Even Better Than the Real Thing album series

{{Short description|Irish charity albums}}

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Even Better Than the Real Thing album series}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=May 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}

Even Better Than the Real Thing is the title of a number of Irish charity albums recorded on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM and released over a number of years for the Irish Christmas market.[http://www.todayfm.com/Article.asp?id=996892 "Even Better than the Disco Thing!"]{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Today FM. Accessed 25 November 2008.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hotpress.com/news/5053692.html|title=Ray D'Arcy releases covers album|date=25 November 2005|accessdate=2008-11-27|magazine=Hot Press}} The albums featured Irish artists performing covers of various pop songs until 2005 when the series was temporarily discontinued,{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/day-and-night/columnists/loaded-12122008-1572775.html|title=Loaded: 12 December 2008|date=12 December 2008|accessdate=2009-01-23|newspaper=Irish Independent}} although in 2008 Even Better Than the Disco Thing was released featuring covers of disco songs instead.[http://www.todayfmstore.com/comersus/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=2080 " tdfm0034 Even Better Than The Disco Thing "] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220233542/http://www.todayfmstore.com/comersus/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=2080 |date=20 December 2008 }}. Today FM. Accessed 26 November 2008.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2008/1212/1228864707639.html|title=Digging deep for a good cause|date=12 December 2008|accessdate=2009-08-16|newspaper=The Irish Times|quote=The Ray Darcy Show on Today FM has already put together a number of cover version albums to aid various charities. The latest is Even Better Than The Disco Thing with Cathy Davey, Lisa Hannigan, Jape, Republic of Loose, The Blizzards Duke Special, Director and many more getting on down. All proceeds go to the National Children’s Hospital and Barretstown.}} The title is taken from the U2 song "Even Better Than the Real Thing".