Tribute album - Definition and Overview

A tribute album is an collection of cover versions of a specific artist's songs. An example is Sharin' in the Groove, which consists entirely of Phish covers by various artists. Sharin' in the Groove, like many tribute albums, is dedicated to charity, with all profits supporting music education. Some tribute albums are created with a further conceptial twist than a simple collection of covers. These include:

• Albums which aid the artist whose work is being covered. These include Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye, a tribute Roky Erickson, whose cult fame has not led to financial success.
• Albums consisting of one artist performing only songs by another artist, such as Great Zeppelin, a tribute album for Led Zeppelin, performed solely by Great White or Wicked Grin, a collection of Tom Waits songs performed by John Hammond Jr..
• Albums consisting cover songs done in one style of music, often another style than that of the person being tributed. These include Is It Rolling Bob?: A Reggae Tribute to Bob Dylan and Goth Oddity 2000: A Tribute to David Bowie.
• Albums which recreate a specific album with cover versions of songs from that album. These include Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. and More Oar: A Tribute to Alexander "Skip" Spence, which recreates Spence's only album Oar.

A list of tribute albums (by artist):

• AC/DC - A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC (performed by Hayseed Dixie, 2001)
• Aerosmith - The String Quartet Tribute to Aerosmith (2003)
• Arthur Alexander - Adios Amigo
• Burt Bacharach - What the World Needs Now...
• The Beatles - All You Need Is Covers - Songs of the Beatles (1999)
• The Beatles - Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles (1966)
• The Beatles - Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles
• The Beatles - Here comes el Son - Songs of The Beatles with a Cuban Twist (2001)
• The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun - Reggae Tribute to the Beatles (2002)
• The Beatles - In My Life (George Martin, 1998)
• The Beatles - Let It Be (Laibach, 1988)
• The Beatles - LJ Plays the Beatles (Laurence Juber, 2000)
• The Beatles - Reggae Tribute to the Beatles
• Black Flag - Rise Above
• Black Sabbath - Nativity in Black
• David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes: Tribute to David Bowie (1999)
• David Bowie - Crash Course for the Ravers: A Tribute to the Songs of David Bowie (1996)
• David Bowie - Goth Oddity: A Tribute to David Bowie (1999)
• David Bowie - Goth Oddity 2000: A Tribute to David Bowie (2000)
• David Bowie - Sound and Vision: The Electronic Tribute to David Bowie (2002)
• David Bowie - The Dark Side of David Bowie (2000)
• David Bowie - The David Bowie Songbook (1997)
• David Bowie - The String Quartet Tribute to David Bowie (2002)
• Captain Beefheart - Fast 'n' Bulbous
• Carpenters - If I Were a Carpenter (1994)
• Celtic Frost -In Memory of Celtic Frost
• Eric Clapton - Blues Power: Songs of Eric Clapton (1999)
• Eric Clapton - Pickin' On Clapton (1999)
• The Clash - Backlash: Tribute To The Clash (1999)
• The Clash - Burning London - The Clash Tribute (1999)
• The Clash - City Rockers: A Tribute to the Clash (1999)
• Bruce Cockburn - Kick At the Darkness
• Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Fan (1991)
• Leonard Cohen - Tower of Song (1995)
• Elvis Costello - Almost You: The Songs of Elvis Costello (2002)
• Elvis Costello - Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours & Rendezvous (1998)
• Elvis Costello - The Elvis Costello Songbook (Bonnie Brett, 2003)
• Perry Como - 40 Golden Years
• The Cure - The String Quartet Tribute to the Cure: Whisper (2002)
• Ray Davies - This Is Where I Belong
• Depeche Mode - For the Masses
