 Riff Offs: 10 Songs That Resemble Other SongsBy
Douglas Newman Share:
Sphere: Related Content
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Musicians are notorious for taking this old adage to heart, liberally “borrowing” (either intentionally or subconsciously) chords, melodies and/or lyrics from each other. Some say that it’s, in fact, the essence of all forms of music, especially modern popular music. This is certainly the case with folk and blues idioms. Bob Dylan, and he’d be the first to admit it, wouldn’t be the caliber artist he is without riffing on other songwriters. Sometimes this musical flattery is taken in stride, while other times it’s repaid with a big fat lawsuit. There are countless examples of songs that borrow from other songs. Below are 10 of my favorites. Please send me yours!
Coldplay were briefly accused of copying portions of “The Songs I Didn’t Write” by Brooklyn based alternative band Creaky Boards, for the melody of “Viva la Vida”. Creaky Boards’ band member Andrew Hoepfner claimed that Chris Martin had heard the track at one of their shows. Coldplay denied the claims; band spokesman Murray Chambers said “Chris was working in AIR Studios in London” at that time. Creaky Boards later retracted the accusations and now speculate that both songs may have been inspired by the video game The Legend of Zelda.
All you have to do is listen to those first few bars and the theft is strikingly apparent, save for a transposed semitone. Obviously the boys from Wire noticed this too and took Elastica to task. Apparently the judgment resulted in an out-of-court settlement for which Wire received no compensation, except maybe some nice publicity. Considering that one of the neo-post-punk Britpop band’s biggest influences is Wire, it’s only fitting that they would borrow from their idols.
According to Wikipedia, following the song’s release, musical similarities between “My Sweet Lord” and The Chiffons’ hit “He’s So Fine” led to a lengthy legal battle over the rights to the composition. In a U.S. federal court decision, Harrison was found to have unintentionally copied the earlier song. He was ordered to surrender the majority of royalties from “My Sweet Lord.” In a funny twist, The Chiffons would later record “My Sweet Lord” to capitalize on the publicity generated by the lawsuit. Shortly thereafter, Harrison bought the rights to “He’s So Fine,” bringing the saga full circle.
There are strong similarities between “Fight Test” and Cat Stevens’s 1970 song “Father and Son.” Stevens, now Yusuf Islam, is receiving royalties following a relatively noncontentious settlement. Lips’ frontman, Wayne Coyne, claims that he was unaware of the songs’ similarities until producer Dave Fridmann pointed them out.
In 2007, The Rubinoos sued Canadian pop-punk singer Avril Lavigne, claiming that her hit song “Girlfriend” has too much in common with their 1979 song “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” Lavigne’s manager, Terry McBride, denied that “Girlfriend” was copied from “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” and pointed out that “Boyfriend” itself is similar to The Rolling Stones’ “Get off of My Cloud”. The two parties reached a confidential settlement in January 2008. Hard to believe that the similarities were purely coincidental, especially given the two songs’ identical subject matter, albeit with swapped gender.
The similarities between these two songs were apparent enough that The Doors had to pay royalties from the British single to The Kinks after Ray Davies sued them.
Go to Page 2 >>
Pages: 1 2
Add a Comment
COMMENTS (339)
The Oct8pus said:
The most common instance here is that a popular artist ripped off a lesser known artist (allegedly). It happens a lot. Sadly, the lesser known artist usually fades into obscurity… mockstar said:
I feel dumb for never having recognized the similarities between All day & All Of The Night and Hello I Love You. My high school cover band even played both and we never noticed. Then again, it’s basically three chords. mixmasterasia said:
how about “little bitch” by the specials, “bohemian like you” by the dandy warhols, and “brown sugar” by the rolling stones? Rich said:
Play The Pretenders’ “Talk of the Town” and then New Order’s “Regret.” Quite a similar riff, no? Aramroth said:
Anthrax – Be All, End All – http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=KwS0eaVqpnY charles barkley said:
Jet – Are you gonna be my girl iggy pop – lust for life SERIOUSLY the same song Dude said:
What about Tom Petty’s Mary Jane’s Last Dance getting ripped on from Dani California by RHCP Starchild said:
Remedy (The Black Crowes) vs. Night of the Thumpasaurus Peoples (Funkadelic) JM said:
What about Lady Madonna by the Beatles and What I got by Sublime? Aramroth said:
Oops, fail. Almiria said:
There’s one song, I forget what it’s called. But it’s a newer song. Every time I hear it, I think of Werewolves of London, just to remember it’s not that song. Does anyone else hear that similarity? Koufax said:
Cobain has admitted that he used the rhythm of More Than A Feeling by Boston in Smells Like Teen Spirit. I totally hear it. Emo is the most derivative genre. They rip everything off: http://tinyurl.com/6poz6v John thomas said:
Wow dude that is way cool. badmonkey said:
That’s the new kid rock song which, aside from being tremendously awful, also rips off of Sweet Home Alabama. That dude has absolutely no talent aside from stealing good melodies. Steve said:
Hotel California by The Eagles is almost the exact same song as The Rolling Stones’ Angie. a said:
more lik e8 songs that resemble other songs and 2 stupid add-ons that show the writer is retarded Dbl e said:
Unwind by sonic youth, and Blame it on the tetons by modest mouse. Eerily similar. divinetiger said:
To Oct8pus — It actually happens the other way around *all the time* .. it’s just that nobody cares. I also think it’s funny when someone says a song “sounds like” or “ripped off” another song. They are usually just too young to know who *that* song ripped off. That’s music. PS This article has been done before, too. sonnyo said:
“Save Room” by John Legend and “Stormy” by The Classics IV. Musicallysound said:
Hey, they forgot anything Nickelback ever did sounds exactly like anything Nickelback ever did. God that band sucks! Alex said:
Cold Play also ripped off Computer Love by Kraftwerk. Ty said:
“dani california” by Red Hot Chili Peppers sounds like “Last dance with Mary Jane” by Tom Petty, not to mention Frusciante’s solo in “dani” was taken straight from Purple Haze. Spoon – “The Two sides of Monsieur valentine” sounds like The Beatles – “Glass Onion” This list could go on for pages and pages. cmdzr said:
country death song – violent femmes Bill said:
Gordon Lightfoot – “If You Could Read My Mind” Whitney Houston – “The Greatest Love of All” John said:
The Offspring- “The Kids Aren’t Alright” (essentially identical intros and rythms) Marvin Gaye- “Sexual Healing” (Just listen to them and tell me Mayer didn’t rip off.) This article also forgot the classic case of CCR: tehmeh said:
mika copied cutting crew’s ‘i just died in your arms tonight’ tune for relax, but cited it in the album sleeve in tiny tiny print. Alan said:
one of the most famous ones: Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Bbay” and Queen’s “under Pressure” LapsedPacifist said:
let’s don’t forget “What I got” by Sublime and “Lady Madonna” by The Beatles. Harvey said:
Almost every recorded artist on the planet rips off John Cage’s “four and a half minutes of silence” for their 2-second pieces between most tracks of their releases. Vinyl lead-in and lead-out grooves also appear to quote the Cage composition. rannelvis said:
earth angel, blue moon, and last kiss all are the same song four non blondes’ “what’s up” is the same exact chord progression as bobby mcferrin’s “don’t worry be happy” big whoop. there’s only so many chords, and of those, only some chords go with others. anyone who’s taken a music theory class can tell you this. sonnyo said:
@Almiria. Yes … also can’t remember the name of the newer song but it copied two older songs “Werewolves of London” and “Sweet Home Alabama”. rannelvis said:
