Original by: Prince and The FamilyMany of my friends know I love me some Prince (I own four movie soundtracks by him, two of which are from movies I've never even seen), but that Irish iconoclast Sinead belted his standard into the stratosphere with this early '90s gemso early '90s in fact that I remember it being the first major radio hit of that decade. She's now more known for tearing a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live, a move which undoubtedly killed her career but one she still stubbornly claims was "brilliant." Oh well. At least we have one stellar song in her catalog to fondly look back on.
Honorable Mention: "Hallelujah" - John Cale
Original by: Leonard CohenIt's true I first heard this song in the kiddy movie Shrek (during the obligatory sad ending of the second act), but it's still no less powerful. After watching the movie in a Baltimore theater over a decade ago, I searched for "Hallelujah" online and found a version by Rufus Wainwright (whiney and annoying) and the original by the "songwriter's songwriter" Leonard Cohen (dark and heavy), but to me, John Cale's version remains the most authoritative, dare I say heavenly version of the song. Oh yes, I dared. So what other remakes did you think outshone the originals? Let me know in the comments below.