• Ronnie James Dio - Holy Dio
• Dixie Chicks - Pickin' on the Dixie Chicks (2000)
• Duran Duran - The Duran Duran Tribute Album (1997)
• Duran Duran - GLUE (1999)
• Ian Dury - Brand New Boots and Panties (2001)
• Bob Dylan - A Nod to Bob: Tribute to Bob Dylan on His Sixtieth Birthday (2001)
• Bob Dylan - A Tribute to Bob Dylan, Vol. 1 (1991)
• Bob Dylan - Any Day Now (Joan Baez, 1968)
• Bob Dylan - Blowin' in the Wind: A Reggae Tribute to Bob Dylan (2002)
• Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan (2003)
• Bob Dylan - I Shall Be Unreleased: Songs of Bob Dylan (1991)
• Bob Dylan - Is it Rolling Bob?: A Reggae Tribute to Bob Dylan (2004)
• Bob Dylan - Portraits of Bob Dylan (Steve Howe, 1999)
• Bob Dylan - Positively 12th & K: Bob Dylan Tribute (2003)
• Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blues: Songs Of Bob Dylan - This Ain't No Tribute (1999)
• Bob Dylan - The String Quartet Tribute to Bob Dylan (2003)
• Bob Dylan - The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration
• Electric Light Orchestra - Encores, Legends and Paradox
• Electric Light Orchestra & Jeff Lynne - Lynne Me Your Ears
• Roky Erickson - Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye
• Fleetwood Mac - Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours (1998)
• Ella Fitzgerald - Dear Ella
• The Grateful Dead - Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead (1991)
• The Grateful Dead - Fire On The Mountain: Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead (1996)
• The Grateful Dead - Might as Well...The Persuasions Sing Grateful Dead (2000)
• The Grateful Dead - Pickin' on the Grateful Dead: A Tribute (1997)
• The Grateful Dead - Pickin' on the Grateful Dead: Vol. 2 (2000)
• The Grateful Dead - Stolen Roses: Songs of the Grateful Dead (2000)
• Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly - Folkways: A Vision Shared
• George Harrison - Gentle Guitar Dreams (2002)
• George Harrison - Songs from The Material World - A Tribute to George Harrison (2003)
• George Harrison - Concert for George
• Mark Heard - Orphans of God
• Mark Heard - Strong Hand of Love
• Jimi Hendrix - A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
• Jimi Hendrix - Blue Haze: Songs of Jimi Hendrix (2000)
• Jimi Hendrix - If 6 Was 9: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
• Jimi Hendrix - Pickin' on Hendrix (1999)
• Jimi Hendrix - Revenge: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (1995)
• Jimi Hendrix - Searching for Jimi Hendrix (1999)
• Jimi Hendrix - Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (1993)
• Jimi Hendrix - String Quartet Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (2003)
• Jimi Hendrix - Tribute to Jimi Hendrix: Acoustic Ladyland (2001)
• Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Crossing: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (2003)
• Iron Maiden - A Call to Irons
• The Jam - A Tribute to The Jam
• Jethro Tull - To Cry You a Song
• Judas Priest - Legends of Metal
• Carole King - Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King. (1995)
• Kiss - Kiss My Ass
• Kiss - Kiss My Grass (performed by Hayseed Dixie, 2003)
• Christine Lavin - Big League Babe
• Led Zeppelin - Encomium (1995)
• Led Zeppelin - Going To California: A Classical Guitarist's Tribute To Led Zeppelin (2001)
• Led Zeppelin - Great Zeppelin (performed by Great White)
• Led Zeppelin - Pickin' on Zeppelin: A Tribute (2002)
• Led Zeppelin - Stairways to Heaven
• Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Blues - Songs of Led (1999)
• John Lennon - The String Quartet Tribute to John Lennon (2002)
• John Lennon - Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon (1995)
• Nick Lowe - Labour of Love: The Music of Nick Lowe
• Madonna - The String Quartet Tribute to Madonna (2002)
