There have been a lot of great covers over time. This is my list of the ones I enjoy hearing and believe are interesting versions of the original (and in some cases better than the original). I have listed the cover artist, the song and the original artist.
1. Sun Kil Moon “Kentucky Woman” (Neil Diamond)
2. The Sundays “Wild Horses” (Rolling Stones)
3. Aerosmith “Train kept a’Rollin” (Tiny Bradshaw..Cream covered it too)
4. Stevie Ray Vaughan “Superstition” (Stevie Wonder)
Note: Also check out this MTV video from 1989 with both Stevies doing Superstition together.
5. The Bangles “Hazy Shade of Winter” (Simon & Garfunkel)
6. Kristin Hersh “Trouble” (Cat Stevens)
7. Ryan Adams “Wonderwall” (Oasis)
8. Evan Dando:
- with his girlfriend Julianna Hatfield & the Blake Babies “Temptation Eyes” (The Grass Roots)
- with the Lemonheads “Mrs. Robinson” (Simon & Garfunkel)
9. Alison Krauss “Can’t Find my Way back Home” (Blind Faith)
10. 10,000 Maniacs “Peace Train” (Cat Stevens)
although their cover of “To Sir with Love” (Lulu) featuring Michael Stipe is a close second for them
11. Nonpoint “In the Air Tonight” (Phil Collins)
12. Quietdrive “Time after Time” (Cyndi Lauper)
13. Aimee Mann “Baby Blue” (Badfinger)
14. Foo Fighters “Baker Street” (Gerry Rafferty)
15. The Atari’s “Boys of Summer” (Don Henley)
16. Lenny Kravitz “American Woman” (Guess Who)
17. The Fugees “Killing me Softly” (Roberta Flack)
18. Scissor Sisters “Comfortably Numb” (Pink Floyd)
19. Disturbed “Land of Confusion” (Genesis)
5 Honorable mentions:
Robert Downey doing Joni Mitchell’s “River” on Ally McBeal
Red Hot Chili Peppers doing Ohio Players “Love Rollercoaster”
Mindy Smith singing a 1940’s British song “Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”
Sarah McLachlan doing XTC’s “Dear God”
Alanis Morissette’s kickin’ version of Seal’s “Crazy.”
Cover I would like to hear done:
“Under the Milkyway” The Church