also bob marley’s “stir it up” and jack johnson’s “bubble toes” share the same chord progression. at concerts, jack used to actually sing the words to “stir it up” in between verses as a *mashup* ape lad said:
Come as you are by Nirvana and Eighties by Killing Joke. Jack said:
there are no more original songs, all the chord changes and progressions have been used up years ago sonnyo said:
@badmonkey. Sorry didn’t see your post … hehehe. Axiom said:
I am surprised Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” was not mentioned to be lifted from Killing Joke’s “Eighties”. The guitar riff was so similar. Though there was no lawsuit, Dave Grohl (drummer for Nirvana) agreed to drum on the Killing Joke album from 2003 (self titled). For free. Sergio said:
Billy Idol ripped off his own song, Rebel Yell, when he released Scream. Big D from South Surrey said:
You can compare these ones on youtube. Band- “Default” Song “Waisting my time” vs Artisit “Billy Gillman” song “One voice was heard” Harvey said:
Easily 15 Led Zeppelin songs are anything from light lifts to heavy rips (Google them and see). Stairway to Heaven was originally penned by Carlifornia band Spirit as an instrumental called Taurus (early live zep performances included Sirit’s “Fresh Garbage” in the set). Dazed and Confused was written by Jake Holmes as I’m Confused (a particularly blatant lift, lyrics and all). Jimmy Page also ripped himself off from his Yardbirds days. And Jimmy is allged to have gotten the idea for Led Zeppelin from watching his former Yardbird bandmate Jeff Beck’s new band “The Jeff Beck Group” (with Rod Stewart) performing in New York in 1968 iirc. tbartlett said:
I don’t think anyone’s mentioned it yet, but Let It Bleed by the Rolling Stones and Night Moves by Bob Seger have nearly the exact same guitar riff. Daniel said:
“Cliffs of Dover” by Eric Johnson and “All My Life” by K-Ci and JoJo. Keith said:
I’m very surprised that John Fogerty’s “Old Man Down the Road” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Run Through the Jungle” didn’t make the list!! aramageddon said:
It’s funny that “Lady Madonna” has been mentioned twice, but its more obvious riff-off, Steve Miller’s “Space Cowboy,” didn’t get the nod. It’s not something you really have to listen that hard for–the song’s main riff is almost identical. Daniel said:
To clarify my previous post, you have to get about 56 seconds into “Cliffs of Dover” and you hear the exact intro piano theme in “All My Life”. Anonymous said:
Nickelback + Nickelback – http://thewebshite.net/nickelback.htm Adam said:
“Surface to Air” by The Chemical Brothers is an almost note-for-note remake of “The Modern Age” by The Strokes. Partenza said:
Sex is on fire by Kings of Leon is so much like an eighties song…that I can’t remember its name or artist…if anyone has a clue which song is it PLEASE tell me as I am trying to remember it for days but I can’t.. murat said:
Journey: “Don’t Stop Believin’” U2: “With or Without You” Linkin Park: “Shadow of the Day” Ben said:
“Caught in the Middle” by Dio and “I Believe In a Thing Called Love” by the Darkness. Mostly just the opening of the song, but damn… tallboy said:
Surprised to not see Killing Joke’s Eighties and Nirvana’s Come as You Are on this list. Especially since it may or may not have sparked litigation that ended when Cobain did himself in. Exactly the same riff, just at a different speed… cody said:
Musicallysound you RULE!! You are the only person to ever get that besides me. Every friggin’ song is the same. Anyway, try Sheryl Crowe’s “All I Want To Do” and Badfinger’s “Stuck In The Middle With You”. To me, they have always sounded similar. GMP said:
Hello?? Pearl Jam’s “Given to Fly” and Zep’s “Going to California?” or R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” and R.E.M.’s “Sweet Currency” And my old band used to play the solo for Sweet Home while our singer was playing werewolves of london — they’re precisely the same song. I’m kind of impressed Kid Rock is ripping me off GMP said:
Pearl Jam’s “Given to Fly” and Zep’s “Going to California?” or R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” and R.E.M.’s “Sweet Currency” And my old band used to play the solo for Sweet Home while our singer was playing werewolves of london — they’re precisely the same song. I’m kind of impressed Kid Rock is ripping me off jenn said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNSYUXYcdhM Andrew G said:
How about Jeff Buckley’s – “Eternal Life” (Original) and Gavin Degraw’s “I don’t wanna be”…..opening riff and riff under the verses Mark In The Dark said:
The melody of “Candida” by Tony Orlando and Dawn sounds just like “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett. mo said:
Sufjan stephens Chicago and Coldplay Clocks. taylor said:
what about The Offspring “Why dont you get a job” and the beatles “oobla di oobla da” chris said:
what about the whole vanilla Ice/queen things. anybody? bueller? bueller? rocannon said:
really like the way you put this site together. Kudos! John said:
How about Rhianna. Her the beat of “Shut up and Drive” is the exact same as the song “Blue Monday”. Check her other songs, there are some that sound like copies from other bands. Dust23 said:
Also the offspring “why don’t you get a job?” and the beatles “obla di obla da” Woody said:
Any AC/DC song Wuahn said:
Compare “Mystery Achievement” by The Pretenders to “Message in a Bottle” by the Police. They were released in 1980 and 1979, respectively. Rich said:
More similarities (older, less cool songs): Anyone else think that Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” has a bit of Madonna “La Isla Bonita” in the chorus? Joey said:
“Way Down Now” From World Party is an obvious rip-off of “Sympathy for the Devil” Rickenbocker said:
Pearl Jam’s “Given to Fly” rips off the melody from “Going to California” by Zeppelin. Shawn said:
9 in the afternoon- Panic at the Disco foolie said:
coldplay -clocks Culture Bully said:
How about the amazingly simple, yet often overlooked, similarities between Warren Zevon “Werewolves of London” and “Sweet Home Alabama”? OSCAR FL said:
That was brilliant… and on a side note, it made feel a little old but in a good way, having heard all theses songs before, I sometimes point out similarities between music I hear to disbelief from friends, but sometimes my suspicions fall on friendly ears. Cool Stuff. Jo said:
Huey Lewis “I Need a New Drug” & Ray Parker Jr. “Ghostbusters” + M “Pop Muzik” I recall Huey and Ray went to court. Huey mentioned M and the court case was dismissed……if I recall right. anonymous said:
every cake song sounds the same John said:
Shakira’s “Underneath Your Clothes” sounds a hell of a lot like a bad, more annoying rip off of “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles. It made me cringe every time I heard it. Maybe it was just her voice. dave said:
they forgot Hair of the dog sounds like Day Tripper Auran said:
3 Doors Down’s Kryptonite seems to have been ‘inspiration’ for Maroon 5’s Goodnight Goodnight opening riff…. Inspiration as i think one note might have been changed… Mister_Niles said:
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana More than the Pixies song. Diana said:
“All Summer Long” by Kid Rock Rocker said:
I’m surprised it wasn’t mentioned the extreme similarities between Coldplay’s Viva La Vida and Joe Satriani’s “If I Could Fly” joey said:
Offspring – Why Don’t You Get a Job is definitely a rip (or maybe an homage, or perhaps a parody) of The Beatles – Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da liv said:
Picture book, by the kinks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjDu3E5zDks Jon said:
I have a interesting one. The 2 songs are from very different eras and very different styles. Jim Croce’s “I Got a Name” and Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song.” Both great songs with a striking similarity. Give them both a listen. mackpayson said:
I guess Ray Davies and Jim Morrison never appeared together or anything like that, huh? CLAUS said:
Part Time Lover by Stevie Wonder and Maneater by Hall & Oates Ben said:
The beginning of Counting Crows’ Accidentally In Love sounds a lot like Del Amitri’s Roll To me. Jeff said:
