The Energon Pub

Anybody have any cover songs in mind that they think are better than the original? Any cover songs that suck so much they make the original better, even if the original itself sucks? Let's hear them.

Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower: I think this is on everyone's list.
Faith No More - War Pigs: There, I said it. Still, for me FNM can make any song better (even their own, see below)... though it's not hard to top the Bee Gees or the Commodores.
Faith No More - As the Worm Turns: I don't know if you can technically cover yourself (and they did it twice), but Patton's version is better than Moseley's.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Ben
Quicksand: How Soon Is Now: Not to take away from the Smiths, but I like Quicksand.
Van Halen - You Really Got Me: They took this one and made it theirs. Honestly, if you hear this song, chances are it's Van Halen's version. The original is so forgotten, I think even the Kinks think Van Halen wrote it.
Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine - Down with the Sickness
Disturbed - Shout 2000: Kind of like an ironic twist to the one above
Stabbing Westward - Bizarre Love Triangle: I know there are probably a lot of fans of New Order, but I like this one more.

Cover songs that really, REALLY suck.
Avril Lavigne - Chop Suey: Yes, she did it. Seek it out if only to mock how she has absolutely no idea how the rhythm in this song works. No, seriously. Find it. I dare you.
KMFDM - Sunday Bloody Sunday: I don't like U2 much, but this cover isn't doing the world a favour.
Celine Dion - You Shook Me All Night Long: She can't write a good song for herself. Why ruin someone else's, especially from a perfectly good band like AC/DC? She makes it sound like a typical adult lounge song. The original is indestructible, but she tries very hard to ruin it. And if you find the video, she does Angus Young's guitar kick. Ugh, my bleeding eyes and ears.

Covers that don't suck
Type O Negative
Daytripper
Summer Breeze(fast forward to 1:56)
Light My Fire

Paul Anka (Yes, I'm serious)
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Wonderwall
Black Hole Sun

Metallica
Astronomy
Whiskey in the Jar

Dynamite Hack, Boys in the Hood
Unknown Artist, Gin and Juice (Relaxation Mix)
Johnny Cash, Hurt
Alien Ant Farm, Smooth Criminal

Covers that suck:
Rammstein - Das Model, I like Rammstein but seriously the original is just cooler.
Powerman 5000 - Relax, crap compared to the original but I still like Powerman 5000
There are more but as I usually don't give a crap about band names I have no idea who made them.

Covers that don't suck:

Milo - Ah Yo (Is that correct?) Technology, it's weird he manages to make a cover of a rap track but manages to give it a really nice feel to it.

You can see I don't give a crap about bands and stuff as I've runn out of band names to give the covers

alanis morisette's version of my humps
country version of jin and juice
little know fact- Busta rhymes stole a corus from this commercialfrom the 70's or 80's
this version of Final countdown
mario paint RAINING BLOOD!!!!!!!!
And The "Dragonforce" version of the crossfire commercial, but that was a hella metal commercial anyway. HARDCORE
the lounge version of Rancid Amputation

and pretty much everything thats been said before this

and anything by Richard cheese

thats the stuff off the top of my head

I like both of Disturbed's covers. "Shout" is fantastic, but I do like "Land of Confusion". Only decent song on that album, as far as I'm concerned (thankfully, they got over...whatever that was that was 10,000 fists and I will tactfully avoid a very inappropriate joke here).

Also kind of partial to Rob Zombie's redo of "Brick House"

Don't know many that suck, because I suspect their suckitude simply sucks the entire experience from my memory.

HK, memory like swiss cheese.

hellkitty wrote:but I do like "Land of Confusion"

I thought it was good too, but I didn't mention it cuz I'm not really sure which version is better. The definitely screwed up Faith No More's Mid Life Crisis, though. They had the potential to do a great cover and didn't.

N_V, are those cover songs that are good or bad?

Me, Grimlock! wrote:N_V, are those cover songs that are good or bad?

those are awesome.

Even the alanis morisette.

tell me the raining blood cover doesnt belong as a boss fight song.

