missed this post on Friday: Mick prefers the No Doubt cover of "It's My Life" to the Talk talk original. Safe to say he's in the minority on that one.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mlasalle/detail?blogid=38&entry_id=50227
Mick has gone on record as saying he usually prefers more youthful pop performers, as he thinks the energy and vibrancy they bring are better suited to what many a pop song is trying to say. I'm mind reading here, of course, but I think that explains his preference for No Doubt over Talk Talk. Plus Gwen is sexier that the Talk Talk dude.
If you got a thing for Gwen Stefani, it definitely improves the song. What's not to like?
ETA: Of course, no amount of sex appeal is going to make me prefer Madonna's "American Pie" over Don McClean's... wait, I'm not sure I phrased that right.
Doesn't Madonna's Pie have a faux Brit accent? "Oy! No shoving, mates! Just queue up orderly-loike."