I found this and thought it was a timely list-
http://www.rivalfish.com/rivalroom/2007/01/rivalfishs-top-50-cover-songs-of-all.htmlWith every year we grow closer to Denny's-every-Sunday-age, we become increasingly partial to things that are familiar. We get back into diapers, gumming things we care about, and not minding if our family sees us naked. That's why we dig cover songs so much. After compiling over 250 second-hand hits, we've whittled it down to this. So let the Buddha-fueled debates begin, as here's Rivalfish's Top 50 Cover Songs of All-Time!
Selection Criteria Disclaimer: All cover versions are inherently covers of the originally recorded and released version of the song, regardless of who wrote or popularized the song.
50. "Black Magic Woman"(1970) by Santana (Fleetwood Mac original, 1968)
49. "Hallelujah"(1994) by Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen original, 1985)
48. "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You"(1969) by Led Zeppelin (Joan Baez original, 1962)
47. "Voodoo Chile(Slight Return)"(1984) by Stevie Ray Vaughn (Jimi Hendrix original, 1968)
46. "Take Me to the River"(1978) by Talking Heads (Al Green original, 1974)
45. "Mustang Sally"(1966) by Wilson Pickett (Sir Mack Rice original, 1965)
44. "Roses are Free"(Live) by Phish (Ween original, 1994) - Check out Phish's version on Hampton Comes Alive(1999)
43. "I Shot the Sheriff"(1974) by Eric Clapton (Bob Marley original, 1973)
42. "Hey Joe"(1966) by Jimi Hendrix (Billy Roberts original, 1962)
41. "Hard to Handle"(1989) by The Black Crowes (Otis Redding original, 1968)
40. "Twist and Shout"(1964) by The Beatles (Isley Brothers original, 1962)
39. "Sweet Jane"(1988) by Cowboy Junkies (Velvet Underground original, 1970)
38. "My Favorite Things"(1960) by John Coltrane (Rodgers & Hammerstein original, 1959)
37. "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"(1970) by Creedence Clearwater Revival (Gladys Knight and the Pips original, 1967)
36. "Summer Breeze"(2004) by Jason Mraz (Seals & Crofts original, 1972)
35. "Always on My Mind"(1987) by Pet Shop Boys (Brenda Lee original, 1972)
34. "Killing Me Softly with His Song"(1996) by The Fugees (Lori Lieberman original, 1971)
33. "Victoria"(1988) by The Fall (The Kinks original, 1969)
32. "Live and Let Die"(1991) by Guns n' Roses (Paul McCartney original, 1973)
31. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"(1991) by Guns N' Roses (Bob Dylan original, 1973)
30. "Lodi Dodi"(1994) by Snoop Doggy Dog ("La Di Da Di" Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh original, 1985)
29. "Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon"(1994) by Urge Overkill (Neil Diamond original, 1972)
28. "Higher Ground"(1989) by Red Hot Chili Peppers (Stevie Wonder original, 1973)
27. "With a Little Help (From My Friends)"(1968) by Joe Cocker (The Beatles original, 1967)
26. "Rivers of Babylon"(1996) by Sublime (The Melodians original, 1973)
25. "Mad World"(2001) by Michael Andrews & Gary Jules (Tears for Fears original, 1982)
24. "Wild is the Wind"(1981) by David Bowie (Johnny Mathis original, 1956)
23. "Up on the Roof"(1979) by James Taylor (The Drifters original, 1962)
22. "Lake of Fire"(1993) by Nirvana (Meat Puppets original, 1983)
21. "Southern Cross"(Live) by Jimmy Buffett (Crosby, Still & Nash original, 1982) - Check out Jimmy's version on Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays(1999)
20. "Time is on my Side"(1964) by The Rolling Stones (Kai Winding original, 1963)
19. "Sexual Healing"(Live) by Ben Harper (Marvin Gaye original, 1982) - Check out Ben's version on Live From Mars(2001)
18. "Baba O'Riley"(Live) by Pearl Jam (The Who original, 1971) - Check out Eddie V's version on Live: 11-6-00 - Seattle, Washington
17. "Cat's in the Cradle"(1992) by Ugly Kid Joe (Harry Chapin original, 1974)
16. "Over the Rainbow/ What a Wonderful World"(1993) by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Judy Garland/Louis Armstrong original, 1939/1967)
15. "Superstar"(1994) by Sonic Youth ("Groupie [Superstar]" Delaney & Bonnie original, 1969)
14. "God Gave Rock and 'N Roll To You"(1991) by The Wyld Stallyns (Argent original, 1972) -Rumor has it that The Wyld Stallyns are merely lip-syncing a cover version by Kiss. But how could two kids from San Dimas ever pull that off? Hogwash.
