Covers just as good or better than the original

[NorthernChaosGod]

30 Seconds To Mars - Stronger

A cover of Kanye West's remix of the Daft Punk song Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. This cover is just beautiful I recommend you check it out!

That sounds... interesting. I'll have to check that out.

[Roto13]

I love Johnny Cash, but I can't see his version of Hurt loads over NIN. Infact, I wouldn't consider it better at all, just a great version Cash style. Trent's Hurt is my favorite off of the Downward Spiral cd though, so that's bias kicking in probably.

Johnny Cash's version does weird things to my soul.

[crashNUMBERS]

Wow, I was going to suggest the Cash song too. NIN's version wasn't bad, it was a lot darker. But Cash's version was much more depressing and deep.

[Shoden]

Steel Panther's do of Whole Lotta Rosie is pretty much just as good as the original, in fact better than the live versions now because Brian Johnson doesn't have the defining voice for that song!!

Van Halen's You Really Got Me and Hammerfall's My Sharona are definitely ones I consider better than the originals.

[Pheesh]

I'm not sure if it leans more toward the area of 're-imagining', but Clint Mansell's Black Swan OST is an amazing remake of the classic ballet.

[Roto13]

Steel Panther's do of Whole Lotta Rosie is pretty much just as good as the original, in fact better than the live versions now because Brian Johnson doesn't have the defining voice for that song!!

Van Halen's You Really Got Me and Hammerfall's My Sharona are definitely ones I consider better than the originals.

I was so sad when I picked You Really Got Me to play in Guitar Hero II and it was the Van Halen version and not the superior original Kinks version.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Steel Panther's do of Whole Lotta Rosie is pretty much just as good as the original, in fact better than the live versions now because Brian Johnson doesn't have the defining voice for that song!!

Van Halen's You Really Got Me and Hammerfall's My Sharona are definitely ones I consider better than the originals.

I was so sad when I picked You Really Got Me to play in Guitar Hero II and it was the Van Halen version and not the superior original Kinks version.

Son I am disappoint.

[Shoden]

Steel Panther's do of Whole Lotta Rosie is pretty much just as good as the original, in fact better than the live versions now because Brian Johnson doesn't have the defining voice for that song!!

Van Halen's You Really Got Me and Hammerfall's My Sharona are definitely ones I consider better than the originals.

I was so sad when I picked You Really Got Me to play in Guitar Hero II and it was the Van Halen version and not the superior original Kinks version.

Son I am disappoint.

The superior tone and solo would make the song vastly more difficult I'd think.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Eddie and David Lee Roth are just win and the cover is vastly superior.

[Shoden]

It is indeed but if you're gonna pick a song on GH and expect its easy because you think its the original and it turns out its a much harder cover, well that'd be like telling a child Santa Clause isn't real or the Easter Bunny is secretly the devil.

[NorthernChaosGod]

It is GH, I figured the VH cover would be a much more likely choice than the original. xD

[Shorty]

Andrew Bird - Oh Sister (Bob Dylan)
APC - Imagine (John Lennon)
Bauhaus - Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie) - I love David Bowie, but Bauhaus outdid themselves with this cover.
Dynamite Hack - Boys in the Hood (Eazy E)
Fiona Apple - Sally's Song
Heather Nova - Wicked Game (Chris Isaak)
Ingrid Michaelson - Can't Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
Save Ferris - Come On, Eileen (Dexy's Midnight Runners)

I like both Cohen and Buckley's Hallelujiah above any others. And Hurt by NIN is better than done by Johnny Cash.

[Vyk]

I like the darker, grittier style of Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson. Gob did a great job updating Paint it Black, though in most opinions they probably wouldn't even be the superior cover (there are dozens), but I think they stay closer to the original than most. Framing Hanley fixed that stupid Lollipop song and made it awesome

[Elskidor]

I like the darker, grittier style of Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson.

Oh yeah, forgot all about that. Both versions are good, but Manson really did a good job changing it into something entirely different.

[Shoden]

Gob did a great job updating Paint it Black, though in most opinions they probably wouldn't even be the superior cover (there are dozens), but I think they stay closer to the original than most.

Best version I've heard has to be from Glenn Tipton's solo project.