Cobain called Smells Like Teen Spirit a “Pixies Rip-off.” However, it was not a ripoff of U Mass, as Trompe Le Mond came out many months after Nevermind. DavidE said:
Mother’s Finest’s version of “Mickey’s Monkey” used the music from Led Zep’s “Custard Pie” The West Exit said:
Another one would be “Panic” by The Smiths sounds an awful lot like “Metal Guru” by T-Rex. Gilgoroth said:
This is more of a blatant rip off, Nine Inch Nails – Last (1992) Youtube link of goodness… othertonywilson said:
What about Beverly Hills by Weezer and Joker by Steve Miller Band… The solos are pretty much the same too. Then there is a song by Shaggy that uses the same beat as the Joker too. Most popular is the Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice, and Under Pressure by Queen/Bowie. Ernie said:
First off, I don’t have a problem with bands being influenced by other bands. But, if I were to name a song that was an obvious influence on Nirvana, it would “Eighties” by Killing Joke. Play that and then listen to “Comae As You Are” by Nirvana. You can say all you want about “this part is a little different” but it’s blatantly fucking obvious. “U-Mass” by the Pixies is kind of a stretch, in my opinion, even though the Pixies were undoubtedly also an influence. I would have listed some earlier songs if I were to point to the Pixies. Ianmonster said:
listen to “Last Night” by The Strokes, the riff is identical to “American Girl” by Tom Petty Michael L said:
Guys…? Shouldn’t every song by Nickelback be on here? I mean come on, they ALL sound the same! Dave said:
Rainbow – “Catch the Rainbow” Hendrix – “Little Wing” josh chapstick said:
M.Ward’s “I’ll be Your Bird” is almost identical in melody to the old jazz/pop standard “Makin’ Whoopie”. jared said:
the doors: hello i love you + sex pistols: submission have the same chord progression. then again, the sex pistols were the “great rock and roll swindle.” Kostas said:
Bonnie Tyler – If You Were A Woman // Bon Jovi – You Give Love A Bad Name plagiarismpolice said:
it’s pretty much always been common in music and in many other forms of art, such as painting and writing, that many artists have ripped off their peers and inspirations. one of the most OBVIOUS that surprisingly has yet to be mentioned is “wild thing” and “louie louie” are exactly the same song. in fact, it seems disproportionately so in the case of many artists. to name a few, led zeppelin ripped of every blues riff in history and then lenny kravitz came along and did the same thing to zeppelin. some artists entire careers are ripped off, green day, pearl jam, avril lavigne, and many, many more. some songs mentioned here, like kid rock, i don’t think count, i’m pretty sure he meant to make that song to be an homage, a mix of the songs whose words he also ripped off for the song. vanilla ice sampled the actual audio of “under pressure” and looped it. this is common in rap/hip-hop due to the use of other peoples records and turntables to supply the beat, and in those circles it is not considered plagiarism. Nikkiroo said:
As someone already mentioned, every chord progression combination possible has already been used up so there are hundreds of songs that, if you really listen to them, sound just like another song and if you just heard the chord progression you could sing any one of those songs along with it. One of the most “classic” examples of this is how often songs use the exact same chord progression as Pachalbel’s Cannon. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM for examples of this. It’s pretty funny. Jezper said:
On Coldplay – Viva La Vida, it’s basically two tracks put together; “The Songs I Didn’t Write” by Creaky Boards and “J’en Ai Marre” by Alizee (from France). Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6CWSY09iTo Coldfail. Rick Jessup said:
Everybody knows about the ‘Dani California’/'Mary Jane’s Last Dance’ similarities, but nobody knows the real reason Tom Petty refused to sue the Chili Peppers. Because ‘Mary Jane’s Last Dance’ was ripped off of The Jayhawks’ ‘Waiting For the Sun’, which Petty had plenty of time to hear after they opened for him on tour the year before that song was released. Kevin said:
Weezer’s “Hashpipe” The opening melody is spot on… not sure how this one slipped by… J said:
Er, Ice Ice Baby is a SAMPLE of Under Pressure. Not really what the article is about. Sadie said:
~ Huey Lewis song “I need a New Drug” that the Ghostbusters theme is ripped off from peacefulvalley said:
Marc Anthony “I Need to Know” gavinSly said:
funny i was just reading yesterday, that Cobain did admit he did kinda rip off the pixies with Smell like teen spirit. He was a huge fan of the pixies. Bill from 417 said:
Bang a Gong by T Rex and I Know, It’s Only Rock and Roll by the Stomes Superfreak by Rick James and Thriller by Michael Jackson Greg said:
What about Silent Lucidly and Comfortably Numb? jbev said:
Here’s one that always drove me nuts: The “Touch me” section in the bridge of “Beautiful Day” by U2 sounds exactly like “The Sun Always Shines On TV” by A-Ha, even the words “touch me” are used in both. Bono, you got some explainin’ to do. Also “In My Life” by The Beatles and “Blue Period” by The Smithereens, and “Dreaming” by Blondie and “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. Tevas said:
“The Trooper” by Iron Maiden and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John. Jrizillio said:
This one is unbeatable: Belle and Sebastian’s “Take your carriage clock and shove it” is RIDICULOUSLY similar to “I’ve never been to me” by Charlene. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-vx4GcjASE Can’t find the B&S track Joey said:
Pearl Jam’s Last Kiss (yeah I know it’s a remake) and the theme song to the 80’s cartoon Heathcliff. Exact same thing Markos D said:
Has anyone else noticed that The Chemical Brothers (quite fab) “Private Psychedelic Reel” rips off Simple Minds “New Gold Dream”? Or that U2’s “Desire” owes a lot to the Stooges “1969″? Angie said:
Try the main guitar riff from Sugar Ray’s “Fly” compared to X’s “Dancing with Tears in My Eyes.” Nearly identical! Poor X… [...] artists to make “Viva La Vida” Oct.31, 2008 in Music I came across this article at Jamsbio about how Viva La Vida looks like they ripped their song from Creaky Boards song “The songs [...] Steve said:
“Destroyer” by The Kinks doesn’t sound like “You Really Got Me”. It sounds more like their earlier hit “All Day and All of the Night”, which you had also posted as being similar to “Hello, I Love You” by The Doors. Also, I’d like to add another one to the list. “Ruby Soho” by Rancid is very similar to “Rudie Can’t Fail” by The Clash. Jennifer said:
Sorry- but I have to ask if some of you know the difference between intentionally sampling a song (Rhianna- Shut up & Drive, Kid Rock’s new song) and two songs sounding alike: the latter being what this article is about. Rory said:
I can think of at least 3 White stripes songs that “quote” (ripoff) the movie Citizen Kane (1940) Matt said:
How about “Big Bang Baby” by Stone Temple Pilots and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by the Rolling Stones? “Big Bang Baby, it’s a crash, crash, crash” ra said:
How about Godsmack’s song “Time Bomb” which is an obvious rip off of the Nine Inch Nails’ song “Last”. I never could get into Godsmack based purely on this plagarism. ra said:
Gilgoroth also listed the NIN & Godsmack comparison. Didn’t see your post – good catch. ra said:
Kevin said: The opening melody is spot on… not sure how this one slipped by… Maybe bcuz Lita Ford sang “Kiss Me Deadly” not Pat Benetar. Brian Roche said:
Brainwashed – The Bossmen (David Clayton-Thomas on vocals)ripped off by Led Zepplin,the band that built its career on plagiarism for Misty Mountain Hop. browen said:
I love the way the beginning of the song “connections” sounds like a midi. funyun2 said:
Everybody either covers and/or rips off the Kinks. EricTN said:
