When the Cover Overshadows the Original Song

[@gabrielhersey5546]

‘Hold my accordion, I got this’- Weird Al

[@atomicgator5207]

When I first saw Cash's cover of "Hurt", I swear I thought he was really dying in the video. That's how powerful his performance was.

[@paulw.woodring7304]

His wife June, who is in the video, died months later and Johnny followed a few months after that.

[@felity1773]

the original is so damn emotional though, just look at the quiet version that Trent Reznor sings live (only accompanied by a piano). it is the best version in my opinion, cause Cash plays normal chords while the first chord in Reznors version has that distinct dissonant sound

[@robertadorian4234]

Reznor himself said Cash's version was better.

[@JCTEAM60]

@@robertadorian4234 Absolutely, can you imagine a musical legend recording such a personal song and creating something so entirely different that you can only hang your head and bow with class and respect…Cash owned it and Reznor is a stand up guy. What respect and recognition.

[@redbarchetta8782]

@@robertadorian4234 He said that song belongs to Cash now, paraphrasing.

[@mateocabral1660]

I've always thought of the versions of "I Will Always Love You" in this way: You play the Whitney Houston version at your wedding reception, and the Dolly Parton version at your partner's funeral.

[@Thetasigmaalpha]

I think the Whitney Houston’s version to be clinical. Dolly sound like her heart is breaking.

[@wvu05]

​​@@Thetasigmaalpha Indeed. The best summary I ever heard was, "Listening to Whitney makes me think, 'What a great singer,' but listening to Dolly makes me think, 'What a great song.'"

[@medealkemy]

Nah, to me it's an awesome singer meeting an awesome song. When your heart breaks and you have the capacity of singing like Whitney, you sing like Whitney.

[@wvu05]

@@medealkemy Or, you serve _the song._ She reined it in on "Heartbreak Hotel," and it was incredible.

[@atavares1989]

That song is a breakup song, no way you play in your wedding 😂

[@therizinosaurus214]

The last we see of Johnny is closing the piano lid - leaving the man, the music, the legend to history.

[@tzvikrasner6073]

He knew he didn't have long. June had passed just months earlier and his will was fading. He had just enough for one last powerful goodbye.

[@ExtremeAndy]

My jaw hit the floor seeing “Respect” not be Aretha Franklin‘s original, it fits her so well

[@JK-gm6kk]

Had no idea

[@AugustRx]

The word respect takes very different interpretations in these two

[@magnificentbuzz]

It's more impressive seeing how she made it her own

[@nicktaylor2657]

Became such a woman's anthem Hard to imagine her not singing it

[@flazzorb]

Well, she certainly showed you what it meant to her.

[@MiloTheKid5454]

Cake’s cover of I Will Survive is one of my personal favorites

[@Tyler_82]

@miloTheKid5454 how about Cake's cover of war pigs thats another song Cake makes their own an knocks it outta the park

[@duck2477]

Tagging in with another opinion, Midge Ure's Man Who Sold The World gets really overlooked, and that Anti-Hero now belongs to Pendulum.

[@XANAX-Pilled]

fun fact: Trent originally said hearing Johnny's version was like "watching someone fuck his girlfriend." The VIDEO birthed the "not my song, anymore" thing, along with with "wow, I just LOST my girlfriend." He also said he was moved to tears and had goosebumps.

[@horror_fam0847]

I also read that when he played the video in front of bandmates while they were recording they were all in tears. I love Trent's original but Cash's cover was mind blowing love both versions

[@ericluchinski]

Imo Trent did it better

[@kingexclusivo]

Nine Inch Nail’s version is way better. More emotional and instrumentally superior

[@juancastellon7183]

@@kingexclusivo emotionality is subjective, both versions elicit a different response.

[@nooneofconsequence3847]

I asked Chris Vrenna his opinion on the cover. He said that he loved it, and that it was better than their version, but his only gripe was the lyrics change

[@John_P._Buryiak]

You need to include Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" in your next covers video. She owns that song so hard that most people have no idea that it's a cover tune.

[@ericortega1745]

No way 😂 seriously. I'll look into it

[@brokenstarfury4895]

@@ericortega1745 Original is Robert Hazard. He never technically released it.

[@AlanSmithee-lk5rr]

When you listen to how bad the original is, it's a miracle that Cyndi saw any potential in it. For me, that makes GJWHF the best cover version of all time, considering the original was so terrible.

[@brokenstarfury4895]

@@AlanSmithee-lk5rr I don't think the original is that bad either. Same song, different perspective. It's just the audio quality because it was only ever a demo version. Robert Hazard would probably agree with you though.

[@AlanSmithee-lk5rr]

@@brokenstarfury4895 partial agreement from me. I didn't know the original was only a demo, but still the vocal delivery is just cringeworthy. When I play it to anyone, they can't even identify the song until it gets to the chorus.

[@colburn0004]

It feels weird not mentioning Hallelujah or Mad World. Two songs that have become huge because their covers in media specifically.

[@khrashingphantom9632]

ESPECIALLY Mad World! It's one of those covers where the original is appreciated, but then the Cover is just THE definitive version.

[@nicktaylor2657]

The original Mad World by Tears for Fears is a campy 80s Nu Wave song The cover is a moody dark Emo song A much better song since the original was forgettable

[@GivenFailure]

​​@@nicktaylor2657 Gary Jule's version is just slow and somber and is like "I'm sad and everybody sucks." Personally to me it reads more like an average 14 year old's understanding of depression than actually resonating with any specific experiences. The Tears for Fears' version is chaotic, racing, and frantic and feels like it communicates a more specific emotional landscape. It presents both the stress and the intoxicating allure of madness. It feels like it expresses disconnection and paranoia rather than superiority. It might not be memorable to you, but to me it's much deeper and more resonant than the cover.

[@rileyk5228]

The Tears for Fears one is better. Jules is maudlin in the worst way lol

[@wplants9793]

Yes Hallelujah!!

[@merrymary767]

I can't listen to Cash's " Hurt" without crying. He breaks my heart every time. It seems fitting that was his last big hit. We'll never hear his like again.

[@arthurdurham]

Some other honorable mentions imo: Valerie - Amy Winehouse The Man Who Sold The World - Nirvana Twist and Shout - The Beatles Piece of My Heart - Janis Joplin The First Cut is the Deepest - Sheryl Crowe Knocking on Heaven's Door - Guns N Roses Hallelujah - Jeff Buckly/Rufus Wainwright Proud Mary - Tina Turner Killing Me Softly with His Song - Lauren Hill (Fugees) Skinny Love - Birdy Mad World - Gary Jules Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper Cum On Feel The Noize - Quiet Riot Free Fallin' - John Mayer (which one is more popular is arguable) Big Yellow Taxi - Counting Crows House of the Rising Sun - The Animals Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm Mickey - Toni Basil

[@JK-gm6kk]

Nirvana covering where did you sleep last night too. Amazing

[@tjrmakhetha]

You snapped🔥🔥

[@mischievousmonkey4939]

These gotta be done

[@D.S.handle]

Big Yellow Taxi cover by Bob Dylan is also very good

[@arthurdurham]

@@JK-gm6kk Oh true! Such a good cover

[@ornj1]

So glad you mentioned Chris Cornell’s cover of Nothing Compared 2 U. That whole album is full of absolutely incredible covers and is easily one of my favorite albums of all time, performed by my absolute favorite artist. R.I.P. Chris Cornell

[@Mystress1980]

I'm glad Dolly's getting a huge payday from Whitney's version. That said, some of us are old enough to know that Dolly brought that song to #1 not once, but TWICE. I'd say plenty of people like her OG version too. I liken it to Simon & Garfunkle's The Sound of Silence and Disturb's cover. Both are very, very good in entirely different ways.

[@suebob16]

I do remember Dolly's duet version of I Will Always Love You with Vince Gill. That was such a touching version sung by two of the most pure and unique voices out there.

[@fedoramcclaren4294]

Oh my goodness...the Disturbed version is beautiful!!! It was unexpected awesomeness!!!

[@mikeveenhuis9160]

The Disturbed version is like a cheesegrater to my ears. One of the worst covers I've ever heard. It loses all of its sublety and sense of purpose when that bombastic bellowing voice is played on top of a piece that is grand in its smallness.

[@guitarbass22]

@@mikeveenhuis9160 I also disagree with the original comment you’re replying to, that the Simon and Garfunkel version is better, but that’s a bit harsh 😂😂 Honestly, Disturbed’s version is pretty decent, but doesn’t have the same feeling as the original. Similar to Metallica’s cover of “Turn the Page” for those who are huge Peter Frampton fans.

[@NeverlandSystemPixie]

The original Sound of Silence is meh, imho. GREAT lyrics, but the almost pop happy hippy sounds of it just take away from the message, imho. Disturbed does it worlds better with intense gravitas and somber and almost angry hurt tones S&G couldn't even fathom...

[@markcarr3196]

I’ll throw in Bangles version of “Hazy Shade of Winter”. That was GREAT!!

[@skillen19]

I don't know if it's as famous in the US as the UK but Soft Cell's cover of Tainted Love should absolutely be in this list

[@zhenia2511]

The best version of the song though is by Coil. It completely reframes the lyrics and makes "Tainted Love" dark and depressing.

[@Bacopa68]

The Soft Cell version is absolutely famous among eighties kids in the US.

[@camb6017]

I'll be honest had no idea that Soft Cell's was a cover

[@ShadowOfCicero]

I think the Soft Cell version was the only one that broke America in the first place.

[@angrytreeclimber]

@@camb6017 I learned the soft cell version was a cover when GTA: San Andreas had the Gloria Jones version.

[@Yoshimitsu4prez]

You just showed it for a second, but that Denzel Curry Bulls On Parade cover is SO raw. I knew he was gonna kill it from the first “COME WIT IT NOW”

[@maxresdefault_]

"Yes nerds, we're gonna do All Along the Watchtower" You know us too well

[@maxresdefault_]

By the way, I Won't Back Down is another Johnny Cash cover that's quite special.

[@voutsider190]

Lol

[@MomLAU]

Love U2's version of AAtW too!

[@lukerestlessstudios]

Michael Hedges’ cover is my favorite.

[@simpsonwizekid]

I know Dylan even says that Hendrix's version of All Along the Watchtower is the better version, and performs it live that way, but I prefer the original version. That being said, I prefer The Byrd's version of My Back Pages to the original

[@JCTEAM60]

When the original writer and performer tells everyone that someone else’s version is THE version - you have your answer.

[@natet5959]

The mere mention of Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt causes me to tear up.

[@Bacopa68]

Yeah, it's an almost cry song.

[@atomicgator5207]

Same.

[@datadivanet]

There's also a version on youtube of Trent doing it as a duet with David Bowie. Pretty incredible.

[@wesdiego08]

One hundred percent!

[@Dave5843-d9m]

Johnny Cash takes a good song and turns it into a powerhouse of raw emotion.

[@peterc6156]

I'm someone who's is often emotionally effected by music. That's one of the reasons that, as much as I love NiN and Trent Reznor, I can't listen to them for long periods of time. He's a master at conveying his emotion. Johnny Cash's version of Hurt would almost reduce me to tears for the exact reason the narrator stated.

[@XANAX-Pilled]

I've been an NIN fanatic since age 12 (92) and was at the 94 show where much of the video for their (then) new single, Hurt, was filmed, and it's burned DEEP into my psyche. The older I got, the more it resonated. I'm also a lifelong Cash aficionado. Johnny's version, especially paired with the video, and followed by his escape from this plane, utterly transforms the meaning. It's not even the same song, to me. It's damn near fair use territory. It ALSO impacts me more, the older i get. Neither is better.

[@futuristic.handgun]

I wholeheartedly agree. They are equally as stellar and S tier, just in different ways because they are performed from different perspectives of pain. Both I have grown with and grown to understand new meanings in them the older I get as well. 🤘

[@XANAX-Pilled]

@@futuristic.handgun Precisely. 94, i related the NIN version, first, to puppy love. Then came addiction issues. Now i'm over 40 and truly contemplating mortality, which is what Cash was getting at. I feel you.

[@futuristic.handgun]

@@XANAX-Pilled Dude, same. 🖤

[@Menuki]

An good cover doesn’t necessarily have to be “better” It just has to stand on its own merits. Not relying on or needing the original to convey emotions…whether it’s the writer’s or singer’s

[@fedoramcclaren4294]

Yes... Both versions stand firm on their own... The original, based on attempts at departing from addiction, has a different feel from Johnny's cover, which feels more of him preparing for the final stage of the physical stage. Nine Inch Nails' version feels as if it is building on trauma, whole Johnny's version feels as acceptance for departure. This is just my take on it... 💜🖤💜

[@hearnXcore]

Excellent vid, would love a part 2 of this concept

[@natet5959]

"And you could have it all. My empire of dirt." Some of the best lyrics ever.

[@lizziewalker9374]

Another transformative song is "Bridge over Troubled Water". I grew up with Aretha singing that version and the cover was so good that I had a hard time listening to any other cover of it. Even Elvis's cover of the same song pales despite how rich his voice sounds. The original by Paul Simon (music/lyrics) and Art Garfunkel (vocals) was and still is hauntingly beautiful, but when Ri-Ri recorded it she exalted it to an untouchable level. Simon said that he had heard a gospel phrase from a Baptist gospel song. You can hear the underlying gospel chords in the piano in the original song. Simon had said that he'd taken his song to mainstream, but Aretha brought it right back to church. Her version eclipsed the original in that sense.

[@MartinUnderwood]

Great video. Two things: 1. I'm really glad to see Cornell's cover included, as while not definitive, it's definitely excellent. 2. Since she's top of mind to a lot of folks right now, it's hard not to have one of these lists without Proud Mary being in the conversation. Both versions of the song are excellent, but I really can't deny that Tina's version is THE version that nearly everyone instantly thinks of. RIP Tina.

[@guitarbass22]

Proud Mary is one of those CCR songs that you don’t mind being covered. But for me personally, I could never listen to anyone else sing “Lookin Out My Back Door” except CCR.

[@girlgreenivy]

I was not aware there was an original version of proud mary. Tina really made it her own

[@_seaiscalling42_]

5:50 Arctic Monkeys 'Hold On, We're Going Home' is such a legendary cover, instantly recognized it!

[@TheBridgieShow]

One song I think needs a mention is "I Fought the Law". Goes from post-Buddy Holly Crickets B-Side in 1960 to a very similar, British Invasion-inspired top 10 hit with Bobby Fuller Four in 1965. Then The Clash turned it into an absolute punk classic in 1979 - and now there are a bunch of punk covers of varying quality. Also, shoutout to Dead Kennedys for completely rewriting the song and flipping it on its head to the point where it barely counts as a cover anymore.

[@xfeelsgoodmanx]

This is the song that first comes to mind when I think of covers being better/more popular than the original

[@generalmcterror2718]

The Stray Cats had a really good rendition which is faithful to the style but the beginning drum beat at the beginning I think really gets the song going

[@scott_pilgrim]

Yes!! I love the Dead Kennedy's version -- I fought the law and I won!

[@kaptainkyle70]

I heard the Grateful Dead close with this song at Autzen Stadium in '93. It was pretty fantastic.

[@velvetrooster5569]

What about “I Shot the Sheriff” by Eric Clapton and covered by Ziggy Marlin

[@jshumphress13]

I love that you threw in Chris Cornell's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U". It is full of soul, and I just love it.

[@cpt_nordbart]

Hurt from Cash is a great finale to a storied and difficult career.

[@ericortega1745]

The only Man that shot his girl while high on cocaine. He fought his dad. He played two harmonica in front of prisoners. A legend 🍻

[@tommygraen4805]

Billy Joel said he preferred Garth Brooks’ Shameless over his own version. Disturbed did a beautiful cover of Sound of Silence. It was a bit slower in tempo, but it was more powerful, and not just because it was a metal group performing it. It just felt more raw emotion than the original

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

I prefer the original Simon and Garfunkle. but Disturbed did a very nice take that changed the song to more of an "angry young man" angle on it.

[@freddthurman3935]

I was a teenager when I first heard Hurt cover of Johnny Cash. I never really heard of him prior to that but I was a big NIN fan. When I first heard the cover, I was awestruck by the emotional depth of the version. I already knew it was better than Trent Reznor's version. I instantly became a Johhn Cash fan

[@bookaufman9643]

He didn't say I can't believe what I heard he said "I can't believe what I saw." I think Reznor is referring to Johnny Cash's video for Hurt which definitely puts the song on to a whole other level. I think if the video wasn't made it would have never had the recognition that it has. It would have its fans but it wouldn't be considered the definitive version. That video is amazing and it puts the whole story of Johnny Cash's life and loss out there for us to see..

[@ThelateDomC.]

The way I think of it, Dylan's 'Watchtower' feels like some old medieval poem at points, this biblical looping journey; carrying so much weight behind every word. It paints a vivid image of castles and fields. Hendrix's is just awesome, plain and simple.

[@fobwatchful]

As a rule, songwriters LOVE when songs they've written become even bigger hits. It means that they get more royality checks! This was certanly true with Dolly Parton and "I will always love you." "Ring of Fire" was another song that became more famous after it was covered by Johnny Cash. June Carter had given it to her sister Anita to record first, but Johnny Cash's arangement and vocals turned it into a major hit.

[@harrisonv.5906]

Chris Cornell’s version of Nothing Compares 2 U will always be *the* version of this song to me. So powerful, elicits so many emotions. Love hearing it brought up in these conversations, more people should give it a listen

[@rileyk5228]

It makes a better argument than purple saying his cover of patience is any good lol

[@rd6203]

Yeah, I feel like there's a good reason he chose not to release Patience. He's one of the greatest musicians of his lifetime and he knew better.

[@danielledoyle896]

Also, his cover of Billie Jean is supreme 👌

[@garymaidman625]

Try Chris Stapleton's live tribute of this song. It for me is number one. Absolutely incredible.

[@queiroz.ortopedia]

Indeed

[@a.grimes4202]

The Oak Ridge Boys cover of Dallas Frazer’s 1966 song“Elvira”, from 1981, blows the original away. It was the second cover version, after Rodney Crowell in 1978, but Frazer’s original only hit #72 on the _Billboard_ Hot 100, and Crowell’s cover only barely cracked the list at a peak of #95. Meanwhile, in 1981, The Oak Ridge Boys version soared all the way to #5, and it’s just a joy to listen to.

[@mutantdog.]

The original version of Hurt really works best within the context of Downward Spiral. There is optimism in its climax as the possibility for the album’s protagonist to ‘start again’ and ‘find a way’ is still within reach. That’s not the case when Cash sings it however. As a standalone track his version is probably the definitive one.

[@frankheffleyofficial8806]

i don’t think you realise that hurt is literally about a dying man regretting suicide and looking back on his life, feeling nothing. not particularly optimistic but i get why you’d think that

[@mutantdog.]

@@frankheffleyofficial8806 I know, but crucially he is still conscious and able to contemplate his decision. He attempts suicide but its kinda open-ended as to whether he actually dies though.

[@marso_sounds]

Interesting point of view, since I always viewed the heavy guitar strum at the end of the original as a metaphor for death

[@mickdarcy3063]

@@marso_sounds That part at the end,for me, felt like an emulation of a heroin rush, which could end in death.

[@illuminaticonfirmed1389]

@@frankheffleyofficial8806 yeah. to me it makes it more depressing that in the original, trent reznor has hardly even lived life by that point due to how young he was. he’d thrown his life away before he could even really start it, which makes it the best version of the song to me.

[@weirdalfan1980]

Pet shop boys made 2 covers that are now classics. They did "Always on my mind," which was a Willie Nelson classic, Elvis and Original Brenda Lee. And Go West was an obscure Village People song that Pet Shop Boys made their own.

[@XANAX-Pilled]

Pet Shop Boys did a lot of killer Bowie mixes, too. Sadly, I have an incurable allergy to house music. But, I appreciate some of those db mixes, which are DAMN near covers, TBH

[@PadisherCreel]

It's Alright is also a cover of a Sterling Void track

[@its9galaxie3]

I'm such a huge fan of their cover medley "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You)" which is by U2/Frankie Valli, just discovered them this year and I really find that song to be really amazing 👌funny thing also, my expartner loved Lauryn Hill's version and I ended liking it too but not as much as PSB's

[@XANAX-Pilled]

@@its9galaxie3 I love stuff like that. I do a Babe I'm Gonna Leave You/Love Song thing (LZ style/The Cure). "How ever far away...I'm NEVER gonna leave you!/baby...you know I'm gonna leave you!" etc. I'll throw in parts of Del Shannon's Runaway if I'm feeling cute. :p

[@its9galaxie3]

@@XANAX-Pilled awwwww that is cute :3 I think for me it was that hell of a coincidence that PSB covered it too and since I recently discovered them I instantly loved, same with Always On My Mind

[@DanteYewToob]

Rick Rubin kinda put into words what I was thinking. Not to ever diminish anyone’s pain, but you just feel like Johnny Cash knows TRUE Hurt with a capital H. Most people have and will suffer, but few understand true suffering and it changes you. You can’t fake that…

[@JayBigDadyCy]

"I'm so Into You" is such a great jam. Gambino's cover is great, but i love the original. Tamia is so talented and beautiful. She is Canadian as well, which i don't think people knew back in the day. Awaken My Love is one of the best albums of the past 25 years though. Dude is insanely talented

[@ricardochiodelli2652]

Black Sabbath's "Changes" played by Charles Bradley is insanity. Easily the best cover I've ever listened to. It's pure emotion.

[@mayonnaisegayaf]

Black Sabbath's version is definitely better.

[@ricardochiodelli2652]

@@mayonnaisegayaf I don't know man. Sabbath's version is really good (and I obviously heard it before), but this cover just gets me. It's so beautiful.

[@taracarroll4218]

I really like the Ozzy and Kelly version of Changes that creates the father/daughter relationship theme. Ozzy coming to terms Kelly is not his little girl anymore, she's (at the time) becoming a grown woman. And will no doubt in the future impact Kelly when she has to say goodbye to her father.

[@danoaudio9896]

big miss on Alfo part....with the exception of maybe Cash's cover of NIN...Charles Bradley now owns Changes forever

[@andychristensen2947]

ayep. IIRC he did that song shortly after his mother died. It is a heart ripper.

[@coolnegative]

Bette Midler's huge comeback song from the "Beaches" soundtrack, "Wind Beneath My Wings" was also a cover like Whitney Houston's, of an older song by a country artist.

[@MrLatast]

Like A Version is only briefly mentioned here but for all non-Australians, I highly recommend you check it out. Weekly covers from big artists and Australian local artists. My first recommendation is DMA's Believe by Cher

[@maxpole8501]

Johnny cash's cover of hurt is just so iconic and powerful. It is still played today and even was in movies and was the song of choise for the logan trailer

[@Kn1ght_Shade17]

That was so moving in Logan, absolutely amazing music

[@SingingSealRiana]

IT was so damned impactful and fitting for logan

[@siege5557]

You need to add the man who sold the world by Nirvana and Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley

[@francescomonopoli9270]

I don't know, I love Jeff's version of Hallelujah, but I think the original is even better.

[@BonaparteBardithion]

@@francescomonopoli9270 My biggest gripe with Buckley's is that he ommited some of the best verses and a good decade of covers that followed his did the same. Those verses were arguably the thesis statement of the entire piece, so it's good to see them starting to show up again in newer covers.

[@dazdoesart2197]

the man who sold the world cover by nirvana is so good, i forgot the original by david bowie even existed and im a huge bowie fan

[@Arclite02]

Reznor's version of Hurt is loaded with all of the angsty, edgy pain that a young man can muster, and that gives it a serious edge... But Cash? That is a man with grief, sorrow and regret on a scale that's all but impossible to fathom. All the slow, aching pain of what seems like far more years than a lifetime could reasonably encompass. One is a shark, cruising the ocean depths. The other is a Leviathan, looming up out of the abyss. There's really no comparison.

[@nikkifennel]

Today I absolutely add "The Best" as everybody is using it to say goodbye to the great Tina Turner, most of them not knowing it is a version of a Bonnie Tyler song. Amazing video, thank you for your good work! Greetings from Spain!

[@Everythingwithonehand]

I prefer Dolly’s version of “I Will Always Love You” because I feel you can practically hear her heart breaking as she sings the lyrics.

[@jonvthvnx5729]

No mention of Nirvana’s cover of Bowie’s Man Who Sold The World? That was the first song that came to mind when I seen the video title.

[@jonvthvnx5729]

Great work on the video btw!

[@johnonlookout4571]

Same! And I loved Nirvanas' cover too because it felt like Cobain made his guitar itself sing. He put a lot of soul into his cover.

[@jlee3479]

Never seen any of your videos but this earned a follow 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 top tier video

[@munchcat]

Hurt is one of those songs I love both versions of for different reasons. They really do feel like two different songs, both incredibly well-done, both with so much emotion, but from very different perspectives.

[@fedoramcclaren4294]

Absolutely!!!

[@tomweather8887]

I'm a NIN fan first, but my God, if anybody has done a cover justice, it's Johnny Cash with Hurt. You can see that he's lived and breathed every word of that song. He and Trent have tasted the same pain.

[@imraan8521]

Probably my favorite cover of all time is Stevie Wonder's talkbox rendition of The Carpenter's "Close to You", which he transitions into a cover of the Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye". Gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it.

