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Weekend Rock List: Craziest Soundalike Songs

7/13/07, 1:43 pm EST

tom petty red hot chilli peppersThis Rubinoos vs. Avril Lavigne scandal (which brought to mind last year’s Red Hot Chili Peppers/Tom Petty hubbub) got us thinking about just how many songs sound pretty damn similar to other tunes. You know the tracks we mean — songs that aren’t truly identical, but have key elements in common: a chord progression, a riff, a melody, a beat. Here are five to get you going. Tip us off to your own favorite soundalike song pairs in the comments.


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Nightly Lights | 7/13/2007, 2:03 pm EST

Phish’s Farmhouse and Bob Marley’s No Woman no Cry

John Mayer’s Waiting on the World To Change and Curtis Mayfields People Get Ready (there’s a train a comin’)

gregg | 7/13/2007, 2:03 pm EST

jet’s are you going to be my girl-iggy lust for life

Joe | 7/13/2007, 2:04 pm EST

U2’s “Bullet the Blue Sky” and Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold”

Phil | 7/13/2007, 2:07 pm EST

Take nirvana off of there idiots, the progression is different and they use different chords and the melody is not even remotly alike.
If you really want nirvana on your list, you should have put them vs. the killing joke for ripping off “Come As You Are”.

Kenny Loggins | 7/13/2007, 2:07 pm EST

The verse from the latest Velvet Revolver single and that Kenny Loggins song from Top Gun.

SATAN | 7/13/2007, 2:08 pm EST

Take nirvana off of there idiots, the progression is different and they use different chords and the melody is not even remotly alike.
If you really want nirvana on your list, you should have put them vs. the killing joke for ripping off “Come As You Are”.

Joe | 7/13/2007, 2:08 pm EST

U2 “Bullet the Blue Sky”
Ted Nugent “Stranglehold”

girlscantell | 7/13/2007, 2:09 pm EST

how is spoon’s “don’t make me a target” in ANY WAY similar to wilco’s “walken”? i’m serious. which part?

Jared | 7/13/2007, 2:11 pm EST

the solo in dani california and the opening riff to purple haze

Dazzy B | 7/13/2007, 2:12 pm EST

“Morning Glory” – Oasis and “The One I Love” by REM. “Creep” – Radiohead and “The Air That I Breathe” by The Hollies. “Connection” by Elastica and “Three Girl Rhumba” by Wire. The drum into to “I Am The Resurrection” by The Stone Roses is identical to the drum intro of “The Light Pours Out Of Me” by Magazine, too.

Zach | 7/13/2007, 2:12 pm EST

Longview by Green Day and Poison’s I Want Action … the chorus guitar riff is exactly the same

and this is just one of the reasons green day sucks so bad

to Phil | 7/13/2007, 2:13 pm EST

Nirvana used to actually play More Than Feeling and then go right into Smells Like Teen Spirit…check out Nirvana at the Reading Festival 1992 on youtube if you don’t believe me. Nirvana acknowledge this but you…the idiot…doesn’t

Joe | 7/13/2007, 2:13 pm EST

Nickelback’s “Someday” and Nickelback’s “Savin’ Me.” Exact same song–it’s both funny and sad.

Other Dan | 7/13/2007, 2:13 pm EST

The Beatles Day Tripper and Beatlemania’s Day Tripper.

Zach | 7/13/2007, 2:14 pm EST

Spoon’s song and Wilco’s song are probably very similar if you listen to Avril Lavigne. The both have piano in them … c’mon!

Other Dan | 7/13/2007, 2:16 pm EST

The Beatles’ Day Tripper and Beatlemania’s Day Tripper.

Raz | 7/13/2007, 2:16 pm EST

Bowies Under Pressue
Vanilla Ice ICE ICE BABY

Wait, didnt Vanilla Ice get in legal trouble over the exact similarties?

Joseph | 7/13/2007, 2:17 pm EST

Nickelback’s “Savin’ Me” and Nickelback’s “Someday.” Same exact song–it’s both funny and sad.

Other Dan | 7/13/2007, 2:18 pm EST

Madonna’s Like A Virgin and Weird Al’s Like A Surgeon.

joe | 7/13/2007, 2:18 pm EST

Booker T and the MG’s “Green Onions”

Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky”

Mike | 7/13/2007, 2:19 pm EST

Don’t Make Me a Target sounds more like Lose Yourself than Walken

Brian DePasquale | 7/13/2007, 2:20 pm EST

I think a pretty famous one is “Picture Book” by the Kinks and “Warning” by Green Day. Pretty much the same riff and borderline plagarism. Both great tunes though.

Imperial IPA | 7/13/2007, 2:22 pm EST

Zepplin’s “Going to California” and Pearl Jam’s “Given To Fly”

Drum beat starts off exactly the same in Garbage’s “Stupid Girl” and the Beatle’s “St. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band”

rudie | 7/13/2007, 2:24 pm EST

“Karma Police” by Radiohead has a piano part very similar to “Sexy Sadie” by the Beatles. Also, “Vertigo” by U2 has similarities to “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by The Supremes and later covered by Vanilla Fudge.

the todd | 7/13/2007, 2:27 pm EST

oobla-di oobla-da by Beatles
Why don’t you get a job by Offspring

the todd | 7/13/2007, 2:30 pm EST

i second the john mayer/curtis mayfield

the todd | 7/13/2007, 2:31 pm EST

i second the john mayer/curtis mayfield

Other Dan | 7/13/2007, 2:31 pm EST

Radiohead’s National Anthem and USA’s national anthem (title only).

loop | 7/13/2007, 2:32 pm EST

David Bowie’s Five Years with Pink Floyd’s In the Flesh with My Chemical Romance’s The End.?

loop | 7/13/2007, 2:32 pm EST

David Bowie’s Five Years with Pink Floyd’s In the Flesh with My Chemical Romance’s The End.?

Jake | 7/13/2007, 2:33 pm EST

How about Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over” and Fuel’s “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)”? The verses are EXACTLY the same. Daughtry should be sued. And what makes it worse, he sang “Hemorrhage” on American Idol!! What a fucking rip-off. Seriously, listen to the beginnings and verses of both songs.

gc | 7/13/2007, 2:33 pm EST

ok–i don’t agree with “more than a feeling” and “smells like teeen spirit”
but i do have some thoughts to add
-john cafferty’s “on the dark side” and the romantics’ “what i like about you” have the same riff

benn | 7/13/2007, 2:34 pm EST

offspring why dont you get a job -
the beatles ob la di obla da

Marc | 7/13/2007, 2:35 pm EST

I agree with Phil. Come as you are was not only a rip off to the killing joke but they also sued them and won and Dave grohl was such a huge fan of the killing joke that he even played drums off there 2003 record after being sued by them…so there person who wrote to Phil…well you are the idiot.

Oddjob102 | 7/13/2007, 2:35 pm EST

Those examples are as ludicrous as the Tom Petty/Chili Peppers “hubub” you speak of. Rock & roll is not a limitless genre, sooner or later the same chords/rhythm are going to show up. “More Than A Feeling” has absolutely nothing in common with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” except that they both have guitars, bass and drums. You people know nothing about music.

Jesse | 7/13/2007, 2:36 pm EST

-That new Finger Eleven song (I think it’s called Paralyzer) and “Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand. A very blatant rip off.
-”Steady As She Goes” bassline and “Is She Really Going Out With Him” bassline.
-Almost every Nickleback single matches up to a previously style single.

M | 7/13/2007, 2:36 pm EST

Cry by Simple Minds sounds like Indestructable by Matthew Good Band

Glycerine by Bush X is a slowed down When I Come Around by Green Day

joe | 7/13/2007, 2:37 pm EST

if R.E.M’s “the one I love” is like any song its Neil Young’s “hey hey my my”…its a dead ringer

perfectomix | 7/13/2007, 2:39 pm EST

My Favorite Mistake (Sheryl Crow)
VS
You Tell Me (Tom Petty)

Tales Of Another Broken Home (Green Day)
VS
Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash)

Hey Baby (No Doubt)
VS
Jungle Love (Steve Miller)

I’m Not In Love (Talking Heads)
VS
One Thing Leads To Another (The Fixx)

Morris Brown (OutKast)
VS
Hollaback Girl (Gwen Stefani)

Cigarettes & Alcohol (Oasis)
VS
Bang A Gong (T. Rex)

Shakermaker (Oasis)
VS
That Damn Coke Song

You And Me (Neil Young)
VS
Old Man (Neil Young)

This Old Guitar (Neil Young)
VS
Harvest Moon (Neil Young)

And of course…

Bo Diddley (Bo Diddley)
VS
Not Fade Away (The Stones)
VS
She’s The One (Bruce Springsteen)
VS
I Want Candy (Bow Wow Wow)
VS
Desire (U2)

Shooter McGavin | 7/13/2007, 2:39 pm EST

Green Day- Jesus of Suburbia— seems to me one part is a sped up I Walk the Line by John Cash and another part is Summer of ‘69 by Bryan Adams.

Jim | 7/13/2007, 2:39 pm EST

Ok, that AT & T commercial…is that Oasis? “All around the world, gotta spread the word…”
Sounds exactly like “Atlantis” by Donovan…”Way down below the ocean, way down below the sea…”

ME | 7/13/2007, 2:40 pm EST

RAY LAMONTAGNE’S HOW COME AND JOE COCKER’S FEEL’N ALRIGHT

Chris Hester | 7/13/2007, 2:41 pm EST

The Killing Joke never sued Nirvana (though they certainly had a case).

NYC Nate | 7/13/2007, 2:42 pm EST

Green Day – “Basket Case” and Pachebel’s “Canon in D”. If you listen to the chord progression in the middle of the song you can rock the “Canon” melody like it was ur high school graduation all over again. Nostalgic, huh?

ME | 7/13/2007, 2:43 pm EST

RAY LAMONTAGNE’S HOW COME AND JOE COCKER’S FEEL’N ALRIGHT SOUND VERY SIMILAR

NYC Nate | 7/13/2007, 2:44 pm EST

Damn. Perfectomix has got the lock on the block. Nice list, man!

barrel | 7/13/2007, 2:45 pm EST

the bass intro of readymade by red hot chilli peppers is almost the same as the one to mountain song by janes addiction. and then both songs use that bass riff for guitar too.

Ice Berg Slim | 7/13/2007, 2:46 pm EST

Green Day- Jesus of Suburbia- One part is John Cash “Walk the Line” and another is Bryan Adams “Summer of ‘69″

andymau | 7/13/2007, 2:47 pm EST

show me how to live by audioslave and dont you forget about me by simple minds. the openings are exactly the same

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 2:49 pm EST

just because a song has the same chord progression or similar vocal melodies doesn’t mean one ripped off the other. western music only has so many scales it can use.
Oh, and that wilco/spoon thing is the most retarded thing ive ever heard.

Beau | 7/13/2007, 2:49 pm EST

Dave Matthews Band- Fool to Think
The Police- Message in a Bottle

barrel | 7/13/2007, 2:50 pm EST

red hot chilli peppers also took the opening bass riff from mountain song by janes addiction for readymade.

I've got a good one | 7/13/2007, 2:52 pm EST

Coldplay’s “Yellow” and James Blunt’s “High”. Listen to opening riff of “High” and tell me that’s not a total ripoff.

Lit | 7/13/2007, 2:53 pm EST

Led Zeppeln: Stairway to Heaven

Spirit: Aquarius

greg | 7/13/2007, 2:53 pm EST

Youth Group’s “Let It Go” and Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.”

Rap Star | 7/13/2007, 2:59 pm EST

Couldn’t you just list basically every rap song recorded over the last 15 years. Like seriously? Take the best part of someone else’s work, add a bassline and drum beat, then rap over it. That’s what 90% of hip hop is these days.

Rap Star | 7/13/2007, 3:01 pm EST

The solo in Pearl Jam’s “Yellow Ledbetter” sounds a lot like the solo in Hendrix’s “Little Wing.”

Lindsay the Other | 7/13/2007, 3:01 pm EST

Loretta Lynn’s “Rated X” and the White Stripes “Effect and Cause”
The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” and The Fray’s “Chasing Cars”
The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ “Refugee”
Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime” and The Decemberists’ “The Perfect Crime #2″

jackprack | 7/13/2007, 3:07 pm EST

slayer – season in the abyss
avril lavinge – girlfriend

total ripoff

d. fricke | 7/13/2007, 3:09 pm EST

hendrix all along the watchtower
vs
dylan all along the watchtower

u2 helter skelter
vs
beatles helter skelter

guns n roses knockin on heavens door
vs
dylan knockin on heavens door

no doubt its my life
vs
talk talk its my life

stones like a rolling stone
vs
dylan like a rolling stone

bob segat | 7/13/2007, 3:13 pm EST

Akon – dont matter
R.Kelly – ignition

Midwest Boy | 7/13/2007, 3:13 pm EST

Fergalicious and Supersonic is the biggest of them all. It’s almost the exact same song! I heard Supersonic on some 80’s throwback radio hour a few months ago and was floored.

Jordan | 7/13/2007, 3:16 pm EST

Radiohead-High and Dry
and
Mat Karney-Nothing Left To Lose

Arcade Fire-Cold Wind
and
Kelly Clarkson-Maybe

chrislancaster20 | 7/13/2007, 3:16 pm EST

“last night” by the strokes is a great song but clearly a direct rip from “american girl” by tom petty and the heartbreakers… same riff exactly…

also maybe the 1970’s coke advert ” i’d like to teach the world to sing” a bit similar to oasis “shakermaker”??? but spotting oasis influences is another topic altogether…

Jordan | 7/13/2007, 3:18 pm EST

Radiohead-High and Dry and Mat Karney-Nothing Left to Lose

Arcade Fire-Cold Wind and Kelly Clarkson-Maybe

noah Benezra | 7/13/2007, 3:19 pm EST

world at large by modest mouse
float on by modest mouse

brian | 7/13/2007, 3:20 pm EST

Beck – “The Golden Age” sounds quite a bit like the Flaming Lips song “Five Stop Mother Superior Rain”

Jay | 7/13/2007, 3:21 pm EST

Springsteen “Working on The Highway”
Alan Jackson “Chattahoochee”
Not sure if Country counts on this list but they are very similar.

Rooster | 7/13/2007, 3:22 pm EST

Every Crappy Nickleback song sounds the same and they all suck!

BABAGANOUCH | 7/13/2007, 3:23 pm EST

LED ZEPPELIN “BABE I’M GONNA LEAVE YOU”
and
GREEN DAY “BRAIN STEW”
and
CHICAGO “25 OR 6 TO 4″

ALL HAVE THE SAME CHORD PROGRESSION

Richard | 7/13/2007, 3:24 pm EST

Kurt said on more than a few occasions that he felt like some of his songs ripped off other people. I read somewhere he said one of their songs off Smell Like Teen Spirit sounded just like a Pixie’s song and he didn’t want to put it on the album.

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 3:25 pm EST

Led Zeppelin ‘Dancin Days’ and Aerosmith ‘Jaded’ (song openings)

jm | 7/13/2007, 3:25 pm EST

All Day and All of the night (Kinks)

vs

Hello I love You (Doors)

Don’t stand so Close to Me (Police)

vs

I Want My MTV (Dire Straits)

pete | 7/13/2007, 3:28 pm EST

how about “do ya think i’m sexy” by rod stewart, who looks a lot alike with “taj mahal” by the brazilian artist jorge ben… in fact, jorge ben sued stewart for copying his tune…

zzzz | 7/13/2007, 3:29 pm EST

The Decemberists “The sporting life” reminds me of Iggy Pop’s “Lust for life”. Both are great songs.

Persian Drunkard | 7/13/2007, 3:35 pm EST

“My Back Pages” – Byrds

“Rosalita” – Bruce

kardans | 7/13/2007, 3:38 pm EST

Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me” and Nickelback’s “Someday”.

Can you claim copyright infringement on yourself?

somebody | 7/13/2007, 3:39 pm EST

i think it was george harrison who said “there’s only so many notes” Music gurus have often remarked the beatles ripped off beathoven. so it comes down to this. Avril seems like the type of “musician” who would rip someone off. But the chili peppers? don’t think so

bob | 7/13/2007, 3:39 pm EST

jet-cold heart bitch and AC/DC-If you want blood (you got it)!

ChAD | 7/13/2007, 3:40 pm EST

Pearl Jam’s Given to Fly and Led Zeppellin’s Going to California

Lumpy Lump Lump | 7/13/2007, 3:40 pm EST

• Tom Petty’s “Learning To Fly”, though a great song, sounds eerily similar to Kim Carnes’ “Betty Davis Eyes”, which is also a great song, in my opinion

• In “St. Joe on the School Bus”, Marcy Playground tries to do Nirvana, most obviously trying to echo “Come As You Are” — the former song is a guilty pleasure at best.

• The ending synth melody in Smashing Pumpkins’ “Eye” sounds similar to a guitar part that comes around a few times in the first half of David Bowie’s brilliant “The Heart’s Filthy Lesson”, except in the ladder, the melody is much speedier

• Another SP similarity: U2’s “When I Look At The World” (from 2000’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind) has some almost identical traits in common with “Try, Try, Try” — sounds like U2 just borrowed the bubbling pop minimalism concept from that song — and so both songs are kinda boring (I mean, I GET it, but they both seem half-hearted to me), but at least the bridge part in the U2 song, albeit short, is good

• Nickelback’s “Savin’ Me” sounds just like “Someday”, the main difference is that “Someday” at least has a steady, sturdy melody, with some life, while “Savin’ Me” just sounds fractured, pieced together, and tired — I guess that’s what happens when you try to copy yourself

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 3:40 pm EST

Led Zeppelins Over the Hills and Far Away.

and

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Wet Sand

Cosi | 7/13/2007, 3:40 pm EST

“Clocks” by Coldplay
and
“Speed of Sound” by Coldplay.
Same song.

Jeff C. | 7/13/2007, 3:41 pm EST

The Killers’ When You Were Young ripping off Springsteen’s Born To Run.

Bon Jovi’s Who Says You Can’t Go Home (and most of their catalogue) ripping off Springsteen’s Lonesome Day (and most of his catalogue)

Arcade Fire’s Antichrist Television Blues sounding like all of Bruce’s Born in the USA outtakes of the 1980s that only a big fan would know about. So they are forgiven.

The Goose | 7/13/2007, 3:41 pm EST

Nirvana’s “Tourretes”- Black Flag’s “Loose Nut”

RHCP’s “Dani California” guitar outro- Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”

Green Day’s “Brain Stew”- White Stripes’ “Deade Leaves & The Dirty Ground”

Rockstar70 | 7/13/2007, 3:43 pm EST

JET ripped BTO’s ‘takin’ care of businees’ for their song ‘Roll over DJ’………..JET came across
a great idea, take other bands songs and rewrite the lyrics and call them your own!!! I don’t care, two great songs are better than one!! LONG LIVE JET!!

Stuporfly | 7/13/2007, 3:43 pm EST

“The Rolling People” by the Verve and “I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody’s Got a Thing” by Funkadelic.

ASP | 7/13/2007, 3:46 pm EST

How ’bout “What I Like About You” the Romantics, “Middle Of The Road” The Pretenders, “R.O.C.K in the U.S.A.” John Melloncamp, “On The Dark Side” John Cafferty, “Cherry Cherry” Neil Diamond and probably hundreds more with the same progression.

Rather Ripped | 7/13/2007, 3:47 pm EST

• Tom Petty’s “Learning To Fly”, though a great song, sounds eerily similar to Kim Carnes’ “Betty Davis Eyes”, which is also a great song, in my opinion

• In “St. Joe on the School Bus”, Marcy Playground tries to do Nirvana, most obviously trying to echo “Come As You Are” — the former song is a guilty pleasure at best.

