So far so good. But many of the tag terms (more obscure than original, unusual, definitive, etc) aren't going to mean anything to users. Even to editors. So I'd like to see a short definition of the terms included somewhere. "Hit - Find performances that charted somewhere in the world". Something like that. (Even I can't remember our exact criteria for hits.)
Agreed. How about this for some intro text to help the user navigate through the main features of our site?
Welcome to Second Hand Songs - a website dedicated to the cover version.
We are striving to become the world's most comprehensive and most accurate cover song database. We currently have xxx cover versions on the site and xxx originals. Our cover versions span all genres - pop, rock, soul, country, reggae, a cappella, you name it - and come in over 100 different languages. We have covers dating from 1899 all the way up to the present day.
Because it is so comprehensive, there's lots to explore on our site.
If you are looking for a cover of a particular song or a cover by a particular artist, you can use our search function.
We have some great cover song info as well, including:
- the most covered songs, sorted by release year;
- artists who have recorded the most covers or whose songs have been covered the most; or even
- albums that have spawned the most covers.
You can use the database to discover new cover versions, including:
- covers that became more famous than the original;
- covers that were hits in their own right or award-winning;
- covers released long after they were recorded;
- covers that featured on TV talent shows; and
- live, acoustic or a cappella covers.
Alternatively, if you are feeling more adventurous, you can browse through our editors' favourite covers or our users' best rated covers.
Finally, you can also help us. You can suggest cover versions currently missing from our database. We know there are lots out there. And if you spot any errors with our entries, you can use the "report error" button to alert us to entries that need changing.
I'd definitely recommend adding a facebook plug-in with live-feed on the homepage too, as a way to keep the site feeling current.