Awful cover versions by amazing artists.

.I'm gonna get the ball rolling

David Bowie whom I adore with all my heart and soul but it makes me sad to say but his cover of " God Only Knows " is beyond crap.

 

His Across the Universe is also earsplittingly bad

 

The Stones "My Girl"

 

Not necessarily an "amazing" artist, but Duran Durans cover of "White Lines" is a crime against music.

 

Oh man why did you have to remind me of this haha.

 

And John Lennon sings on it! Oy vey, he had so many other gems that could have gone there

 

I seem to recall that Bowie's version of Neil Young's "I've Been Waiting for You" ain't too clever either.

Madonna's 'amazingness' is an entirely subjective opinion with which I wouldn't entirely agree, but her versions of "American Pie" and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" are about as objectively awful as it's possible to get.

 

I don't understand why Mott the Hoople's cover of Sweet Jane is so admired (I'm a new fan of MtH)

 

I dug his version of " I've Been Waiting For You " maybe I'm in the minority.

 

Mentions already of:
"God Only Knows"
"Across the Universe"
"American Pie"

Absolute proof that you should not mess with perfection!

 

Judas Priest: Johnny B Goode.

 

Ooh yeah, I detest the Rolling Stones' version of "Under the Boardwalk" so much

 

Some may disagree but Lorde's version of " Everybody Wants To Rule The World " for me is dire.

 

Amazing, Kanye West performs Bohemian Rhapsody!

 

aretha's version of eleanor rigby misses the feel of the entire song by miles.
when she starts doing the soul scat at the end it is cringe inducing and i love her but.....

 

Maybe not, interesting to see what other DB & NY fans think. I don't know, I have to admit to only having heard this the once. I'm quite a big NY fan, and a passing Bowie fan, and I got 'Heathen' out of the library when I found out that Bowie had covered it. But, no, I can't say it really inspired me to listen to it a second time.

Agree entirely on that one: Lorde's version of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" is absolutely dire.

 

Simon & Garfunkel - Bye Bye Love
It's not AWFUL, but it really doesn't do anything. And the (supposedly) crowd noise is annoying.

 

Bowie again. "Dancin' in the Streets" with M. Jagger.

 

Brian Eno and the Winkies' cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" sucks, as does Japan's cover of "I Second That Emotion"

 

Almost anything off the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" film soundtrack!

 

The Byrds, despite having done some of the best Dylan covers ever, did a pretty bad job with "The Times They Are A-Changin'"

 

The Grateful Dead and their covers of I Fought the Law; Baba O'Reilly> Tomorrow Never Knows; It's All Too Much; Paperback Writer; Rain; That Would Be Something; A Day In the Life; Blackbird;.

 

I've always thought Neil Young's cover of "On Broadway" was embarrassingly bad.

 

The Grateful Dead's "Good Lovin'."

 

to make this thread complete i add "mr. moonlight"...
also not a big fan of bowie's "let's spend the night together"...