• The ending synth melody in Smashing Pumpkins’ “Eye” sounds similar to a guitar part that comes around a few times in the first half of David Bowie’s brilliant “The Heart’s Filthy Lesson”, except in the ladder, the melody is much speedier

• Another SP similarity: U2’s “When I Look At The World” (from 2000’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind) has some almost identical traits in common with “Try, Try, Try” — sounds like U2 just borrowed the bubbling pop minimalism concept from that song — and so both songs are kinda boring (I mean, I GET it, but they both seem half-hearted to me), but at least the bridge part in the U2 song, albeit short, is good

• Nickelback’s “Savin’ Me” sounds just like “Someday”, the main difference is that “Someday” at least has a steady, sturdy melody, with some life, while “Savin’ Me” just sounds fractured, pieced together, and tired — I guess that’s what happens when you try to copy yourself

Raymond Luxury Yacht | 7/13/2007, 3:48 pm EST

The bridge in the Offspring’s song “Gone Away” sounds TOO much like the bridge in “Just Another Day” by Oingo Boingo, seriously, give it a listen… all the Offspring song needs is the xylophone and the whispers of “it’s just another day”.

Rooster | 7/13/2007, 3:49 pm EST

The Who- My Generation and Creation’s- Makin Time!!

Koya | 7/13/2007, 3:50 pm EST

Shakira: underneath your clothes
vs
The Bangles: Eternal Flame

Biggest rip off of all time

Hess-Tical | 7/13/2007, 3:50 pm EST

Iggy Pop – “Lust For Life”
Golden Earring – “Radar Love”
Jet – “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”

The triple threat…the rhythm section’s intro is almost identical on all three.

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 3:55 pm EST

the piano in elton john’s
“tiny dancer” and springsteen’s “jungleland
“, and silversun pickup’s “lazy eye” and “1979″ by the smashing pumpkins

Katie | 7/13/2007, 4:00 pm EST

no offence to AC/DC but almost every single song of theirs has the same drum and guitar sound…just listen to back in black…

wank | 7/13/2007, 4:01 pm EST

queensryche silent lucidity ripping off pink floyd’s must the show go on and comfortably numb.

Kurt Cobain has said it himself that he was inspired by Boston’s more than a feeling.

Sanchez | 7/13/2007, 4:02 pm EST

Black Crowes *Conspiracy*
and Black Crowes *Remedy*…

rob | 7/13/2007, 4:03 pm EST

papa roach – last resort copied the riff from green day’s geek stink breath.

and jack black admitted that raconteur’s steady as she goes got its melody or whatever from the cars’ is she really going out with him, or whoever sings that song

rob | 7/13/2007, 4:06 pm EST

papa roach took the riff for last resort from green day’s geek stink breath.

raconteurs took the riff from steady as she goes from is she really going out with him, i think by the cars.

Zombie | 7/13/2007, 4:09 pm EST

The Raconteurs – “Together”
Elton John – “Rocket Man”

david | 7/13/2007, 4:10 pm EST

a youtube video was made for this reason. heres the link, please dont remove it RS its not off topic I swear

http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=92JudNqbPYU

Jen Tbay | 7/13/2007, 4:10 pm EST

Razorblade by the Strokes sounds so much like Mandy by Barry Manilow it’s helarious.
A friend pointed out,
What are you waiting for by Gwen Stefani sounds exactly like Hash Pipe by Weezer.

Ken | 7/13/2007, 4:11 pm EST

Cold War Kids – “Hang Me Out To Dry”
Ruff Ryders – “Ruff Ryders Anthem”

Dean | 7/13/2007, 4:12 pm EST

I won’t list any specific examples, but I used to listen to a lot of “pop-punk” music and I heard A LOT of songs that had VERY similar elements to Blink 182 songs. I heard a song by a band called “Hawk Nelson” once and I SWEAR there was a guitar part in it that sounded IDENTICAL to a guitar part I heard in a blink 182 song.

My main thought about this, is this:

I’ve had a repeating thought over the past several years, and I’ve often wondered, “How can bands keep coming up with fresh new ideas for music, and not sound like something that’s already been made?” This was long before I ever read an article like this. Every time I hear a cool guitar riff in a song, I wonder, “Did they come up with this?!? Has anyone ever used this before?!?”

To me… as time goes by, and with so many musicians and songs coming out of the wood work… you are bound to hear a song that sounds like another song… whether it is intentional or not.

Zombie | 7/13/2007, 4:12 pm EST

The Raconteurs – Together
Elton John – Rocket Man

Zombie | 7/13/2007, 4:12 pm EST

The Raconteurs – Together
Elton John – Rocket Man

Sean | 7/13/2007, 4:15 pm EST

John Fogerty’s “Old Man Down the Road” and Credence Clearwater Revivial’s (John Fogerty’s ex-band)”Run Through The Jungle”.

I think he was even sued by by his former bandmates for sounding too much like himself!?

Zombie | 7/13/2007, 4:16 pm EST

The Vines – “In The Jungle”
Blue Oyster Cult – “Don’t Fear the Reaper”

m@ | 7/13/2007, 4:19 pm EST

BOTH OF THESE ARE BLATANT…

the intro riff of john mellencamp’s “jack & diane” is the same riff tracy chapman built her “fast car” with.

for “hot (i need to be loved loved loved)” james brown stole the riff from bowie’s “fame.”

An interview with Carlos Alomar (who co-wrote Fame with Bowie & J.Lennon) addressed the rip-off…

Q: What exactly is the story on James Brown’s “Hot (I Need to be Loved)”? His discography says it was released in the later part of 1975 the same year as Young Americans. However, “Fame” doesn’t sound like the type of song two white guys from England would come up with. I know it was your riff from the cover of “Footstompin.”

CA: It was my riff. That was all me getting all funky and stuff. David wasn’t into that. First of all, because I’m a New York musician, I knew the musicians that played on the session … They said he (James Brown) actually played the damn record in front of them. It was surprising to see David Bowie’s reaction because he had great respect for James Brown as did I. So Bowie said `Let’s see what kind of activity it gets. If it charts and does real good, then we’ll sue him.’ Come to find out, that record didn’t do anything. Still, it was real flattering for David to have had James Brown steal from him.

http://www.teenagewildlife .com/Appearances/Online/CM_car losQA.html

Roark | 7/13/2007, 4:24 pm EST

Strokes “Last Nite” and Petty’s “American Girl”
Identical guitar riffs

Vince Neil | 7/13/2007, 4:33 pm EST

part of Green Day’s “Jesus of Suburbia” sounds EXACTLY like On With the Show by Motley Crue.

birddogger | 7/13/2007, 4:34 pm EST

Elton John’s “Border Song” and Black Sabbath’s “Changes”

Warrant’s “Down Boys” and The Cars’ “Bye Bye Love”

Quiet Riot’s “Bang Your Head (Metal Health)” and Def Leppard’s “Let It Go”

Kiss’ “Every Time I Look At You” and Cat Stevens/Rod Stewart/Sheryl Crow’s “The First Cut Is The Deepest”

Bon Jovi’s “I’ll Be There For You” and the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down”

Motley Crue is notorious for lifting bits and pieces from other songs. “Kickstart My Heart” is very similar to Sweet’s “Hellraiser”, The instrumental bridge from “Too Fast For Love” comes straight from Rush’s “La Villa Strangiato”, parts of “Rattlesnake Shake” are straight out of Rick Derringer’s “Rock N’ Roll Hoochie Coo”, “Primal Scream” has elements of both Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and Whitesnake’s “Still Of The Night”, and the coda to “Slice Of Your Pie” comes right from the Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”

And somewhere here pointed out how Papa Roach’s “Last Resort” took its chord progression from Green Day’s “Geek Stink Breath”. But the guitar riff played over those chords actually seems to be lifted from another tune – Iron Maiden’s “Genghis Khan”

Jeff | 7/13/2007, 4:35 pm EST

I definately agree with Dean.

We are getting to the point where good music, rock music especially, is becoming semi-finite. Every riff will sound at least slightly like another, its impossible to not re-use a certain combination of notes.

It’s going to happen.

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 4:37 pm EST

everything from “Lazy Eye” by THe Silversun Pickups Sounds ALOT like “1979″ by the smashing pumpkins, but I really like both songs. very good Weekend Rock list, By the way

Hugh Jass | 7/13/2007, 4:40 pm EST

The biggest song rip-off of all time has to be Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. It’s a horrible fleecing of Spirit’s “Taurus”.

Yenrac | 7/13/2007, 4:40 pm EST

Just a few that are startling:
1) The Flaming Lips, “the spark that bled” clearly borrows the orchestra and riff from Harry Nilsson’s version of “Without You”…relisten to them both back together and you’ll see. Both are among each artist’s best tracks.

2) Wilco ripped off Randy Newman big time with “War on War”, a total musical clone of Newman’s “Memo to my Son”. This one is much easier to hear because both are less textured than the Flaming Lips, but there’s no doubt about it.

3) The early Who ripped off the Kinks and the Kinks returned the favor with “The Hard Way” which 100% rips off “I can’t explain”.

4) Kinks at it again with “Sweet Lady Genevieve” which clearly rips off the Beatles Bungalow Bill”

5) I believe if memory serves the Kinks also ripped off the Stones with Catch me Now I’m falling, which I think rips off the Stones’ Jumpin Jack Flash…whcih means in the Kinks you’ll hear parts of the other big 4 british bands.

6) Zep stole a lot of blues tunes but to name them would be tough, plus I like ‘em.

7) Beck more than samples Them’s cover of Dylan’s “It’s all over now baby blue”–Them’s version (Van Morrison’s first group has all new instrumentals), and Beck/Dust Busters lifted this note for note for Jackass….I would call it sampling if it was sampling a segment, but they stole the entire musical backdrop

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 4:41 pm EST

nirvana and boston…wtf

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 4:41 pm EST

nirvana and boston…wtf

birddogger | 7/13/2007, 4:42 pm EST

Ratt’s “Back For More” is essentially a slower version of their own “Round And Round”.

Keith | 7/13/2007, 4:43 pm EST

Im not sure if anyone mentioned (or noticed) this one, but Jesus Of Suburbia by Green Day has some elements of Bryan Adams’ Summer of 69. The vocal melody in ‘Tales from another broken home’ in parts takes from the chorus.

?? | 7/13/2007, 4:46 pm EST

I´m not an Oasis fan, so I can´t remember the songs name; but they have one that sounds exactly like that Neil Innes-song where the chorus goes “it´s nice to be an idiot”. Completely identical choruses in both songs.

birddogger | 7/13/2007, 4:47 pm EST

Another Motley Crue one…”Afriad” is similar to the Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979″

Greg | 7/13/2007, 4:49 pm EST

Wilco’s ‘Hate it Here’ and the Band’s ‘The Weight’, very similar chord progression.

I agree with Phil – the Nirvana / Boston comparison is way out there.

Amanda Hugginkiss | 7/13/2007, 4:50 pm EST

If you’re intersted in this, you should check out the book, “Sounds Like Teen Spirit”. http://www.amazon.com/Sounds-L ike-Teen-Spirit-Ripped-Off/dp/ 0595396194/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002 -5995102-0577604?ie=UTF8&s=boo ks&qid=1184359604&sr=1-1

Darth Pop-Tart | 7/13/2007, 4:51 pm EST

Pink Floyds “One of These Days” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin”

Me for everyone else | 7/13/2007, 4:53 pm EST

what is wrong with the media??

ChiliPepper | 7/13/2007, 4:53 pm EST

The beginning of Dave Matthews Band’s “Tripping Billies” and the beginning Dave Matthews Band’s “Too Much” (like the first 10 seconds or so sound exactly alike) I can never tell when its on shuffle until a few minutes in. Throughout the song though there are moments it sounds alike.

Nirvana’s “Rape Me” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” riffs are practically the same in different octaves.

Craig | 7/13/2007, 4:54 pm EST

the smiths panic and metal guru by t rex

Reidzy from Canada | 7/13/2007, 4:55 pm EST

Sum 41’s song Pieces and Coldplay’s The Scientist are the same

Reidzy from Canada | 7/13/2007, 4:55 pm EST

Sum 41’s song Pieces and Coldplay’s The Scientist are the same

Yenrac | 7/13/2007, 4:55 pm EST

I lost my post here it goes:

1) Flaming Lips stole the big orchestrated piece of “The Spark that Bled” from Harry Nilsson’s version of “Without You”. Listen to the end of Without You and then listen to the Spark that bled, it’s clearly a rip off, although I do love both tunes (And think the Spark that bled is the best the Flaming Lips ever did).

2) Wilco was even more blatant when they ripped off Randy Newman’s “Memo to my Son” with “War on War”…you should buy Randy Newman’s “Sail Away” album cuz it’s awesome and then listen to Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, without a doubt a ripoff, much clearer even than the Lips above–although I’m sure the Lips ripped off Harry on purpose, I think I heard that FIght Song is a lift of a Cat Stevens tune, but I’m not too familiar with Cat Stevens….

3) My kinks ripped off the other 3 major big british invasion bands at one point or another:
a) “Sweet Lady Genevieve” rips off the Beatles’ Bungalow Bill.

b) “Catch Me Now I’m Falling” rips off the Stones’ “Jumpin Jack Flash.

c) “The Hard Way” gets back at the early who (who stole the Kinks sound, although not quite this blatantly with “I Can’t explain” being lifted for the latter day Kinks.

4) Led Zeppelin borrowed much of their lines straight from the old blues guys, although Zepp did at least make them more unique arrangement wise.

5) The Beatles famously stole “You Can’t Catch Me” from Chuck Berry with “Come Together”.

6) George Harrison lost a law suit on the Chiffon’s He’s so Fine, which he lifted the entire melody of for “My Sweet Lord”

7) Beck stole the entire background music of Them’s dylan cover “It’s all Over Now Baby Blue”. Them (Van Morrison’s first group) completely rewrote the music for their Dylan cover. Beck’s JACKASS off of Odelay, takes the entire musical backdrop (it’s not a sample).

8) Beck was at it again wtih Them when he stole their “I can only give you everything” for his “Devil’s Haircut”. Either BECK or the Dust Brothers or both must have been big Them/Van Morrison fans…..

vazquez | 7/13/2007, 4:58 pm EST

shania twains ” i feel like a woman” is rip off of aerosmith’s “uncle salty”

joe | 7/13/2007, 4:59 pm EST

Someone might have already said this but Walken by Wilco is NOTHING like Don’t Make Me a Target by Spoon!!

With that said, just to add to what appears to be a gigantic list, I’ll go with that horrible song Get a Job by the Offspring, which ripped off Life Goes On by the Beatles. McCartney’s bass line should be pulling him some royalties on that one.

BushCrimeFamily | 7/13/2007, 5:00 pm EST

Many here are reaching. Or they have too much time on their hands.

Yenrac | 7/13/2007, 5:02 pm EST

Forgot another one that Roger Waters wanted to sue about…

Andrew Lloyd Webber lifted the riff of the phantom of the opera from Pink Floyd’s “Echoes”…

Jimmie | 7/13/2007, 5:08 pm EST

“Sweet Little 16″ (Chuck Berry)
“Surfing U.S.A.” (The Beach Boys

Bangers-N-Mash | 7/13/2007, 5:13 pm EST

Teen Spirit and More Than a Feeling? Not even the same chord progression, key or melody….

All they are hearing is the rhythm pattern of the main theme of Teen Spirit vs. the chorus rhythm pattern of More Than a Feeling… and they STILL aren’t even close

anyways… That latest shit pop song “Suiciadal” or w/e it’s called by Sean Kingston and “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King… I understand it’s a I-vi-IV-V progression… but try singing stand by me to that song (it’s the bass line that does it)

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 5:15 pm EST

Jewel’s, “Standing Still” sounds way too much like Cindy Lauper’s, “Time After Time”, at least the verse does.

Doogie Howser | 7/13/2007, 5:16 pm EST

Jewel, “Standing Still”
Cindy Lauper, “Time After Time”

Nathan | 7/13/2007, 5:17 pm EST

I know it’s virtually unheard of but Canadian indie band Immaculate Machine’s ‘No Way Out’ – the intro sounds exactly like Wet Sand, RHCP.

Jim | 7/13/2007, 5:17 pm EST

WEEN – FRIENDS and DARUDE – SANDSTORN

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 5:22 pm EST

Nirvana’s Come as You Are
vs.
Killing Joke’s Eighties

I am pretty sure KJ sued Nirvana over this one if I am not mistaken.

frog | 7/13/2007, 5:22 pm EST

Nirvana’s Come as You Are
vs.
Killing Joke’s Eighties

I am pretty sure KJ sued Nirvana over this one if I am not mistaken.

Felipe | 7/13/2007, 5:22 pm EST

U2´s “For The First Time” -from Zooropa- is very similar to “All I Want is You” from Rattle and Hum.

Chris | 7/13/2007, 5:23 pm EST

no contest,
that marshall tucker band song that goes “gonna take a freight train, down to the station…” is a total rip off of a velvet underground song on loaded. sadly, i don’t know either of the titles.

Jeff | 7/13/2007, 5:32 pm EST

Wow, writers at RS are tone deaf!

Teen Spirit – F-Bb-Ab-Db

More Than A Feeling – G-D-E-C

Rhythm patterns and tempos are different…ok, so the first two chords in each song go up a 5th. WOW! Like, how many billions of songs do that?

How about “What I Like About You” by the New Romantics vs. “R.O.C.K. In the USA” by John Mellencamp?

Glad I could help…

Swingline Stapler | 7/13/2007, 5:33 pm EST

The opening riff of “Wake Up” by Rage Against the Machine sounds a lot like the opening to “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin.

Jeff | 7/13/2007, 5:34 pm EST

Also,

“Last Resort” by Papa Roach is an exact mix of “Brain Stew” by Green Day (not “Geek Stink Breath” as someone said earlier) and “Hallowed By Thy Name” by Iron Maiden.

rock chords sound alike? gasp! | 7/13/2007, 5:37 pm EST

Math assignment:

Calculate the permutations of I ii iii IV V vi and vii using just 4 for any given combination.

Filter out any permutations that aren’t allowed in rock chord progressions.

Take that number and compare it to the number of rock songs ever made.

Realize that the number of songs made is order of magnitudes greater than the number of possible chord progressions.

Realize that even with added variety such as chord inversion, different tempo and instruments that there is no way to have each and every rock song made be unique.

Last step and its the best one: Stop being surprised that many rock songs sound the same.

Kay | 7/13/2007, 5:39 pm EST

The Beatles-Norwegian Wood
Bob Dylan-4th Time Around.
The first few lines are identical, who “borrowed” from who?

Lumpy Lump Lump | 7/13/2007, 5:39 pm EST

• One more: listening to the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Truth Is A Whisper” time and time again — and liking it much better than most other songs off that album (Gutterflower) — I’ve always felt that guitar riff sounded very familiar…. indeed: it sounds like the classic guitar rant of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear The Reaper”. Y’all should listen to those tracks! I stopped listening to the GGD track ever since I’ve firgured that out.

Also, the band covered Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” at some point (I think it was done with Fred Durst — yikes! — what a pair-up), and then they later came out with “Here Is Gone” (also off Gutterflower), which sounds like it was derived from that song…. very similar vibe, just that the ladder song is manipulated in a way so one doesn’t notice it so much….

These once original, once relevant bands need to find a way to re-invent themselves, or if they can’t, they should just go away completely.

saad | 7/13/2007, 5:43 pm EST

try every elvis presley song is a rip off of a black artist of the time…

David Gee | 7/13/2007, 5:43 pm EST

90% of these are total reaches. Rolling Stone is asking for songs that SOUND ALIKE, not songs that at parts have vaguely similar progressions. That said, I’ll give you an obvious one that surprisingly hasn’t popped up here, Chic’s “Good Times” and Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust”. The rhythm sections in these songs are alike the entire way through.

Greg | 7/13/2007, 5:44 pm EST

“Rock chords” math assigment post … nerdiest post ever.

Thanks – I love it.

jayrod | 7/13/2007, 5:46 pm EST

That stupid Blink-182 song about suicide sounds identical to “Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins. If I cared about Blink-182 at all, I would have bothered to look up the name of the song.

Jen Tbay | 7/13/2007, 5:47 pm EST

The chorus from Razorblade by the strokes, sounds so much like Mandy By Barry Manilow that I get it stuck in my head after the song.
A friend pointed out that Gwen Stefani – what you waiting for is a big rip off of Weezer’s Hash Pipe.

