15 covers that transcend the original hits

Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" by the Nine Inch Nails isn't only one of the best covers of all time, it's one of the saddest, most emotional, and gut-wrenching songs ever recorded. We're getting this one out of the way first, so that we can lift your spirits with the next songs. Listen to the full song here.

Okay, okay. Sorry. One more depressing song before we get into the fun stuff. You may have never heard of Carrie Manolakos before unless you're a Broadway nut, but you won't soon forget her hauntingly sad and powerful cover of Radiohead's "Creep." Listen to it here.

Told you we'd get to the fun stuff. The metal god Yngwie Malmsteen might not be the first person you'd peg to cover ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" but his version is suitably amazing. Listen here.

Maybe this doesn't completely outshine Sir Mix-A-Lot's version in every way, but singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton's soulful and sultry acoustic version of "Baby Got Back" certainly comes very close. Listen to it here.

Weezer's cover of Toni Braxton's hit "Unbreak My Heart" is surprising in that Weezer goes pretty straightforward with it –trading their pop-rock sensibilities for pop-ballad harmonies and dramatics. It works surprisingly well. Listen to the full song here. 

Unlike the previous cover, They Might Be Giants' touch is all over this cover of the Destiny's Child hit "Bills, Bills, Bills." First recorded as part of The AV Club's Undercover series, it has since gotten a full studio recording and appeared on one of They Might Be Giants' recent albums. You can listen here.

Though the Roberta Flack version is amazing in its own right, The Fugees' version of "Killing Me Softly" is a masterpiece. Lauryn Hill absolutely melts your heart with her amazing vocals and – you know what? Just listen for yourself right here.

"So we're gonna take the beginning of this song, and do it easy. Then we're gonna do the finish rough." This cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Proud Mary" deserves to be on this list for that intro alone. Tina Turner's vocals soar – and when they do get a bit "rough", the song really starts to shine. Listen for yourself here.

I bet you didn't know this song was a cover! Though the Zutons' recording of the track is great in its own right , the collaboration between Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse is really something special. Listen here.

Though there have been countless covers of the Rolling Stones' classic "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – Devo's comes to mind –for our money, Otis Redding's soul version takes the cake. (Or maybe we're just suckers for a good horn track.)  Listen here and decide for yourself.

Here's another song you might be surprised to learn is a cover. Originally, "Tainted Love" was a funky, swinging Gloria Jones song from 1964 – not the new wave we know it as today thanks to Soft Cell's cover. Listen to it here.

Otis Redding makes his second appearance on this list – but this time as the original artist! Yes, "Respect" was originally written by Redding, though the definitive version is unquestionably Aretha Franklin's recording. Listen to it here.

It's one of the biggest debates in music – which version of "All Along The Watchtower" do you prefer? The original version by Bob Dylan or Jimi Hendrix's version, recorded just a year later? For our money, Hendrix's recording outshines the original. Sorry, Bob. Listen to the cover right here.

Give credit to the English indie-folk band Daughter – they have done the impossible and turned Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" into a sultry, passionate slow jam. Listen to it right here.

It's sometimes easy to forget that the version of "I Will Always Love You" wasn't the original – it was recorded specifically for the movie "The Bodyguard." The song was originally written by Dolly Parton back in 1974, but Houston's version is the one we all know and love. Listen to it here.