• Paul McCartney - Coming Up: An Indie Tribute to Paul McCartney
• Paul McCartney - Listen To What The Man Said: Popular Artists Tribute to Paul McCartney
• Paul McCartney - Love in Song - An Atlanta Tribute to Paul McCartney
• Paul McCartney - Tribute to Paul McCartney & Wings (Denny Laine)
• Mercyful Fate - Curse of the Demon
• Joni Mitchell - Back to the Garden
• Jim Morrison - Mr. Mojo Rising
• Motörhead - Hey Hey We're the Lemmy's (Metallica, 1996)
• Graham Parker - Piss & Vinegar: The Songs of Graham Parker (1996)
• Gram Parsons - Return of the Grievous Angel (1999)
• Pink Floyd - Electronic Tribute to Pink Floyd (2002)
• Pink Floyd - Electronic Tribute to Pink Floyd 2 (2002)
• Pink Floyd - Pigs & Pyramids: Songs of Pink Floyd (2003)
• Pink Floyd - The Reggae Tribute to Pink Floyd (2002)
• Pink Floyd - The String Quartet Tribute to Pink Floyd's" Dark Side of the Moon (2003)
• Pink Floyd - Pickin' On Pink Floyd
• Phish - Sharin' in the Groove
• Doc Pomus - Till the Night is Gone
• Cole Porter - Red, Hot and Blue (1990)
• Prince - If I Was Prince: The Tribute Album (2001)
• Prince - Prince Songbook: Symbolism (1998)
• Prince - A Tribute to Prince: Party O' the Times (1999)
• Prince - Tribute 2 Prince: Sexykinkyjazzysmooth (2001)
• Queen - Dynamite with a Laserbeam: Queen as Heard Through the Meat Grinder of Three One G (2002)
• Queen - Queen En Espanol: Tributo a Queen (1996)
• Queen - Stone Cold Queen: A Tribute (2001)
• The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Over You: A Tribute to the Ramones (2000)
• The Ramones - Ramones Forever: An International Tribute (2002)
• The Ramones - We're A Happy Family - A Tribute To The Ramones (2003)
• Jimmie Rodgers - Any Old Time, Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: (Steve Forbert, 2002)
• Jimmie Rodgers - The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: A Tribute
• The Rolling Stones - As Years Go By (1999)
• The Rolling Stones - Cover You: A Tribute To The Rolling Stones (1998)
• The Rolling Stones - Paint It Blue: Songs Of The Rolling Stones (1997)
• The Rolling Stones - Pickin' on the Rolling Stones (2000)
• The Rolling Stones - Shared Vision: The Songs of the Rolling Stones
• The Rolling Stones - Shared Vision, Vol. 2: The Songs of the Rolling Stones (1996)
• Pete Seeger - Where Have All the Flowers Gone
• Smashing Pumpkins - The Ghost Children
• Skip Spence - More Oar: A Tribute To Alexander "Skip" Spence
• Bruce Springsteen - Badlands: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska (2000)
• Bruce Springsteen - Cover Me: Songs by Springsteen (1984)
• Bruce Springsteen - Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen (2003)
• Bruce Springsteen - One Step Up/Two Steps Back: The Songs of Bruce Springsteen (1997)
• Bruce Springsteen - Pickin' on Springsteen - A Tribute (1999)
• Bruce Springsteen - Songs of Bruce Springsteen (2000)
• Bruce Springsteen - The Bruce Springsteen Songbook (1996)
• Bruce Springsteen - Tribute to Bruce Springsteen: Made in the U.S.A. (2001)
• Steve Taylor - I Predict A Clone
• Terry Scott Taylor & Daniel Amos - When Worlds Collide
• Richard Thompson - Beat the Retreat
• U2 - Ethereal Tribute to U2 (2002)
• U2 - String Quartet Tribute to U2 (2000)
• U2 - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays U2 (1999)
• U2 - We Will Follow: Tribute to U2 (1999)
• U2 - Zoovenir: Tribute to U2 (1998)
• Victoria Williams - Sweet Relief
• Venom - A Tribute to Venom
• Tom Waits - Temptation (performed by Holly Cole) (1995)
• Tom Waits - Wicked Grim (performed by John Hammond jr.) (2001)
• Brian Wilson - Making God Smile
• XTC - A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC (1995)
• Weird Al Yankovic - Prosthetic Lips
• Neil Young - Borrowed Tunes, released in two volumes as Out of The Blue and Into The Black (1994)