Name_Violation wrote:And The "Dragonforce" version of the crossfire commercial, but that was a hella metal commercial anyway. HARDCORE

That's not a cover. The actual music is from various DF songs, and the vocals only barely sound like ZP Theart.

Off the top of my head, My Chemical Romance's cover of Desolation Row was good. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a MCR fan, but it was a good cover.

I got a new one that sucks,

Akon - Lonely, the original is far better this one is just fu**ing annoying.

An awesome one

Kin Jong Il - Ronery, badass and awesome.


Oh that Raining Blood on the SNES is awesome, that really should be a Mario boss fight.

Dead Metal wrote:An awesome one

Kin Jong Il - Ronery, badass and awesome.

Once again, not a cover. Parody, perhaps, but not a cover.

Shadowman wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:An awesome one

Kin Jong Il - Ronery, badass and awesome.

Once again, not a cover. Parody, perhaps, but not a cover.

*cough*fun police*cough*
and why is it not a cover? its got all the words. it just mis pronounces l's as r's. Its in Engrish. Still a cover. If it had been changed weird al style thats a parody. singing the right words badly is still a cover. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj42QoGqQPM

Now all of Weird al's Polka's are an iffy subject. he covers songs, but just parts of them. But they are still great

Name_Violation wrote:and why is it not a cover? its got all the words. it just mis pronounces l's as r's. Its in Engrish. Still a cover.

No, it isn't. The lyrics are entirely different, not just the engrish, in fact the only similar line between the two is "I'm so lonely". And the music itself is also different, not even the same. Granted, the songs are similar, but then that doesn't make it a cover. If you actually listen to both songs, you'd notice that they're both very different.

Shadowman wrote:

Name_Violation wrote:and why is it not a cover? its got all the words. it just mis pronounces l's as r's. Its in Engrish. Still a cover.

No, it isn't. The lyrics are entirely different, not just the engrish, in fact the only similar line between the two is "I'm so lonely". And the music itself is also different, not even the same. Granted, the songs are similar, but then that doesn't make it a cover. If you actually listen to both songs, you'd notice that they're both very different.

Actually i was sayin it wasa cover of a much, much, older song, but i cant find anything on you tube.

You and that mettling dog

I've been on a video game soundtrack kick as of late so I'm going to list vertexguy's cover of the Contra "Jungle Jam" song.

Also, Minibosses does a great Contra medley.

Spread Shot!

Being a metalhead and anime fan, I can't think of cover songs without thinking of Animetal.

Hokuto no Ken, Ai Wo Torimodose (I have Fallout 3 and have yet to make a pugilist...Bloody Mess, armour that homages Mad Max, and the post apocalyptic setting all point towards making Kenshiro in the game!)

NGE's opening theme, Zankoku na Tenshi no Teze

Pegasus Fantasy, live

Majinga Z

Great Majinga ("Hissatsu powaaa! Sundaa burakuu!" )

Macross' theme(I couldn't find the full version )

Animetal Lady's Cutie Honey theme song cover

Animetal Lady's Sailor Moon theme song cover

Dragonball Z opening theme

Dragonball - Cha La Head Cha La

If we're going for game music, the Black Mage's cover of Otherworld, the opening theme to Final Fantasy X was just awful. I mean, the woman singing it was just wrong. Otherworld was a badass metal theme, complete with badass metal vocals (Death growl and all) and they just removed the badass, and the metal.

Also, I can't believe no one mentioned this, but William Shatner's "singing" "career" in general. Whether it's bad, or so bad it's good, is debatable.

Shadowman wrote:Also, I can't believe no one mentioned this, but William Shatner's "singing" "career" in general. Whether it's bad, or so bad it's good, is debatable.

Shadowman wrote:Also, I can't believe no one mentioned this, but William Shatner's "singing" "career" in general. Whether it's bad, or so bad it's good, is debatable.