Damn, great to hear Television again. Anyway, my favorite not very subtle act of, er, “borrowing”, is 1991’s “Emotions” written by by Mariah Carey, David Cole and Robert Clivillés and sung by Mariah Carey. This song rips off the beat, production, harmonies and vocal riffs of the monster 1977 hit “Best of My Love” sung by the vocal trio called — you guessed it — “The Emotions”. The song was composed by Maurice White and Al McKay of Earth, Wind & Fire. How daring to use the name of the prior band as the hook of the ripoff song! As far as I’m aware, no one sued for royalties. matcho said:
Any Coldplay song + slight variation = new Coldplay single Good article, couple of stretches but some interesting similarities. When I heard the Flaming Lips song first it nearly drove me mad until I realised which song it was “coincidentally” similar to Billy James said:
There’s an entire series of videos about riffs that sound like other ones, it’s mostly just hard rock and metal but that Anthrax-Behemoth one that someone mentioned is in there : http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=22CB0014DD675294 Josh said:
Oasis’ “Wonderwall” became Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” And as for court cases, the fact that the same author wrote both doesn’t mean there won’t be a lawsuit. John Fogerty was sued by his former publishing company, which claimed “that ‘The Old Man Down the Road’ SoObvious said:
LISTEN UP, Doug Newman. Sheryl Crow has yet to acknowledge her hit “All I want to do” is a stone-cold ripoff of “Stuck in the Middle with you” by Stealer’s Wheel. FAR more obvious than half of the list you’ve put together. Please post the two side by side in your next article. Bill said:
Maybe its me but one to add,that has been bugging me for years is the similarity between two disparate songs,Joe Walshes riff on Funk #49 and Kenny Loggins Footloose. Adrian said:
Some country singer or quasi-country singer put out a song this year that sounds so much like the Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon that I end up humming the Werewolves song after the new one ends. My gym kept playing it, probably a top 40 station. Elliotteaze said:
Considering that most rock music is based on three chords, the chances of mimicry and unconscious riff offs are numerous. What makes a band great and un-copyable is learning a fourth chord… snort [...] 1, 2008 by Corey Blake JamsBio Magazine has a list of 10 Songs That Resemble Other Songs. Fourth on the list is The Flaming Lips’ perhaps unintentional reuse of the melody of Cat [...] April said:
Some of these are accurate, most are not. I guess these are based solely upon opinions though. The one that bugged me the most was “Summertime” by Ricky Nelson vs. “Black Night” by Deep Purple. They sound nothing alike. The bass line to Rick Nelson’s song is more similar to Led Zeppelin’s “How Many More Times” and I am not shocked at this either. Led Zeppelin had a knack for borrowing material from others. An example would be “Stairway to Heaven. It sounds a lot like the song “Taurus” by Spirit, but that’s a whole different issue in itself. BillDS said:
Billy Joel – Only The Good Die Young Dr. Dave said:
Think about the James Bond fanfare and the first 4 bars of The Simpsons theme. comctrl6 said:
The Pixies – Where is My Mind (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EE59Ex5Px4) The chorus line is almost exactly the same. Of course since the Pixies wrote that song in the late 80’s (1988-ish), I can only conclude that Interpol was “inspired” by that song. Caroline said:
To Dr. Dave: Re: Simpson’s Theme/James Bond, try the first 4 notes of the theme from “Tales from the Darkside”. [...] Bonus Link: Riff Offs: 10 Songs That Resemble Other Songs [...] James Anderson Merritt said:
I agree with April. There are striking similarities between some of these pairs of songs — others, not so much. But how many of you know, much less lived through, very early rock and roll? So many of those songs sounded practically IDENTICAL to each other, rhythmically or melodically — even down to the instrumental arrangements, and all too often in the lyrics. Yet they were claimed to be separate songs, and nobody cared. It was all about having fun and maybe making some cash and getting some fame or noteriety along the way. Once someone figured out that “the kids’ music” could be big business, however, then everyone started getting proprietary and lawsuit-happy. Early rock and roll was like the library of templates in a word-processor. Each song was founded on a basic archetype, but added new lyrics or musical deviations and detail, and that was enough “added value” to satisfy everyone, especially consumers. Now, imagine that the rigors of our ever increasing litigiousness would require every word-processing document to be composed and laid out by hand, with no (uncompensated, non-permitted) similarity to what has gone before. What a drag THAT would be! Despite the marked similarities between the two songs, I don’t think that “My Sweet Lord” was a ripoff of “He’s So Fine,” any more than the scores of virtually identical surf-rock tunes from the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, etc., were ripoffs of each other. That is to say, they were, but they weren’t. That’s just how rock and roll was done in that earlier time. As I see it, the “He’s So Fine” litigants merely came after Harrison because he had deep pockets and the courts co-operated. In the music industry, the love of money is definitely the root of all evil. I’m sympathetic to copyright holders to a point: If people completely rip off their songs, note-for-note, changing only lyrics, then some theft has occurred. If people start with someone else’s song, and then strategically change only a few notes or words here or there in an obvious attempt to avoid paying royalties, that’s wrong. But once music enters and becomes established in the collective consciousness, there comes a point where any song joins the ranks of “templates,” which influence and can even be used as the direct basis for the creation of new songs. IMHO, a copyright system that doesn’t acknowledge and provide for that crucial fact of cultural ferment and progress is a broken system. josh williams said:
“Three Girl Rhumba” by Wire and the “Connection” by Elastica sound the same, there was some droma a few years ago becouse of the vanilla ice song that sounded just like one of michael jacksons song. but the truth is that most songs are inspired by anouther. [...] 3 – Songs that sound suspiciously like other songs, with audio – Jamsbio [...] Cartoon Guy said:
some of these did sound similar. you probably could have easily done this with rap songs. James Anderson Merritt has a good point i mean it isn’t really harmful at all and copying can actual improve the music. The Opposition said:
Green Day is notorious for this stuff. They ripped off Oasis’s “Wonderwall” for “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″ for “Brain Stew.” crescentfresh said:
I was so proud of myself for picking out the Cat Stevens / Flaming Lips similarity when I was watching Harold & Maude! Every Jet song that made it onto the radio sounded like them channeling another band…one song was The Beatles, one was AC/DC, and another was (of course) Iggy Pop. mick l said:
what about the main riff in dolly dagger by jimi hendrix and elected by alice cooper Mark said:
@ Harvey, the name of the Cage piece is 4′33″ Jen said:
@Koufax, Um. How old are you? Cobain did Grunge music. Not emo. So what if “Smells like spirit.” sounds like “More then a feeling.”?( I don’t hear that at all being both a major Boston and Nirvana fan.) Half that crap out there in the world sounds like one Beatles song or another anyways. You can’t escape the people who influence you. Also bravo for George Harrison getting those rights back. Although it is crazy how much those songs sound alike. Damocles said:
One that no one ever seems to point out is Suite Madame Blue by Styx and Babe I’m Gonna Leave You by Led Zeppelin. They are almost exactly the same, in fact on guitar you can play them exactly the same and just substitute lyrics. christopher said:
who really cares? almost every band on this list is horrible anyway. Paul said:
Miranda Lambert – Kerosene It sounded so much alike she gave him a writing credit on her album…meaning she totally ripped the guys song and got caught. Jeff McDermott said:
“Who’s That Girl (She’s Got It)” A Flock Of Seagulls in 1985 Slow it down and change the synthesized vibes for a synthesized bass line… “Who’s That Girl” Madonna 1987 Kenny G-spot said:
Poppa Roach – “Last Resort” ripped off Green Day (the one that goes “on my own, here we go…”). djmcbasemaster2dxtreme said:
Dr Dre – “The Day the Niggaz took over” from 1992 The Lost Prophyt said:
Green Day – When I Come Around Same riff, different tempo. Mtn_cowoy said:
“Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent vs. “Bullet the Blue Sky” by U2. Exactly alike. Big said:
Howzabout: The Dave Clark Five’s “Bits and Pieces” and Robert Plant’s “Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night?” And to Almira, Kid Rock managed to rip-off (or “mash up” depending on your perspective) both “Werewolves of London” and “Sweet Home Alabama” with “All Summer Long” Big said:
P.S. Pat Boone is the ultimate rip-off artist of all time!!! Eno Bowie said:
Hero’s is a rip off of ? And the Mysterions 96 Tears. Same bassline, some of the same lyrics. Droped out the organ riff. No one in all this time has caught it, we thought it would be funny and teach all the punters not to take us so seriously. [...] – Think too about the sincerest form of flattery, changing one person’s work into one’s own; e.g., Jamsbio’s “10 Songs that Resemble Other Songs”: [...] Rob said:
American Idiot by Green Day totally rips off Doublewhiskeycokenoice by Dillinger Four Mister_Scary said:
“Don’t mean nothing” – Richard Marx -main riff (although played by original writer..Joe Walsh) same riff as in “Life’s been good”. Jesufication said:
How about Safety Dance by Men Without Hats and The Trolley Song performed by Judy Garland? Bowzer said:
Rev. Horton Heat’s “It’s a Dark Day” on Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em LucyGlib said:
Roxette “Dressed for Success” and James “Laid” – the end of the former is the hook of the latter. Nine Days “Revolve” and Goo Goo Dolls “Stay With You” – the intros are totally identical. Moose said:
Britney Spears new one “Womanizer” and the theme from the old Sid and Marty Krofft ’70s TV show “Lidville”. Seriously. Check ‘em out on youtube. web said:
So, not only does Avril Lavinge not write her own songs, apparently the guy who writes them doesn’t write them either. Also, Pearl Jam’s “Given to Fly” is a complete knock off of Zepp’s “Going to California”. And PJ’s “Yellowledbetter” is a knock off of a Kenny Wayne Shepard songs I can’t quite remember the name of. Brandon said:
Warning by Green Day is completely stolen from GREG said:
“ALL SUMMER LONG” BY KID ROCK AGAINST “WEREWOLVES OF LONDON” BY WARREN ZEVON. Tim said:
Tyler by the Toadies is a good song, but a complete rip off of Where is my Mind by the Pixies. Also the opening riff of Karma Police by Radiohead is almost exactly like the main riff of Sexy Sadie by the Beatles everybody steals from everybody Brandon said:
Here’s a strange one for you: “One Fine Day” by The Offspring Yes, Hanamaru Sensation is in japanese, but if the music were any closer, it’d be terrifying. Jeff said:
Simpson’s did it. Emziez said:
The opening notes of “Never Let You Go” by Third Eye Blind is the same as the fast version of “Sweet Jane” by Lou Reed. Great article! Clever_Internet_Username said:
The exact chord progression (at least the chorus) between “Nobody’s Fool” (Cinderella) and “Bringing on the Heart Break” (Def Leppard). Dio “Hungry for Heaven” Vs. The Who “Baba O’Reily” Main riff in Motley Crue’s song “Dr. Feelgood” and “Love Like Blood” by Killing Joke. Almost any Switchblade Symphony song and “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent. MarkosD said:
The opening riff of Travis’ “Writing To Reach You” rips off Oasis’ “Wonderwall”, but it’s totally deliberate – as the 4th line of the song says, “What’s a Wonderwall anyway?”. It’s not big and it’s not clever (but Noel doesn’t give a toss about Travis anyway!) Orgini said:
I Saw Your Mommy – Suicidal Tendencies Anjan said:
listen to the song More than a feeling by Boston..that’s more similar to Smells like teen spirit..even Kurt cobain acknowledged it.the song by Boston came out in 1974.. Netboy04 said:
Van Halen – Best of Both Worlds car halen said:
the hook melody for the 80’s hit, “the heat is on” by glenn frey and van halen’s hook for “panama.” same melody. don’t think there’s been any sort of news about this one but i’ve always heard it. wish i could remember all the others. Carlos Saldivar said:
Weezer “no one else” Schram said:
How about the new Kid Rock song with “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Werewolves of London”? I’ve done this a couple times with my friends so heres a couple: -”Taurus” by Spirit vs. “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin -”Taxman” by the Beatles vs. “Start!” by the Jam -”Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones vs. “Mr. Soul” by Buffalo Springfield Josh said:
Lalya by Derick and the Dominoes and Cocain by Eric Clapton have the first start of the riff exactly the same (granted, both songs are clapton…but still…) B said:
The opening licks for Caribou by the Pixies and Transdermal Celebration by Ween are suspicously similar. God love em all though. eric said:
another case of Coldplay ripping somebody A Noni Moose said:
There is not one note on any rock instrument that has never been played. If someone playing the same notes as you is grounds for a lawsuit, I would be rich now. All RIAA lawyers need to be cleansed from the earth by immolation. stewart dean said:
Neil Innes – how sweet to be an idiot… Oasis – whatever So similar that Neil Innes got joint songwriting credit and gets royalties from the song. Neil Innes, as well as being an unofficial member of Monty Phython (he appeared and wrote with them many times) also co-wrote the track ‘Death Cab for Cutie’ which was used as some bands name. Chris Cut said:
“Hey Yeah”-Outkast/”Paperback Writer”-The Beatles I have plenty others, but can’t remember off hand Chrubble said:
How about The Ting Tings “That’s Not My Name” and Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett and the Cryptkickers’ “The Monster Mash”, eh? Tim said:
The title song from the movie “That Thing You Do” (1996) lu said:
speaking of television, there is a major similarity between their marquee moon and interpol’s obstacle 1. also, legendary pink dots’ inside has the exact same bass line as chicago’s 25 or 6 to 4. lu said:
OH. and also, that black kids song, i’m not gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you, manages to rip off TWO new order songs: bizarre love triangle, and then worl in motion in the chorus. bastards. Argon said:
I think there’s a technical solution to this. Run the songs through a software that collects enough data (almost every single detail) and making ripoff songs will become impractical (but not impossible), And honest tributes, intentional or otherwise, will be exonerated. Partly this is because musicians are not limited to notes for creativity but also can use tone (production) creatively. Production is song writing. With enough creativity in production and arrangement, you can copy a song without it being considered copyright infringement. But to beat the legal percentage of difference (maybe 80% different), and to do it in an entertaining/pleasing way, you have to do a hell of lot of creative work, thus rendering it an original enough creation that you should profit from. Yes, I could add ten minutes of noise to the end of a popular two minute song but, no one will buy that song. Sting said:
The Veronicas – Live 4ever Turns out the same guy wrote both songs but probably thinking The Veronicas would never get big outside of Australia decided to use basically the same riff as the Pink song. There was talk of a war of words between the two artists but they claim its all cool. Jaymo Jangles said:
Alicia Keys Fallin’ & James Brown It’s A Man’s World not_publius said:
Carlos Montoya – Granada (and others) A couple of people already mentioned Green Day’s “Brain Stew” and Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″… might as well add Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” to that list, which came before both Voidoids – Blank Generation Beverly Hillbillies’ theme song Jason Saint said:
The Bouncing Souls – Kid They sound exactly the same. SNMike said:
@ those who say there are no new chord progressions…listen to Dream Theatre…but also be prepared for thirty time signature changes in one song (no exaggeration). Muse – Knights of Cydonia are very similar, although I suspect that Matt Bellamy (Muse) wrote it as a tribute to his Dad (who was in the Tornadoes). cornflake said:
Does anyone have any idea about Nirvana – Love Buzz and Talking Heads – Felas Riff ? bryn. said:
Geendays American Idiot, and Shes got everything by the kinks. as well as Alligator by the Foxboro Hot Tubs[green day] sounding IDENTICAL to you really got me by the kinks, again… Tamara said:
Finger Eleven’s “Paralyzer” and Skid Row’s “Youth Gone Wild” Doug said:
The main riff in “Alright Now” by Free is ripped off by Steve Miller for his “Keep on rockin me baby”. Yahmdallah said:
“Constant Craving” by k.d. lang and “Anybody Seen My Baby?” by the Rolling Stones. The Stones claimed unintentional copying, and gave k.d. lang (shared) writing credit on the song and some royalties. yeah,,, wait.... nope said:
Every song in some form or another is another song, identically. That is basic music theory. It is the style that really sets music apart. Therefore, the only transgression on this list is the Pixies and Nirvana. However, you cannot argue that the latter is far better than the former. Seriously, there are only so many variables. Ninety nine percent of music is imitation not revelation. Most of these musicians are not classically trained. Even if they were… given only a guitar, drumkit and some vocals, even Bach and Mozart would overlap in places. Weak and obvious article, with poor examples. (Heavy metal alone slays, just check out any song with a gallop)(Oh and country too)(Oh.. shit and rap melodies)Wait.. all modern music. Francis Torchio said:
Another similarity is Diana Ross and the Supremes’ ‘Love Child’ with Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I will survive’. There is a melodic line that is very common to both. Disturbed said:
The Kinks and the the Doors one has got to be the biggest joke. Just because a song has a few similar notes should not give the original the right to profit off the similar one – that is just retarded. The only way to ever keep it from happening accidentally would be to never ever listen to music in any way so as to not ever be influenced by ANYTHING. Renald said:
Sia – Breathe Me followed by Adele – Homtown Glory. tofer said:
Santogold: L.E.S. Artistes totally rips off Tegan & Sara: Walking With The Ghost they were too close together, the vocalists sound too similar, the melody is similar, probably similar chord structure, etc. (though I haven’t heard one right after the other, so it could just be similar relative chord structure, and maybe just dif keys…) still, both are pretty cool songs tofer said:
that is, they came out too close in time to one another Magnus said:
Feeder – Anaesthetic and U2’s Vertigo Tony the Tiger said:
I can’t believe you didn’t include Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty and Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Jeremy said:
You forgot Nirvana copying itself in the same album. Polly and Lithium from Nevermind. Very similar riffs, just different instruments. jeffersonm said:
What about Shut up and Drive (rihanna) and the Blue Monday (orgy but it was originally someone else) sophist said:
aside from the fact that poets and songsters have copied from each other for centuries, starting a tradition, it should be noted that bands often plagiarise from themselves. Dashaman42 said:
Listen to “Fame” by David Bowie and “Hot (I Need To Be Loved)” by James Brown. Both were recorded in the same studio during the same time period. If you ever wondered how Bowie got such a funky sound on that track, here’s your answer. IDENTICAL. Dylan said:
“Brain Stew” by Green Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9r8AgYALHQ Joe said:
The verses in Gwen Stefani’s “What You Waiting For” and the verses in Weezer’s “Hash Pipe” are incredibly similar. Devil's Advocate said:
I second the comments about there being no unused chord progressions, and no more original ideas. I think it’s interesting when musicians or writers can think of ways to reinvent ideas. And if a composition is truly interesting then what’s wrong with people trying their hand at it? Obviously if they do nothing new with it and are just trying to make money off someone else’s creation, that’s different, but reimagining ideas just keeps the creative wheels turning and produces new ways for us to enjoy things. ceej said:
Man… I always thought “Hello, I Love You” and “All Day And All of the Night” were the same effin’ song! Dinah said:
Genesis’s “That’s All”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTdU9m3nhu8 Drove me crazy until I figured it out. His Royal Mintyness said:
“Catch Me Now I’m Falling” by the Kinks is really just “Jumping Jack Flash” by the Stones with new lyrics. I think there was even a lawsuit over it. Makes me wonder why the Kinks are in here so many times Violet said:
How about “Under Pressure” by Billy Joel and “Ice, Ice, Baby” by Vanilla Ice? [...] Riff Offs: 10 Songs That Resemble Other Songs | JamsBio Magazine [...] bird said:
How about Coldplay’s viva la vida to Cat Steven’s “heaven”? Here is heaven for you to listen to.. especially the first couple of lines.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWjg_xlVxg F said:
allmusic says nevermind was released in “Sep 24, 1991″ and tomp le monde “Oct 8, 1991″. The two dates are too close and besides nevermind was released first! c. said:
with the television/r.e.m. comparison, you’re confusing theft with influence. the riffs are clearly not the same–you said it yourself–but the influence of television’s style is there to see. always cocking a suspicious eyebrow at influences would dismantle pretty much all music, all art. that’s what culture is: a network and confluence of mutual influences. Sylvia Sinclair said:
is it just me or does audioslave’s cochise sound uncannily like led zepplins whole lotta love??? donbt know if this was mentioned anywhere else at all but i thought i would say something anyways Chris said:
Godsmack (Keep Away) ripps off Filter’s (Nice Shot). Not sure about the song titles, but you probably know what I mean. JD said:
Sebastian Tellier’s La Ritournelle and Radiohead’s Reckoner. Radiohead was playing versions of this song as early as 2001. Sebastian’s came out in 2004. Hard to say but the piano and guitar intro sound VERY similar. Texas said:
Almiria said: YES – it’s that crappy new kid rock song where he is actually ripping off sweet home alabama but it sounds like Werewolves of London! W said:
Can anyone find a working clip of Daughtry songwriter Dr Luke’s ripoff of Asphalt? Will said:
you forgot Get Free – The Vines really shows how unoriginal “The Edge” is! Alyssa said:
“Dig It”-Skinny Puppy Dan said:
The Clash – Straight to Hell M.I.A. – Paper Planes M.I.A. took the riff, yet it’s a top 40 song and no one has said anything about it. Jim Jamish said:
The music and bassline to Cheryl Crow’s first hit, ”All I Wanna Do,” and Steve Miller’s ”The Joker” are the same. [...] – Riff Offs: 10 Songs That Resemble Other Songs | JamsBio Magazine (tags: [...] mitchel said:
you forgot computer love by kraftwerk and that other coldplay song! Steveo Weaveo said:
First of all, Avril is horrible, so who cares if she rips someone off. She didn’t have talent to begin with. As for the Lips song, COME ON! Songs are bound to sound the same once in a while. There’s so much music out there. Janine said:
Does anyone know the name of the song that Kings of Leon rip off in Sex is on Fire? It’s some 80’s band or something, might have been used in a commercial… Rafe said:
How about Satisfaction by the Stones and Mr. Soul by Neil Young? rockshark said:
There is an excellent book on this subject called Sounds Like Teen Spirit by Tim English. The web site is http://www.soundsliketeenspirit.com. JD said:
What about the “Pirates of the Carribbean” song you hear on the Disneyland ride and the Slinky commercial jingle: Georgia Sam said:
I’m more of a rock ‘n roller than a country music enthusiast, but I think Waylon Jennings hit the nail on the head with “Don’t Ever Cuss That Fiddle”, a song written to the tune of his earlier “Good Hearted Woman”. He sings, “If we ever get to heaven boys it ain’t because we ain’t done nothing wrong. We’re in this gig together so lets settle down and steal each other’s songs” That’s what I’m talkin’ about! lilteddie704 said:
then there is the odvious “under pressure” vs “Ice Ice baby” Chris said:
“Love Removal Machine” by the Cult and “Start Me Up” by the Stones should be at the very top of this list. Heather said:
what wasn’t posted was how nirvana constantly rips off their own previous songs… Mike said:
How about Killing Joke – “Eighties” being ripped off by Nirvana- “Come as you are”?? Nirvana even admitted it, and a few years ago Dave Grohl apologized and played drums for killing joke in a recent album. Justin said:
how about jen said:
Sweet Little Sixteen from Chuck Barry and Surfing U.S.A. are basically identical. Law suits and everything. Jamblo Junius said:
All of these songs are ripoffs of tunes I have farted before. I fart wondrous, magnificent tunes. I farted the tunes to “Yesterday” one night 55 years ago, after a particularly vicous bout with strong Indian food. John Lennon was quite impressed, not only with the tune, but with the powerful aroma. Ronnie J Dio said:
Wait a minute, simple math here…if “Destroyer” is a ripoff of “All Day And All Night”, and “Honey, I love you” is a rip off of “All Day And All Night” then “destroyer” is a ripoff of “honey, I love you” SWF18 said:
i got alot Nine inch nails “a warm place” velvet revolvers only good song “slither” is a rip off of scott weilands older song “silvergun superman” by Stone temple pilots velvet revolvers “dirty little thing” once again is a rip off of scotts earlier work “sex type thing” vanilla ices “ice ice baby” is the same song as queens “under pressure” “smells like teen spirit” by nirvana sounds more like blue oyster cults “godzilla” then that pixie song in my opinion. Zie said:
-Metal Guru by Rooney and Letter to Dominique by Louis XIV Jack said:
Guys, guys what about Oasis – Wonderwall And Greenday – Boulevard of Broken Dreams? Or, even better, Last Dance With Mary Jane by Tom Petty and Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers? mike said:
To woody: Not ALL ac/dc songs sound the same, but I’m never sure which song it is whenever I hear the beginning of “TNT” or “dirty deeds” To Samara: I had never noticed the similarities between “paralyzer” and “youth gone wild” until you pointed it out, I always think of “moving in stereo” by the cars whenever I hear “paralyzer” but I’m pretty sure that was on purpose. Rob said:
people need to understand the difference between bands ripping other bands off…bands being influenced by other bands…and samples. people keep mentioning Ice, Ice, Baby. that’s a hell of a long way away from what this article is about. The worst one on that list in my opinion is Avril’s Girlfriend…which is clearly just a copy of the other bands song. Please people…understand the difference between examples like Avrils song, and properly licensed sampling…which is not the same thing by a long shot. Angel said:
Awesome page!!! One that always drives me NUTS and the two mixed together often get stuck in my head (sigh): dgfgfd said:
you forgot one: peaches and avril lavigne Dan said:
The ABCs and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Seriously, same exact beat. ruggleburr said:
Wolfmother – Woman meh said:
Silverchair totally ripped off a song we used to sing at my primary school (that Daniel Johns went to as well). ‘The Grandfathers Clock’ has a section that sounds almost exactly like the chorus for ‘Reflections of a Sound’ iordache said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdFTNy_UTGU (radiohead- exit music etc) keysbees said:
This one hit me the other night just as I was drifting off to sleep: The chorus of Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” is exactly the same as the guitar riff from Joe Walsh on the James Gang’s “Funk #49″ Laura said:
I’m hungover and couldn’t be arsed reading all of these so forgive me if someone has already said it but The Buzzcocks “Ever Fallen in Love” was totally ripped off by Lil’ Chris, don’t know the name of his song but I heard it and my ears bled… Jason said:
Edie Brickell – Forgiven got blatantly ripped off in the guitar bridge of Kat said:
I am surprised no one has yet mentioned the following two. Exact same song, chord and rhythm wise, just in different keys. Pepper – Butthole Surfers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4WUlNSx_Wk) adam said:
This one was an unsuccessful rip off, so no one but me probably noticed. “Don’t Look Back” by Charlie Sexton is nearly identical to Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” zionred said:
Coldplay rips off everyone macho69 said:
ELVIS CRESPO VS ELVIS CRESPO Heather said:
T.a.T.u. – Not Gonna Get us Billy Oatmeal said:
You people make me sick. Mark said:
Puffy Ami Yumi – Tokyo Im On My Way VS Gruppo Sportivo – Tokyo Kiyoshi said:
What do you think of “Every Morning” by Sugar Ray and “Suavecito” by Malo? ashwin said:
Coldplay are being sued by Joe Satriani because of Viva La Vida. Pinko said:
Butterfly – Crazy Town ce owens said:
alicia keys song “like you’ll never see me again” and elements of “purple rain”——— Diego21 said:
Ive always felt curious about the similarity between Green Day’s “Warning” with the Kinks “Picture Book”. Considering Green Day are big fans of the kinks, i bet this is not purely coincidential. Zoot Suit said:
Synthesizers on: randomperson said:
Try listening to the intro’s of Breaking Benjamin’s “Evil Angel” and A Perfect Circle’s “Judith” sublibrarian said:
Prince “1999″ (released 1982) vs Phil Collins “Sussudio” (1985) Tony said:
Similar to the Kinks copying the Kinks… Sublime’s hit Santeria pretty much just adds lyrics on top of their song Lincoln Highway Dub off Robbin’ the Hood. Jay said:
I think this is a great article. Here’s another one too. Call Me by Blondie seems to be a copy of the main riff from Black Sabbath’s Children of the Grave. e said:
MIA- 20 Dollars Matt said:
the opening of Linkin Park’s “Given Up” sounds remarkably similar to an instrumental metal song that received much mainstream radio airplay in the early 90s, say 1991 or 1992…any idea as to the song? Any help appreciated! Lynda said:
Marianas Trench-Shaketramp and the chorus sounds the same jberry1943 said:
actually the teen spirit riff sounds identical to the wild thing riff but by then so many bands and songs stole that riff and altered it it became nothing new anymore even though some people claim more than a feeling sounds like smells like teen spirit but you can hear wild thing on more than a feeling but not copied to the extent of NIRVANA infact i think nirvana’s drain you and wild thing are the same song except drain you is in a faster speed and tempo also funny nobody mentions this and i never hear this at all but MICHAEL JACKSON’S BILLIE JEAN AND VAN MORRISON’S MOON DANCE ARE THE SAME SONG jberry1943 said:
brimful of asha by corner shop and warren zevon’s werewolves of london are the SAME SONG too Snarkeygirl said:
Have you noticed that George Michael’s Faith sounds like a rip of The Cure’s Close to Me?!? It makes me crazy! Yippie said:
“Anything Goes” – AC/DC Tim said:
Neil Diamond “Cherry Cherry” jberry1943 said:
ah yes here’s another one BILLIE JEAN AND MOON DANCE ARE THE SAME SONG I KNEW MICHEAL JACKSON WAS A SONG THEIF BOTH SONGS HAVE IDENTICAL RIFFS AND BEATS 3pac said:
How about Queen’s “Under Pressure” and Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” Andy said:
I always thought that “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers – escpecially the chorus – was a rip off of Nirvana’s “Special K”…… Andy said:
There is as well that Stereophonoc song – can’t remember the title – that sounded very similar to Oasis’ “Heathen Chemistry”!! Andy said:
Uups …. of course it’s PLACEBO’S “Special K”! Sorry for that one… Andy said:
How about Stereophonics’ “Same Size Feet” and Oasis’ “The Hindu Times”??? Salty said:
“Super Bon Bon” by Soul Coughing vs that Ricky Martin turd anthony said:
I noticed the guitar riff from Gavin DeGraw’s “I don’t wanna be” sounds very similar to Stone Temple Pilot’s “Vasoline” Also, “Walkie Talkie Man” by steriogram and “Picture Book” by the Kinks have the same riff. Lyle said:
The choruses in The Donnas’ “New Kid in School” and The Offspring’s “Original Prankster” are similar. Hmmm.... said:
How about every Dragonforce song? John said:
Fuels Hemorrhage has been ripped off too many times to mention but the most recent and blatant was Chris Daugherty(whom Fuel actually wanted as a frontman after they heard him sing hemorrhage on Idol)with his song “Its Over.” Its such an obvious, ridiculous, ripoff to any songwriter but Im sure the public didnt even notice John said:
Bands that rip themselves off every album Aerosmith . AdamH said:
I noticed some similarities between Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” and Hoobastank’s “If I were you.” Also can’t forget the bass lines of “Hammerhead” by the Offspring and “Stay Away” by Nirvana. Jess said:
Bob Dylan’s “Fourth Time Around” and The Beatles “Norwegian Wood.” I read in a book about Dylan’s songs that he was sampling the song for John and Paul to see what they thought of it, and word is they went home and started writing “Norwegian Wood” because they liked the tune. [...] Brian, Jon and I have been going for a week+ now. Ted chimes in occasionally, but he doesn’t have a sit at your desk and kill time by blipping sort of job (i think) so it’s usually the three of us. It’s silly and fun and entertaining. Some highlights of our blipping have been Ryan Adams to Mandy Moore. What you ask? how? They’re married. I know. Weird. We did the days of the week. Then we stumbled onto the months of the year, backwards. We had a Ryan Adams block today. We had a covers session yesterday. That was especially fun. I love covers. I did a whole string of songs that had copyright issues today–I stole them from a blog post, but I attributed it. [...] Pete said:
Mascara by Killing Heidi blatantly rips off more than a couple of stray chords from Bryan Ferry / Roxy Music’s “Over You”. Pete said:
Just listened to the comp. between “He’s So Fine” & “My Sweet Lord”, and noticed the opening guitar of the latter sounds almost identical to “Drivers Seat” by Sniff ‘N’ The Tears! Funny that….. Instant Karma, perhaps? (oops! Wrong Beatle!!) Evan said:
Eye of the Tiger (Survivor) and Edge of Seventeen (Stevie Nicks) The intro rifs are similar. Douche bag said:
What about like, The Beatles and Jay-Z? Douche bag said:
Also what about like, Lou Reed’s “Can I Kick It” and A Tribe Called Quest “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” Doe Pamine said:
“Weird” Al Yankovitch has a song called “Eat It” that I swear was stolen by Michael Jackson but called “Beat It.” Paul W said:
Doris Day’s “Que Sera Sera” & Eddie Money’s “Baby hold on to me” Grimon said:
This is all kinda stupid. In this age of corporate pre-packaged pop songs are bound to end up sounding like one another. Mr. Big said:
This was taken from Wikipedia: “‘Ice Ice Baby’ is an American hip hop song written by rapper Robert “Vanilla Ice” Van Winkle and DJ Earthquake. The song samples the bassline of “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit.” The songs sound alike because it was intentional. And it’s no longer considered a “rip-off” since the original atists received a writing credit. So please stop mentioning them. Mr. iwillnotgo said:
what is this one song that, it’s by lil john, it’s called what u gonna do, but there’s another song that has the exact same beat to it, but i don’t know what it’s called, does anybody know? the beginning of the song is like all quiet then mexicans start singing then the beat comes. anyone? Ruby said:
The last few seconds of “Innoculated City” by The Clash were probably copied for “Material Girl” by Madonna. I don’t really know, but they sure sound the same. Also, at a certain part of “Keep the Car Running” by The Arcade Fire I always start singing “On the Dark Side” by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. I’m surprised no one else mentioned that one! Dylan said:
anybody put the new flo rida song sugar sounds alot like that blue song [...] for the 50 Best Inventions of 2008. The home DNA test comes out on top. * Riff Offs: 10 Songs That Resemble Other Songs. It has to be near impossible to write a song that’s completely different from any other song [...] Beth said:
The guitar loop from “Blessed Be The Name” songs, the classic praise and worship one, that use guitar is the same set of notes as “Glycerine” by Bush. maryqueenofnc said:
Maroon 5 “Makes Me Wonder”= Breakfast Club “Right On Track” BRUCE said:
1°Canned Heat – On The Road Again Huge classics, funny nobody noticed it 2°The Rolling Stones – Jumpin’ Jack Flash (the well known single from 1968) 3° And finally the worst kind of auto-plagarism EVER Genesis – Back in N.Y.C ( from 1974’s “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” album , great album check this out) Genesis – Man Of Our Times (from 1980’s “Duke” , crappy album total waiste of time and money) BRUCE said:
Just remembered two others, probably well known too 1° The Supremes – “You Can’t Hurry Love” Iggy Pop – “Lust for Life” 2° Prince – “1999″ (’83) Phil Collins – “Sussudio” (’85) casey said:
what about the cults-fire woman or shinedown-save me IainMc said:
Bruce Springsteen – Jungleland Same riff, though played on different instruments IainMc said:
The Verve ripped off samples of the Rolling Stones’ The Last Time for Bitter Sweet Symphony IainMc said:
Pink Floyd – Echoes IainMc said:
Debussy – Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune quaquaqua said:
Beck – Where It’s At quaquaqua said:
Also! the beginnings of sound very similar to me. Josh Gidney said:
Lonestar Amazed is a rip off of Please forgive me by Bryan Adams and Roxette’s Listen to your heart ripped off Heart’s What about love Richard_Clapton said:
I’m pretty sure Wham – wake me up AND Metallica – ENter Sandman AND Megadeth – Go To Hell have similarities! Min said:
Hi there!Great page, really enjoyed it. I see you’ve already got Smells Like Teen Spirit, but have you compared it to “Eighties” by Killing Joke? Nirvana certainly did, and, I think, lost the court case (but don’t take my word for it) Min said:
Sorry, I meant Come As You Are. Also, Bon Jovi are terrible at ripping off Alice Cooper, with “You give Love a Bad Name” sounding just like Alice’s “Bed of Nails”, while “Livin’ on a prayer” is taken from “House of Fire”. Give them a listen next to each other! Bon Jovi have always claimed to be influenced by the great man, and I believe he used them as backing vocals at one point… Tony said:
More that I didn’t really see anyone else mention. If someone did, sorry. Efiffle 65 – Blue Dead or Alive – Round Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode John Lennon – Imagine Kanya West – Stonger Rihanna – SOS Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye mg said:
The early vocals in Monster of Folk new song Dear God sounds exactly like an old song I’ve heard from the 60’s or 70’s Please place it for me as it’s making me kukoo Tony said:
A few more I just remembered UpNorthOutWest said:
You can pick out phrases and guitar lines from multiple Alice in Chains songs in Godsmack tunes. Which I don’t imagine is a coincidence since “Godsmack” was the name of an AIC song. Daen said:
Anyone recognizes the similarities of ‘One of these Nights’ by the Eagles and ‘Stop Dragging my heart around’ by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty? |
Recent EntriesDateTitle11 | 20New Release Round-up: Forge Your Own Slits 11 | 19The Beyoncé of Pancakes and Other Bodacious Breakfast Bonanzas 11 | 18Blown Away by a "Landslide" 11 | 16Don Henley: Building the Perfect Beast 11 | 13The Pleasure of Pain Teens 11 | 13Overlooked Albums from the 1970s 11 | 11Norah Jones: The Fall 11 | 11The Simon Cowell of Urinals and Other Preposterous Potty Problems 11 | 10Self-Destruction (The Fun Kind) 11 | 10OOIOO: Armonico Hewa 
Buffers, Bridges & Bubbles
Love is Strange
The Birds, the Bees & Me
|
