Songs where the cover is WORSE than the original.

[Tokyo Slim]

Unfortunately there are far too many of these, but one in particular just PISSED ME OFF... I click on a friend of mine from High School's Myspace page, and WTF!?!?!?!?! The Arcade Fire covering The Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place It seriously burns my friggin ears. I can't believe someone could screw up such a great song. As if the extended xylophone and steel drum intro wasn't bad enough... there is like violin or something in it too... ARGH! I want to kill whomever is responsible, is that too much to ask? The offending song can be found HERE. If you are interested in becoming furious.

 

[Bona Drag]

I've resisted the backlash, and actually like Arcade Fire a lot. There's a YouTube video of the main members of the group doing an acoustic "Bizarre Love Triangle" on the street in New York that I really like - reminds you what a fundamentally great pop song that is.

There are a lot of songs I could name that I wish had never happened, so I'll go on pretending they didn't...

 

[DocHolliday]

Counting Crows' cover of "Big Yellow Taxi" is an absolute abomination. Talk about running roughshod over all that was fragile and beautiful about a song.

 

[acidboy]

Although I love Tori Amos, I pissed on my pants when she did "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

 

[California Dreamer]

All Saints' cover of Under The Bridge
TaTu's cover of What Time Is Now.

It's too upsetting to think of more ...

 

[cheapmutha]

anyone covering a joy division song...

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

the swing kids cover of warsaw is pretty amazing more thrash than the JD version i may prefer it, actually. maybe. here is a live performance from 1996

 

[wEstSidE]

death cab for cutie's cover of "this charming man" is vitriolic.

 

[Bona Drag]

Originally Posted by acidicboy

pissed on my pants
That sounds like voluntary behavior... tATu's cover of "How Soon is Now" is one of the top five crimes ever committed against pop music. Not that I won't sometimes watch the video with the sound off...

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Most songs covered by women that were originally sung by men:

Alanis Morrissette, "Crazy" (originally by Seal)
Sheryl Crow, "Sweet Child O' Mine" (originally by Guns N Roses)
Jessica Simpson, "Angels" (originally by Robbie Williams)

 

[wEstSidE]

Originally Posted by Bona Drag

That sounds like voluntary behavior...

tATu's cover of "How Soon is Now" is one of the top five crimes ever committed against pop music.

Not that I won't sometimes watch the video with the sound off...

Oh dear God that is terrible. Why do so many want to butcher The Smiths?
When they say "I am human..." I cringe.

 

[Get Smart]

any cover of "Folsom Prison Blues" is always inferior

 

[JBZ]

The cover of "Boys of Summer" by the Ataris has got to be one of the worst I've ever heard. Yeesh!

 

[SGladwell]

Originally Posted by Bona Drag

tATu's cover of "How Soon is Now" is one of the top five crimes ever committed against pop music. Not that I won't sometimes watch the video with the sound off...

+1, though I don't think I've ever seen the video. I assume like the others it involves lots of jumping off semi-trucks and teenaged faux-lesbianism. The Afghan Whigs cover of this song sucks pretty hard, too.

 

[Quirk]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

Counting Crows' cover of "Big Yellow Taxi" is an absolute abomination. Talk about running roughshod over all that was fragile and beautiful about a song.
Hmmm... I dig theirs and Joni's both.