Lorde's cover by a mile.
Based purely on personal preferences: 80's is probably my least favourite decade when it comes to music, and Tears for Fears' track is a quintessential song from that era. The cover is not only minimalistic contemporary piece, it's also a lot moodier, which, even not taking my tastes for gloomy music, fits the overall theme of the song a lot better.
"Megalovania".
Piano cover by ChrystalChameleon
HUGE spoilers for Undertale.
Edited by Millership on Feb 26th 2019 at 2:03:28 AM
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I'm going in cold as I've never heard the original, but listening to both, while the piano cover is nice for what it is, I kind of like the electronic rock vibe of the original more.
Whiskey In the Jar (ok, both versions are covers, but one came before the other)
Thin Lizzy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyQ-tScuzwM
Metallica: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIh3nO6-V_A
I like noises.
Just recently talked about this song with a friend. The Thin Lizzy version is definitely better: it's not that the Metallica version is bad, but Metallica's style might be too blunt for this. Thin Lizzy bring the blues sound and the vocals that suit the type of story the song's telling.
Seeing how Lorde's already been mentioned, here's a surprising reversal:
Nonsense is better than no sense at all.
Local H's Punk Rock in-your-faceness and youthful energy fits the general theme of the song better, but at the expense of Lorde's ... idiosyncrasy...? "originality" is quite not the right word for it, but here we are. Whatever you might call it, I definitely prefer Lorde's subtler approach to songwriting.
"I Put A Spell on You"
Due to its nature, won't be posting Screaming Jay Hawkins' original this time.
Also, for future reference, can we post more than two variations of a song?
Spiral out, keep going.
I prefer the Nina Simone version. It just has more of a smokey blues club vibe going on that fits the song.
Here's one with multiple covers, Up Around the Bend:
Creedence Clearwater Revival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnRsaHXHznQ
Social Distortion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVJd1Sppxlc
Hanoi Rocks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZQjRfQ5BPw
The Hanoi Rocks, by a hair's breadth. It keeps the devil-may-care vocals of the original while being a bit more tight and dynamic instrumentally. Social Distortion's cover is the heaviest of the bunch, but lacks the sense of adventurousness.
"The Bard's Song - In the Forest"
The Original, by Blind Guardian
Edited by Millership on Mar 11th 2019 at 8:15:35 PM
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Hard to say. Both songs sound kind of goofy and over the top despite having powerful sounding lyrics.
I guess I'll pick the cover, as the singing sounds slightly more smooth, and less gusto.
Now, which version of "Shadows of the Night" is better?
With all the memes about women choosing a bear over a man, Hollywood might wanna get on an 'East of the Sun and West of the Moon' adaptation
Huh didnt know that one was a cover. While both versions are fine, I prefer the more bombastic Benatar version. Here's a battle involving a cover I just discovered minutes ago:
Stand By Me
Ben E King (original):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwZNL7QVJjE
Pennywise (cover):
The original, for being more consistent musically and thematically. Pennywise's cover feels redundant at first, then goes places where it really shouldn't go with this song.
"Me and the Devil (Blues)"
The original, by Robert Johnson
The comparison is almost unfair, really… it's like comparing the special effects of movies made in the 30's and in the 2000's. The original has this old-school, minimalistic charm to it I guess, but the cover obviously has a lot more substance. And a more appropriately sinister vibe.
And now a slightly different kind of cover with "Antisocial".
Both songs are good but I personally prefer the original song by Trust. I feel like the vocalist of Trust has a better voice. I will say, though, that the Anthrax cover has more energy in it.
So, here is the song called "Hope". The original is by the Descendents and the cover is by Sublime.
Descendents - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHd-PLgKlbs
Both songs are an example of Punk Rock. And while Sublime's cover is more streamlined and tight, but is also more flat tonally. Original wins for me.
Koerogly, by Dáýletkereı Shyǵaıuly. An even more temporally unfair matchup, as the original is from the 19th century.
