Stevens actually has something else that sounds closer, but the point of this is that Satriani wasn’t the first to get something like that on a record.

Also, I thought I heard that Cat wasn’t considering a lawsuit. It doesn’t seem like his style.

Oh it’s his style all right. He sued The Flaming Lips over the song “Fight Test” I believe

I thought they just split royalties on that one.

On a similar note, doesn’t parts of the Tears for Fears song “Mad World” sound like parts of “Mathew and Son,” or the verses of “It’s A Sin” by the Pet Shop Boys sound like the verses of “Wild World?”

Goes to show how some very simple tunes can be copied, consciously and subconsciously, over the course of time.
Most music plagiarism lawsuits are very tricky.

Also, being a writer, I can’t help but think of how many contemporary writers use basic elements from older lit… with or without citing their influences.

As artists, at what point do we stop worrying about lawsuits and focus on creating original works? How do we define “influence” versus “plagiarism”? Too harsh a verdict in a situation like this and we crucify artists who may be innocent… too lenient of a verdict and we risk embracing the copy-cats.

Whenever I hear stuff like this it disgusts me. Musicians are such prima donnas. The sad part in all of this is that Coldplay probably considers Cat Stevens one of their heroes and he is just to them that it is all just smoke and mirrors. That is so stupid and we see that too much in music.

I should copyright G major and sue anybody who uses it, or I IV-V. How about that?

With all do respect to both artists these two songs do have the same exact piano part. Its at the 2:00 minute mark in Viva La Vida and the 15:50 mark in Foreigner Suite. I had never heard of the Cat Stevens song before this, but I actually did quite enjoy it. However, I do not think Coldplay pin-pointed this one specific part of a completely random twenty minute song on a record long lost in time… Viva La Vida is a great song, and with popular music these days we need to be more lenient on wht is considered plagiarism. Music, as literature and other art forms is a bunch of random influences compiled on top of each other over time. This is how art continues to evolve. Plus, most rappers these days don’t even bother righting their own hooks, or making their own beats. They are just re-used 80s synth rock and pop hits.

So can Cat Stevens sue Satriani also?

The length of the song has nothing to do with it, and a judge will say the same. I listened to them and Cat’s song does sound ripped off. Coldplay is going down. Satch too.

What a bunch of bullshit. Artists take elements from other artists all the time. The worst part of thiss is Yusuf saying he’s going to wait and see how Satch does to decide if he’ll sue-way to stand on your principles shithead. Maybe if you hadn’t exiled yourself all these years you wouldn’t need the money. And Satch-tell you what, we should see if the estate of Robert Johnson can sue Led Zep for stealing his life’s work. Or Muddy Waters estate can sue the Stones for the same reason. Or the Stones can sue the Black Crowes, etc. All these lawsuits are horseshit. If Satch and Yusuf need the money, go out and earn it.

I love Yusuf’s music, but he is doing this for publicity. He had a new album come out on Tuesday and he just wants to get his name back in the headlines to sell more records.

There’s only 13 notes that a man can play….

I just listened to “If I Could Fly”. If there are any similarities they aren’t very apparent. I can hear some similar rhythm and notes, but it’s ridiculous to think that they copied them. There are only so many music notes out there you know. Plaigarism is ridiculous to consider.

I’m thinking of suing Chris Martin and Coldplay myself. My late grandma (God bless her soul) had a song called “All Day I Dream About Jesus” which is so similar to the melodies heard on “Strawberry Swing” on Coldplay’s Viva La Vida album. I don’t know how Chris Martin knew about my grandma’s song, but I’m gonna sue his ass and rake in the dough!

Please stop the insanity. Every 1 IV V blues progression in thousands of tunes sounds similar. With different lyrics.

I think I might sue Coldpaly for pretending to be my Muppet homies

Satriani and Cat must be musical geniuses because I can’t hear ANY obvious similarities between the 3 songs…

…How The Beatles ["Sexy Sadie"] never sued Radiohead ["Karma Police" chorus], I will never know. Now THERE’S a pretty obvious similarity.

[I love Radiohead]

The Cat Stevens one really is barely similar to the Coldplay one – his point about the logical chords and the obvious melody basically screws over his entire argument – it would be hard not to put that melody to those chords, so if Coldplay had never heard Cat Stevens’ song, it would be easy for them to do the same thing without realizing. On the other hand, listen to Satriani’s song, and hell… Even the phrasing is awkwardly similar.

Billions of pieces of music exist in the world, of course some are going to sound alike. There are only so many combinations of chords, drum patterns, scales, ect that exist. I don’t think “well, it kinda sounds like it” should cut it. You should have to have a complete case like similarities to T-Rex’s “Bang A Gong” and Oasis’s “Cigarettes & Alcohol” or Huey Lewis & The News’s “I Want A New Drug” and Ray Parker jr’s “Ghostbusters”.

