NWR Cover songs that are better than the original

Radiohead - Nobody Does It Better (James Bond theme)
Inspiral Carpets - Tainted Love
Chicks - I Love You Love Me Love
The Fall - Lost In Music
Blur - Maggie May
Nirvana - the 3 Vaselines songs (Molly's Lips, Son Of A Gun, Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam)
REM - The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Manic Street Preachers - Bright Eyes

Right, that's me sorted for the morning Richard :)
 
Christ this is addictive - just remembered that the Fatima Mansions' covers tended to be successful, if not in some cases recognisable.

"Shiny Happy People" is hilarious and NSFW, but their take on Ministry's Stigmata is more faithful to (and amplifies) the original I think.
 
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Talking of REM & Shiny Happy People which no one but me was, this "cover" might just shed a different light on a band who usually (let's face it) aim at an aethestic of po-faced at best.

I have to admit, I was surprised myself. Lot of time for the Kate Pierson lookalike. "Furry sobbing monsters" and a Michael Stipe motivational speech.

 
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Bobby Bland’s ‘Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City’ made famous by soft rockers Whitesnake in '78 with David Coverdale has gotta be the icing on the cake.

Second dibs to Ronnie James Dio with Aerosmith’s ‘Dream On’. 10 years on Ronnie - RIP. What an immortal voice.
Bland's version is the original though on the excellent 'Dreamer' album although maybe you just said that.....
 
'What's So Funny 'bout Peace, Love and Understanding'. Elvis Costello's version trumps the Nick Lowe penned Brinsley Schwarz original. Elvis has closed his shows with it for as far back as I can remember.
I prefer Emmylou Harris's version of 'Here, There and Everywhere'.
 
Blondie's Hanging on the Telephone. Trounces the original by The Nerves, though my copy of the latter is worth considerably more. :)
Edit. Just seen Jonathan's post above.
Of course Johnny Cash Hurt is the greatest cover version. The video adds lustre.

This Mortal Coil mentioned below ranks a distant second.
 
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Not necessarily "better" versions, but I prefer them:
Lay, Lady, Lay - Ministry
Rent - Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
Surfin' USA - Jesus and Mary Chain
Song to the Siren - This Mortal Coil (Quite possibly the best cover version in the history of cover versions)
Wild Horses - The Sundays
Needles and Pins - The Ramones
Slip Inside this House - Primal Scream
Bad Blood - Ryan Adams
Landslide - Smashing Pumpkins
The Glee version of Fireworks by Katy Perry

Okay, that'll do for now. I'm sure I'll come up with some more later.
 
Nick Lowe The beast in me.

Of course, Lowe wrote it but it was released by Johnny Cash before Lowe’s own version which came out a few months later- so I guess that makes it a cover. Both versions great though.
 
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