Perhaps lazy is the intention? Create the simulcra of the song, nostalgia for the original.
Cheaper to license, more sales inspired because of the intimate inoffensiveness of the cover.
Emotions plucked, but only those positive for consumption.
This one gets me every time, he really dug into the lyrics and made it his own.
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One of my favourite covers:
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Talking of the Sisters… do different versions count? Watch bottom/original first, if you don’t know them?
Temple of Love (1992) - The Sisters of Mercy feat. Ofra Haza
Temple of Love (1983) - The Sisters of Mercy
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Not a cover, but this remix has been one of my favourite re-takes on a song like, ever. Almost 20 years now.
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Ah, but it’s impossible for anyone’s cover to be better than the original, even the Sisters of Mercy.
Not better, but almost equal:
Equal to Soft Cell’s cover in its greatness (but thinking about it, the original Gloria Jones recording is still pretty amazing):
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Yeah, good one!
Still I think Manson wins … 
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Mad World - Gary Jules
Not So Manic Now - Dubstar
London Grammar - Nightcall
Sinead O’Connor - Nothing Compares To You
Chris Cornell version is also great
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Original: Sisters of Mercy
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Heh…also thought about that one. Really excellent cover, but still not beating the original for me. 
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… stunning ! sassy and swinging … loved that !
and (just in case) for the younger viewers …
… it was a little bit disconcerting to progressively realise in later years just how many specials’ classics were in fact covers … still all special of course
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coil did a great version of tainted love, the only one the comes close to the original, for my ears, just love the original
don’t know if it qualifies as cover, as far as I understood it’s based an a lou reed song, fits my corona mood anyway
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with original I was referring to the soft cell version, which is a cover too
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Absolutely - it’s one of the ways I got into original two-tone and ska records; so many great things to discover.
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For me if a cover is going to beat the original it has to take the original emotion and amplify with their own, and when equipped with the right performance it’s a beautiful thing.
These two are perfect covers IMO:
Jose Feliciano - California Dreamin’
Johnny Cash - Hurt:
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10x better imho
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Dear Prudence by Siouxsie and the Banshees - so good.
A bit controversial but I prefer Easy All Stars version of Speak to me / Breathe.
I know it says its a remix, but I’m still including it.
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