5. Bob Marley - I Shot The Sheriff
This is a tough pick because on a personal level I am pretty partial to both versions. Clapton does an amazing job with this song and you wouldn't expect anything less from him. The Eric Clapton version is iconic in it's own right and so is the Marley version. When you listen to both Clapton's and Marley's version you can hear that there really isn't all that much that sets then apart. As far as cover songs go they are just about as similar as they come. What is it exactly that gives Marley's version the edge? This song seems to fit Marley a little bit better thanks to his outlaw status. It's no secret that due to his role as an activist Marley had more than his fair share of run ins with the law. Even with his outlaw status the public still supported Marley to no end because he was of the people and for the people. As far as outshining the original Marley gets the win here not so much because of musicianship but more because of his public image. If Bob Marley's life was a TV show this would undeniably be the theme song. Clapton and Marley both put on amazing performances here but given the subject matter of the song itself you would almost think that it was Marley who originally wrote it.