And don’t get cute and do songs people don’t know are covers like I Will Always Love You or Torn
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.
Johnny Cash did a good job with “Hurt”
Trent Reznor himself admitted that it’s Cash’s song now.
And Cash had been skeptical about covering it.
Good for anyone who likes that version, but I could never get into it. It is okay, but will always pale in comparison to the raw emotions of the original, in my opinion.
I dunno, I think Cash is just as rawly emotional, it’s just a different expression of a slightly different emotion. Reznor is expressing bleak despair in the midst of a Downward Spiral of self abuse, Cash is expressing bleak regret bearing the weight of decades of decisions.
Maybe it’s just because I have a soft spot for old, tough men expressing vulnerability, but
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here
.
What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
hits way more raw coming from an old guy.
Cash’s version has the same emotion but it’s coming from a completely different place.
I recently learned that the guitar on the original is actually a synth, blew my mind
NiN has Something I Can Never Have for the feels. Give Johnny’s ghost this one.
Social Distortion did a good job with Johnny Cash.
I think it’s differently good but still prefer the original. I think there’s something more compelling in the arrangement and orchestration of the original.
I’m not saying you’re wrong but I do think the love of this cover is one of the most insane popular opinions in all of music. I will die on the hill that if it was anyone other than the man in black, everyone would agree.
It sounds so, so bad to me. People say you can really hear the hurt in his voice but he sounds no different than any old man who used to sing but hasn’t kept up the practice. It’s warbly and honestly sounds like shit. The instrumentation is equally boring
People (not you) say there’s more emotion than the original but Trent Reznor sounds like he’s actively going through withdrawals, expressing several different emotions as the song evolves.
Sorry for the rant. I’ll cap it off by saying it’s equally dumb to me that the song is about pain and regret but Cash’s music video just…aggrandizes his life with a montage of classic Johnny Cash moments.
You’ve just said what I’ve been thinking all these years. Except the video. I think that might be why people praised it. They knew he didn’t have long to live and the video is pretty heartbreaking when you think he might have chose the song because he was bitter about losing everything he ever worked for.
IMHO, the cover sucked but I do think it was from the heart.
I went back and watched the video and ehhh I dunno, it’s footage of old shows and concerts mixed with some really on-the-nose imagery. Though I don’t disagree with your final point.
I haven’t listened to it in awhile and I forgot the mix is pretty bad, too lol
Pretty much any song he covered ended up being the definitive version.
Yeah…but only because he’s Johnny Cash. No way the cover was getting radio play if it was just some random old guy who recorded it
He actually wasn’t an old guy his entire career.
Yeah and he was making good music until he became one
Mercy seat and In my life are masterpieces in the original but his renditions are immaculate. It’s something about his low emotion, speaking from a position of looking back at the events rather than being emotional and in them like the originals.
Also Johnny Cash with “The Mercy Seat”
It’s a toss up between Cave and Cash for me. Both are fantastic songs.
All along the watchtower covered by Hendrix.
All Along the Watchtower covered by Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica).
Cool but disagree
There’s no way you actually like Dylan’s version better. It’s shit compared to hendrix’s version.
Even Dylan preferred Hendrix’s version.
Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm
Came here for this
Thank you, cultured netizen
Same
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.
For me it’s a toss-up between the Gary Jules cover and the Alex Parks cover.
Also by the Imagine Dragons version was great.
Soft Cell — Tainted Love
The Coil version is cool (coil?) as well.
The Living End did a rockabilly version with some energy!
Broken Peach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q45yicposyI
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
This was my introduction to this song, and for the longest time I thought it was original content.
homelander looking disgusted at “original content”.jpg
I’m going to save this for later, but then never check my saved threads
Here’s your reminder!
Hallelujah
Written and originally sung by Leonard Cohen:
But it was Jeff Buckley’s hauntingly beautiful cover of it that made the song known to the world:
I’m pretty sure it was pretty big by Cohen and Cales version (the one Jeff would use) and I don’t think it was before Jeff’s death his version really exploded and then subsequently through Shrek did it become everyone’s song.
But Jeff really revitalised the song with hiss masterful voice. Leonard was a master in many areas but his voice wasn’t his big strength.
Fun trivia: In the movie it’s Cales version but on the official soundtrack it’s Rufus Wainwright performing it, who happens to have a child with Cohen’s daughter.
I love k.d. lang’s version
Maggie’s Farm by RATM.
That whole album is full of contenders. I love minor threat’s “in my eyes”, but honestly I think rage’s cover just edges it out for me. Zach just goes all in on the vocals and it’s so good.
Didn’t know that was a cover, but also recently found out that Ghost of Tom Joad was a cover too. That’s the one I came to post.
BWAA BWAA chka BWAA chka BWAA chka chka
That part goes so hard
Then he fights you
every time
you slam the door!
Ballad of a Thin Man is one of Dylanz edgiest, least-pleasant songs. Bob cant keep his voice straight singing it. Kula Shaker does it justice.
Orgy - Blue Monday
Chris Cornell - Nothing Compares 2 U
Love that blue Monday cover
Love that Chris Cornell cover
Orgy - Blue Monday
Hell yeah, I loved Orgy. Still do, but I used to too. That cover of Blue Monday got heavy rotation in middle school. Their first two albums, ‘Candyass’ and ‘Vapor Transmission’ still hold up. At least much better than some of the rubbish that got lumped into nü metal by proximity back then.
I like Sinead O’Connor’s version, but it still counts because it’s also a cover.
Chris Cornell’s Ave Maria gives me chills!
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.
Holy shit I could not disagree with you more. Tears for Fears’ original version is far superior to any cover I’ve heard, including and especially Gary Jules.
You’re welcome to your opinion but wow I can’t stress enough how much I hate it.I admire your courage to speak your truth ;)
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.
The disturbed song soured on me after the singer signed bombs for use against Gaza. I don’t care what your political motivations are, signing bombs meant for killing people is bad. Fuck that band.
Politics aside, I also think the cover just sucks. This isn’t about the band, I think the covers for Shout and Land of Confusion are ok, but I really don’t understand why people like the cover for Sound of Silence.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it sucks, I think it’s fine, but it’s super overrated
Remember the good ol’ internet, where you just LimeWired their music, without ever knowing what shitheads they really are?
Godsmack was another like that for me.
What’s wrong with Godsmack? I liked their first album, but didn’t pay much attention beyond that.
Well this site covers what I initially bristled at, but maybe he took it down later.
Regardless, I think everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but if you’re willing to make those opinions public (and have any reach whatsoever), I just hope you can speak intelligently on the topic first. Just my $.02
Cheers!
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Try the Pentatonix cover. Its much better with no baggage.
Oh. That’s fucking horrible. I had no idea. That version of the song is amazing, but fuck that fucking guy.
I gave up on the Disturbed version before any politics came into it. Just kinda overproduced.
I’m baffled by how much people like the Disturbed version. I find it to be considerably worse than the original.
I enjoy the rock-opera quality. The way it goes from soft and gentle to powerful and intense. It reminds me of Phantom of the Opera, which I quite enjoy. Now, Meatloaf probably would’ve done it much better, but to my knowledge he never did.
The Disturbed COVID video makes me cry every time.
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
Cake - I will Survive
The cake version slaps hard. I love it
This is my answer. Such a fine album, too.