Mojoryder | 7/13/2007, 5:55 pm EST

Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Down by the River
vs
Pink Floyd: Breathe

Guitar riffs in:
Mountain: Mississippi Queen
BTO: Takin’ Care of Business
Steve Miller Band: Rockin’ Me Baby

Rod | 7/13/2007, 5:59 pm EST

The piano coda from Billy Joel’s “MOVING OUT (ANTHONY’S SONG)” is pretty much cut-and-pasted from Derek and the Domino’s “LAYLA.”

Mojoryder | 7/13/2007, 6:01 pm EST

To Chris:

Marshall Tucker Band: Can’t You See
and
Velvet Underground: Sweet Nothin’

good call

Bangers-N-Mash | 7/13/2007, 6:02 pm EST

People who post on this topic should have to have at least a general knowledge of music theory… or even just be able to identify chord progressions and such… “Is She Really going Out With Him” is in NO WAY similar to “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” by Joe Jackson, as someone posted

perfectomix | 7/13/2007, 6:06 pm EST

Don’t know how I forgot this:

Manic Monday (The Bangles)
VS
1999 (Prince)

Both were written by Prince, and the verse melodies of the two songs sound almost perfectly identical. I’ve always wondered, which song came first?

Ryan | 7/13/2007, 6:11 pm EST

Weezers Say It Aint So and The Pixies Where is my mind?

Bangers-N-Mash | 7/13/2007, 6:12 pm EST

Oh.. I remembered one that has irked me forever….

Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young” and Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young”
The music or melodies aren’t the same… but Stewart lifted lyrics by the truckload from Dylan’s song… they ended up sharing royalties… but the one time Rod Stewart decides to write something it ends up being just another cover anyways…

Ricky Stevens | 7/13/2007, 6:13 pm EST

Jayrod-

If you cared about music at all you would’ve named the song. Because you don’t like it is no excuse…. BTW… “Adam’s Song”.

professor joe | 7/13/2007, 6:14 pm EST

how can people even be arguin over the Boston/Nirvana connection. Elton John stole a classical piano piece for Benny and the Jets

The killers “Mr. Brightside” the solo at the end is eerily similar to “big country” by big country from the album big country

offspring “why don’t you get a job” beatles “ob li di ob la da” very much so.

auramac | 7/13/2007, 6:17 pm EST

Wow- so many of these are off-the-wall- no resemblance whatsoever.

If you change the subject from “Rock” to “Blues,” or even “Folk,” the list would literally be endless.

Chaz | 7/13/2007, 6:17 pm EST

Prince wrote this one as well….

“Nothing compares TO U…

Sinead O’Connor’s version sounds better though.

professor joe | 7/13/2007, 6:19 pm EST

nirvana and boston i agree with

elton john stole some classical piano song for benny and the jets

the solo at the end of Mr. Brightside sounds eerily similar to “big country” by big country off the album big country

deff. offspring “. . . get a job”
and the beatles oblidi oblada

nobody sounds or can sound like TVOTR.

Chaz | 7/13/2007, 6:20 pm EST

How about Spirit’s “Taurus” and Led Zep’s “Stairway To Heaven”?

Man | 7/13/2007, 6:22 pm EST

That “Sally can wait song” by Oasis really rips off No Woman No Cry

paul-o | 7/13/2007, 6:23 pm EST

U2’s “beautiful day” and A-ha’s “The Sun Always Shines on TV”

U2’s “So Cruel” and Roxette “It Must Have been Love”…

Nico1138 | 7/13/2007, 6:26 pm EST

Sublime: What I Got
The Beatles: Lady Madonna

david | 7/13/2007, 6:31 pm EST

“dont make me a walken target” *baha

David D C | 7/13/2007, 6:34 pm EST

oh yeah and those awful dashboard confessional songs or whatever…that song ‘vindicated’ and his newer, first single for his new album. you could sing the entire song of* vindicated over the newer song, beginning to end and its all the same. even ends the same.

leo3375 | 7/13/2007, 6:43 pm EST

Wolfmother’s “Woman” sounds a hell of a lot like Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”

suzynonsense | 7/13/2007, 6:48 pm EST

Look What You’ve Done by Jet (again) and Sexy Sadie by the Beatles

Choober | 7/13/2007, 6:49 pm EST

ChAD wrote: “Pearl Jam’s Given to Fly and Led Zeppellin’s Going to California”

I’ll add Tori Amos’ “Silent All These Years” to that short list – same vocal and guitar progression in all three.

p | 7/13/2007, 6:53 pm EST

Ween – Friends and Alice Deejay – Better off alone

amencha | 7/13/2007, 6:58 pm EST

Last Nite by The Strokes and American Girl by Tom Petty. also, Are You Gonna Be My Girl? by Jet sounds a lot like Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life. The guitar anyway.

Pablo | 7/13/2007, 7:02 pm EST

The Kinks – Picture Book were rip off by Green Day in Warning. It should be on top of the list. And Green Day should be in jail for this.

Pablo | 7/13/2007, 7:04 pm EST

The Kinks – Picture Book was rip off by Green Day in Warning. It should be on top of this list. And Green Day should be in jail for this.

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 7:09 pm EST

The last section of Green Day’s “Jesus of Suburbia” and Cash’s “Ring of Fire”.

Same damn chords. Thieves.

p | 7/13/2007, 7:10 pm EST

The riff Queens of the Stone Age’s “If Only” is near identical to Iggy Pop’s “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” Josh Homme introduces the song live sometimes as “I Wanna Be Your Cat”

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 7:11 pm EST

Tom Petty’s American Girl and the Strokes Last night….

Chippa | 7/13/2007, 7:12 pm EST

Go listen to ELO’s “10538 Overture”. Ok, now go listen to Paul Weller’s “The Changingman”.
IT’S THE SAME DAMN SONG!

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 7:14 pm EST

Going way back…
Little Darling by The Diamonds & Silver Machine by Hawkwind.

dan | 7/13/2007, 7:16 pm EST

has it really taken this long for somebody to mention “ice, ice baby”? that has to be number one. i know people don’t want to mention covers, for obvious reasons. but this wasn’t a cover of queen. he literally stole it and put in a high hat to be stupid. there’s even a famous video clip of him trying to defend his lack of musical talent. numero uno, for sure.

Gaz | 7/13/2007, 7:17 pm EST

Going way back…
Little Darling by The Diamonds & Silver Machine by Hawkwind.

Neil | 7/13/2007, 7:17 pm EST

The beginning of Chicago “25 or 6 to 4″ and Green Day, “Brain Stew” are almost exactly the same.

Bangers-N-Mash | 7/13/2007, 7:21 pm EST

Ok.. I am having too much fun with this…

The newest My Chemical Romance single sounds like something from the Offspring’s catalog… just the hook the melody, I don’t know if therei s a specific song, but when it came on, I originally thought it was an offspring song I had never heard

shearay02 | 7/13/2007, 7:22 pm EST

Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day is a total rip-off of Wonderwall by Oasis

shakes the clown | 7/13/2007, 7:22 pm EST

The last section of Green Day’s “Jesus of Suburbia” and Cash’s “Ring of Fire”

Griffin167 | 7/13/2007, 7:28 pm EST

All Brittany Spears songs sound the same, go to “We Fail At Whistler LOL” on youtube.com

Jeff | 7/13/2007, 7:31 pm EST

Oops, I put “More Than A Feeling” was G-D-E-C when its G-C-E-D…still no where close to Teen Spirit.

And I thought of a few more…

Godsmack’s “Timebomb” is a blatant ripoff of Filter’s “Hey Man, Nice Shot”

“Heaven & Hotrods” by STP has a similar – though not identical – intro as “Dam That River” by Alice In Chains.

Sublime’s “Pawn Shop” has a very similar bass line to “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” by The Police, which also rips off most reggae songs ever written…

And how about a new poll next week – “Which Tool songs blatantly rip off other Tool songs”?

Johnny Appleseed | 7/13/2007, 7:32 pm EST

The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” sounds an awful lot like Bowie’s “Queen Bitch”; Keane’s “Is it any Wonder” sounds is a rip-off of U2’s “Even Better Than the Real Thing”

Johnny Appleseed | 7/13/2007, 7:32 pm EST

The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” sounds an awful lot like Bowie’s “Queen Bitch”; Keane’s “Is it any Wonder” is a rip-off of U2’s “Even Better Than the Real Thing”

Instant Dylan | 7/13/2007, 7:34 pm EST

The Jam’s `Start’ and The Beatles `Tax Man’.

Jimbo | 7/13/2007, 7:36 pm EST

The opening riff from Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and CSN&Y’s “Carry On” I just listened to them both on Youtube.

gabe | 7/13/2007, 7:37 pm EST

phish – 46 days
stones- slave

it’s astounding

Jimbo | 7/13/2007, 7:39 pm EST

The opening riff from Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and CSN&Y’s “Carry On”

Jimbo | 7/13/2007, 7:42 pm EST

Foghat’s “Honey Hush” and Aerosmith’s version of “Train Kept a Rollin”. They are both old songs probably derived the same old blues song.

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 7:43 pm EST

Velvet Revolver’s new song The Last Fight and Bruce Springsteen’s The Promised Land

Bangers-N-Mash | 7/13/2007, 7:46 pm EST

Ok… I picked out two really noticeable things in Jesus of Suburbia by Green Day

a melody that resembles a part of Bryan Adam’s Summer of ‘69

and melody/loosely based chord progression of Mott the Hoople’s All the YOung Dudes as penned by David Bowie

Jimbo | 7/13/2007, 7:47 pm EST

White Stripe’s “I’m Lonely {But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet} and Black Sabbath’s “Changes”. The first time I heard the WS song I thought it was going to a cover of BS.

Jimbo | 7/13/2007, 7:55 pm EST

How could I forget Bowie’s “Under Pressure” and Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby”

Johnny Appleseed | 7/13/2007, 7:59 pm EST

play twist and shout backwards and it is la bamba

Chris | 7/13/2007, 8:00 pm EST

These aren’t entire songs, but they’re interesting because they’re actual guitar RIFFS, not just chords:

Metallica’s “Bad Seed” & Audioslave’s “Your Time Has Come”

Bass riffs from Rage Against the Machine’s “Snakecharmer” and Muse’s “Hypermusic”

Pearl Jam’s “Footsteps” and Temple of the Dog’s “Times of Trouble” (this one WAS the same piece of Stone Gossard music that Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder both wrote their own lyrics to).

Rockaway Beach | 7/13/2007, 8:01 pm EST

Green Day hasn’t stolen ANYTHING , you idiots.
Get better ears, or you can go you know where.
And decide, Jesus of Suburbia sounds like Cash, like Bryan Adams or what?!

Drew | 7/13/2007, 8:06 pm EST

The white stripes Dead leaves and the dirty ground and the white stripes there is no home for you here

RockawayBeach | 7/13/2007, 8:08 pm EST

Hey you, seriously.
I don’t care about Avril Lavigne. She is a poser.
But honestly, could Green Day or Red Hot Chili Peppers stole ANYTHING?
You have ears. And a brain. Use it :)

Joe | 7/13/2007, 8:10 pm EST

There is no home for you here and dead leaves and the dirty ground by the white stripes

Julian | 7/13/2007, 8:13 pm EST

Strokes “Last Nite” totally rips off Tom Petty’s “American Girl”

my name isn't Lain | 7/13/2007, 8:13 pm EST

I find the melody line to Puddle of Mudd’s “Blurry” quite similar to Duncan Sheik’s “Barely Breathing.” It probably works because very few people have heard both tunes.

Tommylee | 7/13/2007, 8:15 pm EST

Britney Spear’s Hit Me Baby One More Time and Oops I did it again.

Lone Star’s Amazed & Bryan Adams’s Please Forgive Me

Gwen’s Hollaback Girl and Fergie’s London Bridge

emily | 7/13/2007, 8:16 pm EST

Leonard Cohen’s Oh Sussana and Hey that’s no way to say goodbye are basically the same but with different lyrics.

29 to 6 to go by Chicago and Zepplins Babe i am going to leave you. The da da da part in the middle are the same.

emily | 7/13/2007, 8:16 pm EST

Leonard Cohen’s Oh Sussana and Hey that’s no way to say goodbye are basically the same but with different lyrics.

29 to 6 to go by Chicago and Zepplins Babe i am going to leave you. The da da da part in the middle are the same.

JudasConstant | 7/13/2007, 8:17 pm EST

Every few years some pop star gets accused of being a song thief, which is a ludicris idea in itself. One recent example is the Ice Ice Baby/Under Pressure riff tiff or accusations that Bob Dylan took lyrics from the poet laureate of the Confederacy. When something like this happens, blogs, fans and news organizations almost always get it wrong.

While Avril certainly should admit that she lifts melodies and beats, there is nothing inherently wrong with doing so and there’s precedent for it in most popular music. For example, the melody of Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land is taken note for note from The Carter Family’s When The World’s On Fire. The ironic thing is that the Carter Family song was probably also lifted from a preexisting melody, as AP Carter was a “songcatcher” who would take songs from rural areas, songs that were at the time in the public domain, and then secure copyrights for them.

“In 1930 the Carters had begun to put African-American sacred songs on record… Maybe the best was When the World’s on Fire, which had been recorded as Rock of Ages by Blind Willie Davis, a black singer-guitarist from McComb, Mississippi. On the Carter record, Maybelle played in Davis’s bottleneck-guitar style. Woody Guthrie would be so taken with that melody that he’d make it the basis for his American anthem to inclusion, This Land is Your Land”

Then there’s the classic example of the Beach Boys’ Surfin’ USA which borrows extensively from Chuck Berry’s Sweet Little Sixteen.

“When the song was released in 1963, the original pressing listed Brian Wilson as the sole composer of the song. But according to Brian, as soon as the song became a hit single, ‘Chuck Berry claimed the melody was his, an inadvertent copy of Sweet Little Sixteen.’ According to Brian though, there are ‘plenty of musicologists who’d argue otherwise.’ Then after Chuck Berry accused Brian Wilson of stealing his melody, Murry Wilson ‘gave Berry the copyright’ without ever informing his son Brian. But what Brian Wilson didn’t realise[SIC] for more than twenty-five years was that Murry also ‘gave away [Brian’s] royalties for writing the lyrics, which clearly weren’t Berry’s’ [although Brian Wilson’s lyrics list several geographical locations in a very similar fashion to Chuck Berry’s original lyrics]. Despite there being tensions over the incident at the time, Chuck Berry later claimed that he actually liked the song. According to Carl Wilson, the band ‘ran into Chuck Berry in Copenhagen and he told us he loves Surfin’ USA.”

In almost any genre, be it sampling in hip-hop or Leadbelly’s song library, there are countless examples of musicians borrowing from other musicians, often with extrodianary results.

More examples of good things from borrowing…
My Sweet Lord by George Harrison (The Chiffons’ He’s So Fine)

Fight Test by the Flaming Lips (Cat Stevens’ Father and Son)

Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan (chord progression from La Bamba by Richie Valens)

The Work of Robert Johnson:
“Right at the outset it must be pointed out that Robert Johnson was no innovator in the true sense of the word. All his music was rooted in the music he heard and learnt from older musicians of his times. If you want to be polite, you say he borrowed from Son House, Charlie Patton, Willie Brown. If you want to be blunt, you will say he stole all the great licks from them. No man is an island, we all draw from influences. But like all great musicians, Robert Johnson borrowed music from others and made it his own.”

The Grey Album by Danger Mouse

Even though Avril is less of an artist than a Bob Dylan or a Danger Mouse, she has a right to reclaim musical history in her own compositions. Or, at least, SHOULD have that right.

http://www.velvethowle r.com/2007/07/10/song-stealing -avril-deserves-a-break/

x | 7/13/2007, 8:27 pm EST

queen & David Bowie’s under pressure and vanilla ice’s ice ice baby

tim | 7/13/2007, 8:35 pm EST

nickleback – photograph, and every other nickleback song.

rba | 7/13/2007, 8:45 pm EST

harder now that it’s over by ryan adams is pretty much the same as jolene by ray lamontagne

blaine24 | 7/13/2007, 8:50 pm EST

Nirvana’s Nevermind + Soundtrack for West Side Story + Soundtrack for Bye Bye Birdie=Green Day

whhah | 7/13/2007, 8:52 pm EST

anything by ryan adams off of Cold Roses and the Grateful Dead…actually anything Ryan Adams has done has been a rip off of either the dead or niel young or etc…

SJ | 7/13/2007, 9:01 pm EST

Are you Gunna be My Girl by Jet and lust for life for Iggy. Bassline steal.

wherezthubeef? | 7/13/2007, 9:07 pm EST

The chorus of My Michele off Appetite for Destruction is Blowin in the Wind.
Maybe it’s splitting hairs here but…blues song = blues song = blues song = blues song = blues song…etc.
BTW Vanilla Ice sounds like Under Pressure because that was the point of the song. Heard of sampling? Criminy.

Gaz | 7/13/2007, 9:07 pm EST

A couple more..
Lady Jane by the Stones & Lady D’Abanville by Cat Stevens.
Father & Son by Cat Stevens & Fight Test by Flaming Lips.
Animals by Talking Heads & Neighborhood 2 by Arcade Fire.

white boy | 7/13/2007, 9:13 pm EST

BOB DYLAN –Subterranean Homesick BLUES

ELVIS COSTELLO–PUMP IT UP

Richard Krueger | 7/13/2007, 9:30 pm EST

Razorblade — The Strokes

Mandy — Barry Manilow

Alex | 7/13/2007, 9:36 pm EST

Led Zeppelin- Trampled Underfoot

The Doobie Brothers- Long Train Runnin’

Alex | 7/13/2007, 9:36 pm EST

Led Zeppelin- Trampled Underfoot

The Doobie Brothers- Long Train Runnin’

Dee | 7/13/2007, 9:36 pm EST

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan’s “The False Husband”

Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood’s “Some Velvet Morning”

it’s pretty blatant, but both songs are great

me of course | 7/13/2007, 9:38 pm EST

Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″
and
Green Day’s “Brainstew”

kita136 | 7/13/2007, 9:39 pm EST

Nirvana sounds like every Pixies song ever wrote.

Anonymous | 7/13/2007, 9:42 pm EST

Green Day’s “Brain Stew” riff is a slowed down version of Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″

Tarek Raucci | 7/13/2007, 9:44 pm EST

Cigarettes and Alcohol-Oasis
Bang a Gong-T. Rex

Tarek Raucci | 7/13/2007, 9:45 pm EST

Cigarettes and Alcohol-Oasis
Bang a Gong-T. Rex

Are you going to be my girl-Jet
Lust for Life-Iggy Pop

me of course | 7/13/2007, 9:51 pm EST

I take that back.

Green Day’s “Brain Stew,”

Papa Roach’s “Last Resort,” and ‘

Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″

all use the breakdown riff from

Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna

Leave You” at the 2:22 mark

obsessed novelist | 7/13/2007, 10:00 pm EST

2Pac’s “Brenda’s Got A Baby” and Ludacris’ “Runaway Love”.

jdunn56 | 7/13/2007, 10:03 pm EST

kita 136, you are idiot. first, it’s every song ever written, not every song ever wrote. second, the bass line in Teen Spirit had the same formulaic 1-2-3-4 4 chord progression, but name another song that Nirvana had that sounded like the Pixies please…

jdunn56 | 7/13/2007, 10:03 pm EST

kita 136, you are idiot. first, it’s every song ever written, not every song ever wrote. second, the bass line in Teen Spirit had the same formulaic 1-2-3-4 4 chord progression, but name another song that Nirvana had that sounded like the Pixies please…

obsessed novelist | 7/13/2007, 10:09 pm EST

2Pac’s Brenda’s Got A Baby and Ludacris’ “Runaway Love”.

Probably not too many people have realized this, because the songs were released 15 years apart and this is more of a rock-oriented site rather than rap, but the similarities are just so obvious. Both songs are about preteen girls who barely know their drug-addled parents, get pregnant, can’t support their babies and run away to a pathetic excuse for a life. Luda clearly had Pac’s debut single in mind when he wrote this somewhat less touching and poetic version of it.

