Beatles - Dear Prudence. Siouxsie and the Banshees (with some guy named Robert Smith) - Dear Prudence.
For me it is Interpol and Descartes a Kant. After learning of Descartes a Kant from a random Big Soccer post by Dr. Wankler last year, they became my all time favorite band (that I knew about for a few days) and, within three day or so, I had purchased their entire catalog.
Two things. 1) It is easy to forget just how great DEVO were when they wanted to play their instruments 2) It is so strange that the Rolling Stones version is only 12 years older than DEVO's version, So if DEVO's came out today, the Rolling Stones would have been released in 2012. The Stones' sounds generations older, while DEVO's still sounds contemporary.
Devo Original Freelance Whales Cover FW wins by a mile. They took this stupid party song and gave it some gravity.
Korgis Original Dream Academy Cover Korgis win because Warren's voice is simply more compelling, less deliberately dramatic
The Who Original Elton John Cover I figure a bunch of angry young people, or people who were once angry and now realize they never had anything to be angry about will bash this choice, but I grew up listening to Elton John, not The Who. I don't think EJ could have covered I Can See For Miles or Behind Blue Eyes, which are my fave Who songs, but I'm not a huge fan of the band overall.
That whole album from Rosanne is full of really good covers. Here's another one where her version is clearly better: Runaway Train Jon Stewart Rosanne Cash
"Vincent" writer Don McLean Daniel Champagne. I've seen him twice; he closes either the first set or the final set with this. Hard to say which I like better, but when the Don McLean version first came out (1972) I thought it was ok but not necessarily one of my favorites; Dan Champagne renewed my interest. Of course, the live performances really make this song.
In Spanish language music, the original version of El Tuerto Y Los Ciegos by Sui Generis is shorter than the cover version by the late Mercedes Sosa.
While we're at it, Scary Pockets is the funk equivalent to PMJ, so here's MMMBop by all 3. Hanson Postmodern Jukebox Scary Pockets
Covers, that give a twist to the original, are my favourite ones. Take for instance the great song from "Porgy and Bess", "Summertime". The traditional versions: Then the ones with a twist: What's your favourite, which one would you add that provides a twist too you like? 592
"Light My Fire" - I didn't remember these versions being released so close together. Probably because we were still into The Doors and didn't appreciate JF's version at the time. The Doors - 1967 José Feliciano - 1968 Unrelated side notes: I'd forgotten he wrote and performed the theme song for ''Chico and The Man''. He also wrote and recorded "Feliz Navidad".