10 Cover Songs That Are Better Than The Originals 

It’s a shame that you guys can’t hear my shower versions of all of these. They’re epic.

Actually "Whiskey in the Jar" is a cover, of a cover, of a cover going back to 1870.

Jimi Hendrix's cover of Watchtower was so good I didn't even know it was a cover until watching this video

The original Dazed and Confused sounds like it was way ahead of it time. Kudos

Whiskey (NOT "Whisky") In The Jar is a traditional song from Ireland, so in a sense all versions of it are covers.

Hurt - Johnny Cash The Man Who Sold the World - Nirvana Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson

Clearly you're using the word "better" in a way I haven't previously encountered.

Metallica's "Whiskey In A Jar" is really a cover of a cover. It's actually a traditional Irish folk song that Thin Lizzy rearranged into a Rock song. And FYI, I actually think the Thin Lizzy version is the best version of the song.

Even Bob Dylan agrees Hendrix does "Watchtower" better than him.

Jimi's Watchtower is the greatest cover in history.

Stevie Wonder's version of "Higher Ground" was definitely better!

Need to Disagree with higher ground , stevie is a legend, love RHCP but it sounds better with original soul funk

Y’all tripping on the Stevie Wonder one.

I don't even think Type O would dare say their version of Summer Breeze is "better" then Seals and Croft's.

You were doing fine until you said the RHCP did it better than Stevie Wonder.

Fact: Thin Lizzy's Whiskey in the Jar is also cover version.

I was very surprised to know that Dazed and confused wasn’t an original song of Led Zeppelin !

Jimi's version of All Along the Watchtower is absolutely better

I remember hearing Sinead O’Connor’s cover of Princes “ Nothing compares 2 you” and was blown away ! Then Chris Cornell told Sinead , “ hold my beer “

I've always preferred the lighter, upbeat version of "I fought the Law," something about it just works.

No one can do a Stevie Wonder's song better than Steve Wonder

I'm not sure that you understand what "better" means...

David bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World" cover by Nirvana in MTV Unplugged is the best too.

I LOVE Priest! That being said, Anyone that doesn't understand Peter's Green Manalishi is THE ALL TIME DO NOT understand where the song came from and why Priest covered it in the first place.

I love the chili peppers.... But better than Stevie? You’re out of your damm mind...

I'm a fan of rhcp, but their cover was not better than Stevie Wonder's

MORE LIKE: *10 COVER SONGS THAT THE GUY THAT MADE THIS LIST LIKES BETTER THAN THE ORIGINALS*

Two of classic rock's songs remain and will remain all-time classics in their own right, but what Metallica did with Turn The Page and Disturbed did with Sound Of Silence are on the same level with the original versions by Bob Seger and Simon & Garfunkel respectively. Both versions of each song are true masterpieces and will be for several decades to come.

RHCP better than Stevie Wonder? C'mon man.

Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" was great...

“10 Covers of Songs” There, I fixed the title for you!!!

"diamonds and rust "was covered by both Judas Priest and Blackmores Night ,matter of taste but both a different spin on the original version

Diamonds And Rust by JUDAS fucking PRIEST!

Most of this is highly debatable.

Honorable mentions: You really got me, Oh Pretty Woman, and Ice cream man - Van Halen Man who sold the world and Love buzz - Nirvana Knocking on Heavens door - Guns N’ Roses Last kiss - Pear jam Surfing Bird - Ramones

Whiskey in the Jar is an Irish folk song. Before Thin Lizzy, it was performed by The Dubliners, founded in 1962.

Just because a song gets "rock-ized" or "metaL-ized" doesn't make it better, just different.

Nothing beats Thin lizzy's Whiskey in the jar

The Jimmy Hendrix and Led Zeppelin were my favourite from this list.

Blinded by the Light is the textbook example of a cover being better than the original. The cover by Manfred Mann's Earth Band is exponentially better than Springsteen's original.

Stevie and Phillip Lynnot still do it best in my book

Where did you sleep last night - Nirvana

I guess that lists like these should be called "xx songs played in a genre I prefer more"

Along the watch the tower is a cover, I’m today years old when I found that out

Can't beat Seals and Croft, theirs is the best version.

sorry but Obi-WAn Kenobi is still the best when it's about higher ground

Having two half naked ladies dancing on stage is the coolest thing I have ever watched! Should be done more often!

some of my fav good cover: Sails of Charon - Testament War Pigs - Faith No More Hair of the Dog - GNR The Man Who Sold the World - Nirvana Space Oddity - Saigon Kick Turn the Page - Metallica

I'd say "um, I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you on that one" for Stevie Wonder and Seals & Crofts. Lol

I was going to comment on how lame this click bait was, but looks like everyone has it covered.

At a party I overheard a conversation about this topic. Someone said that "Last caress" by Metallica was better than the original. I laughed hard and left the room.

