'If you go away' by Emiliana Torrini...
a cover of
'Ne me quitte pas' by Jacques Brel. Nothing can ever top the original, but if the original hadn't existed, Torrini's version would surely have a higher place in my rankings.

Your favourite?

I like Prince´s 2002 version of Led Zeppelin´s "Whole Lotta Love" but I think he should have used a rhythm guitarist instead of a sampled guitar.
In general, I really like some of his covers. Just My Imagination is another good one.

George Michael´s version of I Can´t Make You Love Me is also nice.

MarieLouise said:

I'm a big fan of Scott Walker, and I generally prefer Walker's versions of Brel songs to Brel's own. I know there are people who will take umbrage with that - some folks take their Brel very seriously.

I can't really think of any songs I'd regard as untouchable...a great performer can enliven dreary material, and no song is so well written that a lousy performer couldn't destroy it.

George Michael's version of "They Won't Go When I Go"
Michael McDonald's version of "Too High"

As a rule, I dread anyone's remake of a Stevie song... these stand out as superb.

Dolly Parton's cover of Stairway To Heaven sounds like a bad idea but I really like it.
The Rolling Stones cover of Like A Rolling Stone was well done, I can't imagine anyone else being able to get away with it.

Tina Turner's rendition of Lets Stay Toghether, I think she did better than Al Green.

Donny Hathaway's rendition of Whats Going On, I think he did better than Marvin myself too.

I love Meli'sa Morgan's version of Do Me, Baby despite what these saddity snobs think.

June7 said:

love it

mynameisnotsusan said:

You're in the minority on that one, but I'm with you.

Harle mentioned Tina's take on Let's Stay Together. I, too, like it more than the original (which is superb to begin with).

speakin' of Dolly, i love her take on Peace Train.

I really like Power Station's cover of T. Rex's "Get It On (Bang a Gong)". They're different, yet both pretty great. Sometimes I'm not sure which I like better, but I always come back to Bolan naturally.

oh and Prince's version of Radiohead's "Creep" at Coachella blew me away! I usually don't like it when he does covers, but this was possibly the best cover I've ever heard him do.

I also love Jeff Buckley's cover of Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman". So beautiful it makes me cry.
[Edited 5/30/08 7:59am]

minneapolisgenius said:

sosgemini said:

Sexual Harrassment's "I Need A Freak" covered by Too $hort.

sosgemini said:

What? Why?

damosuzuki said:

It is indeed a nice version as well. But still, I think the English (translated) lyrics are so much weaker that the original French ones. Of course, Torrini's version has the same problem.

Even those lyrics that are literally translated don't come close, like this one:

http://nl.youtube.com/wat...EHxAREUVdg

I just got my copy of "The Best Of Jimmy "Bo" Horne" in the mail the other day. Jimmy has a cover of The Carpenter's "(They Long To Be) Close To You" that I absolutely love.

Eric Clapton's version of Higher Ground

Ellie said:

I see your "version of Higher Ground", and raise you...

Oh yeah, definitely!

Cinnie said:

Krayzie said:

RipHer2Shreds said:

ErickSermon said: