Apple ripping people off with the black MacBook 1714

Umpty ump cover bands performing live don't count?

I'd bet that there are a wide variety of versions of, for instance, "Stairway to Heaven" that have been recorded.

Doing a search for a popular song on a p2p network can be eye-opening. I remember searching for "Mack the Knife" and finding 30 or so versions. I found about as many versions of it as I found of "Venus" and "Ballroom Blitz." I think you'd find the same of any number of songs.

Emerson Lake and Palmer played Mussorgsky and Ginastero. I've been told that musician's from the Doors and the Dixie Dregs has clbuttical training. Pat Benetar was trained as an opera singer...

Once you start seeing that music is all inter-related and enjoyable, you stop obsessing about what flavor is "better."

There are certainly genres I don't like very much, and it's tempting to dismiss them as no good. But I find that I do enjoy occasional works even from genres I otherwise don't care for.

Who made you arbiter of all things musical? :-)

We don't know that. Music and the way we listen to it, think of it, and perform it have all changed.

And what is music? Have you looked into this?