There is no such thing as an "uncoverable" song, but I usually prefer to refer to cover versions as "despecialized." There are definitely a few exceptions though...
vs. The Bobby Fuller Four
and, of course, The Clash
I'm still as giddy as the first time I saw tits whenever I hear The Clash's version, but I can't take the power of Bobby Fuller's version away from it. Hard to top.
vs. Devo
and, additionally
For me, I'll take the Devo version any time. Plus, Otis Redding's version is pretty sweet. Speaking of Otis Redding covering someone else's stuff...
vs. Otis Redding
...whose version I actually can't find on YouTube. So you're gonna have to take my word on it. It owns.
For me, Sam Cooke's version is the simple yet powerful original, but Otis Redding's version benefits from the little musical tweaks that build the drama created by the lyrics and the strained voice that lends authenticity to the revolution sparking content over Sam Cooke's smooth vocals on the original.
The last song I'm going to mention is one that I had kind of disowned for a while. The original version by an artist whose output in the 80s, which includes this song, is a bit of an acquired taste. The song was barely released by the record label, and it was just another good song by a good artist. A few cover versions were made, and that was sort of that until it exploded after it was included in a movie in 2001. Then everybody started covering it, it was popping up in movies and TV shows left and right, and it all just made the worst kind of sense. Yes, it is a great song, but what makes it a great song is that it follows a string of logic that covers a wide range of emotions and embodies many different moods (plus it has nearly fifteen pages of lyrics to choose from--the author only performs four). I had a bit of nerd rage every time I would see it used anywhere since here, they had such a versatile song that was deep and beautiful, and they were turning it into a narrowly-interpreted cliche of modern film/television.
Anyway, all that aside, it's still a really great song that you can really appreciate after you learn how to not let other people ruin things for you.
vs. Jeff Buckley
Yes, there are plenty of good covers of this song, and they'll all be good as long as whoever the performer is can play it well and has a good voice; but the point of all of this is good is not special. Special is not always good, either (like the Rebecca Black kind of special), but when special is good, it changes peoples lives. It's the articulation of things you could only barely avoid destroying by insisting "...you just had to be there."
Actually you know what, I'm ending this post. It's fucking late. I'm glad I decided not to add the "Bad Covers" section. I might have been here all week.
vs. The Bobby Fuller Four
and, of course, The Clash
I'm still as giddy as the first time I saw tits whenever I hear The Clash's version, but I can't take the power of Bobby Fuller's version away from it. Hard to top.
vs. Devo
and, additionally
For me, I'll take the Devo version any time. Plus, Otis Redding's version is pretty sweet. Speaking of Otis Redding covering someone else's stuff...
vs. Otis Redding
...whose version I actually can't find on YouTube. So you're gonna have to take my word on it. It owns.
For me, Sam Cooke's version is the simple yet powerful original, but Otis Redding's version benefits from the little musical tweaks that build the drama created by the lyrics and the strained voice that lends authenticity to the revolution sparking content over Sam Cooke's smooth vocals on the original.
The last song I'm going to mention is one that I had kind of disowned for a while. The original version by an artist whose output in the 80s, which includes this song, is a bit of an acquired taste. The song was barely released by the record label, and it was just another good song by a good artist. A few cover versions were made, and that was sort of that until it exploded after it was included in a movie in 2001. Then everybody started covering it, it was popping up in movies and TV shows left and right, and it all just made the worst kind of sense. Yes, it is a great song, but what makes it a great song is that it follows a string of logic that covers a wide range of emotions and embodies many different moods (plus it has nearly fifteen pages of lyrics to choose from--the author only performs four). I had a bit of nerd rage every time I would see it used anywhere since here, they had such a versatile song that was deep and beautiful, and they were turning it into a narrowly-interpreted cliche of modern film/television.
Anyway, all that aside, it's still a really great song that you can really appreciate after you learn how to not let other people ruin things for you.
vs. Jeff Buckley
Yes, there are plenty of good covers of this song, and they'll all be good as long as whoever the performer is can play it well and has a good voice; but the point of all of this is good is not special. Special is not always good, either (like the Rebecca Black kind of special), but when special is good, it changes peoples lives. It's the articulation of things you could only barely avoid destroying by insisting "...you just had to be there."
Actually you know what, I'm ending this post. It's fucking late. I'm glad I decided not to add the "Bad Covers" section. I might have been here all week.
It was Jennifer Jason Leigh in Single White Female
...For every good song there is a prick ready to 'make it their own'... 
