Greatest Covers of all Time

Here's one for all you acoustic guitar players out there:

Arlo Guthrie's cover of "City of New Orleans." (although Steve Goodman's voice suits my range better)

 

No one will ever top Otis on that song. No one.

 

Higher Ground

(1:40 in)

Damn, I forgot how great the Peppers were.

 

Dylan thought Hendrix's version was so good, he started playing it the way Hendrix did.

 

For starters:
Jersey Girl - Springsteen (most people don't know Tom Waits wrote it and did it first and better)

Respect - Aretha Franklin (most people forget Otis Redding did it first)

Forever Young - Rod Stewart (I'd wager most people don't realize Bob Dylan did it first and better)

Trapped - Springsteen (again, most pop music fans who hear the Springsteen version don't know Jimmy Cliff did it first)

America the Beautiful - Ray Charles (many have played this traditional song but Ray's is the definitive version)

Twist & Shout - The Beatles (ask 20 people at a crowded bar who did the original version of Twist & Shout.. I bet fewer than 5 say the Isley Brothers)

 

As long as Dylan is going to be a recurring theme here, a tip of the hat to Guns 'N' Roses for Knockin' on Heaven's Door.

 

I already mentioned it earlier in this thread.

To add to the list of covers that became the definitive version, I'd go with Tina Turner's version of "Proud Mary." It's a whole different song and she does it better than CCR ever dreamed of.

And I agree with the mention of Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt." If Trent Reznor can hear it and watch the video and then announce "it's not my song anymore," it's a Bob Dylan listening to Hendrix do "All Along The Watchtower" moment.

 

Ah, but here's the little-known fact - the Isleys' version was also a cover!

Here is a treat for you all - the original 1961 recording of "Twist and Shout," by a Philly group called The Top Notes who never made the big time even though they were on Atlantic Records and their producers were Phil Spector and Jerry Wexler.

It's mildly entertaining in a novelty kinda way, just because we're so used to the other versions, but of course the Beatles' recording remains definitive. The circumstances surrounding its recording only add to its legend.

 

Sorry F_T - don't know how I missed your mention of it earlier in the thread.
However I will disagree on the Ike & Tina version of "Proud Mary" belonging in the conversation of 'definitive version' as plenty of people know the CCR version. As great as Ike & Tina do it, I think I'm in the majority who prefer the original CCR version.

 

Wait, what are we talkin about ... ?

 

"Always Something There To Remind Me" - Naked Eyes

 

If we're talking definitive versions of songs, should Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee" get a mention?