Johnny Cash did a good job with "Hurt"

All along the watchtower covered by Hendrix.

Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm

It may be a trite answer for this question, but I still gotta go with Gary Jules' cover of Mad World by Tears for Fears from the Donnie Darko soundtrack. I appreciate both versions, but the cover is truly haunting. I also heard that version first, and I was at the right age when Donnie Darko came out for it to make a lasting impression on me.

Soft Cell — Tainted Love

ZOMG, no one has mentioned this version of What's up by 4 non blondes

Its sung by he-man and friends and is catchy AF, even in 2026

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FR7wOGyAzpw

I’m going to save this for later, but then never check my saved threads

Hallelujah

Written and originally sung by Leonard Cohen:

https://youtu.be/YrLk4vdY28Q

But it was Jeff Buckley's hauntingly beautiful cover of it that made the song known to the world:

https://youtu.be/y8AWFf7EAc4

Maggie's Farm by RATM.

Orgy - Blue Monday

Chris Cornell - Nothing Compares 2 U

Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

Eric Clapton — I Shot the Sheriff (original by Bob Marley)
Disturbed — Sound of Silence (original by Simon & Garfunkel)
Manfred Mann — Blinded By the Light (original by Bruce Springsteen)

I love all of the original artists, but someone else did the definitive version of all of these. Disturbed is probably debatable, but I do think it's better.

Mad World

I was shocked when I finally heard the original after hearing like 3 or 4 covers of it first. Tears for Fears' original version is just... It's not bad, but it's the least good version of that song. Lol.

Pet Shop Boys, Always on my mind, IMHO much better than the Elvis Presley original.

Cake - I will Survive

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World

• Jimi Hendrix – "All Along the Watchtower”

Johnny Cash – "Hurt”

Aretha Franklin – "Respect"

Joe Cocker – "With A Little Help From My Friends"

Jeff Beck - “Morning Dew”

Glen Campbell- “Wichita Lineman”

Bruce Springsteen - “Trapped”

Janis Joplin - “Me and Bobby McGee”

Talking Heads - “Take Me To The River”

Bangles: Hazy shade of winter

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: I love Rock’n’Roll

• Video Killed The Radio Star cover by The Presidents of the United States of America
• Major Tom (Coming Home) by Shiny Toy Guns
• Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These by Marilyn Manson

David Draimen is a bootlicking chud but I love Disturbed's cover of Sound of Silence. Fuck

I mostly listen to electronic music, where remix culture is huge. There are countless examples of remixes that I prefer to the original mix. Some of these examples, I dislike the original mix but do like a particular remix. And sometimes, I do still like the original mix but I just like a remix even more .

I prefer Perfect Circle's Fiddle And The Drum.

Orgy “Blue Monday”

Stairway to Heaven - Frank Zappa

Black History Month (Death From Above 1979), remixed by Death From Above 1979

Hurt (Nine Inch Nails), covered by Johnny Cash

Heatwave. Linda Ronstadt crushed it.

All Along The Watchtower, because Hendrix.

DNA & Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner

Janis Joplin - Piece of my Heart

Edit: Came back to add Blondie - The Tide is High. I was trying to think of it earlier, but it eluded me.

Devo’s cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.”

With a Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker

Every time we touch - Electric callboy

Still waiting - Electric callboy

I'm surprised no one has said Metallica's cover of "Turn The Page". The original Bob Seger version is great, but I feel like James and the boys did it better.

Land of Confusion by Disturbed is pretty good.

Norther - Final Countdown

Ramones - Do You Wanna Dance

Kill Your Idols - Goodbye to You

Judas Priest - Green Manalishi

AFI - Hanging Garden

Joan Jett - Love Hurts

Against All Authority - Centerfold

Fear Factory - Cars

and while not “better”, Cradle of Filth’s - Hallowed Be Thy Name is so over the top it circles back to entertaining.

Wicked Game - HIM

Radioactive - Within Temptation

The Trooper - The Hu

Viator (Ryu's theme) - Lame Genie

Toss A Coin To Your Witcher - Dan Vasc

Rather Be - Pentatonix

Baker Street - Foo Fighters

Don't Stop at the Top - Children of Bodom

They Don't Care About Us - Saliva

They Don't Care About Us - 2Cellos

The Jennifer Saunders version of Holding Out for a Hero from Shrek 2

Comfortably Numb by Scissor Sisters

Ring of Fire by Wall of Voodoo

Rusty Cage by Johnny Cash

I Feel Love by Dengue Fever

All I Want/Heroes by Lightouts

Jose Gonzalez' cover of Heartbeats by The Knife is otherworldly, although The Kinfe's live version is also incredible. both are, in my opinion, better than the album version.

Hurt by Johnny Cash - much better than the NiN version, to the point that Trent Reznor basically said "yea, it's his song now, he nailed it".

And then I have some more controversial takes...

-Faith by Limp Bizkit (instead of George Michael). Yes, I know, but seriously, it slaps.

-99 Red Balloons by Goldfinger.

-Gin and Juice by The Gourds.

• Sinead O'Connor's version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U".
• Joe Jackson's version of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh, Well".
• The Ramones version of the Spider-man TV show theme song.

Personally I have 2:

Discoproof as a remix of Bulletproof

A Little Less Conversation - Junkie XL

Kelly Clarkson covered Taylor Swift’s Better Man in her TV show a couple of years ago and it was an entirely different song. Like she felt it in her bones. She elevated it.

Postal Service turned Such Great Heights from a low-fi, indie-folk coffee shop vibe (originally done by Iron & Wine) into 100% millennial optimism pop.

Hilary & Hayley Duff covered Our Lips Are Sealed and I’m just kidding that one was actually terrible.

It's interesting reading about the musical taste on here. I feel the average demographic of lemmy is mostly USA based late gen X guys.

Been listening to "EDM" since long before it was known as that. Remixing has been the way with electronic music since it's inception.

A small amount of my favorite remixes in no particular order

The Prodigy - Out Of Space (Cut & Run Booty Space Mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsKfApf3jJg

Databass vs. Koma & Bones - Fade In 'The Program' (Koma & Bones Mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su3o-SG2IHM

Feelin Kinda Strange (Bass Kleph & Nick Thayer Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wB0ogEg6ew

Stanton Warriors - Shake It Up (Hook N Sling Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_W403tQrvU

The Streets - Blinded by the Lights (Nero Remix) www.youtube.com/watch?v=MomOlmprVO8

Freedom Failure One life left (John B Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtZmoVm9mAA

Juice WRLD - Conversations (Skeler Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUEVJ0N6I1A

I Feel Love (Dj Jamx & De Leon Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kEzFLkBR88

Sizzla I'm Living (Ed Solo & Stickybuds Remix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGqWkWUe-U0

TV On The Radio did an amazing version of Mr Grieves by Pixies

Charles Bradley singing “Changes”

A lot of Scary Pockets covers. Viva La Vida is a great one

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JP3nskD7ebU

Edit: how could I forget, Get Busy by Lawrence might be my favorite cover ever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q6nrrWLA_U

Chris Cornell's cover of Nothing compares to you

My Heart Will Go On — Dragonforce

Baker Street - Foo Fighters Boys of Summer - The Ataris

Faith No More's cover of War Pigs is so much better than the original Black Sabbath version.

Memories Can't Wait by Living Color (Talking Heads cover) I love Talking Heads with all of my being, but this cover knocks the original out of the park.

Common People by William Shatner (Pulp cover) The original can't compare to the raw emotion in this version. I recommend listening to the entire album 'Has Been'. It's so good.

I Believe by Melissa Hollick (Chris Isaacs cover) The first time I played Wolfenstein: The New Order, this song over the end credits got me right in the feels. Fuck me, I'm choking up again re-listening to it again just now.

I'll go with Common People, the Will Shatner version.

Tenacious D - Time Warp

Judas priest - diamonds and rust

Rebecca Black‘s cover of Fame is a Gun https://youtu.be/3sni1ckbBqw

I'll throw in some German ones for fun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu-D86SdOIo (Destillat remixed by VNV Nation, original by Das Ich)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E0pHytx4W4 (Eisbrecher cover of Goldener Reiter, original by Joachim Witt)

Drowning Pool’s Bodies done by Psychostick.

The Interrupters cover of "Bad Guy" and the Hailstorm cover of "Get Lucky" are 2 of my favorites.

Supernaut by 1000 homo djs

Limp Bizkit - Behind blue eyes

Voodoo People by Pendulum (original Prodigy)

Blinded by the Light

Written by Bruce Springsteen, but I think Manfred Mann did it much better.