Cat Stevens/Yuksuk = loser

Does anyone else find it odd that in a time of music sampling and “excessive borrowing,” that the Sat-Coldplay lawsuit and Cat Stevens’ remarks are ironic? I know I heard the piano break of Supertramp’s “Crime of the Century” in a Gym Class Heroes song not too long ago. Does this mean that Green Day should pay royalties to The Clash, who then should pay The Ramones, who should pay The Stooges, who should pay The Who? Where doees it end? Unless it’s a direct ripoff beyond any shadow of a doubt, it’s awfully hard to show that someone ripped off a melody or musical sound. And how come no one but me though, in 1983, that the chorus of ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” sounded pretty much identical to Eddie Cochrane’s “Summertime Blues”? Go listen to it again, and you’ll see what I mean. Strange, yes. Lawsuit-worthy, probably not ….

It’s really hard to tell whether a song is a rip-off or just similiar because naturally all artists have influences and sometimes can not help but try and recreate thier sound. Sometimes the rip-offs are better known then the originals, like in “Whole Lotta Love”. Now don’t get me wrong when I say this because I’m a huge Led Zepplin fan, but the the whole vocal track Plant did was just copying The Small Faces(Rest in peace Steve Marriott) cover of “You Need Lovin’”. RHCP’s riff in “Around the World”(1999) sound’s a lot like the one Budgie used in “Breadfan”(1973). Papa Roach’s riff in “Last Resort”(2000) sounds like Iron Maiden’s “Genghis Khan”(1981). As for the Coldplay thing, I’m not really sure what to think yet.

Also, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is basically a ripped-off mix of “More than a Feeling” and “Godzilla” in my opinion.

Also, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is basically a ripped off mix of “More than a Feeling” and “Godzilla” in my opinion.

If anyone heard the radio interview Cat gave they’d understand the comments were tongue in cheek. nevertheless…Satriani and Cat are Legends.

Rock music is by nature low art, and so doomed to repeat itself. People need to be a little less stingy.

Why go to court ?Settle things like the old west.Six-guns at sundown.

I don’t even listen to Coldplay but I’m starting to feel sorry for them. It seems as though ever since My Sweet Lord was really, really obviously He’s So Fine with a new lyric sheet, costing George Harrison a few clams, everybody’s saying “Hey! I hear my song in there!” I’m beginning to feel a strong temptation to quote Rodney King, here!!

oh suck my ass!!

is nothing pure anymore

Dejected and Disillusioned

Radiohead should have their lawyers on speed-dial, just in case this suit holds up in court. After all, in 2000 Coldplay re-recorded Radiohead’s the Bends and released it as “Parachutes.”

liily allen’s Littlest Things is so much Like Cat Steven Wild World amaizing he hasnt noticed

I have a question: Did Yusuf hear Joe Satriani´s “If I Could Fly” when it was published in 2005? One guitar part is VERY similar to the melody Yusuf played on the piano in 1973. In this case he would have had a reason to accuse Satriani. And why does he accuse Coldplay NOW? I´ve never heard about the battle Yusuf vs. Coldplay before. Or have I missed something? It seems that Yusuf wants to get a piece from a huge cake.

This is ridiculous. I just lost respect for what I used to believe was a truly gifted musician–Yusuf needs to sell albums so he throws out another accusation.

Is Paul McCartney gonna sue them for dressing like Sgt. Pepper?

I agree StrummerJones…Cat haven’t even made a decision to sue Coldplay. The ones calling him names should review history…this has happened many many times. It honestly doesn’t seem like this is his style. Thanks StrummerJones. Don’t sue me because I repeated you. lol jk

cold play is just the worst band ever, its all contrived and copied, they wouldnt be being bothered if they werent such egotistical asses! but i dont even thinks its there fault, i would think i was so great to…its there producers and labels fault, stop feeding this CRAP to the world!

then Cat Stevens should sue Joe Satriani as well… hahaha

Whether it happened on purpose or not – artists should share the royalties based on the evidence and a court judgement. I heard the section in Cat Stevens’s song and it does sound close to Coldplay and Satch also sounds similar. These things could happen subconsiously – it does not matter – pay. Classic music pieces consists of folk songs that have been adapted so this has happened many times before. Disney eventually had to pay royalties for the Lion King song which belonged to a poor black South African. It is only just for using someone else’s song whether this happens consiously or not.

Cat was talking tongue in cheek. He won’t sue. After all, he would have to get off the Peace Train to do so.

Personally, I think that Cat Stevens is a filthy Islam terrorist. BAWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Coldplay acomplished nothing short of a remarkable performance of this song on the cd. However, judging by the rest of the musicianship on the rest of the cd, one has to assume that they had lots and lots of help. Does that include ripping off other musicians? If yes, then they have to live with that not us. I hope the truth makes its way through this time.

Considering that George Harrison was sued over a chord progression (not even a melody) I think anything is possible in these stupid music plagarism trials.

I like Coldplay and I love Satriani. They’re both good songs. If Coldplay borrowed from Satch they should pay and give a bit of cred and be done with it all. If not, then we’re all good.

Cat stevens just loves to get his sue on no? He just split royalties with the lips for fight test though

This is totally and utterly ridiculous. a) IT`S 20 MINUTES so it HAS to use the same noteséchordséwhatever at SOME POINT
b)I doubt Viva la Vida consisted of copied music from three different artists. Seriously.

get a life!