Editing Cover version (section)

==Modern cover versions of songs==
Cover versions of many popular songs have been recorded, sometimes with a radically different style, sometimes virtually unrecognizable from the original. For example, [[Sir Mix-a-Lot]]'s 1992 rap "[[Baby Got Back]]" was covered by indie rock singer [[Jonathan Coulton]] in 2005, in an acoustic [[soft rock]] style. Coulton's cover was then covered, without attribution, in 2013 by the show ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'', and was so similar that Coulton, among others, alleged [[plagiarism]] of his arrangement and melody.<ref>{{cite web|last=Doctorow |first=Cory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2013/jan/31/internet-copyright-law |title=Internet copyright law has to have public support if it's going to work &#124; Technology |publisher=theguardian.com |date=2013-01-31 |access-date=2013-11-14}}</ref> Some producers or recording artists may also enlist the services of a sample replay company such as Titan Tribute Media or Scorccio, in order to replicate an original recording with precision detail and accuracy.

A song may be covered into another language. For example, in the 1930s, a recording of "[[Isle of Capri (song)|Isle of Capri]]" in Spanish, by [[Osvaldo Fresedo]] and singer Roberto Ray, is known. [[Falco (musician)|Falco]]'s 1982 German-language hit "[[Der Kommissar (song)|Der Kommissar]]" was covered in English by [[After the Fire]], although the German title was retained. The English version, which was not a direct translation of Falco's original but retained much of its spirit, reached the Top 5 on the US charts. "[[The Lion Sleeps Tonight]]" evolved over several decades and versions from a 1939 [[Solomon Linda]] ''a cappella'' song. Many of singer [[Laura Branigan]]'s 1980s hits were English-language covers of songs already successful in Europe, for the American record market. Numerable English-language covers exist of "[[99 Luftballons]]" by German singer [[Nena]] (notably one by punk band [[Goldfinger (band)|Goldfinger]]), one having been recorded by [[Nena]] herself following the success of her original German version. "[[Popcorn (instrumental)|Popcorn]]", a song that was originally completely instrumental, has had lyrics added in at least six different languages in various covers. During the heyday of [[Cantopop]] in Hong Kong in the late 1970s to early 1990s, many hits were covers of English and Japanese titles that have gained international fame but with localized lyrics (sometimes multiple sets of lyrics sung to the same tune), and critics often chide the music industry of shorting the tune-composing process.

Although modern cover versions are often produced for artistic reasons, some aspects of the disingenuous spirit of early cover versions remain. In the album-buying heyday of the 1970s, albums of sound-alike covers were created, commonly released to fill [[bargain bin]]s in the music section of supermarkets and even specialized [[record shop|music stores]], where uninformed customers might easily confuse them with original recordings. The packaging of such discs was often intentionally confusing, combining the name of the original artist in large letters with a tiny disclaimer like ''as originally sung by'' or ''as made popular by''. More recently, albums such as the [[Kidz Bop]] series of [[compact disc]]s, featuring versions of contemporary songs sung by children, have sold successfully.

In 2009, the American musical comedy-drama television series ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'' debuted, featuring several musical performances per episode. The series featured solely cover songs performed by the series' titular [[glee club]] until near the end of its second season with the episode "[[Original Song]]". The series still primarily uses cover songs of both chart hits and show tunes, occasionally as [[Mashup (music)|mashups]] or distinct variations. The show's musical performances have been a commercial success, with over twenty-one million copies of ''Glee'' cast single releases purchased digitally, and over nine million albums purchased worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hot-business-glee-75593|title=Exclusive: Inside the Hot Business of 'Glee{{'-}}|page=2|date=January 25, 2011|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|publisher=Lori Burgess|access-date=January 26, 2011}}</ref>

Australian alternative/indie radio station [[Triple J]] presents a weekly segment called ''[[Like a Version]]'' in which a band or musician performs one of their own songs as well as a song they love by another artist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/like-a-version/ |title=Like A Version |website=[[Triple J]] |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> Originating in 2004, the popularity of the performances<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/about/backstory/radio/2019-05-10/triple-j-like-a-version-popular-with-artists-and-audience/11087172 |title=Why triple j's Like A Version is a hit with artists and the audience |last=Johnson |first=Natasha |date=2019-05-10 |website=[[ABC News and Current Affairs|ABC News]] |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> have resulted in the release of annual compilation albums of selected covers and, more recently, votes in the annual [[Triple J Hottest 100]] poll (which has even sparked its own controversy).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pilerats.com/written/light-easy/like-a-version-hottest-2020/ |title=Should Like A Version covers be allowed in triple j's Hottest 100? |last=Davies |first=Hayden |date=January 2020 |website=Pilerats |publisher=Pilerats Pty Ltd |access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref>

Conjoined cover songs are collectively referred to as a ''[[medley (music)|cover medley]]''.

On occasion, a cover can become more popular than the original, for instance [[Jimi Hendrix]]’s version of [[Bob Dylan]]’s "[[All Along the Watchtower]]" became the standard, and Dylan even adjusted his performance style closer to the Hendrix version. [[Johnny Cash]]’s 2002 cover of "[[Hurt (Nine Inch Nails song)|Hurt]]" by [[Nine Inch Nails]] is another example of the cover version eclipsing the original. This is a widespread, common occurrence in the music industry.

With advancements in [[artificial intelligence]], internet users can create covers using RVC models.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Andy |date=2023-11-28 |title=How to make an AI cover song with any artist's voice |url=https://www.musicradar.com/how-to/ai-vocal-covers |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=[[MusicRadar]] |language=en}}</ref>