Yes. Its just better to me.

GenX here. This is one thing me and my little kids agree on, AAF’s version is superior.

I had no idea what you were talking about. Might have saved a click if you mentioned what they were covering and who MJ was.

Heard there version before. Had it on a compilation in 2003. It’s catchy at first and then tiring, and unlike a lot of great covers I got bored with it fast.

I always wondered, is it an ant farm for alien ants, or is it an ant farm owned by aliens?

I love Alien Ant Farm. Every track on their first album is wonderful. After that it starts to dip but there are still good ones in their later works.

See also, Boys of Summer by the Ataris, and that one’s a lot closer as Don Henley’s original is nearly as good. Some might argue better, and I wouldn’t disagree with them directly, but I prefer the cover.

Most cover songs, you don’t know they’re covers, they’re that much better.

Despite being an 80s kid, my introduction to KISS was Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, with God Gave Rock n’ Roll To Ya. Later found out it was a cover. In fact, Christian group Petra, which probably rivals Fleetwood Mac for number of past members (albeit for different reasons — Petra styles itself a missionary, not a band in the traditional sense, so their revolving door of members is to be expected), covered the song before KISS did. I don’t even recall who did it first.

Of course, a lot of popular songs aren’t even written by the performer. The Bangles’ Manic Monday was written by Prince, but there wasn’t a Prince version until later. Prince never released it in his lifetime, it was released after he passed. So that wasn’t a cover. Prince literally wrote the song for them and they recorded it. He recorded it too, but didn’t release it. Maybe they got to hear it, but it was not made public. Still not thought of as a cover.

Damn I forgot about the truckload of energy that bass player brings in that video.

I didn’t even need to click the link to know what you meant.

Fun fact: When the windmill arm finger touches the mailbox, it also lights up my heart.

They are each great in their own way, and in their own context. I can’t love one more than the other, but I love them differently.

My favorite is the white panda mashup with Baller, Shot Caller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDripRFEajk&t=972

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Both versions are good, but I’d have to say I prefer the AAF version. It’s probably been a decade or more sine I’ve seen this music video, and I didn’t realize just how many Michael Jackson references are in it.

I definitely listened to it more often than to the MJ version.

I grew up on MJ.

If you were a kid in the 90s MJ grew up on you too… 😅.

Yes, it’s just better. Or at least, more to my taste.