[@josemariareyes3448]

When he hits that “and that is why”

[@hannahwicks7197]

The Cranberries also have a great cover of close to you

[@Eric_Hunt194]

Sonic Youth's version of "Superstar" by The Carpenters deserves a mention too.

[@caroldragon7545]

I like Dolly's version of "I will always love you" best .

[@keepmewierd]

6:56 "the woman on the keys" is Lynette Willams, put some r-e-s-p-e-c-t on my girl's name! lol She also plays keys for Lizzo

[@BowieRulez]

Sinead has one of the best voices ever. One of the strangest things about Trent Reznor's Hurt is that he wrote it at least 2 years before he himself ever took drugs.

[@aritrorouthdas2005]

One of my favorite covers which dominates the original for me is Somebody I Used To Know cover by Mayday Parade ft. Vic Fuentes. Both of these songs' emotions are very different. In the original by Gotye and Kimbra the song is mellow song filled with pain and sadness while the cover is filled with anger and bitterness.

[@tobi1314]

Just gonna say this once: When Johnny Cash makes a cover of a song, that song becomes his. He makes the definitive version of any song that he plays!

[@rodh1404]

His cover of Ring of Fire says it all.

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

He definitely couldn't have done this with many songs, but he did great with hurt.

[@devreed5931]

his cover of big iron isnt THE version

[@dyrr836]

I think it would be fun to tackle specific songs that attract lots of cover versions and explore which ones resonate the most. For example, Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill has fantastic covers by both Placebo and Within Temptation, and I'm sure the song's resurgence last year has spawned a bunch of new ones I'm unaware of.

[@CoasterMagicX2]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWSvdKpvq859mdE I'm so sorry to share with you this

[@williamdickerson8100]

Covers have been a part of the music industry for a long time. Most of the early Beatles albums were covers. Most of Elvis's songs were covers. I read once that Dolly was all set to let him cover "I will always love you" until his agent explained that he expected to have full rights to the song

[@canadam1983]

Chris Cornell's Nothing compares to you is the best version for imo... It's a 100% tearjerker that I can only listen when I'm alone

[@saoirsedeltufo7436]

Other than the examples you mentioned, Proud Mary (Tina and Ike Turner), Blinded By The Light (Manfred Mann) and Black Magic Woman (Santana) are some personal favourites, plus I love jazz covers like Coltrane's My Favourite Things or Davis' Summertime. The ones that hit the hardest for me as pure covers though are ones that completely recontextualise the song, something like Disturbed's cover of Sound of Silence or Gary Jules' cover of Mad World, where you can really enjoy both the original and cover side by side

[@carolelaforge5318]

I so agree. Sound of Silence is so much more meaningful.

[@wellurban]

Grace Jones is amazing in being able to make a cover song her own but in a way that somehow manages to make the original better too. Nightclubbing, Walking in the Rain and Warm Leatherette are all great songs in their own right (and I especially love the raw synth sounds of The Normal’s original of Warm Leatherette), but her versions become almost definitive without detracting from the originals.

[@Yowza78]

I also love her version of La Vie en Rose.

[@fedoramcclaren4294]

Oh my goodness...YES!!!

[@fotis1964]

Totally right.

[@jdjohnson7299]

Tom Petty wrote an extra verse for her version of "Breakdown" because he loved that she wanted to cover it

[@ejay7606]

Luther Vandross has a lot of covers people didn’t realize they were covers. Prince did release “Nothing compare 2 U” live version on “Hits and B-Sides” triple cd years before he passed. He also had his cover of “One of Us”, his songs “If I was your girlfriend “ which TLC covered and “I feel for you” sung by Chaka Khan

[@Adams4000]

I just learned Prince gave the Bangle the song Manic Monday. They were literally called while they were making an album and were told to come to his studio to pick up a song he wrote for them. He had recorded it to a CD not just handing over some written lyrics.

[@jimmiesmith5811]

Him and Aretha

[@redzwestisbest]

I'd argue that Prince's version of If I was your girlfriend is way superior than TLC's cover. Same with I Feel for you, though Khan's version was a bigger hit.

[@discodiva4833]

I’m a massive Queen fan but there are songs I hate. Get Down Make Love is one of those songs. But when I heard NIN’s cover it made my jaw drop. It turned the song into something I absolutely loved!

[@johngunderson5463]

I felt the same way about Get Down Make Love when I first heard it. I changed my mind when I heard it live. Freddy commented that they loved playing it live and that it got better each time they did. I have to agree.

[@JesseJames7-8-9]

So glad you hit on Cornell’s version of NC2U. Seriously a tear dropper. Tool’s Led Zep cover of No Quarter is a signal fire as well.

[@dollz4ever]

I think that No doubts cover of "It's my life" should have been on here, maybe not so much of an iconic song but definitely a popular one. They did such a good job covering it and reinventing the song but keeping it like the original at the same time.

[@thdide0]

How in the world did you not include lauryn hill. Both killing me softly with his song and cant take my eyes off of you are classics and some of the best covers of all time.

[@its9galaxie3]

Agreed on the former but the latter I would say Pet Shop Boys did great even though they only sung one line and the rest was U2's Where The Streets Have No Name

[@TheBassicBassist]

You just show me that piano closing from the Johnny Cash video and my eyes water. That song is incomparable.

