7 Covers That Are Better Than The Original Song

A cover is very similar to a remix as they both add a new take onto a song – although they are in different ways. Back in the 40s through the 60s, bands were known for putting covers of hit songs on their albums – The Beatles first major hit was an Top Notes Cover. But, once bands like The Beatles made more original music, the demand for covers died down. Of course, people still love covers, as a few break through to become mainstream hits every once in a while. But, covers don’t dominate the pop charts anymore. So, for this entry, I want to highlight covers. Specifically, some hidden gems with a few more well known ones thrown in there. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

#1 – “I Believe To My Soul” (Covered by Donny Hathaway)

The original version of “I Believe…” was made by Ray Charles. The song is great, but I made the mistake of listening to it after the Donny & Monk Higgins covers. Compared to those two versions, Charles’s rendition sounds so slow. Ray sings at the pace of a turtle, almost like he’s singing at x0.5 speed. Compare that to Donny’s version, which improves upon the piano intro (there’s a reason why Nate Dogg’s “I Got Love” samples the Donny Version), has better horn arrangements, and a better singer (Ray is subjectively a better artist, but NOT a better singer than Donny). And, the way Donny delivers “One of these days and it won’t be long”, does something to me (again, there is a reason why RZA sampled this version). And, that organ solo, with the breakdown afterwards is so groovy.

#2 – “Them Changes” (Covered By Ariana Grande)

I love Thundercat, but he is not that great of a singer. Just saying: he is a good singer, but not a great or legendary vocalist. So, what happens when you take one of Thundercat’s greatest hits, and make one of the greatest vocalists of all time sing it. Then, you get Ariana Grande’s version of “Them Changes” (mostly talking about the one on BBC Radio for this section, but the duet with Thundercat on Adult Swim is also great – Thundercat plays a bass in ways that I didn’t know were physically possible). Overall, the song is the same – the lyrics still hit no matter who’s singing them. The only difference is that Thundercat sings, for lack of a better word, more constrained. Like, he knows not to sing to high or to low – it all sounds like it’s in one register.  Meanwhile, Ariana does some crazy s**t with her voice. She holds notes longer, she tries different vocal inflections – it’s just insanely good. Both the original and the Ariana cover are great, but the Ariana version is superior in my opinion

#3 – “Got To Get You Into My Life” (Covered By Earth, Wind & Fire)

“Got To Get You Into My Life” was not meant to be sung by the Beatles. The baseline, drums, and horns all scream Motown, so to hear some British white boys sing over this Motown-inspired instrumentation really rubs me the wrong way. So, all Earth, Wind & Fire needed to do was take a classic record and inject funk into it like Arnold taking steroids. Every single second of the song is phenomenal, from the infectious bass groove, to the great drumming work, to Maurice White’s legendary vocals. And, don’t make me gloss over the guitar solo that I wished lasted a minute longer. This is Earth, Wind & Fire’s finest work, and I am so glad that it exists (the rest of that s**tty Sargent Pepper’s Movie can go though).

#4 – “American Woman” (Covered By Lenny Kravitz)

The original “American Woman” by The Guess Who is a stone cold classic, as it is used in commercials, sporting events, etc. So, when the team behind the Austin Powers 2 soundtrack wanted to make a modern rendition of the song, they only knew one guy up for the job. Before 1998, Lenny Kravitz had already made a name for himself, with his classic album Mama Said and his hit song “Are You Gonna Go My Way”. But, this cover of “American Woman” and his next single, “Fly Away” made him a household name. Kravitz’s rendition sports a new guitar solo and a captivating outro that is now iconic. The best part about this song is that other people are doing covers of it. Yes, artists are doing covers of a cover. That’s f**king crazy.  

#5 – “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” (Covered By Aretha Franklin)

You thought I was gonna put “Respect” on here didn’t you? I feel like that song has been talked about so much in music journalism that I wanted to highlight a different Aretha cover. “Until You Come Back To Me” was originally a Stevie Wonder song. And, while the original song is still good, It could be so much better. It sounds like “Someday at Christmas” – in other words: old. But then, Stevie gave the song to Aretha, and the song transformed into a classic. Instead of a string arrangement to start, Aretha opted to have a piano intro, which gives the song a warm feeling. And the slow buildup into the chorus is perfect. When I went to see Stevie back in 2018, he played this first to honor Aretha, visibly in tears. It was a sad and beautiful moment to honor someone so important to music. 

#6 – Perfect Day (Covered By Al Green)

I am not a big fan of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day”. For a song with that name, it should sound heavenly, not depressing (I would understand if the song was actually about heroin use, and how the day seems perfect even though you’re killing yourself. But, according to Lou Reed, it’s not). But, then I heard Al Green’s version. The song transforms from some depressed idealization to glory, the background singers do their thing, and Green’s voice hasn’t aged a day since the 70s. For people that don’t like the Reed original, please listen to the Al Green version. It is entirely worth your time. 

Warning: This next pick is going to be super controversial.

#7 – Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Covered by Robert Glasper & Lalah Hathaway featuring Common) I got put on to this song in the randomist way possible: at a Nas concert. Before Nas played “If I Ruled The World”, he opened with the first verse and the chorus of this song. At first, I thought it was the Tears for Fears version, but then I heard the drum pattern not being 4 or the floor and I was confused. So, I looked up covers of “Everybody Wants to Rule…” and found this Rob Glasper one – exactly the one I was looking for. Ever since then, I have only listened to that version of the song. I admire Glasper’s work on keys, and Hathaway’s voice shines so bright over the instrumentation. Then, that switchup for when Common comes in is brilliant. The whole track is just 6 minutes of pure soul genius.

Well, There you go – 7 covers that you should check out, as they provide a new type of flare to some classics. Did I miss any? If I do, please comment so I can make a part 2.