I thought we had a thread featuring covers that are better than the originals, but I guess that was another forum.

Dick Slessig Combo only does slowed and lengthened covers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOw2dB5EMdg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO-xwALzKe0

NIN's cover of "Memorabilia" (Soft Cell) is pretty amazing, IMO. It's keeps the spirit and general sound of the original and puts a decidely NIN stamp on it. It's a little cartoonish I suppose, but everything NIN makes is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12YSLXhvkGQ

Love this version of Hello Stranger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnxhSRsqgGg

Monster Magnet is great at covering Hawkwind and adjacent stuff.
Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwcJ5YoWyBc

Yes, I like this as much as the original.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8GWyZFrZy8

Also, an excellent cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF4_idD8GSk

enframed wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 4:53 pm I thought we had a thread featuring covers that are better than the originals, but I guess that was another forum.

Not covers that are better than the original (which I imagine there are lots of thread topics everywhere), but rather, covers that are just as good as the original.

rsmurphy wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 2:43 pm

Cardholder wrote: Sat Jan 10, 2026 7:52 pm A long while back, I got the Four Tops's Reach Out, mainly for its album-titled song. While much of the album is great, some of the cover songs were a bit take-it-or-leave-it, except for their cover of "Walk Away Renée" by the Left Banke. What a wonderful rendition! Even though I hadn't listened to the original!

https://youtu.be/mrudT410TAI?si=3bg-Wy0lfa97S0ZS

Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is so good that I thought it beats the original, but like with “Walk Away Renée”, I hadn’t listened to the original by Lori Lieberman either. After listening to it, Lori’s original song is also wonderful. The backstory of Lori Lieberman being denied songwriting credits by the two other songwriter assholes all the up to 2008 makes it even more heartbreaking, especially after Lori was disillusioned with the song for years.

Wood Goblin wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 4:37 pm Oh, wait, now that I think about it: “You Really Got Me.” Some other VH/DLR covers might fit the bill here too.

Good call on Van Halen’s cover of “You Really Got Me”. Even though they’re both doing the same thing at heart (ROCK AND ROLLLLLLLLL!!), the VH version feels like it was metalheads paying homage to hard rock, while the Kinks version were setting the stage for hard rock itself. Very complementary.

Cardholder wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 5:27 pm Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is so good that I thought it beats the original, but like with “Walk Away Renée”, I hadn’t listened to the original by Lori Lieberman either. After listening to it, Lori’s original song is also wonderful. The backstory of Lori Lieberman being denied songwriting credits by the two other songwriter assholes all the up to 2008 makes it even more heartbreaking, especially after Lori was disillusioned with the song for years.

Yup! When I found out about Lori Leiberman being denied songwriting credits for a quick minute I became disillusioned with Flack's cover, but, goddamn, it's such a great cover. They both have gorgeous voices and both intros are plaintive and ridiculously calming. Very beautiful.

I'm not sure if this fits the spirit of the thread, but speaking of being denied songwriting credits there is no "Layla" without Rita Coolidge. Interesting backstory there as well!

https://youtu.be/BwJgWqLTeCw?si=RfZlAyM91iIHOp6U

Cows version of "39 Lashes" from Jesus Christ Superstar drags the original through the dirt, tho I'd be remiss if I didn't state I'm more of a Godspell dude.

https://youtu.be/5mrcQGCG6P4?si=mCCnXx0vDGmQrSAA

I suppose this also has a crosspost with indie rock confessions, but tears for fears songs are good when separated from their time. That said, Ted Leo's version of this excellent song is the best.

https://youtu.be/J85N8kvsdd0?si=K-VdZohTylrjrEkz&t=33

Frankie99 wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 8:26 pm I suppose this also has a crosspost with indie rock confessions, but tears for fears songs are good when separated from their time. That said, Ted Leo's version of this excellent song is the best.

https://youtu.be/J85N8kvsdd0?si=K-VdZohTylrjrEkz&t=33

It can't be the best, unless the best is the same amount of good as the original, in which case they are both just as good as and the best at the same time.

rsmurphy wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 6:06 pmI'm not sure if this fits the spirit of the thread, but speaking of being denied songwriting credits there is no "Layla" without Rita Coolidge. Interesting backstory there as well!

https://youtu.be/BwJgWqLTeCw?si=RfZlAyM91iIHOp6U

That reminds me...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMXPzEo ... rt_radio=1

This one almost steps over into being better. It is always interesting to hear a cover that stays in the same vein as the original, but totally stands on it's own two feet anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTuRwNZ ... rt_radio=1

Wood Goblin wrote: Sun Jan 11, 2026 4:37 pm This is a tough one! I like the Fall’s cover of “Victoria,” but more than the original? Probably not.

Oh, wait, now that I think about it: “You Really Got Me.” Some other VH/DLR covers might fit the bill here too.

There are several jazz standards for which I love several covers equally (“Limehouse Blues,” “Rose Room”, “Moon Glow”) but the covers are usually better than the first recordings.

While there are surely some tunes on the records, the covers from live shows before they recorded the first record are noteworthy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7zBaTY ... rt_radio=1