Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 1 is an Irish charity album featuring a variety of artists performing acoustic cover versions of popular songs. It was released in 2003 by RMG Chart Entertainment Ltd. The songs on the album were recorded live and acoustic on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM.
The album was made in aid of the National Children's Hospital in Tallaght. The album's name is a reference to U2's song, "Even Better Than the Real Thing".
Track listing
| Track no. | Title | Cover Artist | Original Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Can't Get You Out of My Head" | Jack L | Kylie Minogue |
| 2 | "Get the Party Started" | Damien Rice & Lisa Hannigan | Pink |
| 3 | "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex" | Picturehouse | Rachel Stevens |
| 4 | "Underneath Your Clothes" | Kieran Goss | Shakira |
| 5 | "Crazy in Love" | Mickey Harte | Beyoncé Knowles |
| 6 | "Ain't Nobody" | The Walls | Chaka Khan |
| 7 | "How You Remind Me" | Maria Doyle Kennedy | Nickelback |
| 8 | "Sound of the Underground" | The 4 Of Us | Girls Aloud |
| 9 | "Breathe" | Roesy | Blu Cantrell |
| 10 | "Wherever, Whenever" | Mundy | Shakira |
| 11 | "Cry Me a River" | Glen Hansard | Justin Timberlake |
| 12 | "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" | Damien Dempsey | The Darkness |
| 13 | "Escape"* | Kevin Doyle (AKA Elvis) | Enrique Iglesias |
*Also features a hidden track of Picturehouse covering "Papa Don't Preach" by Madonna.
References