[@Thin_Whlte_Duke]

Honorable mention: Nirvana's "The man who sold the world" (Bowie's song), "Higher Ground" by RHCP (Stevie Wonder's song), "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley (original by Leonard Cohen), Bowie's "Wild Is the Wind" (Johnny Mathis), "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (Gloria Jones) and a lot of covers by Led Zeppelin and The Beatles

[@jellymun5867]

Great video! One of my favourite covers which completely elevates the original version of a song is Kirin J Callinan's cover of "The Whole Of The Moon". The raw emotion and power of his voice is incredible on the track and is almost like if Bowie had covered it

[@jessjordan4374]

Childish Gambino- So Into You. Absolute Perfection. This song has been life changing. ❤️

[@indigosnow_]

Charles Bradley doing Changes by Sabbath has to be up there. Similar to Johnny doing Hurt. Both wreck me but oof, Bradley kills it

[@garyhempel6316]

If Dolly Parton's "I will Always Love You" is a Ferrari, Whitneys is a yugo. No contest.

[@ghostlightning]

When he said "yes nerds, we're gonna do 'All along the watchtower' ... I fucking felt that.

[@LdyVaJedi]

Dolly Parton’s I will always you is the best. Whitney Huston is just screaming

[@alexkonoff2273]

For me it’s Adele doing Bob Dylan’s make you feel my love. I feel like that song was written for her

[@FizzyCape]

It’s kind of sad how dylan is such a good songwriter that his songs are covered by countless popular artists, but he’s such a bad singer than everyone likes the covers better.

[@ebeth5891]

I grew up listening to the Garth Brooks version! Just a beautiful song for so many artists ❤

[@UnlockYaChakras]

Glad I didn't have to scroll far for this one. Fell in love with the Adele version after my wife showed it to me and one of the first things I thought was "this kinda sounds like a cover of a Bob Dylan song" 😅 I had never heard the original before but I agree, this song was made for her

[@theart7111]

@@FizzyCape bob is a good singer, no one does any of he's songs better than him.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

@@FizzyCape There might be 2 exceptions - but almost anything Dylen wrote was better sung by other(s).

[@TheSiemek]

“My empire of dart” hits just different in Cash’s cover.

[@williamblas]

The man who sold the world has to be up there imo

[@SAPProd]

Bear McCreary’s cover of All Along the Watchtower for Battlestar Galactica is a great version of the song. I loved how it was used as both a plot point and a thematic thru line for the series at the end. I listen to it often.

[@dylanadams1455]

A few more songs where the cover is probably known as the definitive verison for most: Tainted Love - Soft Cell, The Tide Is High - Blondie, I Fought The Law - The Clash, Dub Be Good To Me - Beats International (actually the first mashup I can think of), Step On - Happy Mondays

[@nikkiLee-hf6gx]

I fought the law by the clash, as a whole, is not the more known version.

[@GoneAsGoneCanBe]

Missed out on the Charles Bradley cover of Black Sabbath's Changes. Such a powerful rendition.

[@naolmstead]

As a teenager in the 90's Nine Inch Nails is my version of Hurt, but I will always remember seeing teens of the early 2010's commenting about how it was weird that NIN added a swear word to Cash's song because they didn't know it's origin. Pretty sure I saw those comment on Unwoman's cover of the song which just adds another layer of covers. Or maybe it was Sad Kermit's cover of it.

[@ericlurio246]

When asked about Witney Houstan's version, Dolly Parton mentioned how much she enjoyed getting those royalty checks.

[@lolabush2201]

That cover of I’m So Into You is one of the best performances and songs ever. It was a gift. The entire band is amazing, especially the keyboardist. And Childish Gambino sings like an angel. It’s important to recognize he doesn’t change the pronouns, he keeps all the original lyrics. Not everyone would be that secure.

[@Courier1018]

That keyboard on the cover is legendary!

[@richparkinson9647]

I'll put that video on at least a handful of times a year. I absolutely love it. I love the original, but man the cover is brilliant.

[@unclegaga24]

Another Childish Gambino cover that should be mentioned is his version of the Garth Brooks song Lost In You. Did I say Garth Brooks? My bad. I meant to say Chris Gaines.

[@sirkat344]

I really like Haley Reinhart's (w/ PMJ) versions of Creep and 7 Nation Army not just because I like her, but by how they really changed the songs. Great take on 2 songs that were good ones to start with. Oddly, I think that Don't Hurry Love , done by both D.Ross & Supremes and Phil Collins is interchangable w/ each other. great groove on both.

[@BonaparteBardithion]

Phil Collins' version of "You Can't Hurry Love" is just a little too stylistically similar, which is why it's hard to compare them. His version is good because the original is good. Interchangable is definitely the right word. His version of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" on the other hand is a little more distinct if straightforward.

[@copbabycombo1311]

I just relistened to the two versions of Hurt yesterday trying to decide which was better. Great timing

[@ewan897]

what did you decide?

[@nathanpapp432]

The NIN version is just much more interesting from a purely musical standpoint.