Bunny | 7/13/2007, 10:25 pm EST

I totally agree with whoever said “Mountain Song” by Jane’s Addiction and “Readymade” by RHCP, the bass line is so similar….Now, this one is just me, but Ryan Adams’ “To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)” sounds sort of like “Subterranean Homesick Blues”

me of course | 7/13/2007, 10:30 pm EST

Queen’s One vision and The darkness’ A thing called love…Begining is exacttly the same….

John HC | 7/13/2007, 10:40 pm EST

Sorry Paul-o but those songs don’t sound anything alike. Were you just picking songs at random. That’s a fun game, let me try. Van Halen’s Jump and Michael Jackson’s Thriller sound exactly the same if you mix Nyquil and Dayquil together and inhale scrubbing bubbles fumes. Since you’re on such a U2 kick let me help you out. U2’s Desire sounds like The Rolling Stones Not Fade Away which sounds like 10,000 other traditional blues songs.

HankTheDwarf | 7/13/2007, 10:44 pm EST

The second I heard the beginning of U2’s “Hold Me Kiss Me Thrill Me” off the Batman Forever soundtrack, I immediately thought it ripped off Soundgarden’s “Spoonman” riff.

alfredo | 7/13/2007, 10:44 pm EST

heart’s barracuda totally ripped off their riff from led zeps immigrant song.

alfredo | 7/13/2007, 10:44 pm EST

heart’s barracuda totally ripped off their riff from led zeps immigrant song.

alfredo | 7/13/2007, 10:44 pm EST

heart’s barracuda totally ripped off their riff from led zeps immigrant song.

Tori | 7/13/2007, 10:45 pm EST

smells like teen spirit and rape me.

also, blaqk audio’s bitter for sweet and borrowed time by apoptygma berzerk. completely identical at one point.

bleargh | 7/13/2007, 10:52 pm EST

OK first of all I don’t count sampling when talking about “soundalikes” — the whole POINT of sampling is to lift a piece of a song. So all you who compared “Under Pressure” to Vanilla Ice … no cookie for you.

Now then I could be a smartass and say “Every Song Everclear Ever Did” is a ripoff of “Every Song Everclear Ever Did.” But my answer — and I’m surprised NONE of you called it — is …

“Undone (The Sweater Song)” by Weezer

… is a major ripoff of …

“I Bleed” by the Pixies.

I mean how much more obvious and blatant can you get? At least Weezer ripped off the best.

leo3375 | 7/13/2007, 11:04 pm EST

The Offspring’s “Why Don’t You Get A Job?” and the Beatles’ “Oh-bla-di Oh-Bla-Da.”

Krista | 7/13/2007, 11:06 pm EST

Laffy Taffy by D4L
and
True Affection by The Blow

leo3375 | 7/13/2007, 11:15 pm EST

Ween-”Friends”
and
Darude-”Sandstorm”

Ween-”If You Could Save Yourself (You’d Save Us All)” sounds like a missing song off of Pink FLoyd’s “The Wall”

White Stripes-”Hypnotize”
and
Wolfmother-”Apple Tree”

Brooke | 7/13/2007, 11:16 pm EST

Kiss-”Dreamin’” sounds like “I’m Eighteen” by Alice Cooper.

Alice Cooper-”The Sharpest Pain” sounds like “Hide Your Heart” by Kiss.

pure retribution.

Jordan | 7/13/2007, 11:45 pm EST

The Who’s Sparks VS. The Decemberists’ 16 Military Wives

(Parts of) The Who’s Cousin Kevin VS. Arcade Fire’s Windowsill

Dracula | 7/14/2007, 12:06 am EST

“Run Through The Jungle” by Creedence Clearwater Revival v. “The Old Man Down The Road” by John Fogerty.

“Zaentz can’t dance but he’ll steal your money. Watch him or he’ll rob you blind.”

jm | 7/14/2007, 12:07 am EST

Simple Plan’s “Untitled” takes the same chorus as Pink’s “Just Like a Pill,” slowed down a bit.

UNKLE | 7/14/2007, 12:12 am EST

Green days american idiot sounds like warning just played faster!

Oombree | 7/14/2007, 12:30 am EST

Parts of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love Of All” and Gordon Lightfoots “If You Could Read My Mind” have the same melody.

Me | 7/14/2007, 12:36 am EST

The opening riff from Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and CSN&Y’s “Carry On”

hhhmmmm | 7/14/2007, 12:37 am EST

White Stripe’s “I’m Lonely {But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet} and Black Sabbath’s “Changes”. The first time I heard the WS song I thought it was going to a cover of BS.

poopsmith | 7/14/2007, 12:37 am EST

The Beatles – Lady Madonna

Sublime – What I Got

meierjr | 7/14/2007, 12:39 am EST

Lenny Kravitz’ “Always on the run” guitar riff (played by Slash) is identical to Stevie Wonders’ clavinet riff for “Superstition”.

Scott | 7/14/2007, 12:40 am EST

OK Pop music uses generic chord progressions all the time. Its usually in major or minor mode using all but the diminished chord. How many songs use I IV V or I V vi IV. Occasionaly they wil take a cadence and make the final chord major or minor in mode. There is limited usuage of what u can do develop hooks or a melody that is catchy. That is essential how you make a hit, because that average listenr don’t want something new. They want the same reprocessed shit that have been spewed at them for the past 10 years. So there that all I gotta say.

merman | 7/14/2007, 12:43 am EST

radiohead “dollars and Cents” Bassline and Rolling Stones “Can’t You Hear me Knocking” outro Bassline,
the same..

Zach | 7/14/2007, 12:44 am EST

Ummm….A really really obvious one is: Secret Machines “Nowhere Again” and The Rakes “Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep”
Starlight Mints “San Diego” and The Clash “Should I stay”

Gip Muck | 7/14/2007, 12:45 am EST

Jessica Simpson’s “A Public Affair” and Madonna’s “Holiday”

Heather | 7/14/2007, 12:46 am EST

Fuel’s “Shimmer” is a total rip-off of Salt’s “Bluster.” Remember Salt? That was a great little album! But only Fuel made money off of that tune…

UnklJoey | 7/14/2007, 12:52 am EST

Black Crowes full out stole the main riff of “Remedy” from Parliament Funkadelics “Night of the Thumpasorus People”. Bye and Bye, we get high! Gaagaagoogaagaa!

mark | 7/14/2007, 1:11 am EST

NIN’s Capital G and Micheal Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel

At least the begining.

Mark | 7/14/2007, 1:15 am EST

I agree with Nightly Lights

Phish’s Farmhouse and Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry

I saw Phish in concert in 1999 and they started to play this and I said to him “Is this how No Woman No Cry goes?” and he said “No, they changed up the lyrics I guess”

andrew | 7/14/2007, 1:27 am EST

every song on bob dylan’s modern times is an ‘adaptation’ of some other composition.
like “someday baby” is exactly like muddy water’s “trouble no more”

JD | 7/14/2007, 1:31 am EST

Billy J. Royal’s “Down In the Boondocks” sounds almost like Gene Pitney’s “24 Hours From Tulsa.”

Parts of “Mad World” by Tears for Fears sound like the bridge in Cat Steven’s “Mathew and Son.” And the Pet Shop Boys “It’s a Sin” sounds a lot like the melody of “Wild World.”

John Mayer’s World to Change song not only sounds like People Get Ready but also John Hiatt’s Have a Little Faith.

Kenny Rogers’ She Believes In Me is almost the same song as Bread’s Lost Without Your Love.

And there’s a Nickelback song that has a melody stolen from Cindy Lauper’s Time After Time.

JD | 7/14/2007, 1:36 am EST

John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change” not only sounds like “People Get Ready,” but it also sounds like John Hiatt’s “Have A Little Faith.”

And Creed’s “Higher” rips off bad Company’s “Feel Like Making Love.”

Cory | 7/14/2007, 1:40 am EST

“You Give Love a Bad Name”, Bon Jovi …

“Heaven is a Place on Earth”, Belinda Carlisle

In fact, the Crystal Method illustrate the eerie way each song’s choruses magically lined up by playing them over each other at a concert once. Song structure’s pretty similar too.

steve 2.0 | 7/14/2007, 1:43 am EST

Fall Out Boy’s Dance Dance has the same beat as Dramarama’s Anything Anything (I’ll give to you)

Jon | 7/14/2007, 1:51 am EST

To me, The Fratellis’ “Flathead” sounds quite similar to The La’s “Failure” at points.

Megan | 7/14/2007, 1:52 am EST

Beginning drum beats in The Knack’s “My Sharona” and Motion City Soundtrack’s “Everything is Alright”

Jurjen | 7/14/2007, 2:11 am EST

Listen to the drums in The Strokes’ You Only Live Once and the drums in Queen’s I Want To Break Free, very similar

Me | 7/14/2007, 2:11 am EST

Jet stole from Iggy Pop, and we all know it.

Anonymous | 7/14/2007, 2:15 am EST

The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time” and The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.” At least that’s what Mick said.

Jeff | 7/14/2007, 2:24 am EST

Ok Rolling Stone, you gotta give me some credit for this one.

The Cranberries “Dreams” bears a very strong resemblence to……..

…..

“De Do Do Do De Da Da Da” by The Police.

Admit it, you wouldn’t have thought of that!

PaulSmithe | 7/14/2007, 2:40 am EST

Nirvana’s Dumb and Teen Spirit actually use the same relationship of notes(in the verses that is).

Richard | 7/14/2007, 3:34 am EST

Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog) by Roky Ericson is a rework of Lynard Skynard’s That Smell….

Me(n)tal | 7/14/2007, 3:36 am EST

how the hell does “smells like teen spirit” sound like “more than a feeling”? I dont hear it.

Anonymous | 7/14/2007, 3:42 am EST

John Mayers- your body is a wonderland pretty much sounds like a lighter version of Dave Mathews!

Jet has pretty much ripped off AC/DC and the Beatles
And well Oasis has pretty much based their whole entire Career trying to sound like the Beatles!

Elvis ripped off every black singer there was at his time!

myspace.com/goddamnidiot | 7/14/2007, 3:54 am EST

I didn’t read all of them, but “Borrowed Tune” by Neil Young outright admits that he took it from The Rolling Stones (”Lady Jane” to be exact).

Sublime’s “What I Got” has the same verses melody as The Beatles “Lady Madonna.”

Pearl Jam’s “Given to Fly sounds an awful lot like “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin.

What’s funny about this article citing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” sounding like “More Than A Feeling” is that on the Nirvana bootleg Outcesticide 5, they do “More Than A Feeling” as an intro to Teen Spirit. Cool.

Jon | 7/14/2007, 3:55 am EST

There’s a line that you can cross between syncretism (the blending and folding of cultural influences into your own art) and outright plagiarism. One funny example is Vanilla Ice’s “ice ice baby” and Queen’s “Under Pressure.” If anyone has ever seen the interview with Vanilla Ice trying to explain how the songs are completely different (and he proves himself unequivocably wrong by humming the bass line himself), then you know just how funny it is.

B | 7/14/2007, 4:06 am EST

The beginning riffs of “Send the Pain Below” by Chevelle are very similar to those of “Be Quiet and Drive” by, well the best band ever, Deftones.

mark | 7/14/2007, 4:18 am EST

“Champagne Supernova” by Oasis and “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” by the Velvet Underground
i dunno why they just have something in common

Angus | 7/14/2007, 4:34 am EST

“Look What You’ve Done” by Jet rips the Beatles’ “Sexy Sadie” in both lyrics and melody.

“Jesus of Suburbia” by Green Day has a part thats exactly like Bryan Adams’ “Sumer of 69,” (standin on your momma’s porch…”

Andrés | 7/14/2007, 4:45 am EST

Jet’s are you gonna be my girl – Iggy Pop’s lust for life.

The Strokes’s razorblade – Barry Manilow’s mandy

Regal | 7/14/2007, 5:13 am EST

U2’s “New Year’s Day” and Mansun’s “I Can Only Disappoint U”

The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” and Oasis “Put Yer Money Where Yer Mouth Is”

Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” and John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change”

Regal | 7/14/2007, 5:21 am EST

Oh yeah, can’t forget “You Wear It Well” by Rod Stewart and “Maggie Mae” by Rod Steward.

Also “Is It Any Wonder” by Keane and U2’s “Even Better Than the Real Thing.”

Nothing wrong with either of those examples though, a lot of these songs being listed are great in their own rights!

Regal | 7/14/2007, 5:22 am EST

Oh yeah, can’t forget “You Wear It Well” by Rod Stewart and “Maggie Mae” by Rod Stewart.

Also “Is It Any Wonder” by Keane and U2’s “Even Better Than the Real Thing.”

Nothing wrong with either of those examples though, a lot of these songs being listed are great in their own rights!

Regal | 7/14/2007, 5:30 am EST

(Just wanted to clarify that that was a typo in my other post, I know it’s not “Steward.”)

The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” and Oasis’ “Put Yer Money Where Yer Mouth Is” (the most blatant ripoff I’ve ever heard, still a good track though)

and

U2’s “New Year’s Day” and Mansun’s “I Can Only Disappoint U”

By the way….in Oasis sound nothing like the Beatles in most cases, so anyone posting “Every Oasis song sounds like the Beatles” ought to clean out their ears.

Sorry if this ends up being a quadruple post or whatever, the others don’t seem to have gone through.

D | 7/14/2007, 6:15 am EST

Dramarama’s “Anything, Anything” is stolen by Fall Out Boy for “Dance, Dance”.

Its exactly the same.

D | 7/14/2007, 6:15 am EST

Dramarama’s “Anything, Anything” is stolen by Fall Out Boy for “Dance, Dance”.

Its exactly the same.

Ghost Mutt | 7/14/2007, 6:26 am EST

Only one person has mentioned it but plemty of Smiths and Morrissey songs are based on other songs; for example Panic = Metal Guru, the opening of I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish = The opening of 20th Century Boy and Certain People I Know = Ride A White Swan. Actually there all T. Rex songs, although as everyone knows Morrissey is obsessed with Marc Bolan and it doesn’t make The Smiths any less the greatest band of all time. Also any chance of next weeks rock list being the best Bob Dylan covers, I want to make a compilation (I suppose the Byrds would win though)

Daniel | 7/14/2007, 6:48 am EST

Sorry if this has been said already but didn’t Kurt Cobain openly admit ripping off ‘More Than A Feeling’?

I noticed this one the other day – the first part of the riff for The Killers’ ‘Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine’ is almost identical to the first part of the riff for ‘Holy Diver’ by Dio.

your mom | 7/14/2007, 6:55 am EST

2 Rolling Stones songs:

1) “Anybody Seen My Baby?” which sounded so much like “Constant Craving” by kd lang that they gave her a songwriting credit without it being asked for.

2) “Bittersweet Symphony” by the Verve from “The Last Time” (does sampling count in this survey?)

OTHERS:

3) “Lucky One” by Alison Krauss and Union Station and “I Was Only Joking” by Rod Stewart. They have almost exactly the same chord progression.

4) I really agree with the Jet “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” and Iggy Pop “Lust for Life”

5) “Dancing Shoes” or “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” by Scissor Sisters and “Stars on 45 (medley)”

6)”You Get What You Give” by New Radicals and “Sanctify Yourself” or any Simple Minds song.

Anonymous | 7/14/2007, 6:59 am EST

HOW COULD I FORGET?

“Glamourous Glue” by Morrissey (on your Arsenal) and “Jean Genie” by David Bowie

Cheesecrop | 7/14/2007, 7:25 am EST

At some point everything’s bound to sound alike, even if only for a couple of seconds. It is seconds that were quibbling about most of the time. I’ll toss in a couple:

Similarity between Kiss – Detroit Rock City & QOTSA’s guitar solo on No One Knows

Rhythm pattern between Beatles Lady Madonna(68) & earlier song My Little Red Book (65) by Love

Topper: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon (whole album) sounds like a repetitve take on 13th Floor Elevators 1966 song Kingdom of Heaven

Kyle | 7/14/2007, 7:28 am EST

The beginning of The Doors “The End”. The beginning of Creeds “With Arms Wide Open”.

Heather | 7/14/2007, 7:44 am EST

To hear samples of songs side by side that have been involved in copyright plagairism suits, this suit is incredible. Just accept the terms, and go to “song list” to hear side by side comparisons. particularly famous case: George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” and The Chiffon’s “He’s So Fine”

http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu /projects/law/library/

Shingle | 7/14/2007, 7:46 am EST

Springsteen’s Cadillac Ranch and David Johnston’s Funeral Home.

Henry | 7/14/2007, 8:35 am EST

“Run” – New Order
“One Night Love Affair” – Bryan Adams

Stefan | 7/14/2007, 9:16 am EST

Franz Ferdinand’s ‘Do You Want To’ and ABBA’s ‘On And On And On’

Brian | 7/14/2007, 9:35 am EST

Marilyn Manson – Disassociative
Wings – Band on the Run

Jeremy | 7/14/2007, 9:37 am EST

“Three Marlinas” – The Wallflowers and “Sweet Jane” – The Velvet Underground

yer mother | 7/14/2007, 9:43 am EST

The Drugs Don’t Work – The Verve
Loving the Aliens (Sometimes) – Velvet Revolver

In this case, Ben Harper’s live acoustic cover of ‘Drugs’ sounds even MORE similar to ‘Aliens’

Pete McN | 7/14/2007, 10:19 am EST

Listen to Jet’s “Look What You’ve Done” and My Chemical Romance’s “Cancer”…pretty similar or is it just me?

Pete McN | 7/14/2007, 10:23 am EST

Jet – Look What You’ve Done
My Chemical Romance – Cancer
Pretty damn close…?

Pete McN | 7/14/2007, 10:23 am EST

Jet – Look What You’ve Done
My Chemical Romance – Cancer
Pretty damn close…?

Ballgame | 7/14/2007, 10:36 am EST

John Mellencamp’s “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” is the same song as The Romantics’ “What I Like About You”. Or vice vera.

lasgames | 7/14/2007, 10:37 am EST

linkin parks”shadow of the day” and U2 “with or without you” a toal rip thru the whole song you can actually sing the U2 to it.

alan | 7/14/2007, 10:47 am EST

interpol’s ” all fired up
and radiohead’s ” I might be wrong”

kc | 7/14/2007, 10:48 am EST

Green Day’s “Brain Stew”, Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”, and one other song all have the same guitar riff (or damn near). I can’t think of the band or the song and it’s gonna drive me crazy! The lyrics have some string of numbers at the very end of each chorus, like 8252604. I’m positive the last number is a 4. What the hell is that song?!!! It might be Doobie Brothers but I don’t thinks so… someone help me

Brad | 7/14/2007, 10:52 am EST

The Clash – Should I stay Or Should I Go
Chuck Berry – No Particular Place To Go
One and the same to me

kc | 7/14/2007, 10:56 am EST

Ahhhh! I’m an idiot. It’s Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″. Haha I just woke up. So that song, Zep’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and Green Day’s “Brain Stew”. I don’t know if the chord’s are exactly the same, but the riff’s are almost identical at the climax of each song. What a riff, too. All fuckin’ badass!!!

The Gibson | 7/14/2007, 11:07 am EST

867 5309 is Jenny’s number, for that one guy who was wondering what song it was that had the numbers in it.

Evan | 7/14/2007, 11:09 am EST

Sum 41’s “Hell Song” has the exact same melody as Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me.” Of course, both bands suck too much for anyone to notice. Also, I think “Karma Police” and Oasis “The Masterplan” sound similar.

kc | 7/14/2007, 11:14 am EST

Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” and Bright Eyes “First Day of My Life”

avec micheal chiklis | 7/14/2007, 11:21 am EST

every SCREAMO song sounds the exact same. some christian teenager screaming untranslatable words over the same guitar chord. then it gets really quiet, the “singer” actually sings, but its really girly singing, then the screaming starts again creating an endless cycle.

Flea | 7/14/2007, 11:25 am EST

I cannot believe Tom Petty would blatantly rip us off like this. What did we ever to to him?