Solo dombyra version, perfomed by Qarshyǵa Ahmedıarov
Edited by Millership on Mar 24th 2019 at 10:21:28 PM
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![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
I'll pick the cover for it's video game/disco tech feel.
Now, which version of "Galveston?"
With all the memes about women choosing a bear over a man, Hollywood might wanna get on an 'East of the Sun and West of the Moon' adaptation
Glen Campbell's version has more meat on its bones, but it becomes too overblown for its own good at times. Don Ho's version is a bit generic, but is also more subtle in its wistfulness, so my vote goes there.
"Rolling in the Deep"
The cover version, by Aretha Franklin
Tough call… Aretha's version is catchier and I find Adele's high notes slightly weak in the original… but I also think the original has more emotional weight to it… Can there be a tie? If there's no tie… then I'd say Adele wins by a millimiter on the finish line.
And now for two versions of Malagueña Salerosa (more of an "old vs new" since the "original" version of this song is hard to pinpoint).
By the way, can we post two versions of a song made by the same artist?
Edited by Lyendith on Apr 8th 2019 at 4:24:11 PM
Not really the type of music I listen to, but I'll give it a shot, while the second one is better in a technical sense, the first one is more energetic.
Stepping Stone:
Monkees (original): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFUOnT0ZnUc
Sex Pistols (cover):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXd8qnONDIk
Sex Pistols' style of music fits the devil-may-care attitude of the song a bit more than the original's classic rock'n'roll style. Sex Pistols win.
"All Along the Watchtower"
The original, by Bob Dylan (on YouTube at last)
They're both great, but the Hendrix version has more emotion in the vocals IMO.
Walkin the Dog
Rufus Thomas (original): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3-tdrPkY7w
Aerosmith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLDXEwTYucc
Hard to decide... Both are well-executed bluesy music pieces, but Aerosmith wins by the virtue of enhancing the rather generic original.
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
A cover version, by Marilyn Manson
Manson version, hands down. The original is too flat and repetitive, only the mid-song solo stands out. MM took this and added atmosphere and intensity to it, as well as some vocal variation. Still a tad repetitive, but at least it's expressive.
…Well, since no one answered my previous question, I take that as a yes. 
"Layla" by Derek and the Dominos
"Layla" by Eric Clapton (acoustic)
Edited by Lyendith on Apr 14th 2019 at 5:05:05 PM
The original if just for that opening riff
Astronomy Domine
Pink Floyd (original): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJh9OLlXenM
Voivod (cover): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvXaLZZ6M3M
Voivod's cover is certainly heavier with its blast beats and riffs, but it strips the original of its psychedelic trance vibes that made it unique. Pink Floyd wins in my books.
"Please Mr. Postman"
The original, by The Marvelettes
It was difficult for me to decide at first. Instrumental and production-wise, the Beatles win it. But the Marvelettes' vocals are more soulful than the boys from Liverpool. And for songs like these (the soul/doo-wop/early R&B of those days), it's the vocal and soulful feeling that ultimately made a song of those types and that old era stand out, so, I'll have to give it to the Marvelettes.
Goldfinger, the original by Shirley Bassey.
Goldfinger, the cover by Magazine.
Edited by Quag15 on Apr 17th 2019 at 4:51:53 AM
Shirley Bassey's bombastic delivery cannot be reproduced, but even without comparing the respective vocal talents, Magazine's cover gets somewhat off composition-wise. The original wins.
"Song of the Volga Boatmen (Yo, Heave Ho!)"
It's a folk song, so there's no original to speak of. Posting two definitive versions:
The Leonid Kharitonov and The Red Army Choir rendition
Turn on the captions in the latter version if you want to read the lyrics translated to English.
Edited by Millership on Apr 17th 2019 at 8:25:51 PM
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Yet another one of these type of threads. Someone posts both the original version and a cover of the song. and the responder has to say which one they like better (as well as why), and then they post both the original and cover of another song. I'll start with Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Tears for Fears (original): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST86JM1RPl0
Lorde (cover): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCcF0O8mrfk