[@randomnerd3402]

​@@nathanpapp432 It hits a lot harder when listening to it in the album. Personally I think Nine Inch Nails' opening song, Somewhat Damaged, of their album following The Downward Spiral, The Fragile, directly ties in with Hurt, as there's just white noise at the end of Hurt, until it goes silent, then the music kicks back in, instrument by instrument in Somewhat Damaged.

[@copbabycombo1311]

@@ewan897 I really like both of them but the original is better

[@jager9022]

​@@randomnerd3402 I think Trent has said that The Fragile is a sort of sequel to The Downward Spiral (correct me if I'm wrong) so you'd be correct in thinking that

[@SeanConway99]

Chris Cornell's cover of nothing compares 2 u is the ultimate cover; playing a great song without seeking monetary gains out of it

[@dukesilver702]

I want to share a bottle of whiskey with Alfo and talk music

[@__Black_Sheep__]

Disturbed's version of Sound of Silence is one of the greatest songs ever. Alien Ant Farm has such a good cover of smooth criminal that for about 15 years, i thought it was the original.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

Personally, my favourite version of "Hurt" was the live version by NIN and David Bowie on his Outside tour. I had a video of that show and as I was more of a Bowie fan, I wasn't familiar with the song as the only NIN album I owned was Pretty Hate Machine. So maybe it's just because I heard it first, but I just prefer that arrangement with Bowie doing harmony vocals with Reznor. It doesn't have the emotional impact of the Johnny Cash version but it's just a wonderful piece of music and it's a shame it's never really been properly released (it's on a long deleted NIN video but other than that we only had bootlegs, I think NIN have added the video to KZbin now). I'd love to see one of those shows get an official release, or at least an EP of the set the 2 bands did together.

[@Rayvn7]

.....Um nobody cares whether anything has "the emotion of Johnny Cash", because uh you know NIN actually recorded thing song too??? With like 50x more emotional impact then Johnny Cash?????

[@adam_mawz_maas]

@@Rayvn7 The NiN/Bowie version is distinct from the original track and has never been properly released

[@WelshGamer11]

Favourite covers Whiskey in the jar - Metallica Sound of silence - Disturbed Africa - Weezer Hurt - Cash Another brick in the wall - Korn

[@ajford3973]

Glowing by Slaughter Beach Dog is one of my favorite covers. The original by Superweaks is fast and very in your face, while Jake made it one of the more calming songs i’ve heard in a while.

[@captainsunshine3d]

THATS A COVER????

[@ajford3973]

@@captainsunshine3d YUP

[@AlfoMedia]

omfg i had no idea

[@darkmyro]

"hurt" is the quintessential cover that outshines the original. The original is fine, but hearing the cash version in cash's rumbling deep voice is like hearing thunder before a hurricane. The first one sounds like a thunderstorm by comparison. I mean I know that has to suck to have one of your songs like just taken metaphorically away from you like that ( and yeah I know it wasn't literally taken away, but even the original singer/ song writer says cash's version is the definitive one) that quote too is also too on point on why cash's version hits so much harder.

[@FragglevisionReturns]

Some of my favorites (not all of them have overshadowed the originals but still): Song to the Siren - This Mortal Coil Chandelier - Damien Rice Head Over Heels - Japanese Breakfast Got to Get You Into My Life - Earth Wind and Fire Wonderwall - Ryan Adams Get the Party Started - Shirley Bassey Doin' Time - Lana Del Rey No Woman No Cry - Tems Sing - Carpenters Over the Rainbow - Eva Cassidy and of course Holding Out for a Hero - Jennifer Saunders honorable mention to Joni Mitchell overshadowing HER OWN original version of Both Sides Now with a richly textured reworking decades later that gave the lyrics more subtext

[@michaelodonnell824]

If you are going to include the Joni Mitchell (and I think you should), you can't ignore the way Eric Clapton pared down the music yet massively increased the vocal intensity in his acoustic album...

[@medealkemy]

Ooof, Got to Get You into my Life, good one

[@NateSearson]

I can't believe I had to scroll so far to see Holding Out For A Hero!

[@ecMathGeek]

Two things that would have made this video better, imo: 1) A list with all the songs and artists with timestamps where they're mentioned (I see a "list" at the bottom of the info, but it seems more designed for search algorithms than people) 2) Links to those songs (assuming KZbin will allow you to do that) so that we can listen to them and compare for ourselves One of the struggles of discussing music on KZbin is that KZbin won't let you actually play samples of the music. But even if you can't play it, I'd suggest at least making it easier for us, the viewers, to experience it on our own.

[@MartiniBlankontherest]

Michael Hedges's version of 'All Along' was at the time very overlooked and strange but has in recent years been one of the most important pieces in guitar Zeitgeist inspiring acts like Jon Gomm and Mike Dawes, really wished it got a mention.

[@SirFranzJosef]

The Jhonny Cash version of the hurt hits different.

[@tss3393]

This was a live performance and not a recording, but Taylor Momsen's cover of Like A Stone she played right after Chris Cornell's death cuts deep.

[@caroldragon7545]

After listening to both versions I know why I like Dolly better. So many singers, including Whitney, have the habit of making one syllable into several, which I don't care for.

[@ritahorvath8207]

Some " singers" are yelling . Dolly is singing ❣ .