... Why do singers think it's okay to cover other singers songs, and basically ruin the song?

PS:
I’m pretty sure she was drunk.

I don’t know why well off artists try to perform and cover some grimey rock band who struggled and lived the gutter lifestyle. For Miley I’m sure she thinks she’s going to gain some “tough” fans. It definitely sells sex.

Miley in particular tries too hard to be more adult all of a sudden too

Not all covers ruin songs. Some are the same thing, no better and no worse. Some are pretty much the same thing, but with a band you might like better, or a band you might like less. Some are drastically different takes. Some of the most respected songs are, themselves, covers. For example, did you know that Aretha Franklin’s Respect is actually a cover of Otis Redding’s song from a decade before, with a distinct take on the song. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was covered by many, many groups after it’s original creation in 1939 before The Tokens made it the song everyone knows today (and then Disney made it the song actually everyone knows). Goldfinger has it’s own rather successful take on 99 Luftballons. “Singing in the Rain” was sung two decades before Gene Kelly did his version.

Cover songs are also a great way for audiences to get to know new artists. They may not like your particular lyrics, or sounds, but if you can just prove to them that you do have some musical talent, then they’ll give you some leeway.

Songs stand outside the original performer. They’re just “the song”, not “so-and-so’s song”.

I can ignore the bad covers for the brilliant ones.

Kidney Thieves do Patsy Cline
Tunng does Bloc Party
Orgy does New Order
Nick Cave does Pulp
Johnny Cash does NIN

and the hilarious ones.

I prefer Coil’s cover of Tainted Love to the original.

What I find truly offensive is when an “artist” covers a popular song, but does it exactly like the original. What the heck is the point of that, other than to capitalize on someone else’s success?

I always enjoyed this metal band’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s song This Flight Tonight from her wonderful album Blue.

It’s a tribute to the artist and the song. Not all covers are bad. Some are better than the original. like Jeff Buckley’s cover of Hallelujah, which is much better than Leonard Cohen’s original.

I am fairly certain that those covering the songs believe they are performing a version that is at least on par with the original – if not better.

Artists are always doing other artist material.

The difference between a great artist and a lessor one is when know which ones they should do and/or release.

I too get so miffed when some artists touch legendary ones even if they are ok Chris Cornell – Imagine

@marinelife ”...like Jeff Buckley’s cover of Hallelujah, which is much better than Leonard Cohen’s original.”

I’m going to have to disagree with you on that. I’ve never heard a bad Cohen cover, but I’ve yet to hear one that surpasses the original.

Oh man, I totally forgot Marilyn Manson’s take on the Ramones’ The KKK Took My Baby Away and Big Black’s version of He’s a Whore by Cheap Trick.

For one thing, artists under contract to a label don’t always have creative control. They’re handed a song by their producer and told “you’re doing this on your next album” whether they want to or not. This can happen when the label owns the catalog of the original artist and wants to put it to use or for other reasons but it happens pretty frequently.

This choice might not be Miley’s fault.

I think covers work best with the artist covering the song decides to take it in a totally different direction than the original. An example is Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive remade by Cake or almost anything by A Smile From the Trenches. One exception I feel compelled to point is Limp Bizkit’s version of Behind Blue Eyes I love this cover. I am a huge fan of The Who and this my very favorite song of theirs, I was shocked when I actually liked this cover.

Alien Ant Farm covered Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal and Reliant K did a cover of Tears for Fears’ Shout. I like both of the originals, but I actually like the covers better because they speeded up the beat on the origional recordings.

I love The Fall’s cover (1990) of The Monk’s I hate you (1966). They’re both good.

“Smokey, my friend, you are entering a world of pain.”

And Blanche’s cover of the The Gun Club’s Jack On Fire.

@marinelife, I never realized that Jeff Buckely’s version of Halleujah was a cover! I love that song, and now I will listen to the origional. Thank you! ;0)

I also hate it when current bands butcher another artist’s songs. Irritates the crap out of me… but some covers are pretty good. I really like the way Johnny Cash sang “Hurt” which is a Nine Inch Nails song. I also like Seether’s cover of “Heart Shaped Box” by Nirvana.

To me, though, good covers are few and far between; more often than not the cover sounds godawful.

@marinelife Jason Castro, an American Idol finalist a few years back, also did a cover of Hallelujah and I think I like his version even better than Jeff Buckley’s.

@SuperMouse Meh. Cake’s version of I Will Survive sounds like every other Cake song… so, yeah, it’s different from the original, but not in an original way.

Although… I will admit that I love Nouvelle Vague‘s bossa nova covers of punk and new wave songs.

At the risk of being condemned as a heretic, I like Scissor Sisters’ version of Comfortably Numb.

@Blueroses me too.

I can totally understand why that cover song was ruined, and it was because of the person singing it. But I’ve heard plenty of good cover songs too.

Because it is okay. Covers have been a huge part of music for years and years,and some of the best versions of songs are the covers that came years later. I can sympathize with you for having to hear a song you like destroyed, but it happens. They can’t all be good.

I love cover songs, especially the ones that don’t sound exactly like the originals. My question to musicians is, why redo a song if you’re not trying to change it at all? I hate when bands cover a song and try so hard to make it sound just like the original. Boring. May as well just listen to the original.

Hah. Guys, I’m not saying I hate covers. I like some of them.
But some people shouldn’t cover some songs. Hah.

@dappled_leaves you are right about Cake. I Will Survive does sound like, (insert name of any Cake song here), but it sounds nothing like the original!

One thing about cover songs is how many songs I didn’t even know were covers. I remember the first time I heard the Isley Brothers perform Twist and Shout a long, long time ago I wondered who would cover The Beatles! I remember listening to the radio once and after the station played You Really Got Me by The Kinks, they took a call from a listener wondering who had the nerve to cover the classic Van Halen song!

@fundevogel I must respectfully disagree. As a singer, Leonard Cohen is a hell of a poet.

@WillWorkForChocolate I liked that version (as I also liked K.D. Lang’s version that she sang at the Olympics). but I like Jeff Buckley’s best.

And here, my favourite is none of these, but the version by Rufus Wainwright.

@dappled_leaves Thank you, I had never heard his version. It was beautiful/

@marinelife Are you sure you’re disaggreeing with me? I think he’s a hell of a poet as well. I just haven’t heard a Cohen cover I like more than the original. Though I do have a few covers of Everybody Knows [1],[2] and one of I’m Your Man [1] in my itunes.

Frankly, Cohen just has one of the sexiest voices on the planet. I don’t care that he’s 80-something, that sweet blasphemy makes me swoon.

I just don’t buy the Jeff Buckley version. I can’t imagine him being tied up in a kitchen chair. But when Cohen sings he worships and there’s a weight to it. I believe it when Cohen worships his Delilah.

@fundevogel I was fortunate enough to see him live a few years ago. It was one of the most moving concerts I’ve ever attended.

@dappled_leaves That must have been amazing. Contrary to all my expectations I saw Nick Cave a few years ago. It was so magical because never expected to be able to see him. I expect seeing Cohen must have been similarly special.