Stevie "is a" Wonder RHCP needs to wait downstairs

Hendrix flat out stole watchtower and made it his.

Sorry, Thin Lizzy’s version of Whiskey in a Jar I the standard the others should aspire to be!

The greatest cover of all-time , Grand Funk, " Inside looking out " . Live in 69 on PBS.

Stevie's original "Higher Ground" IMO hits harder than RHCP's version.

Every time someone says that the Disturbed cover of Sounds of Silence was better than the original Simon and Garfunkel version I cringe with all sincerity.

Love the RHCP version but Stevie Wonder Higher Ground is definitely better.

I fought the Law: Bobby Fuller > The Clash Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts > Type O Negative

you missed Johnny Cash's cover of hurt and White Lion's cover of radar love

The one i personally don't agree with is Summer Breeze since I love the nice slow tone of Seals and Crofts version

Led Zep’s Dazed was definitely THE BEST!

Fully agree to Fleetwood Mac and Priest. Green Manalishi from the Unleashed... album is unbeatable. But absolutely no to Slade and Quiet Riot. And the best cover of I put a spell on you definitely is by CCR

Land of Confusion by Disturbed,Careless Whisper by Seether,No Quarter by Tool,Planet Caravan by Pantera,Team by Local H,She Bop by Gwar

I like the Clash's, but something about the original "I Fought the Law" just hits it. Thin Lizzy also had the better "Whiskey in a Jar."

I only agree wi the Led Zep & Hendrix covs.

No one is better than Seals and Crofts. Hard to imagine anyone can cover their music. The harmonies would be too difficult to recreate.

You forgot Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt". In my opinion one of the best covers of all times.

What About... The Kinks - You Really Got me Van Halen - You Really Got me

Thank you Bob Dylan for writing 'Watchtower", thank you Jimi for making it exceptional!

Bob Dylan changed the way he sang All Along the Watchtower after hearing Jimi Hendrix sing his song.

Reading it the comments, I came up with two more. The Lillian Axe cover of No Matter What by Badfinger, just adds so much to the song. Skid Row did a cd of their b side covers including Psycho Therapy by the Ramones, C’mon and Love Me by Kiss, Delivering the Goids by Judas Priest and What You’re Doing by Rush, but the best one they did was Little Wing. They metallized it and the extra guitar work, plus Sebastian Bach’s insane vocals made it an awesome cover.

Add Peter Griffin's version of Shipoopi

I think they meant to title this "Louder Covers of Other Songs". That's the only thing that makes any sense.

Thank you for including Type O!

‘Whiskey In The Jar’ is actually a very old Celtic song that was the Irish drinking anthem and The Dubliners covered it first, the Thin Lizzy did a cover of it, then Metallica did a cover of it, so basically Metallica did a cover of a cover

Don’t forget Hurt by Johnny Cash, is a cover of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder is a lot better than Chili Peppers.

Where's Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann and Knocking On Heaven's Door by Guns N Roses?

White Lions version of Golden Earrings “Radar Love” tends to go under the radar (pun intended). It’s a phenomenal cover imo

Along with "Hurt", one of the best ever is UB40's cover of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine".

That last one is a fail. What the hell did they do to "Summer Breeze"?!

The Dead Kennedys cover of I Fought The Law is awesome as well. My personal favourite.

I'm not sure about the chilli Peper's version, but the rest are definitely greater than the originals.

Judas Priest - Diamonds & Rust

Metallica's version is no way better than Thin Lizzy's and Thin Lizzy's in no way the original

you know what i enjoyed most about this video.. no fucking voice over explaining the differences. let the music do the talking. Thank you for this.

At least they mentioned that ’Higher Ground’ is originally by Stevie Wonder because no one seems to acknowledge that or even know that

Not metal, but Earth, Wind and Fire's cover of The Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life" is amazing.

The only thing better about RHCP's Higher Ground was the bass.

What about Panteras cover of Cat Scratch Fever??

Motorhead's "louie louie," Ghost's "if you have ghosts" and Gwar covering "if you want blood" are awesome covers

holy shit i didnt even know all along the watchtower was a cover by jimi hendrix

7/10. Thin Lizzy, Stevie Wonder and Slade are by far the better versions.

Great list but what about Black Crowes Hard to Handle?

I love that Type O's cover of Summer Breeze is in this list! I love the original, but Peter Steele's vocals on the song is just HNNGGGGHHH!

Metallica and Thin Lizzy is an evan split. But Stevie wonder and Seals and Croft are better than the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Typo-O-Negative.

Joan Baez "diamonds and rust" is okay... BUT HAVE YOU HEARD THE JUDAS PRIEST VERSION?

5:44 Type O Negative could not afford a smoke machine so their roadies were instructed to smoke cigarettes on stage.. lolz

Both versions of higher ground are legendary. That has to be one of the most recognizable bass intros of all time