13. "Gin & Juice"(2000) by The Gourds, NOT PHISH or O.A.R (Snoop Doggy Dogg original, 1993)
12. "Hurt"(2002) by Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails original, 1994)
11. "If I Were a Carpenter"(1976) by Johnny Cash with June Carter (Tim Hardin original, 1966)
10. "Rainbow Connection"(2001) by Willie Nelson (Kermit the Frog/Jim Henson original, 1979) - Jim Henson is such an effective hippie that he wrote a song uplifting and heartwarming enough to make a felt hand-puppet seem like a wiser choice for president than any candidate in the coming election. Willie Nelson is such a hippie that it wouldn't be the first time he voted "Green."
9. "Midnight Train to Georgia"(1973) by Gladys Knight & The Pips (Cissy Houston original, 1972) -Gladys and the gang stole Whitney's mom's thunder like Bobby Brown robbed her daughter of her legitimacy. I wonder if Cissy Huston's breasts are also seemingly nice but oddly far apart? But on a cold and weary evening, I want to be held close by the soothing pipes of big, cushy Gladys, not some skinny drug addict or her mom!
8. "Me and Bobby McGee"(1971) by Janis Joplin (Kris Kristofferson original, 1970) - Janis changed the character of "Bobby Mcgee" from a girl to a guy, and the song "Bobby McGee" from a decent song by a bearded man with a creepy voice to the most covered song of all-time.
7. "Woodstock"(1970) by Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young (Joni Mitchell original, 1970) - Like a total poser, Joni turned her boyfriend, Graham Nash's, stories about the festival into a pretty sweet tune that he later stole and turned into a hit after a spiteful domestic quarrel. Instead of performing at the 'Stock, she had insisted on spending that weekend taping The Tonight Show. She later chose to see Battlefield Earth on its opening weekend back in 2001 instead of Gladiator.
6."Hotel California"(1998) by The Gypsy Kings (The Eagles original, 1976) - This is why this song is #6, bottom line.
5. "My Way"(1979) by Sid Vicious (Paul Anka original, 1969) - 9 times out of 10, cross-genre covers are terrible. But this one was good enough to land the closing credits duties for Goodfellas, with lyrics as relevant to Sid as they had been to Old Blue Eyes when he made Anka's English original a hit. But in the end, it's not heroin that kills you. It's mocking Sinatra, you rat-bastard mutt-f*ckin' Pom, that does.
4. "Without You"(1971) by Harry Nilsson (Badfinger original, 1970) - Sometimes you need to pussify a song a tad bit more to make it good. I wonder if when Harry sang the chorus of the song he was thinking about the super-eerie fact that both Cass Elliot and Keith Moon expired while hanging at his London flat? I wonder if people ever ask him to babysit their kids?
3. "Take Me Home, Country Roads"(1972) by Toots & the Maytals (John Denver original, 1971) - Virginia, Jamaica, who gives a sh*t? However, when this song was a hit, the last place Toots and his Rastas would be welcome is on a country road. Silly potheads.
2. "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go?"(1981) by Soft Cell (Gloria Jones/The Supremes original, 1964/1964) - Two covers in one? Why don't we just give 'em the trophy right now? I thought only college bands on 10 Cent Draft Night could pull that off. And every time a DJ doesn't play the full version of this song, he should be fired, skinned, and thrown down a sand dune. Unfortunately for Soft Cell, this song was also #2 on VH1's "Greatest One-Hit Wonders of All-Time" list.
1. "All Along the Watchtower"(1968) by Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan original, 1967 ) SORRY DAVE! XOXOX! - Gypsies, thieves, getting laid... sounds like a 7th Grade dance at my old junior high. Jimi Hendrix never met a song he couldn't make better, or a dose of LSD he couldn't make immediately part of his blood stream. Cause and effect, or Coincidence? Don't be stupid or Republican, and go put on your new Rob Thomas CD, cause that one's obvious. And Zimmerman, stick to the song-writing.
