I have posted this one once before. It's not new. It was done in 2016, I think, but I have since listened and watched it probably fifty times or more, and I like it way more than the Simon & Garfunkel original, and I loved Simon & Garfunkel. If you are not already familiar with it, watch the video as you listen to it, and don't forget to turn the sound up. This is not a guy that I thought I'd like because I don't generally listen to the kind of music he generally does, but he is enormously talented and gives quite a performance.
I’m not sure I understand the premise here, “the cover better than the original.” whatever that means. So I wouldn't know how to comment.
This thread is for songs that were recorded by someone other than the original recording artist, and you like the new version of the song better than the original. If you look through this thread, you will see that most posts are of two versions of the same song, the original, and the later version. An example would be the Cocaine Blues, which was first recorded by Johnny Cash many years ago, and later recorded by Joaquin Phoenix for the movie about Johnny Cash many years later, which was posted by Beth Gallagher. Hope this helps, @Bill Boggs ……
The idea is that there are "remakes" of songs that--in the poster's opinion--is better than the original [popular] version. Of course, there are also songs whose popular commonly-known versions are actually "covers" (subsequent renditions) of original recordings that never made it. So the Carpenters recorded the original of "Close to You," and you may have a remake that you find even more enjoyable, or more compelling, or more whatever emotion it may evoke. There are a seemingly infinite number of ways to produce or mix or perform a song to make its tone so completely different.
Can't find a thread on "Big Bands" or "Then and Now Artists", so I'm sticking this here. They covered themselves 40 years later, a little slower. Original better than cover? Tex Beneke One of my favorite songs and big band singers. He had such a smooth voice and the sound comes out so effortlessly. Kalamazoo - 1942 with Marion Hutton, and the Modernaires (click on image) 1984 (with Marion Hutton) (click on image)
Tex Beneke was also a "Ham" radio operator. When the Glenn Miller band went on tour, he would always take a small short-wave set with him to communicate with foreign countries. 73 and out, Hal
Well, I don't know how Donald's cover of "Havana" isn't included here. (Nearly 130 million views on Youtube. Kudos to that video editor.)