What cover version do you like as much as, or even more than, the original song?

Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart
I prefer Jan Wayne’s version

Amy Speace shows that Blondie’s Dreaming is a country song.

Amy Speace Dreaming

Blondie – Dreaming

Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex is also the best version.

Much as I like the Leonard Cohen Hallelujah

I prefer the Rufus Wainwright version

Much as I hate that Shrek, and multiple other movies, series, shows, whathaveyou, have ruined the song to almost unbearable, I very much like the rendition of Hallelujah, by Jeff Buckley (over Cohen’s version).

@rebbel Same, as seen on The West Wing.

https://youtu.be/Uqnb_nU7RBE Istanbul not Constantinople original Might be Giants cover – funny as hell https://youtu.be/vsQrKZcYtqg

Weird Al Yankovic’s cover version A Complicated Song, based on Avril Lavigne’s Complicated

Devo’s version of “Satisfaction” is better than the Rolling Stones’ version.

Wye Oak’s live cover version of Danzig’s “Mother” is better than Danzig’s version.

No cover version can ever do justice to this, sexy song. https://youtu.be/Vt2YIpZWBqA

I like Disturbed’s Sounds of Silence over the original Simon and Garfunkel.
(Trouble linking, sorry)

Dolly Parton does a good job with I will Always Love you But Whitney Houston’s version is incredible

Nancy Sinatra did a much better version of Bang Bang than Cher’s original

Bonnie Raitt improved Mose Allison’s jazz hit Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy, but I love them both

I love Helen Feng’s piano version of Frank Zappa’s The Black Page #1. The original Zappa version is a drum solo and I’m not very keen on drum solos. Helen Feng’s version is quieter and more thoughtful and really brings out the beauty of the composition.

“Up on the Roof” – by the Drifters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puM1k-S86nE

Is really great but James Taylor’s is arguably better and even more mellow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDqS1d7tE8o

Then there’s Carole King singing her song, “natural Woman”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQXY8zwQgmc

Which is matched, or surpassed by Aretha’s iconic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jCFzreP1ng

I quite like “Burning down the house” by Talking Heads, but I like the cover by Tom Jones and The Cardigans even more… the combination of their voices is superb.

I’m not a fan of Glee but their take on Journey’s “Don’t stop believin’” is quite nice.

“Stripped” by Depeche Mode is a classic, very nicely covered by Rammstein.

By Bruce Springsteen as the original

By Manfred Mann as the remake

John Mayer’s version of Free Falling is every bit as good as Tom Perry’s original, IMHO.

Original
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0YuaZcylk_o

Vastly superior cover
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aieYAlKWnoM

Great original
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LHcP4MWABGY

Really great cover
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c0wrbuKib2Y

I can think of several, but the one song that stands out for me is the cover version of the Elvis Presley classic “Burning Love”, performed by the funk/rock group Mother’s Finest:

https://youtu.be/jsxzec85rUA

Classic:

https://youtu.be/zf2VYAtqRe0