I seem to be alone in strongly preferring the original, NIN version of Hurt to Johnny Cash’s cover.

For me, I almost always prefer the original of almost any song. The cover would have to really stand out to me. Mainly because I feel that cover artists don’t sing the songs with the same emotion the original artist has.
“This Boy”—The Beatles
“Every Breath You Take”—The Police
those are the two songs where I won’t even consider listening to a cover artist.

Killing me softly – Roberta Flack

Almost anything by Frank Sinatra (except—agrrrgggghhhh—MacArthur Park).
Ditto Tony Bennett.

Turn the Page.

Almost any classic song that I like that has a cover, I prefer the original and am annoyed by the cover, so much that I can’t think of any examples of songs with covers because I’ve successfully forgotten the covers.

The main case that comes to mind isn’t really a cover. since the other performances were by a co-author, but:

“Tonight” (I really like the Iggy Pop version, though Bowie wrote the song with him and is the one who does the main other versions – one with Tina Turner which is good in its own way)

I often like other people’s covers of Bob Dylan songs better than his own but their are a few that he does the best like “Masters of War.”

Daft Punk’s original version of “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” is way better than what Kanye West did with it.
Chriss Isaak’s “Wicked Games” is way more sentimental than HIM’s cover.

Also, any song, no matter how bad, is better than “techno remix” of it.

@janbb With all due respect to Mr. Dylan, “All Along the Watchtower” didn’t transcend until Jimi Hendrix covered it.

I completely agree – as I said above, I like most covers of Dylan’s songs better than his versions, including “All Along the Watchtower.”

Mad World – Tears for Fears…leave well alone.

Most of the oldies, 50’s and 60’s. I’ve heard some remakes of these and they just don’t sound as good as the original.

Elvis: Viva Las Vegas, Return to Sender.