Candace | 7/14/2007, 11:28 am EST

Coldpay “Clocks” and Coldplay “Speed of Sound”

gbg | 7/14/2007, 11:34 am EST

Donna Lewis’ – “i love you always forever” vocal melody in chorus to.. “Just can’t get enough” – depeche mode

mm | 7/14/2007, 11:55 am EST

REM’s “Hairshirt”
George Harrison’s “Isn’t It a Pity”

kc | 7/14/2007, 11:55 am EST

It was Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″. That’s the song with the numbers. That song, Zep’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and Green Day’s “Brainstew” all have virtually the same riff, expecially at the climax, although I don’t think the chords are exactly the same

Tyson | 7/14/2007, 12:27 pm EST

‘Happy Birthday’ and ‘Rainbow in the Dark’

seyff | 7/14/2007, 12:30 pm EST

Mike’s Song (Phish) and Stranglehold (Ted Nugent). The intro to Mike’s also reminds me of that to Blue Sky (Allman Brothers Band).

Scencianemia | 7/14/2007, 12:31 pm EST

Dumb and Polly by Nirvana. Same chords, damn near the same song. Fergalicious is supposed to sound like Supersonic I do believe. If that qualifies it for this list, put every Diddy song ever on the list too. With that said, f**k Fergalicious.

More from JD | 7/14/2007, 12:41 pm EST

On the Darkside, What I Like About You and ROCK in the USA all use Neil Diamond’s Cherry Cherry riff.

Skynyrd’s Gimme Three Steps is similar to the Spoonful’s Jug band Music.

The Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go was no doubt inspired by Little Latin Lupi Lu by the Kingsmen. And then there are all of those Louie Louie clones too.

Let’s Live For Today by the Grass Roots sounds like I Count The Tears by the Drifters.

The Raiders’ Undecided Man sounds too close to Eleanor Rigby.

The intro to Springsteen’s No Surrender is lifted from Bat Out of Hell. Then again, a couple of E Street Band members performed on Bat Out Of Hell.

Though they were written by the same songwriting team, the bridges in both This Old Heart of Mine and Back In My Arms Again are basically the same. Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam’s Head to Toe also uses a similar bridge.

And Billy Ocean’s Caribbean Queen is definitely a rip off of Jacko’s Billie Jean.

liran | 7/14/2007, 12:45 pm EST

Queens Of The Stone Age’s I’m Designer and Led Zeppelin dancing days

Jason | 7/14/2007, 12:47 pm EST

“Harvest Moon” and “This Old Guitar” by Neil Young.

Somatzu | 7/14/2007, 12:56 pm EST

Filter’s “Hey Man Nice Shot” uses the exact same chorus chord progression as Stabbing Westwards “Ungod” which precedes it by about a year.

Christian | 7/14/2007, 12:56 pm EST

Tom Petty’s “Saving Grace” and ZZ Top’s “La Grange”. Listen to the instrumentals.

Peyton | 7/14/2007, 1:02 pm EST

I really like elliott yamin, but i couldn’t help but notice that his single “Wait For You” sounds just like “Never Had a Dream come True” by S Club 7. Remember that song? If not, search it. The choruses sound the same.

But I really don’t understand how “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “More than a Feeling” sound the same.

Peyton | 7/14/2007, 1:03 pm EST

I really like Elliott Yamin, but I couldn’t help but notice how much “wait for you” sounds like “never had a dream come true” by S Club 7

Shismz | 7/14/2007, 1:18 pm EST

Jesus of Suburbia, 1 part sounds like Bryan Adams Summer of 69 and the other like Johnny Cash Walk the Line (Which I think they did on purpose). Either way its a great song but for a while i could never get over the “standin on your mothers porch…” part : ) And did anyone ever notice the begining of that fallout boy songs sugar were going down sounds a lot like the beginning of creed higher ?

Zombie | 7/14/2007, 1:20 pm EST

Oasis – “Morning Glory”
REM – “The One I Love”

Alistair Cookie | 7/14/2007, 1:22 pm EST

Oasis – “Morning Glory”
REM – “The One I Love

Somatzu | 7/14/2007, 1:27 pm EST

Mudhoney’s “Broken Hands” has a little riff at the beginning which is most definitely a tribute, not a rip-off, to Neil Young’s riff at the end of “Cinnamon Girl” its pretty cool check it out.

JON | 7/14/2007, 1:31 pm EST

Fergie’s “Fergilicious” knowingly samples “Supersonic”, so how that counts is beyond me.

your mom | 7/14/2007, 1:49 pm EST

“Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears with….. “Hit Me Baby One More Time”!!! (and not in the way that early Beatles sounds alike, but “Oops” is clearly a reworking of “Hit Me”.

wray | 7/14/2007, 1:54 pm EST

to reply to the suggestion by cory about “You Give Love a Bad Name”, Bon Jovi-“Heaven is a Place on Earth”-Belinda Carlisle is great but the band who did it live was orbital during the middle of halcyon.awesome tack!

your mom | 7/14/2007, 1:54 pm EST

“Oops I Did It Again” and… “Hit Me Baby One More Time”. The former is CLEARLY a simple reworking of the latter. And not in the way that early Dylan and early Beatles sounds alike.

Bobby Blue | 7/14/2007, 2:06 pm EST

Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do” and Steeler’s Wheel’s “Stuck in The Middle With You”

dirtyhippie | 7/14/2007, 2:10 pm EST

just about any song in jack johnson’s catalog and any other song in jack johnson’s catalog

Shawn D. | 7/14/2007, 2:11 pm EST

Bon Jovi “Livin’ On A Prayer” and
Belinda Carlisle “Heaven Is A Place On Earth”

dirtyhippie | 7/14/2007, 2:13 pm EST

just about song in jack johnson’s catalog and any other song in jack johnson’s catalog

Shawn D. | 7/14/2007, 2:13 pm EST

correction for my earlier post:

it was Bon Jovi “You Give Love A Bad Name” vs. Belinda Carlisle “Heaven Is A Place On Earth”

jr | 7/14/2007, 2:14 pm EST

pixies: i bleed
weezer: undone (sweater song)

otto | 7/14/2007, 2:18 pm EST

Dirtyhippie had the best answer so far…!

bob pridden | 7/14/2007, 2:18 pm EST

joan osborne’s new ‘alone with you’ is an almost exact rip off of johhny river’s ‘poor side of town’. listen for yourself and let your head shake in amazement of how joan can take credit for writing that song.

owlhead | 7/14/2007, 2:37 pm EST

how about all the Outback steakhouse commercial jingles and Of Montreal’s Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games?

Beezie | 7/14/2007, 2:38 pm EST

Saliva’s Broken Sunday sound exactly like “Remedy” by Seether with the guitar riff and then exactly like “Wings of a Butterfly” in the chorus. Saliva is the ultimate riff-ripper. Pitiful!

Jeff | 7/14/2007, 2:44 pm EST

OK let’s recap since some of mine didn’t get posted for whatever reason after I hit “post”.

“Dreams” by The Cranberries takes the verse chords from “De Do Do Do De Da Da Da” by The Police.

“R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.” by John Mellencamp rips “What I Like About You” by The Romantics

“Timebomb” and “Keep Away” by Godsmack” both blatantly rip off “Hey Man Nice Shot” by Filter (then again what Godsmack song doesn’t rip someone else off?)

“Shadow of the Day” by Linkin Park blatantly steals from “With Or Without You” by U2

“Heaven And Hot Rods” by STP takes a bit from “Dam That River” by Alice In Chains

The chorus to “You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire” by QOTSA bares a strong resemblence to the chorus of “Weenie Beenie” by the Foo Fighters (ironic considering who’s drumming on the QOTSA record…)

I’ll spare all my examples of Tool blatantly ripping themselves off.

jimi | 7/14/2007, 2:57 pm EST

kraftwerk’s “Computerliebe”
and coldplay’s “talk”

jimi | 7/14/2007, 2:59 pm EST

kraftwerk’s “Computerliebe”
and
coldplay’s “talk”

neil | 7/14/2007, 3:06 pm EST

The Strokes/ Last Nite and Tom Petty/ American Girl

Kevin B | 7/14/2007, 3:08 pm EST

Akon “Don’t Matter” – you can actually sing “Ignition (Remix)” by R. Kelly to it. Clearly a rip off.

Jayhawk | 7/14/2007, 3:08 pm EST

“Last Dance with Mary Jane” by Petty is a blatant rip off of “Waiting for the Sun” by the Jayhawks who opened for Petty the year before he wrote Last Dance..

Rory | 7/14/2007, 3:11 pm EST

The synth riff in Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” sounds like the synth riff in Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.” They are in a different range and not exactly the same, but you can definitely mumble the lyrics to “Dancing in the Dark” to “We Didn’t Start The Fire.”

stuporfly | 7/14/2007, 3:14 pm EST

The Verve’s “Rolling People” borrows fairly significantly from Funkadelic’s “I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody’s Got a Thing”.

Matt | 7/14/2007, 3:21 pm EST

“Hello, I love You” by The Doors sounds a lot like “All Day and All of the Night” by The Kinks

Matt | 7/14/2007, 3:21 pm EST

“Hello, I love You” by The Doors sounds a lot like “All Day and All of the Night” by The Kinks

Geoff | 7/14/2007, 3:34 pm EST

Led Zeppelin’s “Since I’ve Been Loving You” and Moby Grape’s “Never”…not so much a soundalike as much as it is a blatant rip-off

The Kinks “All Day and All of the Night” and The Doors “Hello, I Love You”

The Monkees “Last Train to Clarksville” and The Beatles “Paperback Writer”

Ned | 7/14/2007, 3:38 pm EST

I have 2:
Unchained Melody-The Righteous Brothers
I Can’t Help Falling In Love-Elvis
Lyrically and musically similar.

The Stake-Steve Miller
Rocky Mountain Way-Joe Walsh
Almost identical guitar riff.

Jeremy | 7/14/2007, 3:51 pm EST

Iggy Pop ” Lust for Life”
Jet ” are you gonna be my girl”

Couv19 | 7/14/2007, 4:04 pm EST

The melody of What I Got by Sublime always reminds me of Lady Madonna by the Beatles

wank | 7/14/2007, 4:17 pm EST

Queensrych- Silent Lucidity
Pink Floyd- Must the Show Go On/Comfortbly Numb

Paul | 7/14/2007, 4:27 pm EST

Sublime What I Got COMPLETELY ripped off Lady Madonna. Its pathetic and ridiculous.

Zepp | 7/14/2007, 4:29 pm EST

Zeppelin’s “Babe im going to leave you”-White Stripes “Dead leaves and the dirty ground”-The Beatles “While my guitar gently Weeps” and that song by Chicago all have the same guitar riff in it.

Zepp | 7/14/2007, 4:33 pm EST

Zeppelin “Babe Im going to leave you”- The White Stripes “Dead Leaves and the Dirty ground”- The Beatles “While My guitar gently Weeps” and that song by Chicago all have the same guitar
riff in it.

Will | 7/14/2007, 4:45 pm EST

Green Day’s “Warning” is note for note…even in the exact time The Kinks “Picture Book”

Pedro | 7/14/2007, 4:46 pm EST

Coldplay’s Speed of Sound is Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill. Chris Martin even admitted it.

Mike | 7/14/2007, 4:47 pm EST

Anything by The Backstreet Boys sounds exactly like the sound of my explosive diahriah echoing in my toilet…

Barry | 7/14/2007, 4:52 pm EST

U2’s Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car clearly rips off N.W.O. by Ministry

adam n | 7/14/2007, 5:05 pm EST

I think that the most obvious soundalike tunes (sorry if someone else has mentioned them) are the Rolling Stones’ “Lady Jane” and Neil Young’s borrowed tune. Exact same melody. Young even acknowledges that he has ripped the Stones off (in hilarious fashion)…

I’m singin’ this borrowed tune
I took from the Rolling Stones,
Alone in this empty room
Too wasted to write my own

Josh | 7/14/2007, 5:10 pm EST

Gorillaz “Feel Good Inc”
U2 “Staring At The Sun”

Matt Groves | 7/14/2007, 5:55 pm EST

Fleetwood Mac’s Over my Head
John Martyn’s Over the Hill

Bill | 7/14/2007, 6:00 pm EST

Avril totally ripped off that song. I heard it and the chorus is identical. It’s funny how she denies it and says that she never heard of them. Her new album sucks anyway.

Herb | 7/14/2007, 6:09 pm EST

Smashing Pumpkins’ Here is no Why sounds like David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust.

Lotto | 7/14/2007, 6:14 pm EST

“Around The World” by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers rips off the riff from “Breadfan” by Budgie, later covered by Metallica.

AQuietDomino | 7/14/2007, 6:30 pm EST

“The Mountain Song” by Jane’s Addiction, and “Readymade” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers…but then again Flea did play on both tracks :-P

AQuietDomino | 7/14/2007, 6:30 pm EST

“The Mountain Song” by Jane’s Addiction, and “Readymade” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers…but then again Flea did play on both tracks :-P

The Saint | 7/14/2007, 6:39 pm EST

I agree with leo, The Offsprings “Why don’t you get a job” refrain sounds exactly like the refrain of The Beatles “Ob la di, ob la da”.

Artsworker | 7/14/2007, 6:44 pm EST

The Flaming Lips “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1″ and The Band’s “Whispering Pines” (from The Band) are similar except in the choruses.

On Top Of The World by Cheap Trick and Rock Lobster by the B52’s share the same bass intro.

likearollingnick | 7/14/2007, 7:04 pm EST

Steely Dan’s “Barrytown” aping the verse melody from The Beatles’ “Tell Me What You See”

donovan | 7/14/2007, 7:12 pm EST

hearts barracuda and zeppelin’s achilles last stand are roughly the same song

and

oasis’ cigarettes and alcohol and t. rex’ get it on (bang a gong)

Fedoko | 7/14/2007, 7:19 pm EST

Voodoo Chile – Jimi Hendrix
Voodoo Chile – Stevie Ray Vaughan

They sound pretty the same one, i swear

Dj Blurry | 7/14/2007, 7:20 pm EST

Should I stay or should I go Rips off Camellia by hall and oates, unless you know this song you will think I’m nuts, Listen to it and you will be shocked.

And ” I never known a girl like you before” by Edwin Collins , rips off a Gap band song from the I’m gonna git you sucka soundtrack which had the same melody and line about ” never known a girl like you before”

lphchld | 7/14/2007, 7:22 pm EST

Coldplay’s In My Place rips off the intro to Radiohead’s High and Dry.

Dude | 7/14/2007, 7:27 pm EST

Fall Out Boy – Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
The Verve – Lucky Man

Dj Blurry | 7/14/2007, 7:28 pm EST

No one is to blaime by howard jones, same melody as Born to run but slowed down and adult contoposized

dj Blurry | 7/14/2007, 7:30 pm EST

razorblade by the strokes is mandy by barry manilow

dj Blurry | 7/14/2007, 7:33 pm EST

under my thumb by the stones rips off same old song by the four tops

Dj Blurry | 7/14/2007, 7:40 pm EST

pretty much every green day song is a sound-a-like of what ever particular song they are listening to at that moment. I remember in highschool I thought they were wack, and well that last album, i just remember thinking evey time I would hear a new single ” Boy that sounds like “

Xer | 7/14/2007, 7:42 pm EST

“Stop Whispering” by Radiohead and “Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away” by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah…

TheOneMan | 7/14/2007, 7:47 pm EST

Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road”

Derek and the Dominoes’s “Layla”

TheOneMan | 7/14/2007, 7:47 pm EST

Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road”

Derek and the Dominoes’s “Layla”

Dj Blurry | 7/14/2007, 7:49 pm EST

Blondies ” Call me” is ” children of the grave by Black sabbath

Mr. P | 7/14/2007, 7:50 pm EST

Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” lifted the riff from The Who’s “Baba O’Reilley”.

T-Nasty | 7/14/2007, 7:55 pm EST

hmmm. I’m reading some of these and thinking “WHAT?”.

Any other guitarists want to weigh in on actual sound alikes?

Dj blurry | 7/14/2007, 7:56 pm EST

dont Cha by the pussycat dolls is ” The Glamorous life” written by prince sung by sheila E

Dj blurry | 7/14/2007, 7:59 pm EST

Opps I fucked up I meant to say ” Train in vain” ripps off camellia by hall and oates

I love this topic

Dj blurry | 7/14/2007, 8:11 pm EST

A good 80 % of the songs people are referencing so far are not rip off, they are just kind of sound alkies, and some are not even close. But the ones I am rattling off are out and out Theft. Most of the songs being ripped off are very obscure, and the new versions are way more then just “coincidences”

Martin | 7/14/2007, 8:18 pm EST

Bitter End by Sum 41 sounds a lot like Battery by Metallica.
Cochise by Audioslave sounds like Bad Seed by Metallica.

Dave | 7/14/2007, 8:42 pm EST

Someone already stole my thunder with Green Day’s thievery with The Kink’s Picture Book in their song Warning. And I could not agree more with whoever said that Green Day also stole Chicago’s 25 or 6 to Four in their song Brain Stew. They just play it a little slower.

Matt | 7/14/2007, 8:52 pm EST

WEEZER>> ISLAND IN THE SUN
=
NIRVANA>> SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT

You may not have thought of it until now, but listen to the two and you’ll scream lawsuit!!!!
The main similarities are in the riff, the guitar solos, and the way they both sing the verses. Island in the Sun is basically a toned down teen spirit.

lipstick vogue | 7/14/2007, 9:16 pm EST

“Umbrella” and The Cranberries’ “Zombie”.

Dave | 7/14/2007, 9:21 pm EST

New Pollution by Beck and Taxman by The Beatles. Beck uses an identical bass line.

Jamie | 7/14/2007, 9:37 pm EST

Jet’s “are you gonna be my girl”, and iggy pop’s “lust for life”

pardus | 7/14/2007, 9:45 pm EST

Smiths/Love Spit Love/taTu doing “How soon is now?” was copied by Tonic in “Casual affair.” on the album “Lemon Parade.”

DeadHorse | 7/14/2007, 10:09 pm EST

I can’t believe no one mentioned The White Stripes “Rag and Bone” and Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher”

B | 7/14/2007, 10:10 pm EST

The “Just Like You…” hook of Cherry Waves by Deftones is derived from Kiss of Life by Gene Loves Jezebel.

Ann Nonymous | 7/14/2007, 10:42 pm EST

How about the Rolling Stones “Has anybody seen my baby” and KD Lang “Constant Craving”? (Choruses)

HH | 7/14/2007, 11:06 pm EST

cant’t believe no one’s mentioned this one:
u2’s ‘vertigo is very similar to ‘keep me hangin’ on”

also, the rolling stones “has anybody seen my baby?” was a total rip-off of k.d. lnag’s constant craving. at least mick and keith realized it and gave her songwriting credit on the album

McCarthy | 7/14/2007, 11:09 pm EST

Rolling Stones
“It’s only rock ‘n roll”

=

T. Rex
“Bang a gong”

Nicolas | 7/14/2007, 11:30 pm EST

Everything Coldplay sounds similar to everything Coldplay.
You don’t need to buy an album, just one single and that’ll do.

Hear the intro for Speed of Sound and the intro for Clocks… they’re pretty much the same, just in another tone.

Mojoryder | 7/14/2007, 11:39 pm EST

Heart didn’t borrow from ‘Immigrant Song’ on ‘Barracuda’ … more like ‘Achilles Last Stand’

Worst band in history Styx ripping off Led Zep’s ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’ on ‘Suite Madame Blue’ … bloody shameless rip off …

Mojoryder | 7/14/2007, 11:43 pm EST

Neil Young directly ripped off the Stones ‘Lady Jane’ on Tonight’s the Night’s ‘Borrowed Tune’ … but at least he admits it in the lyrics:

I’m singing this borrowed tune
I took from the Rolling Stones
Alone in this empty room
Too wasted to write my own

brilliant actually

perfectboy | 7/15/2007, 12:01 am EST

taxman by the beatles and start by the jam. both great bands but very similar guitar riffs.
in the city the jam and holiday in the sun sex pistols.
green day- a few songs.
cant remember the tiles but a fewe kinks songs and chicagos 25 6 or 4.

bob dylan- it takes a lot to laugh it takes a train to cry- and a old joe turner song which cops a huge part of the lyrics.
whole lot of love and a willie dixns song with a similar title.

perfectboy | 7/15/2007, 12:01 am EST

taxman by the beatles and start by the jam. both great bands but very similar guitar riffs.
in the city the jam and holiday in the sun sex pistols.
green day- a few songs.
cant remember the tiles but a fewe kinks songs and chicagos 25 6 or 4.

bob dylan- it takes a lot to laugh it takes a train to cry- and a old joe turner song which cops a huge part of the lyrics.
whole lot of love and a willie dixns song with a similar title.

buter22 | 7/15/2007, 12:03 am EST

How about John Cougar “Small Town” ripping off Ian Hunter “When the Daylight Comes”?

mexicano | 7/15/2007, 12:09 am EST

Bowie’s under pressure/ Ice Ice Baby is the most obvious one out there

mexicano | 7/15/2007, 12:10 am EST

rocco de luca takes a lot from led zeppelin in many songs, check out tangerine and speak to me

hadleigh | 7/15/2007, 12:26 am EST

Try Pearl Jam’s “Given to fly” and Led Zepelins “Going to California”

Bdub | 7/15/2007, 12:35 am EST

Huey Lewis and the News with “I Want a New Drug” and the theme to Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.

johny tameless | 7/15/2007, 12:54 am EST

dylan’s “Things Have Changed” chorus is Billie Jean.

thezero | 7/15/2007, 1:02 am EST

marilyn manson’s “speed of pain” sounds a lot like david bowie’s “space oddity”

thezero | 7/15/2007, 1:02 am EST

marilyn manson’s “speed of pain” sounds a lot like david bowie’s “space oddity”

the zero | 7/15/2007, 1:23 am EST

diddy’s “last night” sounds similar to prince’s “erotic city”… listen to the drum loop… there is even a remix that uses erotic city in it heavily, and it sounds about right… that is probably the one and only p. diddy song i like… other than that, the man must die…

mmm | 7/15/2007, 1:31 am EST

I think the piano in Jet’s Look What You’ve Done sounded a lot like the piano in Imagine by John Lennon. Could be wrong though, I’ve only heard the Jet song a couple of times. They suck.

Neil | 7/15/2007, 1:40 am EST

Def Leppard Hysteria rips off Police Every breath you take.

Phil Collins Sussudio rips off Princes’ 1999.

Michael Jackson Black and White rips off John Cougar Hurt’s so good guitar riffs.

Belinda Carlise Heaven is a place on earth rips off Bon Jovi’s Livi’ on a prayer (not You give love a bad name)

Nirvana Teen’s Spirit rips off Boston more than a feelin’ guitar riffs

Anything from Nik Kershaw sounds like early Howard Jones and Level 42.

Rick Astley’s Never gonna give you up rips off Kylie Minogue’s I should be so lucky.

Dead or Alive You spin round is a rip off Divine’s You think you’re a man. Same producers as Kylie and Rick!

Queen’s Another bits the dust bassline rips off Chic’s Good Times bass riff.

Robbie Williams Rock DJ rips off Barry White’s It’s Ecstasy when you lay next to me intro’

Captain Groovy | 7/15/2007, 1:49 am EST

Sublime’s “What I Got” is note-for-note “Lady Madonna” by The Beatles… just slowed down.

Dingus | 7/15/2007, 2:17 am EST

The chorus for Bowling for Soup’s song from a couple years ago “1985″ is nearly identical to that of Beach Boy’s “Kokomo”

The Almighty | 7/15/2007, 2:39 am EST

Apparently people are tone-deaf and don’t recognize the difference between Smells Like Teen Spirit and More Than A Feeling. Boston’s is 1 4 6 5, Nirvana used chords 1 4 m3 m6 . They are not ripped off. A video of Nirvana playing both songs means absolutely nothing. Eventhe rhythms are completely different.

the zero | 7/15/2007, 3:48 am EST

this wasn’t supposed to be about rip offs… it was supposed to be about songs that sounds very similar to songs that came before them… and songs that intentionally sample other songs should not count…

Dinosa.ur | 7/15/2007, 4:30 am EST

“King Kong Reggae” by Todd Rundgren and “Flakes” by Frank Zappa

“Long As You Know You’re Living Yours” by Keith Jarrett and “Guacho” by Steely Dan

“The Pusher” by Stepponwolf and “Planet Telex” by Radiohead

The Almighty speaks the truth

Beep | 7/15/2007, 5:03 am EST

well, the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight” and blink-182’s “What’s My Age Again”
Very little but enough I think.

jon | 7/15/2007, 6:30 am EST

come on fellas…

U2 Beautiful Day clearly rips off Aha’s Sun always shines on TV vocal riff in the ‘Touch me’ section.
The dirty irishmen also have a go on Vertigo with a clear riff nick.
Filthy but clever… love it.

ya mother | 7/15/2007, 6:43 am EST

AFI-”Miss Murder ”
and the beginning of The Smashing Pumpkins “turantula”

Mr. Tim | 7/15/2007, 8:21 am EST

The Doors — “Hello, I love you”
The Kinks — “All Day and All of the Night”

lol | 7/15/2007, 8:51 am EST

the all-american rejects’s i`m waiting and lostprophet’s can`t stop, gotta date with hate.

Limemonkeyx3 | 7/15/2007, 9:09 am EST

XTC’s “King for a Day” rips off the Tears for Fears song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”

Jeremy | 7/15/2007, 9:35 am EST

The verses to “Material Girl” can be sung to the verses of Nirvana’s “Serve The Servants”

I have a hard time remembering song titles by bands I don’t like, but there’s a song on the “American Idiot” album (it’s broken into two or three parts) that alternately sounds – almost note for note – like Motley Crue’s “On With The Show” (from their first album) and “I Walk The Line”

Hang a Strokes album on a wall, throw a dart at it, and you will find a soundalike. On the new album, there’s a song that rips off the chorus of Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” (I swear to God). I’ve also heard riffs on songs that they copped from the Buzzcocks, Tom Petty (listen to “American Girl” then play “Last Night”) and countless others.

Save The Bales | 7/15/2007, 10:21 am EST

Blues Traveler’s “Hook”
Pachabel’s “Cannon”

Save The Bales | 7/15/2007, 10:21 am EST

Blues Traveler’s “Hook”
Pachabel’s “Canon”

Jgor103 | 7/15/2007, 10:23 am EST

Oasis – Wonderwall vs. Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams (no, really… identical)

Dave Matthews Band version of All Along the Watchtower vs. Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven.

Phish – Farmhouse vs. Bob Marley – No Woman No Cry.

Hootie and the Blowfish – I’ll Be There Waiting vs. John Mellencamp – Hurts So Good.

I could come up with these in my sleep…

puntmuts | 7/15/2007, 10:28 am EST

the chords from

QOTSA – 3’s and 7’s
and
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit

jIM | 7/15/2007, 10:29 am EST

Pearl Jam – Unemployable and Shania Twain- Man,I feel Like A woman

JGor103 | 7/15/2007, 10:34 am EST

Also…

“Get By” by Talib Kweli vs. “Used 2 Love U” by John Legend *(both Kanye West productions)

With respect to “Canon in D” getting ripped off by Hook, here’s some more (albeit in different keys) that follow that same path:

Dispatch – The General
Oasis – Dont Look Back in Anger
Green Day – Basket Case

Canon in D is the most “borrowed from” song of all time. Nearly every artist prays to write a song that catchy…

Anonymous | 7/15/2007, 10:35 am EST

woah whoever said marilyn mansons speed of pain and david bowies space oddesy was freaky accurate. The guitar sounds exactly the same.

And obviously ice ice baby.

silvasurfer | 7/15/2007, 10:37 am EST

pearl jam better man
english beat sooner or later

Junius Maltby | 7/15/2007, 10:39 am EST

Travis “Writing to Reach You” – Oasis “Wonderwall” (intentional, as the lyrics suggest ["What's a Wonderwall anyway?"])

Oasis “D’Ya Know What I Mean” – “Wonderall”

John Mayer “Waitin’ on the World to Change” – Sarah MacLachlan “World on Fire”

Blues Traveler “Hook” – Pachelbel “Canon in D”

what's that smell? | 7/15/2007, 10:55 am EST

this is one i’m suprised no one’s mentioned yet…
the vines’ “get free” is a pretty obvious rip-off of nirvana’s “Negative Creep.” Then again The Vines’ first album pretty much sounds like a Nirvana tribute act.
Also “She” by Kiss and The Doors’ “Five to One.” The guitar solos on both are pretty damn similar.

Gabe | 7/15/2007, 11:14 am EST

As long as everybody’s listing Canon In D knockoffs, Welcome To The Black Parade uses the progression too.

Bill | 7/15/2007, 11:35 am EST

90s hits “Good” by Better than Ezra and “Closing Time” by Semisonic are the same exact trash.

Awful hit song by Jet “Look What You’ve Done”(is that what its called?) uses the same chords and melody as Radiohead’s classic, “Black Star.”

Deeper into the vault, Weezer’s “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here,” is the same song as their idols, The Pixies’ “Gigantic.”

All Nickelback songs have the same chord progression as me taking a shit.

pixies | 7/15/2007, 11:58 am EST

smells like teen spirit and the pixies umass, damn near the same riff at a slightly accelerated speed

JGor103 | 7/15/2007, 12:03 pm EST

The Cars – My Best Friend’s Girlfriend vs. The Proclaimers – 500 Miles

Pearl Jam – Given to Fly vs. Led Zeppelin – Going to California

Nelly – Hot In Herre vs. Nelly Furtado – Permiscuous

Queen – Another One Bites the Dust vs. Sugar Hill Gang – Rappers Delight

Sublime – What I Got vs. The Beatles – Lady Madonna

John Cochrane – Life is a Highway vs. Tom Petty – Free Fallin

Another one that isn’t really a soundalike, but sound pretty sweet mashed up is Jay-Z’s 99 Problems and Aerosmith’s Walk This Way.

More Canon in D… (i’m telling you this progression is ALL OVER pop music)

Jack Johnson – Flake
Live – All Over You
John Mayer – My Stupid Mouth
Goldfinger – Superman

Anonymous | 7/15/2007, 12:12 pm EST

Avril Lavigne’s “Skater Boi” sounds like “Nails On A Chalk Board”

Wwwhoa | 7/15/2007, 12:24 pm EST

Are You Gonna Be My Girl and Ballroom Blitz – same rhythm and style

Feeling Alright and You Can’t Always Get What You Want have the same piano chords

R O C K in the USA, The Dark Side, Cherry Cherry – same chords and rhythm

For Your Love and I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone – same chords

Sooner or Later, This Old Heart of Mine, Georgia, and Love Train all have similar rhythm and the same chord progression C-Em-F-G

Corey T | 7/15/2007, 12:45 pm EST

You can’t say Canon vs. anything because that’s just a popular chord progression. There are a handful of chord progs that are used in many mainstream songs, and you can’t say they all rip off eachother.

On another note, I’d like to say “Move Away” by The Killers vs. “Fascination St.” by the Cure.

Happyboy | 7/15/2007, 1:02 pm EST

Heaven – Los Lonely Boys
and
Blue Sky – Alman Bros

happyboy | 7/15/2007, 1:09 pm EST

Blue Sky Allmans
Heaven Los Loneley

JD | 7/15/2007, 1:16 pm EST

Bang the Drum All Day, Todd Rundgren vs Living After Midnight, Judas Priest

Let It Be Me- Everly Brothers, another song probably based on Canon. In turn, Walk Away Renee- Left Bank sounds like Let it Be Me.

Daniel | 7/15/2007, 1:21 pm EST

Oh, another one I’m sure has been mentioned – the “But not like I love my guitar” line from Prince’s new one seems to be copied note-for-note from “Back In The U.S.S.R”!

pmasdot | 7/15/2007, 1:34 pm EST

Fleetwood Mac, “Oh Well”
AC/DC, “Beating around the Bush”

its almost the exact same riff!

david. | 7/15/2007, 1:41 pm EST

everything from “Lazy Eye” by THe Silversun Pickups Sounds ALOT like “1979″ by the smashing pumpkins, but I really like both songs. very good Weekend Rock list, By the way.

david | 7/15/2007, 1:44 pm EST

“Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears with….. “Hit Me Baby One More Time”!!! (and not in the way that early Beatles sounds alike, but “Oops” is clearly a reworking of “Hit Me”. NIchleBack dos the same thing.Also, I for one think that the Riff in The Green Day song “Holiday” is almast the same as the riff in Iggy Pop`s song, “The Passenger” But the iggy pop version is accustic. The green day song is better, though so im not complaining.

birddogger | 7/15/2007, 1:58 pm EST

Britney’s “Oops! I Did It Again” may be cut from the same cloth as “Baby…One More Time”, but the tune itself is a carbon copy of Barbara Streisand’s “Woman In Love”.

Yourmomgoestocollege | 7/15/2007, 2:00 pm EST

Papa Roach – Last Resort Vs. Green Day – Brain Stew

Jordan | 7/15/2007, 2:05 pm EST

QUESTION!: do Jet and Mat Kearny legally sample songs? because they have both have some songs that sound very similar to other songs… (I’m not being sarcastic by the way… does anyone know?)

Jet:
Are You Gonna Be My Girl VS. Iggy Pop’s Lust For Life…
Look What You’ve Done VS. John Lennon’s Imagine…
Roll Over DJ VS. Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s Takin’ Care of Business… several other of their songs also…

Mat Kearny:
Nothing Left To Lose VS. Radiohead’s High and Dry…
Undeniable VS. Incubus’ Drive… (maybe others too, I’ve only heard those two songs though…)

G | 7/15/2007, 2:10 pm EST

JT – Sexyback
Nelly Furtado – Maneater

X.P. | 7/15/2007, 2:24 pm EST

Phish’s Bug = Neil Young’s Down by the River

piple | 7/15/2007, 2:31 pm EST

phish “farmhouse”= no woman no cry bridge or chorus outro or whatever, same words, same chords, same everything, trey you fucking suck. and so does todd haynes now. except for the david cross thing

BUSTOS | 7/15/2007, 2:49 pm EST

john cougar melloncamp’s
ROCKIN IN THE U.S.A.
and neil diamonds…CHERRY,CHERRY

Anonymous | 7/15/2007, 3:05 pm EST

Pachelbel’s Canon is very apparent in Coolio’s “C U When U Get There” and Vitamin C’s “Graduation”

David | 7/15/2007, 3:10 pm EST

Rush- spirit of the radio/ Wolfmother-Joker and the theif

Hey Joe | 7/15/2007, 3:16 pm EST

Any Nickleback song
sounds exactly like
any other Nickleback song.

David | 7/15/2007, 3:16 pm EST

Rush-Spirit of the radio and Wolfmother Spirit of the radio
just listen to how they start and how they progres its identical

chofer33 | 7/15/2007, 3:18 pm EST

UMM THE MOST SHAMEFUL OF ALL: WEEZER’S “BEVERLY HILLS” IS A REWORKING OF BOTH “I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL” AND “THE JOKER”. ROBBERS!!!

branko | 7/15/2007, 3:46 pm EST

I thought I was the only one who noticed but the Todd’s pick of the Beatle’s Obla di and Offspring’s, Get a Job is the worst rip off of all time!!!

Renfield | 7/15/2007, 4:03 pm EST

I WISH I was making this up…

That crappy band Blue October has a song called “Into The Ocean”… The chorus IS (I shit you not) the “Siskel & Ebert” theme note for note.

What is the world coming to when you’re ripping off music from a movie review show.

Flea | 7/15/2007, 4:10 pm EST

I cannot believe Tom Petty would steal from us like this. I mean now I for sure am not buying that Traveling Wilburys’ two cd set. What a jerk!

Dj blurry | 7/15/2007, 4:23 pm EST

the new bob seager song is a rip off of ” i beilve I can fly ” , but its ok because I Think r kelly never paid Bob for humming ” Firelake” during that sex video

Joey Ramone's Vengeance | 7/15/2007, 4:26 pm EST

every nickelback song- stolen from alice in chains and soundgarden.

Joey Ramone's Vengeance | 7/15/2007, 4:26 pm EST

every nickelback song- stolen from alice in chains and soundgarden.

dj blurry | 7/15/2007, 4:30 pm EST

wilco’s ” outasite ” is barry white your my first my last my eveything”

dj blurry | 7/15/2007, 4:36 pm EST

sissor sisters just went to town on becks midnight vultures album, “take your mama “, is ” debrah ” and then to use the ” im a full grown man” just makes it worse , rip off one song and then refernce another

Will | 7/15/2007, 4:57 pm EST

Tom Petty’s “American Girl”
The Strokes’ “Last Night”

woooooo | 7/15/2007, 5:46 pm EST

there are some clearly tonedeaf people here…

John | 7/15/2007, 6:01 pm EST

Hey, does that new Ozzy Osbourne song sound like another song to anyone? I can’t figure out what it is.

Lumpy | 7/15/2007, 6:18 pm EST

Okay dudes, it’s now time to end this competition, cuz the BEST sound-a-like songs ( or vibe-a-like songs ) are right here:

Jefferson Starship: “Sarah” (what trash!)

Mr. Mister: “Broken Wings” (uuhhh… pass.)

Stone Temple Pilots: “Creep”

Weiland’s voice is always a beaute, no matter how grueling the song.

Except on the new Libertad record, where you can’t hear him. :(

Buckey | 7/15/2007, 6:19 pm EST

The chord progression of the verses in Aldo Nova’s “Fanasy,” and the verses of Jefferson Starship’s “Jane.”

Lumpy... | 7/15/2007, 6:20 pm EST

Okay dudes, it’s now time to end this competition, cuz the BEST sound-a-like songs ( or vibe-a-like songs ) are right here:

Jefferson Starship: “Sarah” (what trash!)

Mr. Mister: “Broken Wings” (uuhhh… pass.)

Stone Temple Pilots: “Creep”

Weiland’s voice is always a beaute, no matter how grueling the song.

Except on the new Libertad record, where you can’t hear him. :(

F | 7/15/2007, 6:40 pm EST

Scissor Sisters’ Return To Oz, is definitley a wink at Elton John’s Yellowbrick Road (he was their producer at the time).

rexwest | 7/15/2007, 6:42 pm EST

Weezer “Hash Pipe and Lita Ford “Kiss Me Deadly”

Beatles “Lady Madonna” and Sublime “What I Got”

Jim | 7/15/2007, 6:52 pm EST

Of recent have you heard the start of
Goodnight by Maroon 5, everyone knows what that is. For better or worse

F | 7/15/2007, 7:03 pm EST

The White Stripes’ “You Don’t Know What Love Is, You Just Do As You’re Told” is a blatant rip off of the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody”

Walter Sobchak | 7/15/2007, 7:35 pm EST

Timbaland “The Way I Are”
Salt-N-Pepa “Push It”

well... | 7/15/2007, 7:36 pm EST

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” sounds like “Peace of Mind” only in the beginning, and that’s because the riff for “Peace of Mind” inspired Kurt for “Teen Spirit.”
yehh…

Markus | 7/15/2007, 7:53 pm EST

I’m surprised only one other person (perfect boy) has mentioned this one, but the Sex Pistols’ “Holidays In the Sun” and the Jam’s “In the City” are so similar that you could karaoke the melody of one song to the music of the other. Did anybody ever get sued over that?

Also, about 2/3 of the singles released by the Cult were so similar that they could have sued themselves about a dozen times.

Finally, I agree with dj blurry. Some of the songs mentioned here are sound-alikes but not ripoffs.

Oh yeah, and one more time, SAMPLES DON’T COUNT, so quit mentioning Vanilla Ice, Puff Daddy and Fergie.

chucho | 7/15/2007, 7:56 pm EST

mr tamburine man and hey carrie ann

Markus | 7/15/2007, 8:01 pm EST

I’m surprised only one other person mentioned this, but the Sex Pistols’ “Holidays In the Sun” is the same song as the Jam’s “In the City.” You can even karaoke the melody of one to the tune of the other.