I was only 19 by The Herd

Remixes are bit of weird thing, because depending on the genre the original release might already include remixes. See here: https://basskruit.bandcamp.com/album/kopstoot-ep ("Ketel (Requake Remix)" is my favourite on that EP)

I do enjoy it when the remix or cover completely changes the song's genre. Anyone up for metal remixes of pop songs? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jfpsiLx21k&list=RD8jfpsiLx21k

Skream's remix of La Roux's "In for the kill" is a true classic IMO. Hey, that's the second La Roux remix in this thread!

Type O Negative's version of "Summer Breeze" https://youtu.be/XNo7ZZryuSQ

Markus Kaarlonen's own remix of Space Debris comes to mind as an updated version of a classic track.

The original's great too, though.

Also, Jacob Szelag's Through the Nature is a pretty good remix of the Eyewitness theme.

The Alan Wilkis remix of The Who's Baba O'Riley.

Kim Wilde & Nena: Anywhere, any place, any time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8_8oeGwfnQ)

This a pretty controversial one, but Remix to Ignition was way better than Ignition. It was nice having something so hot and fresh out the kitchen.

For a particularly recent example, I think Maphra's cover of Doomed by Bring Me The Horizon is fantastic.

Animal (the muppets) - wipeout

Can't hear it without getting cheered up. Never fails.

Axel F

That frog lives rent free in my head.

Word Crimes, by Weird Al Yankovic

Well, maybe not better, but worth to mention, leo has to appear somewhere in this post:

Sultans of Swing metal cover by Leo Moracchioli (feat. Mary Spender)

Time and the Breathe Reprise by Greensky Bluegrass slaps harder than Pink Floyd's original.

And hol up... Torn by Natalie Imbruglia is a cover? Who does the OG? :O

Thin Lizzy - whiskey in the jar

The placemats - black diamond

Manfred Mann - blinded by the light

Propane Nightmares - Celldweller Remix

One of my favorite songs

Maniac by Carpenter Brut

Am I Evil - Metallica, originally by Diamond Head

Somebody that I used to know - Walk Off the Earth, originally by Gotye

Common People - William Shatner and Ben Folds, originally by Pulp.

The first because Metallica was just SO much cleaner, second because I thought the song was trash until I heard it by somebody who didn't mumble through the whole thing, the third... well the Shatner one isn't exactly good, but it's at least entertaining, which is more than can be said for the original.

Devos rendition of (I can't get no) Satisfaction really turns a mediocre song into something special.

Does Strejda Donald by Gutalax count? (Old MacDonald Had a Farm cover)

Nonpoint - In the air tonight

2! Drum breaks.

Alkaline Trio's cover of 'Rooftops' by Hot Water Music. So much more anger and release.

Fly Like an Eagle - Seal

Cradle Of Filth - Sleepless, cover of Anathema - Sleepless.

I am an enjoyer of Cradle Of Filth, but objectivly, their version has more color.

The classic Whitney Houston singing I Will Always Love You.

Chvrches cover of "Do I Wanna Know?" by the Arctic Monkeys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjwwmFrsX_E

The Coldcut remix of Eric B & Rakim’s “Paid In Full” takes the track to a new level.

Boys of Summer by The Ataris.

Or if you prefer EDM, maybe Boys of Summer by DJ Sammy

Feeling Good has like a hundred covers, but my favorite is Michael Buble:

https://youtu.be/Edwsf-8F3sI

Gamma Ray's «It's a Sin» (original by Pet Shop Boys)

Knocking on heaven's door by GnR

Heavy metal mania by Gamma Ray

🎵 I'M GOING THROUGH CHANGES 🎵

The Cascada versions are all better than their originals

Sound of Silence - Disturbed (this song is now theirs as far as I’m concerned; the original has zero percent of the emotion it was supposed to have)

Bizarre Love Triangle - nearly every remix is better. The original vocals are so, so bad.

Black Magic Woman -- Santana. Original by Fleetwood Mac.

Touch and Go -- Emerson Lake and.... POWELL. Cover of an old folk song called: Lovely Joan

Blinded by the LIght -- Manfred Mann original by Bruce Springsteen.

Alone -- Heart... Can't remember the original artist off hand.

Tori Amos’s Raining Blood

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YUOuJJdjFHc

Doomed cover by maphra.

Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal performed by Alien Ant Farm.

Susanne Sundfør - The Kiss: https://youtu.be/sfkSn62OypU

DragulAPT by DJ Cummerbund

Scout Niblett's version of No Scrubs.

