A while back, I bemoaned certain songs which should be banned from further covers. Now I’ve decided to list my favorite covers. I’m only counting studio versions. (In no particular order other than what comes to mind first.)
Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan)
The Waterboys – Sweet Thing (Van Morrison)
Johnny Cash – Hurt (Nine Inch Nails)
The Pogues – Dirty Old Town (Ewan MacColl)
Van Morrison – It’s All Over Now Baby Blue -(Dylan)
Patti Smith – Gloria (Them)
Eddie Vedder – Hard Sun (Indio)
The Clash – I Fought The Law (Bobby Fueller)
The Beatles – Twist and Shout (Phil Medley/Isley Brothers)
The Rolling Stones – Just My Imagination (The Temptations)
Elvis Costello – I Can’t Stand Up (For Falling Down) – Sam & Dave
Ray Charles – Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles)
What are your thoughts? Any really good ones I missed?
Leading Us Absurd 
Black Crows – Hard to Handle (Otis Reading)
The Doors – Alabama Song (Kurt Weill)
Nirvana – Where Did You Sleep Last Night (unknown)
Soft Cell – Tainted Love (Gloria Jones)
Stone Temple Pilots – Dancin Days (Led Zeppelin)
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes – Different Drum (The Greenbriar Boys)
Wilson Picket does a good version of Hey Jude. You should check it out Matt. Duane Allman played guitar on it – this was during his session days.
In fact I think you’d love a lot of Pickett.
@ Matt I like Wilson Pickett and I don’t have his version of Hey Jude, so I Youtubed it. It is pretty good.
@ Deidre – Can’t believe I forgot Nirvana the Black Crows!
Late comment:
All that time we were room mates, and you didn’t know Wilson Pickett covered Hey Jude? I had one of his greatest hits albums with that on it. In fact, I think I lent it to you once many years ago. Can’t argue with the Crows covering Otis.
Here’s a couple of my favorite covers
Social Distortion: Backstreet Girl (the Stones)
Metallica: Astronomy (Blue Oyster Cult)
The Dirtbombs: Chains of Love (can’t freakin’ remember)
David Lee Roth: Just a Gigolo (Louis Prima)
You know…I should have mentioned to that version of Hey Jude. It’s funny you mention Wilson Picket…I’ve been on a big kick of him lately…using he CDs that I burned from you.