Also, about 2/3 of the singles released by the Cult are so similar that they could sue themselves.

Finally, sampling shouldn’t count (Fergie’s “Fergalicious,” Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,” or anything by Puff Daddy should be left out of the discussion).

Jon | 7/15/2007, 8:20 pm EST

This whole thing sounds like one big fishing expedition….pop/rock, by its very nature in both its simplicity and the limitations of the musicality of its performers, is going to lead to retread after retread after retread of rhythms and chord progressions, etc. Who cares….

George | 7/15/2007, 8:46 pm EST

John Fogerty The Old Man Down The Road

CCR Run Through The Jungle

no talent bastard ripped off a great songwriter… “That guy from CCR”

Jason | 7/15/2007, 8:54 pm EST

Clever George, clever…

classicrockfiend | 7/15/2007, 8:55 pm EST

Megadeths hanger 18 and call of ktulu by metallica, intro is the same chord progression, just played differently.

classicrockfiend | 7/15/2007, 8:56 pm EST

Megadeths hanger 18 and call of ktulu by metallica, intro is the same chord progression, just played differently.

SATAN | 7/15/2007, 9:00 pm EST

I love how so many idiot’s claim so many different inspirations for teen spirit, God! It’s four chords, yet they have 70 influences for it, get real people.

honkster7 | 7/15/2007, 9:10 pm EST

always thought the guitar in blink 182s all the small things sounds very similar to the sex pistols god save the queen , to the point that during the song i often start singing the pistols tune .

fundo | 7/15/2007, 9:12 pm EST

american girl – tom petty

last nite – the strokes

but i think petty was fine with it…

darren | 7/15/2007, 9:34 pm EST

“Hungry Heart” by Bruce Springsteen and “If you Leave” by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark.

Also, “I will buy you a new life” “everything to everyone” “my daddy gave me a name” and EVERY OTHER hit song by Everclear are all nearly the same. Everclear found one groove, one basic chord progression, and 3 themes to write all of their songs around: ‘i hate my dad’ ‘you’re a poser’ and ‘baby, it’s you and me against the world.’ That worked out pretty well for them.

Drew | 7/15/2007, 9:35 pm EST

sick sick sick by queens of the stone age and all my life by the foo fighters

RockportDad | 7/15/2007, 9:37 pm EST

There’s a really cool site with a long list of soundalikes plus a lot of other interesting music trivia: http://www.songsthatsoundlikeo thersongs.com/HomeAbout.html

Kevin | 7/15/2007, 9:49 pm EST

Beck’s Loser and Butthole Surfer’s Pepper.

katie | 7/15/2007, 9:59 pm EST

‘Hang on Loosely’
and
‘Just What I Needed’

darren | 7/15/2007, 10:04 pm EST

there’s the obvious– “la bamba” — “come a little bit closer”

I’ve always thought “look what you’ve done” by Jet was ALot like “sexy sadie” by THe Beatles.

Also, ELO completely ripped Wings’ “C-Moon” with “Jungle”

Ben Folds and Ben Kweller tend to re-write their old songs a la john fogerty and . . .

Randy Newman’s soundtrack numbers, i.e. “you’ve got a friend in me” and “I love to see you smile” are too much the same.

Van morrison recorded a cool “domino” re-do called “wave length”

Finally, somebody should crib something from “through the long night” by Billy Joel, because that’s a great song and nobody knows it.

davy d | 7/15/2007, 10:16 pm EST

the black keys-when the lights go out
yeah yeah yeahs-gold lion

Zac | 7/15/2007, 10:18 pm EST

All Chuck Berry songs have the same opening riff…
School Days, Johnny B Godde, Rock And Roll Music, Sweet Little Rock and Roller.

darren | 7/15/2007, 10:18 pm EST

OH, and Maroon 5’s “harder to breathe” sounds like Billy joel’s “sometimes a fantasy” at points…

“missing you” by John Waite reminds me of “Every breath you take” by the Police

“lady in red” by Chris De Burgh is way too much like “Wonderful tonight” by Eric Clapton

albert | 7/15/2007, 10:23 pm EST

LADY MADONNA and WHAT I GOT

nativeson | 7/15/2007, 10:48 pm EST

sweet little sixteen and surfin’ usa

John | 7/15/2007, 10:56 pm EST

Ryan Adams’ song Nobody Girl uses the same drum beat from The Weight by The Band.

darren | 7/15/2007, 11:13 pm EST

wait, one more. . .

I just remembered that Better than Ezra owes some MONEY to Nikki Costa for “juicy” and “everybody’s got their something.” That’s the worst one, ever. I think “and hope” that it was an accident.

Charlie | 7/15/2007, 11:29 pm EST

Smells Like Teen Spirit and More Than a Feeling both have four words in the title, but other than that I’m not hearing any similarity.

What I Got by Sublime is a ripoff of Lady Madonna by the Beatles, though.

Kyle K | 7/15/2007, 11:34 pm EST

The strokes – Juicebox

has the same exact intro as

Hollywood Babylon – The misfits

rollo tomasi | 7/15/2007, 11:38 pm EST

incubus album a crow left of the murder has a few songs that sound like pearl jam songs, like the song made for tv movie begins jut like pearl jams all those yesterdays. Also the song zee devel sounds a lot like pearl jams rival. smashing pumkins ”disarm” sounds just like My bloody valentines ‘’sometimes” actually i think almost everything the pumpkins did sounds exactly like MBV.

J J | 7/16/2007, 12:04 am EST

The White Stripes “You Dont Know What Love Is” and Van Morisson’s “It Stoned Me”

MitchellC. | 7/16/2007, 12:51 am EST

The intro’s for “R-Evlove” by 30 Seconds to Mars and “Adam’s Song” by Blink 182 are pretty similar.

meierjr | 7/16/2007, 12:55 am EST

George Michael’s “Freedom” is identical to the Stones “Sympathy for the Devil”. Hell! you can sing the whole Stones song to the ryhtm track of “Freedom”!

MitchellC | 7/16/2007, 12:55 am EST

The intro’s for “R-Evolve” by 30 Seconds to Mars and “Adam’s Song” by Blink 182 are pretty similar.

dersh | 7/16/2007, 1:17 am EST

Led Zeppelins Over the Hills and Far Away

and

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Wet Sand

The Grubby One | 7/16/2007, 1:48 am EST

Has anyone mentioned that Bow wow wows “I want candy” is identical to every bo diddley song ever written?

Mr.Tim | 7/16/2007, 2:38 am EST

The Doors — “Hello, I Love You”
Kinks — “All Day, and All of the Night”

avirow | 7/16/2007, 2:39 am EST

Someone named REXWEST said:

“Weezer ‘Hash Pipe’ and Lita Ford ‘Kiss Me Deadly.’”

Nope, not quite.

The riff from Hash Pipe is exactly the same as the one from a song called “Shot Himself Up” by a Boston band called The Shods. When he was at Harvard in the 90s, Rivers Cuomo was friends with people in The Shods, according to people in The Shods.

So, Hash Pipe ~ Shot Himself Up

Tabatha | 7/16/2007, 3:23 am EST

The riff that Jet uses on “Are you gonna be my girl” is EERILY similar to the White Stripes’ “Screwdriver” and screwdriver was released a couple years earlier.

AND
The White Stripes “Little Bird” sounds like Led Zeppelin’s song…shoot i forgot what its called but its about dying…anyone know what its called? i know dying is in the title…anyway its understandable anyway cuz the stripes and zeppelin are a bit similar.

Markus | 7/16/2007, 4:04 am EST

Here’s an obscure one: Duran Duran had a minor hit (#72)in 1989 with a song called “Do You Believe In Shame” that’s blatantly ripped-off from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Suzi Q.”

tomcolours | 7/16/2007, 4:27 am EST

‘Start!’ By the Jam is far to similar to ‘Taxman’ by the Beatles. I’ve never heard two songs sound as similar. Please check this one out!!

Topher | 7/16/2007, 4:33 am EST

Tons of people have mentioned Jesus of Suburbia, but the Cash and Bryan Adams parts of it. How about the part titled Dearly Beloved, it’s a blatant rip off of Sixty-Eight Guns by The Alarm.

~Zig~ | 7/16/2007, 4:36 am EST

I know a lot of people have mentioned Nirvana’s “Teen Spirit” and Boston’s “More Than A Feeling” have the same chords.Here’s another two-If you took the chords to “Wild Thing” by the Troggs,sped them up a little,you get “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen.
Also,if you take “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris,slowed it down,you get the theme to the Batman T.V. series with Adam West.

~Zig~ | 7/16/2007, 4:36 am EST

I know a lot of people have mentioned Nirvana’s “Teen Spirit” and Boston’s “More Than A Feeling” have the same chords.Here’s another two-If you took the chords to “Wild Thing” by the Troggs,sped them up a little,you get “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen.
Also,if you take “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris,slowed it down,you get the theme to the Batman T.V. series with Adam West.

~Zig~ | 7/16/2007, 4:43 am EST

I’ve read a lot of people compare Nirvana’s “Teen Spirit” to Boston’s “More Than A Feeling”
Here’s a couple of more…

If you took the chords to “Wild Thing” by the Troggs,sped them up a little,you get “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen and if you take “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris,slowed it down,you get the theme to the t.v. series “Batman”

~Zig~ | 7/16/2007, 4:43 am EST

I’ve read a lot of people compare Nirvana’s “Teen Spirit” to Boston’s “More Than A Feeling”
Here’s a couple of more…

If you took the chords to “Wild Thing” by the Troggs,sped them up a little,you get “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen and if you take “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris,slowed it down,you get the theme to the t.v. series “Batman”

~Zig~ | 7/16/2007, 4:43 am EST

I’ve read a lot of people compare Nirvana’s “Teen Spirit” to Boston’s “More Than A Feeling”
Here’s a couple of more…

If you took the chords to “Wild Thing” by the Troggs,sped them up a little,you get “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen and if you take “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris,slowed it down,you get the theme to the t.v. series “Batman”

Music Fan | 7/16/2007, 4:44 am EST

“You Won’t See Me” by The Beatles seems to have inspired a number of artists.

The melody of the oooh la la la in “You Won’t See Me” is also used in:

“You’re All I Need To Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell. The notes of the melody of the title are exactly the same.

“You Won’t See Me” also appears to have inspired the horn notes in Saturday in the Park (by Chicago). Pay attention to the horn notes at the end of the song. You can sing the oooh la la la’s from “You Won’t See Me”. They didn’t even change any notes or the tempo.

The beginning of “Missing You” by Diana Ross and “This Used To Be My Playground” by Madonna are extremely similar.

The beginning of “Daisy Jane” by America is extremely similar to the beginning of “Let’s Wait A While” by Janet Jackson.

“What I Got” by Sublime is an obvious rip-off of “Lady Madonna” by The Beatles.

“Rain” by Madonna has the first few lyrics lyrics to “Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles and they are sung using the sam notes, but in a higher octave.

“Look What You’ve Done” borrows lyrics and some notes from “Sexy Sadie” by The Beatles.

“Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis borrows the piano chords from “Imagine” by John Lennon for its intro.

“Woman” by John Lennon uses the same backing ooohs as “Here, There And Everywhere” by The Beatles.

“Paperback Writer” by The Beatles uses the French tune “Frère Jacques” for backing vocals.

“Crying” by Aerosmith is “Pachelbel’s Canon In D Major” played with rock instruments and with words. “Pachelbel’s Canon” probably inspied “Crying” because the song was used by Care Unit (a rehab center) in their commercials during the 1980’s, and “Crying” is ambiguously about a relationship that either is or is a lot like a drug addiction.

“Never Gonna Fall In Love Again” by Eric Carmen is a rework of Rachmaninoff’s “Symphony No. 2″.

“All by Myself” by Eric Carmen borrows heavily from “Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor”.

Simon B.G. | 7/16/2007, 4:56 am EST

The riff for Smashing Pumpkins’ “Mayonaise” and Sade’s “By Your Side”

Music fan | 7/16/2007, 5:01 am EST

La Bamba by Ritchie Valens and Twist and Shout (the way The Beatles played it) sound like the same song to me.

“It’s The Same Old Song” by The Four Tops is just a rework of “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch (I Can’t Help Myself)” by the same group.

“ABC” by The Jackson Five is just a better rework of “I Want You Back” by The Jackson Five.

“4th Time Around” by Bob Dylan is a slightly changed copy of “Norwegian Wood” by The Beatles.

“The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)” by Rod Stewart blatantly rips off “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Beatles, and John Lennon says as much in his 1980 Playboy interview (though he says the lyric is “Maggie Don’t Go”, when it’s actually “Georgie Don’t Go”). Lennon said Rod should have just sung, “Don’t Let Me Down” instead of “Maggie Don’t Go”.

Music fan | 7/16/2007, 5:11 am EST

“How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” by Michael Bolton rips off a bit of the melody of “I Honestly Love You” by Olivia Newton-John in its opening line.

~Zig~ | 7/16/2007, 5:26 am EST

I can’t believe nobody has mentioned The Chiifons “He’s So Fine” and “My Sweet Lord” by George Harriosn.How about “Love Is a Wonderful Thing” by Micheal Bolton and the same song by the Isley Brothers?

Bart, Amsterdam | 7/16/2007, 5:27 am EST

The latest Dave Matthews does resemble the sound of my 91 year old aunt slowly, slowly dying in her sleep… Uncanny…

Bart Remmers | 7/16/2007, 5:33 am EST

‘Little Green Bag’ (1970) bij George Baker Selection is the blueprint of The Corals 2002 UK-hit ‘Dreaming of You’.

myspace.com/goddamnidiot | 7/16/2007, 6:43 am EST

AC/DC’s song Rock N Roll Damnation borrows the main riff from Thin Lizzy’s Rosalie. It doesn’t matter. None of this matters.

dan | 7/16/2007, 6:52 am EST

the main riff in Motörhead’s No class is the same as ZZ Top’s TUSH!

dan | 7/16/2007, 6:54 am EST

Dio’s Hungry for heaven chorus was inspired by The Who’s Baba O’Riley

Lexii S | 7/16/2007, 7:17 am EST

Rockstar Supernova’s “leave the ligths on ” and Oasis’ “alcohol and cigarettes”…the intro riffs are exactly the same.

norm | 7/16/2007, 8:02 am EST

There’s a section of Jane’s Addiction “Three Days” that I always thought sounded like Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”. But I guess that can happen with a heavy riff and drum part.

gary | 7/16/2007, 8:52 am EST

The Chiffons “He’s So Fine” and George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord.” The Chiffons actually went to court over this and Harrison had to pay them for the ripoff!

poughboy | 7/16/2007, 8:57 am EST

I am always floored by how many knock-off’s of ZZ Top’s LA GRANGE I hear. One of the most perfect riffs ever. YOu can hear in in:

Chris Isaak – Baby Did Bad Bad thing.

Tom Petty’s first single off his last album (can’t remember it).

Kid Rock – Son of Detroit

And a TON more. And all are great. You almost can’t write a bad song with that riff.

Anyone know if it existed before ZZ Top?

francisco | 7/16/2007, 8:58 am EST

the beginning of comforting lie by no doubt really sounds like the beginning of oasis’s importance of being idle

Reply to Poughboy | 7/16/2007, 9:12 am EST

It’s a simple blues riff, so most likely it was used before them in some variation.

Ethan Cowboy | 7/16/2007, 9:13 am EST

ugh… Spoon’s “Don’t Make Me a Target” sounds NOTHING LIKE Wilco’s “Walken.” Pull your head out of your ass.

Rosie | 7/16/2007, 9:16 am EST

John Mayer’s Victoria and Radiohead’s Karma Police sound very similar, particularly in the intro.

David | 7/16/2007, 9:54 am EST

The verse section of No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” is a dead on rip off of “Dream On” by Aerosmith, with the key changed.

“Beverly Hills” by Weezer is a complete rip off of “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Poison (and nevertheless, is an improvement on the original).

The intro to “Last Night” by the Strokes is an aweful lot like the intro to “American Girl” by Tom Petty.

“Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston is basically a remake of “Stand by Me”, but that could be a sample.

David | 7/16/2007, 9:57 am EST

“Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis is a completely SHAMELESS ripoff of “Imagine” by John Lennon.

matt | 7/16/2007, 9:59 am EST

Not sure if someone’s already mentioned this because there’s a crapload of comments that I don’t feel like reading through, but:

Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll” and Weezer’s “Beverly Hills”

Glasson | 7/16/2007, 10:15 am EST

Green Day Bouelevard of Broken Dreams stole from Wonderwall by Oasis

Jeremy | 7/16/2007, 10:37 am EST

No Speak No Slave and Cypress Tree by The Black Crowes

who cares | 7/16/2007, 10:38 am EST

the chorus of “feelin’ good inc.” and “staring at the sun” are extremely similar

i think damon albarn and the other gorillaz definetely listened to u2’s pop a few times…

W | 7/16/2007, 10:42 am EST

Jet totally jacked the riff from the White STripes “Screwdriver” for “Are you gonna be my girl?”

Bangers-N-Mash | 7/16/2007, 11:09 am EST

To David who posted below…

C-F on a piano… a I to IV… does not make two songs entirely similar.. check the chord progressions of both songs, I don’t see any IV to iv (In Look Back in Anger’s bridge)in “Imagine”…

and BTW, “Pour Some Sugar on Me” was not Poison, but Def Leppard off of Hysteria… unless Poision covered it on that icky new covers album they did

Joe | 7/16/2007, 11:10 am EST

“Mayonaise” by Pumpkins was Creed before Creed was. Especially “My Sacrifice”. And on the John Mayer/Curtis Mayfield similarities, throw in U2’s “Stuck in a Moment”.

Rich | 7/16/2007, 11:12 am EST

Everclear’s “Everything to Everyone” and Spacehog’s “In the Meantime”

SteveS | 7/16/2007, 11:25 am EST

She Hates Me by Pubble of Mudd sounds like Nirvana’s Lithium.

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) by The Hollies sounds like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Green River.

My Own Worst Enemy by Lit sounds like Everclear’s Santa Monica.

SteveS | 7/16/2007, 11:25 am EST

She Hates Me by Pubble of Mudd sounds like Nirvana’s Lithium.

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) by The Hollies sounds like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Green River.

My Own Worst Enemy by Lit sounds like Everclear’s Santa Monica.

SteveS | 7/16/2007, 11:28 am EST

She Hates Me by Puddle of Mudd sounds like Nirvana’s Lithium.

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) by The Hollies sounds like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Green River.

My Own Worst Enemy by Lit sounds like Everclear’s Santa Monica.

L3DZ3PP3L1N | 7/16/2007, 11:34 am EST

I think the song “David Watts” by the Kinks sounds like “Lets Spend the Night Together” by the Rolling Stones. Although when The Jam covered David Watts it sounded even more like Lets Spend the Nigh Together.

I also think the guitar riff in Saxon’s “Wheels of Steel” sounds like “Rock n Roll Damnation” by AC/DC

That doesn’t take anything away I love all of the songs i mentioned

kdense | 7/16/2007, 11:36 am EST

I am always floored by how many knock-off’s of ZZ Top’s LA GRANGE I hear. One of the most perfect riffs ever. YOu can hear in in:

Chris Isaak – Baby Did Bad Bad thing.

Tom Petty’s first single off his last album (can’t remember it).

Kid Rock – Son of Detroit

And a TON more. And all are great. You almost can’t write a bad song with that riff.

Anyone know if it existed before ZZ Top?

-Uh, yeah. It’s called “Boogie Chitlin’” by John Lee Hooker. He even sued ZZ Top over the similarities.

George Harrision’s “My Sweet Lord” and The Ronettes “Be My Baby” likewise sparked a lawsuit, not to mention the ever-classic “Under Pressure”/”Ice Ice Baby” debate.

Otherwise, “Song 2″ by Blur and “I Hate To Say I Told You So” by The Hives features the exact same riff simply in a different key.