I always think of Thomas Dolby’s cover of “I Scare Myself” (original by Dan Hicks). Dolby did a great job smoothing out the arrangement and some of the harmony, and I think he just sings it better. And holy fucking swanky trombone solo!

Natalie imbruglia - Torn

Hope I spelled that right

Word Up - Korn. Completely shits all over the original sung by Cameo.

Africa - Quietdrive. This one is quite divisive, so I'll also link Weezer's more faithful cover.

Midnight At The Oasis - The Brand New Heavies. Don't get me wrong, Maria Muldaur's original version was great, but it just works so much better as an acid jazz and funk song.

As for remixes...

One Night Stand (Sunship Remix) - Mis-Teeq. It's so much better than the original by a mile. Alesha Dixon genuinely drops some fucking bars in the remix.

Selekta (SIDEQUEST Remix) - Kyle Gordon. I don't understand why this isn't the official version. The difference is that this version is 45 seconds longer and has an additional verse.

"Thunder Road" by Tortoise and Bonnie Prince Billy is phenomenal in a weirdly haunting way.

Walk this way

Zebraheads cover of Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6LLSgyd7Cw

Thick of it (Ray Walter Music remix)

Sleeping in my car - Children of Bodom

Take me to church metal cover

• Susanne Vega's cover of the Story of Issac is somehow more Cohen than Leonard Cohen's version.
• Motorhead does Sympathy for the Devil the way it always should have been done.
• Briana Buckminster and Billy Moran made a pretty much perfect acoustic cover of Carry on Wayward Son.
• I have always loved the original, but the Jerry Douglas / Mumford and Sons version of The Boxer has replaced it.
• Clutch now owns Fortunate Son IMO, no one else should play it.

Pretty much every song in Elite Beat Agents. Tbf, they get a very interactive emotional buildup to each song. Some examples:

• September
• Canned Heat
• You’re the Inspiration
• The Anthem
• Jumping Jack Flash

Basically every Rolling Stone's song as a cover is better than the original.

Diamonds by Steam Powered Giraffe.

I'll be honest though I didn't know it was a cover until recently. Who'd'a thunk it

Book of Love -Peter Gabriel Hurt - Johnny Cash

Shinedown's cover of Simple Man is incredible.

The S.O.U.L. System - It's Gonna Be A Lovely Day

Tell me why - 1991 Remix

Love is not enough - Hybrid minds remix

Alaska - Sofi Tukker Remix

On Hold - Jamie XX remix

Higher ground - Flight facilities remix

California Heaven - Medasin remix

Stevie Wonder's cover of Gangsta's Paradise

• Gimme More (SID) [Machinae Supremacy covering Britney Spears]. MaSu's vibe strips away the hyperclean polish to deliver something much closer to the raunchy, voyeuristic feel of the song's lyrics. The fact that they're a really good band also helps.

• F*ck Tha Police [Dope covering NWA]. I'll admit, this one is just personal preference. Please don't crucify me.

• Battle Hymn [Beast in Black covering Manowar].

• Down with the Sickness [Ai Mori & Violet Orlandi covering Disturbed].

• Army of the Night [Amaranthe covering Powerwolf].

• Ballroom Blitz [3TEETH covering The Sweet].

• Got The Time [Anthrax covering Joe Jackson].

• Bring The Noise [Anthrax on the track with Public Enemy]. Going back to the original is like driving a Ford Model T.

It comes close:

• Breaking the Law [Fightstar covering Judas Priest]. Halford is too iconic to beat, but Fightstar's apocalyptic world-weariness lends itself well to their take on the song, as opposed to the original's unserious attitude.

Dolly's "Free Bird" brings a whole new emotion to it

Billy Talent's - Ever fallen in Love (with someone you shouldn't).

Both are great but I love BT :D

El-P's remix of the Nine Inch Nails song Only.

https://youtu.be/2yW31N-F4Yg

Wankelmut Remix of Asaf Avidan's "one day we'll get old / reckoning song"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsAFJIGvbU8

https://youtube.com/watch?v=26fuZzADLPE

Most of my top ones have been covered, so I'll go with A3's "hotel california"originally but the eagles. Both are great.

https://youtu.be/Rtyf-rDGKHY

A lot of the Warpzone songs :)

Bananarama - A Trick Of The Night (Dub) I love the journey this takes you on, and I love good dub mixes. The regular version is very slow/ballad.

