Cover tunes are a staple for many performers, an essential element in almost every bar band's act. And entire albums are devoted to retracking the music of a particular artist and attracting big names, as Elton John and Jimi Hendrix are thrown into the mix of lesser-known artist tributes.

But familiarity doesn't always mean big sales -- most tribute album sales fizzle out after the first month, said Jay Williams, manager of Blue Train Compact Disc, 418 E. College Ave.

"I don't think they ever do as well as people think they're gonna do," Williams said. "Sales aren't that great."

Many shoppers look for specific bands on the album, such as Pearl Jam's contribution to Sweet Relief, because some fans try to get every song recorded by their favorite bands, Williams said.

Many artists try to get a free ride off of another person's work when they cover a song, said Shira Berk, director of publicity for the Thirsty Ear/Beggar's Banquet record label. Lesser-known bands try to boost their careers with the notoriety of the artist they are tributing, Berk added.

"Who the hell wants to hear songs by a band they don't know?" she said. "It's just filler, it becomes pointless. You can't just cover somebody's song -- there has to be a concept behind it."

Sweet Relief, a tribute to folk singer Victoria Williams produced on Berk's label, was an exception, Berk said. It was more of a benefit album than a tribute because it raised money to pay for Victoria Williams' medical bills for multiple sclerosis as well as exposing a new musician.

"It was the first record put together to help musicians help each other," Berk said. "All those people came forward because they knew (Victoria Williams is) a great artist."

While picking up a copy of the new Guns N' Roses album of punk covers at Blue Train, Shaun Kline (junior-electrical engineering) said some new versions can ruin a song.

"As long as the next artist doesn't change the song and make something different out of it, I see no problem with it," Kline said.

Record companies use tributes to promote new artists while reaping the revenue benefits, said Andrew Karp, Atlantic Records' national promotion coordinator. Atlantic is getting into the tribute business with an ode to Led Zeppelin, complete with a contribution by Guns N' Roses.

"Everybody realizes they're potentially a good vehicle for bands to expose themselves," Karp said.

With a variety of subjects, the number of tributes on the market has increased during the last three years, said Ken Kubala, manager of City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave. Sales depend on the particular album and its contributing performers, Kubala added.

"There's so much, they're really overdoing it," he said. "Let's face it, none of the tributes are as good as the originals."

Although some artists garner multiple tributes, such as Jimi Hendrix and Curtis Mayfield, most performers usually receive only one major label production in their honor, Kubala said. Smaller record labels often release tributes with little fanfare, he said, mentioning a little-known ode to the Monkees.

Tribute albums for performers such as Mayfield, Miles Davis and Kiss are set to be released in the near future by major labels. And although the idea of Lenny Kravitz covering Mayfield's "Choice of Colors" or of The Cure revamping "Purple Haze" may turn off some listeners, name recognition appeals to some music shoppers, said Nina Klein, manager of National Record Mart, 226 E. College Ave., and National Record Mart Annex, 232 E. College Ave.

And younger musicians can pay homage to their predecessors by playing their songs, Klein said.

"It's different versions of songs they already like by artists they already like," she said. "The people who are being tributed are more established and more well-known, and newer artists are being influenced by them."