Chris’s version and took it to the next level.
• Daughtry – Used To. Originally recorded by Zac Maloy. Daughtry’s version changes the original up a bit and adds a new bridge/version. I honestly cannot decide which I like better, so we’ll just call this one a tie.
• Green Day – I Fought The Law. Originally recorded by Sonny Curtis and The Crickets. Green Day’s version is simply amazing as is The Clash’s version of the song.
• Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Over The Rainbow. Originally recorded by Judy Garland. “Bruddah Iz” adds his signature Hawaiian twist to the song and does a remarkable job.
• Pearl Jam – Rockin’ In the Free World. Orignally recorded by Neil Young. Pearl Jam routinely covers this song in their live show; it can be found on many of their official bootlegs.
• Pat Green & Cory Morrow – Stuck In The Middle With You. Originally recorded by Stealers Wheel. Pat & Cory’s duet recording of this song adds a great country feel to the song.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Love Rollercoaster. Orginally recorded by The Ohio Players. RHCP’s version of the song is a thousand times better than the original.
• U2 – Instant Karma. Originally recorded by John Lennon. I’ll not say that U2′s version exceeds the original, but it’s definitely a great recording.
• David Cook – Eleanor Rigby. Originally recorded by The Beatles. David’s version (I’m not going to get into the whole Doxology stuff) is a great recording that takes the song to a new level.
• Disturbed – Land Of Confusion. Originally recorded by Genesis. Disturbed’s version transforms the song into a great rock tune.
• Boyz II Men – In The Still of The Night. Originally recorded by the Five Satins. Boyz II Men’s version is very smooth and adds a new dimension to the song due to their great harmony.
• Alanis Morissette – My Humps. Originally recorded by the Black Eyed Peas. I’m just throwing this in here because Alanis’ version is quite funny. Supposedly it was recorded as an April Fool’s Day joke in 2007. Video is available on YouTube.