Likewise, Busta Rhymes’ “Light Your Ass on Fire” (featuring Pharrell, and found on The Neptunes’ CLONES album, I.E. produced by The Neptunes), features the exact same rhythm, (save in a different key)as Busta Rhymes’”What It Is” featuring Kelis on The Violator soundtrack, and also produced by The Neptunes.

Malachi | 7/16/2007, 11:38 am EST

Oh, like “twinkle, twinkle little star” and the “A B C’s”? Did Astronomy sue the Alphabet over that?

Levi | 7/16/2007, 11:39 am EST

I’m so happy that someone else picked up on the John Mayer “Waiting for the world to change” and U2’s “Stuck in a Moment”

Levi | 7/16/2007, 11:39 am EST

I’m so happy that someone else picked up on the John Mayer “Waiting for the world to change” and U2’s “Stuck in a Moment”

Levi | 7/16/2007, 11:40 am EST

I’m so happy that someone else picked up on the John Mayer “Waiting for the world to change” and U2’s “Stuck in a Moment”

Tony | 7/16/2007, 11:45 am EST

Gwen’s, “Holla Back Girl” totally rips Prince’s “Housequake.” If you listen to the beats they are almost identical.

Mike123 | 7/16/2007, 11:46 am EST

R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)” and Akon’s “Don’t Matter”

That Guy | 7/16/2007, 11:49 am EST

All time most obvious rip – off

Paris Hilton “Stars are Blind” is a note for note rip off of UB40 “Kingston Town”. Ub40 needs to sue her ass.

That Guy | 7/16/2007, 11:50 am EST

All time most obvious rip – off

Paris Hilton “Stars are Blind” is a note for note rip off of UB40 “Kingston Town”. Ub40 needs to sue her ass.

sizzling | 7/16/2007, 11:51 am EST

Totally need to add pixies’ “u-mass” to smells like teen spirit/more than a feeling. It’s a pretty likely that Kurt would imitate the Pixies anyway, even if subconsciously.

That Guy | 7/16/2007, 11:53 am EST

A note for note rip-off. (seriously play them at the same time)

Paris Hilton “Stars are Blind” and Ub40 “Kingston Town”

Ub40 should sue her and give me 20% for listening to her crap.

theif | 7/16/2007, 12:08 pm EST

the vines get free sounds like nirvana negative creep

perfectomix | 7/16/2007, 12:09 pm EST

One more I forgot about:

Take the main riff from

Vehicle, by Ides Of March

speed it up, and you get

Para Los Rumberos, by Santana

theif | 7/16/2007, 12:11 pm EST

teen spirit was written before u-mass

Kin U No | 7/16/2007, 12:12 pm EST

SHAMELESS:
We Are the Sleepyheads by Belle & Sebastion
Just like
Love Rollercoaster by Ohio Players

SteveS | 7/16/2007, 12:14 pm EST

All I Wanna Do by Sheryl Crow sounds like Stealers Wheel’s Stuck in the Middle With You.

Paralyzer by Finger Eleven sounds like Franz Ferdinand’s Take Me Out.

Funny story… John Fogerty was once sued for sounding like himself… It was said that his solo hit The Old Man Down the Road sounded like his own Run Through the Jungle during his Creedence days. John Fogerty successfully defended himself against this frivolous lawsuit.

BobbyJ | 7/16/2007, 12:19 pm EST

damn, someone beat me to John Mayer / Curtis Mayfield (note for note rip off).

Gov’t Mule- Deep End
Neil Young- Ohio

SteveS | 7/16/2007, 12:23 pm EST

It was once said that Nirvana was influenced by The Smithereens early in their career. If you take a listen to the rhythm and bass riff in About a Girl, it doesn’t sound much different than The Smithereens Blood and Roses. Both great songs.

BobbyJ | 7/16/2007, 12:26 pm EST

Lou Reed- Sweet Jane
Cornershop- Brim Full of Asha

ashmoore | 7/16/2007, 12:27 pm EST

Arcade Fires “Keep the Car Running” and J. Geil’s “On The Darkside” aaaannddd Spoon’s “Rhythm & Soul” and CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” (just slowed down).

Eudora Fingers | 7/16/2007, 12:29 pm EST

How about the opening chords to Free’s “Alright Now” and “Keep On Rockin’ Me” by Bad Company or BTO (not sure which).

The Great Anonymo | 7/16/2007, 12:33 pm EST

Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice” and Johnny Cash’s “Understand Your Man”

Keith | 7/16/2007, 12:37 pm EST

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Readymade” sounds fairly similar to Janes Addiction’s “Mountain Song”. I guess there has been some overlapping in the bands in terms of some of the same members, over the years…

NL | 7/16/2007, 12:54 pm EST

Black Moon’s “Stay Real” and Jay Z’s “Public Service Announcement” both have pretty much the exact same beat. Both came out in the same year, but Black Moon dropped first.

Ouroboros | 7/16/2007, 1:00 pm EST

I couldn’t care less about Avril Lavigne, but now that you’re at it, “Girlfriend” has the same beat as Toni Basil’s “Mickey”.

Anonymous | 7/16/2007, 1:09 pm EST

any song by ween sounds like another song, for example, “friends sounds like darudes “sandstorm”, “bananas and blow” sounds like jimmy buffets margarittaville”, and “if you could save the world(you’d save us all sounds like a missing song off of pink floyds the wall.

Anonymous | 7/16/2007, 1:09 pm EST

any song by ween sounds like another song, for example, “friends sounds like darudes “sandstorm”, “bananas and blow” sounds like jimmy buffets margarittaville”, and “if you could save the world(you’d save us all sounds like a missing song off of pink floyds the wall.

I hate protagonists! | 7/16/2007, 1:13 pm EST

The Clash “Lost In a Supermarket” was cloned by the Foo Fighters’s “Generator”

Blasphamy | 7/16/2007, 1:14 pm EST

The Clash Lost in a Supermarket & the Foo Fighter’s Generator

Daniel | 7/16/2007, 1:14 pm EST

Travis’ new single “Selfish Jean” is a complete and unashamed rip-off of everything The Shins have ever written.

Matt Bo. | 7/16/2007, 1:50 pm EST

Hoobastank’s “The Reason” is a total Rip off of Super Furry Animal’s “edam anchorman”

jill hives | 7/16/2007, 2:00 pm EST

the main melody to ’sewing the seeds of love’ reminds me strongly of ‘i am the walrus.’

‘lyla’ by oasis is redolent of ’street fighting man’ by the stones.

what’s really cool is that all four songs stand strongly on their own.

birddogger | 7/16/2007, 2:00 pm EST

The Eagles’ disappointing 1994 comeback single “Get Over It” was essentially a re-write of drummer/lead singer Don Henley’s solo tune “She’s On The Zoom” from the “VisionQuest” soundtrack ten years earlier. And the original is much better, in my opinion.

snwriter | 7/16/2007, 2:03 pm EST

Morrissey’s “Certain People I Know” is T. Rex’s “Ride a White Swan” with different words

snwriter | 7/16/2007, 2:06 pm EST

Morrissey’s “Certain People I Know” is T. Rex’s “Ride a White Swan” with different lyrics

CaptainHowdy | 7/16/2007, 2:22 pm EST

the chord progresion in oasis’s taurus sound exactly like stairway to heaven by led zepp

CaptainHowdy | 7/16/2007, 2:26 pm EST

what about the riff from frankenstein by edgar winters and the riff from cheap sunglasses by zz top.

SteveS | 7/16/2007, 2:27 pm EST

Not an Addict by K’s Choice sounds very much like The Cranberries Zombie.

Also, in the song Volcano Girls by Veruca Salt, the bridge is a direct take-off of The Beatles Glass Onion. In Glass Onion, The Walrus was Paul, in Volcano Girl, The Seether’s Louise. Pretty clever.

Tall J | 7/16/2007, 2:39 pm EST

If you slow down Eighties by Killing Joke you get Come As You Are by Nirvana.

God | 7/16/2007, 2:41 pm EST

“If you really want nirvana on your list, you should have put them vs. the killing joke for ripping off “Come As You Are”.”

Killing Joke’s song came out 10 years before Nirvana’s you idiot.

Anonymous | 7/16/2007, 2:49 pm EST

Although three amazing songs by three bands that I cant live without, The Stone’s “Dead Flowers” turned into GNR “Used to Love Her” and Social Distortion’s “Ball and Chain” around the same time. But like I said, I love all these bands.

Bobby | 7/16/2007, 2:53 pm EST

The intro to “When I Look Into Your Eyes” by Firehouse sounds almost exactly like the intro to “Faithfully” by Journey.

Also part of the chorus in “there and back again” by Daughtry sounds kind of like the chorus to “Only” by Anthrax.

jackboy967 | 7/16/2007, 3:10 pm EST

All of Lenny Kravitz’s watered down songs sound like his other watered down songs.

Eerie… huh??

Madonna | 7/16/2007, 3:20 pm EST

The beginning of the Dandy Warhols song Godless sounds like the guitar in George Harrisons My Sweet Lord.

McCain | 7/16/2007, 3:39 pm EST

Metallica: Hero of the Day
Fleetwood Mac: Hold Me

Odd

Ryan | 7/16/2007, 3:46 pm EST

Damn Regret by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is incredibly similar to Grand Theft Autumn by Fall Out Boy.

Also, a remix has been made because of the similarities between Oasis’ Wonderwall and Green Day’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

Todd | 7/16/2007, 4:02 pm EST

Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” is a note for note rip off of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”.

vs | 7/16/2007, 4:13 pm EST

kelly clarkson–since u been gone is a complete rip off of the yeah yeah yeahs maps

JSuzart | 7/16/2007, 4:21 pm EST

The riff in “Moonage daydream”, by David Bowie, was copied by the Eagles in “Hotel california”….well is very similar

Some friend says that “Creep”, by Radiohead, was based in the Hollies’ “The Air that I breath”. I don’t think so..but you can compare.

JSuzart | 7/16/2007, 4:24 pm EST

weezer “hash pipe” and lia ford “kiss me deadly” also beatles “lady madonna” and sublime “what I got”

Scenic Anemia | 7/16/2007, 4:25 pm EST

“kelly clarkson–since u been gone is a complete rip off of the yeah yeah yeahs maps”

No, there is a brief guitar part near the middle of the song that sounds like a brief guitar part in “Maps.” It is not a “complete rip off.”

Scenic Anemia | 7/16/2007, 4:25 pm EST

“kelly clarkson–since u been gone is a complete rip off of the yeah yeah yeahs maps”

No, there is a brief guitar part near the middle of the song that sounds like a brief guitar part in “Maps.” It is not a “complete rip off.”

susie | 7/16/2007, 4:41 pm EST

most red hot chilli pepper songs sound like any other red hot chilli pepper song. they should sue themselves for royalties.

sam | 7/16/2007, 4:53 pm EST

someone mentioned this is a fishing expedition because musicians are bound to reuse and use and reuse all of these riffs, and beats and etc. so this is sort of a fun waste of time. none the less, everytime i hear kelly clarkson’s since you’ve been gone i just think yeah yeah yeah(s).

Joseph Garcia | 7/16/2007, 4:59 pm EST

Pink Floyd’s Brain damage, off Dark side, is essentially “Dear Prudence”. ;however, they both rock

rocknroll high | 7/16/2007, 5:23 pm EST

La Bamba and Dylans Like a Rolling Stone

Steve Winwood | 7/16/2007, 5:57 pm EST

“How Come” by Ray LaMontagne sounds just like Traffic’s “Feelin Alright”…

Mr. Tim | 7/16/2007, 6:03 pm EST

“To be with You” — Mr. Big
“The Itsy Bitsy Spider”

Mr. Tim | 7/16/2007, 6:08 pm EST

Not really “sound alike”, but total ripoff:

“Taj mahal” — Jorge Ben
“Do ya think I’m Sexy” — Rod Stewart

Mr. Tim | 7/16/2007, 6:08 pm EST

Not really “sound alike”, but total ripoff:

“Taj mahal” — Jorge Ben
“Do ya think I’m Sexy” — Rod Stewart

Mr. Tim | 7/16/2007, 6:15 pm EST

A few people have mentioned “All Right Now” by Free.

But, wasn’t the opening lifted by Steve Miller for “Jet Airliner”?

Aust | 7/16/2007, 6:22 pm EST

OK Go – “No Sign of Life” &
Pixies – “Where is my Mind?”

birddogger | 7/16/2007, 6:37 pm EST

Ray Parker, Jr.’s forgotten 1983 hit “I Still Can’t Get Over Loving You” is a note-by-note re-write of the Police’s “Every Breath You Take”, released earlier that same year, and even has the balls to include the lyric “Every breath you take, I’ll be watching you, girl.”

Sting apparently didn’t bother to sue, but Huey Lewis wasn’t so forgiving the following year when Parker ripped off “I Want A New Drug” to write the the theme song to “Ghostbusters”, which Lewis & the News had been asked to do first, but turned down.

jackboy967 | 7/16/2007, 6:39 pm EST

Ha ha I agree, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ songs all sound the same. I lost interest way back in the last decade with them. Now can someone agree with my posting on Lenny Kravitz???

elston | 7/16/2007, 6:44 pm EST

john mayer” waiting on the world”
but i hear Squeeze, “black coffee in bed”

nycandy | 7/16/2007, 6:48 pm EST

Britney Spears should sue herself…”Oops I Did It Again” is a phrase-for-phrase redux of “Hit me Baby 1 More Time”…you could sing the lyrics of one song right over the other.

Then again, I suppose we shouldn’t find that all that suprising…

nycandy | 7/16/2007, 6:48 pm EST

Britney Spears should sue herself…”Oops I Did It Again” is a phrase-for-phrase redux of “Hit me Baby 1 More Time”…you could sing the lyrics of one song right over the other.

Then again, I suppose we shouldn’t find that all that suprising…

Tony Clifton | 7/16/2007, 7:08 pm EST

Edward Van Halen said it best, “you’ve only got 12 notes, how you arrange them is your business”. Who cares if one song sounds like another, if it rocks, its all good.

Tattoo U | 7/16/2007, 7:10 pm EST

Are you gonna be my girl-Jet, sounds like Iggy Pops Lust for Life.

Horrible rip off here,
Steve “Douche Bag” Miller- The Stake is to a T, Rocky Mountain way- Joe Walsh

Tattoo U | 7/16/2007, 7:13 pm EST

Jet’s “Are You Gonna be my Girl” is Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life”

Steve Miller’s “The Stake” is exactly Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way”

Tony | 7/16/2007, 7:14 pm EST

Gwen’s “Holla back girl” is almost the same beat as Prince’s “Housequake.”

john boy | 7/16/2007, 7:17 pm EST

Barney theme song:Yankee doodle dandy, I love you, you love me: This old man

adam | 7/16/2007, 10:39 pm EST

what about Jet “Look What youve Done” and Beatles “Let it Be”

JP | 7/17/2007, 6:27 am EST

Weezer’s beverly hills and Def leppards pour some sugar on me were mentioned, but they both sound like Steve Miller’s Space cowboy

M | 7/19/2007, 1:33 pm EST

Sum41-Pieces and Coldplay-The Scientist

M | 7/19/2007, 1:33 pm EST

Sum41-Pieces and Coldplay-The Scientist

Matty | 7/19/2007, 2:08 pm EST

anyone ever notice that FeFe Dobson’s song Don’t Go (Girls & Boys) is virtually the same song as Good Charlotte’s song Girls & Boys!?!?!? I don’t know what happened here. I think Good Charlotte’s came out first. They must have had the same production team or something…

jno297 | 7/20/2007, 12:01 am EST

Led Zepplins Babe Im Going to Leave you and Chicagos 25 or 6 to 4 (and then to some degree Green Day Brain Stew).

Phish Sample in a Jar and Janis Jopplin Peice of My Heart

Brikla | 7/23/2007, 4:47 pm EST

The Cure’s “Close to Me” and George Michael’s “Faith” (I’d been listening to “Close to Me” for years and never heard it . . . but it’s there)

Xero | 8/18/2007, 11:06 pm EST

Mest – Graveyard and The Used – all that i’ve got. My Chemical Romance – i dont love you and Coldplay – Yellow. Rehab – Last Tattoo and Bowling for Soup – Shut up and Smile. Lit – Lovely Day and All American Rejects – Swing Swing. and i’m sure its been said before, but Social Distortion – ball and chain with Rolling stones – dead flowers and good charlotte – Day that I die

groovequest | 8/29/2007, 9:45 am EST

…adding to my list of ‘”decendants of peter gunn”: springsteen’s “pink cadillac” (along with ‘hashpipe’, ‘juice box’, ’she bop’, and on and on)… but what influenced Mancini to write Peter Gunn????

dcvxkwiul vkueqycw | 9/19/2007, 6:10 pm EST

gavundk wiskqxv wtxlikofn nrmuqvo clhpov mewlf vzoxd

spike | 10/19/2007, 5:15 pm EST

Before I first heard Claptons “Let it Rain” the person who recommended it commented how much it sounds like Ringo Starrs “It don’t come easy”. As I listen to Let it Rain now, it seems there is another song the guitar parts sound like, but I can’t quite place it.

Becca | 11/27/2007, 3:45 pm EST

I’m surprised no one’s yet mentioned Hootie and the Blowfish “Only want to be with you” and The Who’s “No sugar tonight”…it seems that Hootie and the Blowfish has copied a lot of their songs’ rifts.

I definitely agree that “Phantom of the Opera” copied Pink Floyd’s “Echoes”!

Admittedly, even some of Pink Floyd’s songs sound alike. E.g., “Pings on the wing”(part 1 or 2) from their “Animals” album and a select few chords/rifts in “Mother” on “The Wall.” Or some of the songs on the album “The Division Bell” sounding reminiscent of their older albums’ material. But Pink Floyd is still very good and exceptionally talented nonetheless. :)

Oh yeah and that stupid emo shit song that goes something like “Do you feel like a man when you push her around” or some other pussy shit(hey, maybe I LIKE to push around my ex-boyfriend! Serves him right for cheating! So I hate this anti-abuse song), sounds similar to a few punk rock songs…

Becca | 11/27/2007, 4:18 pm EST

LOL here’s another one…”Yankee doodle dandy” and the theme song to Barney the Purple Dinosaur hahaha.

xai | 12/5/2007, 8:40 pm EST

the exies – tired of you
hoobastank – the reason

has the same damn Drum playing and structure through out the song.

i think they used the same exact Drum Loop ..it sounds so annoying when you hear the rip off of the same drum line like no one would notice. i bet it’s the same lazy producer

Mike Young | 12/29/2007, 6:17 am EST

The new My chemical romance song “teenagers” sounds very simler to the song “you are my sunshine” by Jimmie Davis

Conor | 6/6/2008, 4:30 pm EST

Sexy Sadie – The Beatles (White Album)
and
Karma Police – Radiohead (OK Computer)
this is by far the most uncanny of all the above.

sJa | 10/19/2008, 2:17 pm EST

In before Pachelbel/just about every pop punk song

Joe | 2/13/2009, 4:25 pm EST

Last one:
Keane – Spiralling X David Bowie – Let’s Dance

logan | 5/14/2009, 7:11 pm EST

barracuda by heart ice ice baby by vanilla ice and that one song i cant remember the name of it but it goes sing a song she starts singing. and it says it really fast

logan | 5/14/2009, 7:11 pm EST

barracuda by heart ice ice baby by vanilla ice and that one song i cant remember the name of it but it goes sing a song she starts singing. and it says it really fast

Brown Eyed-Girl | 8/31/2009, 5:42 pm EST

How about the opening for Gloria Estefan’s “Here We Are” & Omarion’s “Ice Box?”

em. | 9/13/2009, 9:36 am EST

Anyone but me that findd “Way of the world” by Genesis and “Everybody wants to rule the world” by Tears for Fears quite similar?

on the river | 11/8/2009, 1:39 pm EST

Beatles nicked the first 4 characteristic notes (e, g, d, c – if in C Major) from Rodger’s Edelweiss for Here, There and Everywhere. They also took 4 more notes (e, f, g, a).

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