Real Men: How Does Authorship Affect Reception?

Consider these two versions of the song "Real Men." The first is by Joe Jackson (no, not Michael's father), who originally wrote the song, and the second is a cover by Tori Amos. Does it matter who sings a song, or is a song the same no matter who sings it? Think about this in terms of your research; what are the implications of different sources of the same material?