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{{quote|''"I think he died when he heard my version of 'Heartbreak Hotel'."''|John Cale on [[Elvis Presley]]}}
{{quote|''"I think he died when he heard my version of 'Heartbreak Hotel'."''|John Cale on [[Elvis Presley]]}}


If a song is recorded by a singer-songwriter, and then by somebody else, the second person's recording is a Cover Version. If the song is from [[Tin Pan Alley]] and not released by the original songwriter, the Cover Version is either any version after the first recording, or any version after the first hit recording. Hit songs tend to attract Cover Versions. Sometimes, Cover Versions are more popular than the first version; the original is then [[Covered Up]]. If a cover is done in another language then it is a [[Translated Cover Version]]
If a song is recorded by a singer-songwriter, and then by somebody else, the second person's recording is a '''Cover Version'''. If the song is from [[Tin Pan Alley]] and not released by the original songwriter, the Cover Version is either any version after the first recording, or any version after the first hit recording. Hit songs tend to attract Cover Versions. Sometimes, Cover Versions are more popular than the first version; the original is then [[Covered Up]]. If a cover is done in another language then it is a [[Translated Cover Version]]
{{examples}}
{{examples}}
* Finnish [[Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly|Neo-Classical Black/MeloDeath/Thrash Metal]] band [[Children of Bodom]] has covered Britney Spears' Oops I Did It Again and Creedence Clearwater Revival's Lookin' Out My Backdoor. Yes, there's a whole album of them, but those two stand out the most.
* Finnish [[Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly|Neo-Classical Black/MeloDeath/Thrash Metal]] band [[Children of Bodom]] has covered Britney Spears' Oops I Did It Again and Creedence Clearwater Revival's Lookin' Out My Backdoor. Yes, there's a whole album of them, but those two stand out the most.
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** However they were not a supergroup back then, only Beck being famous. Ron Wood and Rod Stewart didn't become stars after this (when they joined The Faces).
** However they were not a supergroup back then, only Beck being famous. Ron Wood and Rod Stewart didn't become stars after this (when they joined The Faces).
* A number of [[Bob Dylan|Bob Dylan's]] early songs became widely known through their covers. Examples include Peter, Paul and Mary's rendition of "Blowin' in the Wind", the Byrds' covers of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "My Back Pages", the Turtles' version of "It Ain't Me, Babe", and [[Jimi Hendrix]]'s cover of "All Along the Watchtower". That last one became so pervasive, Dylan himself incorporated elements of it into his live show.
* A number of [[Bob Dylan|Bob Dylan's]] early songs became widely known through their covers. Examples include Peter, Paul and Mary's rendition of "Blowin' in the Wind", the Byrds' covers of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "My Back Pages", the Turtles' version of "It Ain't Me, Babe", and [[Jimi Hendrix]]'s cover of "All Along the Watchtower". That last one became so pervasive, Dylan himself incorporated elements of it into his live show.
** Also, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" has had [[wikipedia:Knockin%27 On Heaven%27s Door#Covers|many, many versions]].
** Also, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" has had [[wikipedia:Knockin' On Heaven's Door#Covers|many, many versions]].
* [[Joni Mitchell|Joni Mitchell's]] songbook is a favorite for other artists to tap into. Hit covers of her work include Judy Collins' "Both Sides Now" and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's version of "Woodstock".
* [[Joni Mitchell|Joni Mitchell's]] songbook is a favorite for other artists to tap into. Hit covers of her work include Judy Collins' "Both Sides Now" and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's version of "Woodstock".
* While J.J. Cale is a relatively unknown musician in his own right, three of his songs have attained major notoriety in their covers; "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" as performed by [[Eric Clapton]], and [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]'s cover of his "They Call Me the Breeze".
* While J.J. Cale is a relatively unknown musician in his own right, three of his songs have attained major notoriety in their covers; "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" as performed by [[Eric Clapton]], and [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]'s cover of his "They Call Me the Breeze".
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* [[Leonard Cohen]]'s "Hallelujah" has been covered so many times, [[The Other Wiki]] has two hefty paragraphs dedicated to listing instances.
* [[Leonard Cohen]]'s "Hallelujah" has been covered so many times, [[The Other Wiki]] has two hefty paragraphs dedicated to listing instances.
** Cohen originally wrote the song with ''15'' verses, with each artist choosing 4-5 verses for their cover version.
** Cohen originally wrote the song with ''15'' verses, with each artist choosing 4-5 verses for their cover version.
* This troper once heard that the most covered song in the world is "White Christmas", written by Irving Berlin and originally performed by Bing Crosby. [[The Other Wiki]] lists [[wikipedia:White Christmas %28song%29|over one hundred artists]] as having performed versions of it.
* This troper once heard that the most covered song in the world is "White Christmas", written by Irving Berlin and originally performed by Bing Crosby. [[The Other Wiki]] lists [[wikipedia:White Christmas (song)|over one hundred artists]] as having performed versions of it.
* [[Sunn O)))]]))) covered For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica in their usual droney style, so it's nearly impossible to tell that a track named FWTBT (I Dream of Lars Ulrich Being Thrown Through the Bus Window Instead of My Master Mystikall Kliff Burton). On that note they also covered Cursed Realms (Of The Winterdemons) by [[Immortal (band)|Immortal]], but once again, in their molasses moving uphill style. One must wonder how it's really a cover if it sounds NOTHING like the original.
* [[Sunn O)))]]))) covered For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica in their usual droney style, so it's nearly impossible to tell that a track named FWTBT (I Dream of Lars Ulrich Being Thrown Through the Bus Window Instead of My Master Mystikall Kliff Burton). On that note they also covered Cursed Realms (Of The Winterdemons) by [[Immortal (band)|Immortal]], but once again, in their molasses moving uphill style. One must wonder how it's really a cover if it sounds NOTHING like the original.
* For rights reasons, almost every song on ''[[Guitar Hero]]'' is actually a cover. When the title and artist come up at the beginning of the song, look at what it says: "As made famous by" is a cover, and "As performed by" is the original. This is why "Spanish Castle Magic" by [[Jimi Hendrix]] is an instrumental in the original ''Guitar Hero''; it's illegal to impersonate his voice.
* For rights reasons, almost every song on ''[[Guitar Hero]]'' is actually a cover. When the title and artist come up at the beginning of the song, look at what it says: "As made famous by" is a cover, and "As performed by" is the original. This is why "Spanish Castle Magic" by [[Jimi Hendrix]] is an instrumental in the original ''Guitar Hero''; it's illegal to impersonate his voice.