Related to my last entry, how about songs where the cover version has become more famous than the original? Here are a few cases where I prefer the original, less well-known version:
- Blinded By The Light – Bruce Springsteen (covered by: Manfred Mann’s Earth Band)
- Video Killed The Radio Star – Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club (covered by: The Buggles)
Two artists who became promimnent because of other people’s covers, despite their own talent, are Jimi Hendrix, covering Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and Sinead O’Connor covering The Family’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”.
(I mean became prominent by covering other people’s songs, of course)
How about The Byrds, too? Again, with the Bob Dylan tunes.
How about “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia. I think the original was by a band called Ednaswap (never heard of them, personally).