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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.
Cash's version has the same emotion but it's coming from a completely different place.
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.
I recently learned that the guitar on the original is actually a synth, blew my mind
Social Distortion did a good job with Johnny Cash.
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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.
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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.
Also by the Imagine Dragons version was great.
For me it's a toss-up between the Gary Jules cover and the Alex Parks cover.
I’m going to save this for later, but then never check my saved threads
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:
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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.
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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.
Orgy - Blue Monday
Chris Cornell - Nothing Compares 2 U
Love that blue Monday cover
Love that Chris Cornell cover
Maggie's Farm by RATM.
That brings me so much joy. Thanks for the reminder of the insanely creative stuff some people were up to during the covid lockdowns.
I was only 19 by The Herd
Excellent cover. I'm not much into hip-hop but The Sun Never Sets is an awesome album overall.
Land of Confusion by Disturbed is pretty good.
A lot of Scary Pockets covers. Viva La Vida is a great one
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.
The Jennifer Saunders version of Holding Out for a Hero from Shrek 2
The Rufus Wainright version of Hallelujah from Shrek 1 (but the Jeff Buckley and John Cale versions are even better)
Bangles: Hazy shade of winter
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: I love Rock’n’Roll
Nonpoint - In the air tonight
2! Drum breaks.
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)
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)
For a particularly recent example, I think Maphra's cover of Doomed by Bring Me The Horizon is fantastic.
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this post was submitted on 09 May 2026
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