I don’t feel it is proper to name names asking if this one or that one got permission to use a tune before recording. How would anyone here know if they did or not, so in a sense you are starting L”H on that person. There are many performers who do this and no one but them and their “people” know whether in fact they took the legal route. This includes all the very well known performers who are the top echelon in Kosher Jewish Music today. One of which took a German march and put it to a tune that is still played at some weddings but was banned at many years ago.
Many people who do NOT listen to secular music have no idea and have no reason to know that the music was adapted to Jewish lyrics. Tunes are fun and upbeat and therefore they are recycled into various forms. The only time I personally had a problem was with this German march and with a Spanish song that everyone was dancing to but did not understand the lyrics to. It happened to be about the “oldest profession int he world” which is not a very nice thing for women to do.