Concrete Blonde, Tomorrow, Wendy.
Better than the original because Andy Prieboy’s voice drives me crazy, and because Concrete Blonde were a massively underrated band. They had an astonishing ability to get their least-impressive songs played to desth on the radio while their better stuff remained obscure.
Make sure to play over headphones or proper speakers; heavy use of panning effects.
Sol Heilo - Hold On (originally by SBTRKT)
This was the first version of the song I heard, even before I was aware of SBTRKT, and it’s still my favorite version. It’s worth watching the video - she plays the song with stuff she had around the house, ranging from an accordion to a cardboard box.
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Daniela Andrade. Perfectly recreates that “what the hell are they saying” part of Nirvana but in a more pensive, quieter way.
I love this dreamy acoustic cover of the classic Lil John ballad Get Low.
I keep meaning to post things here… I have some odd covers in my collection.
Caterina Valente : Blueberry Hill
covering War Pigs. I feel like the siren and the horns really add to the song. It’s also a little at least slightly easier for me to tell what John McCrea is singing.
I find Cake’s cover of I Will Survive to be pretty delightful as well.
I like this cover, too. It really highlights what a great drummer Brian Viglione is. When I saw them on their last tour they played it…:
I actually had this one on vynil
The Lords Of The New Church - Like A Virgin
OMG that is quite a workout.
Lauren O’Connell covering Vampire Weekend’s Unbelievers. Playing glass cups!
Cowboy Junkies, State Trooper
Better than Bruce because bassline, and because I’ve loved the Junkies ever since I first heard them in Pump Up The Volume.
There’s a line in this that always had strong personal relevance: “Maybe you’ve got a kid; maybe you’ve got a pretty wife; the only thing that I’ve got; been buggin’ me my whole life”.
Aspie’s anthem.
Half of Some Girls Wander could be on here. I’ll add this one on:
Jumping to the continent, Bitte Bitte by Tanzwut edges out the original by Die Ärtze (barely). A great Berlin alt-punk song that now sounds like Rammstein if Flake played the bagpipes instead of the keyboard? Yes please.
Laibach covered Ballad of a Thin Man (among MANY other songs):
Chan Chan, The Mammals.
Y’all may be familiar with this from the Buena Vista Social Club soundtrack. I prefer this version to that one mostly due to the energy of Ruth Ungar’s fiddle work. Tao Rodriguez-Seeger (yup, Pete Seeger’s grandkid) does a good job on the vocals, too.
Nice thread, BTW.
Very unfashionable, DILLIGAF 
but
It’s way overdone and perfect for the original which really just needed more of everything. Or maybe less. Either way.
Kings of Convenience covering It’s My Party. Not better but it’s a cute arrangement and calmer and the “Trumpet Solo” is hilarious.
The cover I didn’t know I needed. 
This one’s been earworming me the last two days at work:
