This probably happens a lot in music, but I've never seen an example this extreme. Here are two versions of the same song, Bette Davis Eyes, the original Jackie DeShannon version released in 1974 and the Kim Carnes version released in 1981. The second version was a huge hit and the first version you probably never heard of. The second version involved more people than just Kim Carnes to create it. I don't remember the full back story, but it's amazing what a few tweaks to a song can do for its popularity.