The Justice League movie version of Come Together by the Beatles covered by Gary Clark Jr and Junkie XL

In the early 90s, Adamski made a cover of the Doors' Soul Kitchen that's an absolute banger.

Wolf Like Me - Local H

I didn’t even know it was a remix until much later.

Florence and the Machine - You've got the love

The one I always think of in response to this question is Cirice, originally by Ghost, but covered by Saint Raven. The original is good but I like what Saint Raven did with the vocals.

Placebo's cover of Kate Bush's 'Running up that Hill'. The song gives me chills.

It helps that I find Kate Bush's voice like nails on a blackboard.

Best Coast doing the song Rhiannon

It's close, because I LOVE the original but Porter Robinson's cover of the Fontaines DC song Favorite is amazing and everyone in my family likes it so much. The interview where he talks about the song also great.

Probably more if I think about it, but those 2 came to mind as really good covers that do something different from the original songs.

ETA - just about anything by Bob Dylan or the Grateful Dead sounds better to me when another band does them, Dylan in particular writes amazing songs but I don't like his delivery of them and the Dead, that sound annoys me so much I cannot.

Foo Fighters covering "Down in the Park" by Gary Numan. They take an already haunting song and make it more haunting.

Almost all elvis songs. Rock was to unrefined in that period.

Sublime - Rivers of Babylon

Magic Man - Dolly Parton

Body Movin remix by Fatboy Slim.

I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany

Teardrop by Jose Gonzales, Cry by Gayngs, Dance Macabre by Ghost Carpenter Brut remix.

As much as I like the original, I really like this cover of Smile Again by 40mp.

sun is shining - bob marley --wingsuit flying remix. Could be best techno song ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W6Fa6rNlAY&list=RD3W6Fa6rNlAY&start_radio=1

Georg Levin got somebody new. 2nd Chorus punched up quite innovatively, and better drum track. Nothing taken away or interfering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LOEMSuxYPQ

Harder better (daft punk) -- piano intro, more pop format, but also more advanced dance beat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwu-m39ek-w

woodstock - csny is a cover of Joni Mitchell

"Spanish Eyes" cover by Faith No More

for covers, a couple of songs where original is pretty sucky by Scary Pockets.

Wonderwall - oasis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jftpg_6SUYk&pp=ygUYc2NhcnkgcG9ja2V0cyB3b25kZXJ3YWxs

Rolling in the deep - adele https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTIOugluWb8&pp=ygUhc2NhcnkgcG9ja2V0cyByb2xsaW5nIGluIHRoZSBkZWVw

A cover band that does everything better: Leonid and Friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jko3HdUOLhc&list=RDjko3HdUOLhc&start_radio=1 (chaka khan)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_8aZZ9d_EA&list=RDjko3HdUOLhc&index=2&pp=8AUB (steely dan)

Chicago song you never heard of but they make their greatest hit if it was produced/executed this well

David Byrne's cover of Drivers License. The original is good. But I like his version more.

Grandaddy - Fun x3. Like that way more than The Beach Boys version. Entirely different song.

James Houston - Big Ideas Don't Get Any. The whole video is a work of art, literally (college project) and figuratively. Just master class execution. Radiohead even called it out as a notable cover. One of my favorite Radiohead songs =p

Every time we touch by Electric Callboy

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Paul Anka

Boyz In The Hood by Dynamite Hack

La mamá de la mamá (El Alfa), también Na de Na (de Angel & Khitz)

Almost every VOCALOID / vocal synth cover, as long as the tuning / overall quality is good.

There used to be this guy who would always do these really unique remixes and mashups of different songs that you would never think would work, but they were always really amazing.

He would upload them to his YouTube account during the 2010s, but he seems to have disappeared. I'm pretty sure he went by Tae-K and his account was something like TKRmx?

The most memorable ones for me were a mashup of Wale with the 90's X-men theme song and Ella Fitzgerald with Wiz Khalifa.

Edit: Oh shit NVM, found it!: X-men+Wale

There was this other guy who made an 8-bit remix of Danger Mouse's Grey album, but I can't remember his name. It also seems to have disappeared.

Wanna send a big "fuck you" shout out to the person that down voted me for sharing. Now your down vote is justified.

Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner

Screaming Females' cover of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off it a much better, actually rebellious version, but the best cover will always be Reggie Watts' version of Paradise City by Van Halen.