There have been remakes since the birth of Rock 'N Roll, some good, some bad. Remakes have sometimes transcended the original in chart performance.

Some examples of remakes charting better than the original:

1) Can't Help Falling In Love
#2 by Elvis Presley 1962
#1 by UB40 1993

2) "Rock On"
#5 David Essex 1974
#1 Michael Damian (ahh! a soap opera actor!) 1989

3) "Candle In The Wind"
#6 Elton John 1988
#1 Elton John 1997 (that little devil!)

4) "Hooked On A Feeling"
#5 B.J. Thomas 1969
#1 Blue Swede 1974

5) "Groovy Kind of Love"
#2 Mindbenders 1966
#1 Phil Collins 1985

6) "Baby I Love Your Way"
#12 Peter Frampton 1976
#1 Will To Power 1988
(Big Mountain had a #6 version in 1994)

Some songs have charted at #1 twice by different artists:

1) "Venus"
#1 Shocking Blue 1970
#1 Bananarama 1986

2) "You Keep Me Hanging On"
#1 The Supremes 1965
#1 Kim Wilde 1987
(Vanilla Fudge charted at #6 in 1968)

3) "Lean On Me"
#1 Bill Withers 1972
#1 Club Nueavu 1987

4) "Lady Marmalade"
#1 LaBelle 1975
#1 Christina Agulera and Friends 2001

Do we like remakes? Do the remakes give the original artists a chance to rejuvenate their careers? Name your favorite and worst remakes.

My favorite remake would be Whitney Houston's remake of "I Will Always Love You", which was originally by Dolly Parton.

My next favorite remake would be a remake of the song "Oh Well", the remake was by a band called "The Rockets" and is on a live CD I have of theirs, much better than the original (did Fleetwood Mac do the original?).

There are a lot of albums full of remakes, like all of the "tribute" albums (for Kiss, Elvis, the Carpenters, John Denver, etc). One good album full of remakes that comes to mind is the soundtrack to "I Know What You Did Last Summer", which has remakes of a lot of 70s songs by 90s artists (in particular I liked Kula Shaker's remake of "Hush" and Type O Negative's remake of "Summer Breeze"). When it is in stock, this is (or was) a $0.99 CD from secondspin.com.

Remakes are pointless for the most part. I like hearing cover songs live but for the most part don't like it on album. Sometimes covers are alright if it's a complete reinvention of a song, but what is the point of recording something that sounds exactly like the already recorded version? Save it as a treat for a concert audience.

The most irritating remakes are the pop-punk ones. The formula...take any pop song, speed it up, add feedback and a slightly snotty (but not too snotty!) attitude. Voila! Instant novelty punk rock cover.

I am listening to 'Punk Goes Pop' as I type. I love this kind of thing, especially things like New Found Glory's 'From the Screen to Your Stereo' I also feel kind of let down if I go to a concert and there isn't a cover of some kind. Tori Amos always performs good remakes. Her 'Strange Little Girls' cd is awesome.

-CM-

I like both of these Tommy James remakes that knocked each other out of #1
Mony Mony - Billy Idol & I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany

Don't forget "Crimson & Clover" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (#7 in 1982), originally a #1 hit for Tommy James & The Shondells in 1969.

more goodies

Smokin in the Boys Room - Motley Crue (original by Brownsville Station)
Cum on Feel the Noize - Quiet Riot (original by Slade)

Did Natalie's Cole's version of "Pink Cadillac" do better than Springsteen's? I think so.

"Your Mama Don't Dance", written by Kenny Loggins
#4 in 1972 by Loggins & Messina
#10 in 1988 by Poison

Springsteen's original version was the B-side to 1984's "Dancing In The Dark," so yeah. Natalie took the song as an A-side to #5 in 1988.

John Fogerty wrote "Proud Mary," a #2 hit in 1969 for Creedence Clearwater Revival.

In 1971, Ike and Tina Turner did a remake that landed them their first and only top 10 hit (peaking at #4).

Does "All Along The Watchtower" count?

And I'm referring to the Dylan version & the Hendrix version (as opposed to any other versions, like Dave Matthews or anyone else)

U2's All Along the Watchtower is one of my favs.

-CM-

The Doors wrote and had a #1 hit with "Light My Fire" in 1967. One year later, Jose Fellaciano had a #3 hit with a cover version.

I think remakes are good to a certain extent. Take Metallica's Whiskey in the Jar remake - if for no other reason, it introduced listeners to the original Thin Lizzy version, which is often overlooked.

"Love Hurts" was a top 10 hit for the rock group Nazareth in the late '70s. It was written and performed by Roy Orbison in the early sixties - an obscure track, for sure - so Geofferson's statement is correct. Although I don't think anyone associates Nazareth's hit with Roy Orbison to any extent.

Wouldn't exactly call Thin Lizzy's version "original"

Whiskey in the Jar is a traditional Irish drinking song that goes back WAYYYYY before Thin Lizzy

My favorite remake is Led Zeppelin's No Quarter by Tool.

"Da Doo Ron Ron"
#3 The Crystals 1963
#1 Shaun Cassidy 1977

"All Cried Out"
#8 Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam 1985
#4 Allure 1997

"Cats In The Cradle"
#1 Harry Chapin 1974
#6 Ugly Kid Joe 1993

"Without You"
#1 Nilssen 1972
#3 Mariah Carey 1998

"I'll Be There"
#1 The Jackson Five 1970
#1 Mariah Carey 1992