Lloyd Price's "Stagger Lee" is a cover of the long-established New Orleans boogie-piano song of that name. To me, it's an entirely different song from the other "Stagger Lee" or "Stack-O-Lee" usually played on the guitar that is more familiar within the folk tradition (e.g., John Hurt's). The melodies, chord progressions, etc., of the two songs are entirely distinctive, even though the lyrics tell the same basic story. There are plenty of versions and variations of *both* these Stagger Lees.

Is the New Orleans jazz/R&B/brass-band tradition a "folk tradition"? I'd say "probably," but I understand that others may not always agree.

Nerd, point taken in re "Wimoweh/Lion Sleeps."

Rock and traditional-folk may be *very* different from each other, but any song (any combination of words and melody) can conceivably be played in any style. There can be a "rock version" (rearrangement) of *any* song originally from *any* genre, just as they can be a reggae version, a jazz reinterpretation, etc.

I understand that some may not *like* rock, or jazz or whatever, and may despise most or even all rocked-up remakes of their favorite traditional songs, but it can't be denied that such reinterpretations exist.

The original quesion asked for "best" rock remakes of "traditional" songs. We may have strayed a bit by mentioning non-traditional folk songs, but it's been interesting to make note of so many well-loved remakes, or updates, or bastardizations -- whatever you want to call 'em.