There is a site that lists one of his cover songs as one of the worst ever recorded (I think he ranked in at #2 with the Beatles' L.S.D.). Limp Bizkit (Behind Blue Eyes) came in at #1. Sheryl Crow (Sweet Child o' Mine), Madonna (American Pie), and Britney Spears (I Love Rock n Roll) are also on that bad list. The best cover songs on that site included Johnny Cash (NIN's Hurt), Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower), Aretha Franklin (Otis Redding's Respect), Guns n Roses (Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door... duh , and a couple others.

I don't like Guns n Roses, but I have to admit that they cover songs well. And Shackler's Revenge is a good song, despite what I said about them.

I also can't believe I forgot this, but Mushroomhead's Crazy. It's better and louder than Seal's version.

Shadowman wrote:Also, I can't believe no one mentioned this, but William Shatner's "singing" "career" in general. Whether it's bad, or so bad it's good, is debatable.

There's no debate for me. Simply put, BS' singing career was Shat-tastic. Take that as you will.

Game music? Can't talk about the subject without mentioning Metroid Metal.

IMO the best cover ever is Johnny Cash's version of Ring of Fire (yes this is actually a cover).
Another one of my favorites is Motorheads version of Enter Sandman.

Two of the worst covers i've heard are Rod Stewerts version of Ease My Troubles and Mary J. Blige's version of One (what make this even worse is that Bono sings it as well in a completely different manner than normal.)
Eric Claptons Layla, way too slow and mellow compared to the original version he did with Derek and the Dominos.

I love it when artists do covers of britney spears songs. Sometimes there live and crappy quality and i have a few that are done in a radio studio. There funny and sometimes pretty good. Anyone who has newish pop songs covered by rock/metal/punk groups/ share please!

I have:

Weezer : "hit me baby one more time"

Local H: "Toxic"

thats off the top of my head im at work and dont have my mp3 collection infront of me.

K I found my flash drive and found my cover tunes.

Aerosmith: "Taste of India" ....i think its a rolling stones tune

Apocalyptica: They do tons of covers they've been around a while it wasnt until they started having high profile quest appearances on songs that the metal/rock community didnt write them off. Chellos of metallica and sepultura (to name just a few) is awesone give them a listen to their older material.

Black Stone Cherry: Hell Or Highwater. There an ok band i like the tune.

Cartmen Come Sail Away. Its awesome makes me laugh to this day.

Joe Satriani: Somewhere over the raindbow

Buckethead: Star Wars Theme

Limp Bizkit: "Faith" It was the song that got the band started. Their debut cd was out for 2 years until they released this single. Limp Bizkit die or something where are they?

Marilyn Manson: "Sweet Dreams" "Personal Jesus" "I Cast A Spell"
he has tones of great covers that i usually like. Take that for whatever its worth cause im a huge manson fan. Not so much with his 2 newer albums but meh.

Avoid: Gene Simmons and Motorhead cover song cds there ****

Hatebreed => Awesome cover album cd.

Pearl Jam: "Last Kiss" The best cover song ever. And one that has prolly generated the most cash based on what i read years ago. A Minister in the U.S wrote and has collected millions of both versions.

Type O Negative: Summer Breeze . Cool Gothy version give it a try

Offspring: Video killed the radio star

Great covers:

Lacuna Coil: Enjoy the Silence
Metallica: The Wait
Nine Inch Nails : Get down make love
Rage against the machine: F*** the police
Moby: James Bond theme
Fear Factory: Cars
KMFDM: Material Girl
Reel Big Fish: Take on me
Goldfinger: 99 Luftballoons
Ministry: Smothered Hope
BiGOD20: Like a prayer
Dope: You spin me right round
Dope: People are people
Dope: F*** the police

Bad cover:
Killswitch: Holy Diver

Good Cover:

Lemmy (Motorhead): Shout it Out Loud
Nirvana: Do You Love Me
KISS: God Gave Rock and Roll to You, 2000 Man, Hide Your Heart,
Ace Frehley: New York Groove, Hide Your Heart, Deuce (Live), Cold Gin (Live)
Motley Crue: Helter Skelter
Vince Neil: Paranoid
KoRn: Another Brick in the Wall
Megadeath: No More Mr. Nice Guy
Lita Ford: Only Women Bleed