What's the best musical cover ever?

DaveSchmidt said:

Rod Stewart/Faces: (I Know) I’m Losing You

 Stewart, in his (long ago) great years, was a master of covers.  Four from just one album, Never a Dull Moment:

Angel (Hendrix)

Twistin the Night Away (Sam Cooke)

Mama You Been on My Mind (Dylan)

I'd Rather Go Blind (Etta James)

bub said:

 Stewart, in his (long ago) great years, was a master of covers.  Four from just one album, Never a Dull Moment:

Angel (Hendrix)

Twistin the Night Away (Sam Cooke)

Mama You Been on My Mind (Dylan)

I'd Rather Go Blind (Etta James)

 

 Downtown Train (Tom Waits)

The First Cut Is The Deepest (Cat Stevens)

Best all-covers album:

Wake Up! — John Legend and The Roots

True Colors- Miles Davis, 

Manic Monday- Bangles

Rock el Casbah, Rashid Taha

Loreena McKennit, Greensleeves

Holly Cole's Tom Waits covers

Ryan Adams -- track for track cover of "1989"

"That's Alright Mama" by Elvis.  May not be the best cover ever, but the most important.

Why?

I don't know who these people are but this folky cover of Lauper's Time After Time is a knockout:

+1 for All Along the Watchtower. You just can’t beat Hendrix covering Dylan.

Two other favorites of mine:

- Good Lovin’ by the Grateful Dead (Studio version)

- She’s a Woman by Jeff Beck

A couple by Rhiannon Giddens:

Then there's this for all Boomers and Millenials too:

If you really dig covers, the source of all great things is the Coverville podcast, now in its 15th (!) year: https://www.coverville.com/about/

killing me softly -- the fugees

annielou said:

Why?

 It is arguably the first rock and roll song brought to the white population.  Elvis' first single and the start of his explosive career and the beginning of the dominance of the form in pop culture.

Texas said:

annielou said:

Why?

 It is arguably the first rock and roll song brought to the white population.  Elvis' first single and the start of his explosive career and the beginning of the dominance of the form in pop culture.

 Geesh. All this time I thought Chuck Berry was the one. Silly me.

Texas said:

 It is arguably the first rock and roll song brought to the white population.  Elvis' first single and the start of his explosive career and the beginning of the dominance of the form in pop culture.

It's hard to argue against the idea that in that era it was going to take a white performer to breach rock & roll to the white audience.  But "That's Alright" wasn't Elvis's breakthrough.  It was a local hit in Memphis, but it wasn't until a couple of years later that Elvis broke through to the wide audience with Hound Dog and Heartbreak Hotel.  

ml1 said:

Texas said:

 It is arguably the first rock and roll song brought to the white population.  Elvis' first single and the start of his explosive career and the beginning of the dominance of the form in pop culture.

It's hard to argue against the idea that in that era it was going to take a white performer to breach rock & roll to the white audience.  But "That's Alright" wasn't Elvis's breakthrough.  It was a local hit in Memphis, but it wasn't until a couple of years later that Elvis broke through to the wide audience with Hound Dog and Heartbreak Hotel.  

 By that time Berry had laid the groundwork and is widely recognized as the founder. If anything, Elvis is the biggest appropriator in music history. But still authentic in his own rockabilly way. 

Try a Little Tenderness by The Commitments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDz718_HhQI

Soul Man by The Blues Brothers

Another +1 for All Along the Watchtower.  Police on My Back by the Clash is another good one.  Here's the original.

I've always enjoyed this cover...

The Clash were really good at bringing something new and fresh to their covers:

I Fought The Law

Police On My Back

Pressure Drop

Brand New Cadillac

Is anyone on this thread under 50?

max_weisenfeld said:

Is anyone on this thread under 50?

 If you’re over 50 you can at least remember both the original and the cover.

max_weisenfeld said:

Is anyone on this thread under 50?