Songs that are total rip offs of other songs.

[Mike C.]

Even though I love every one of these songs, each one is a complete rip off of the other.

 

[Slotto]

Werewolves of London clearly ripped off Sweet Home Alabama

[Mike C.]

.

 

 

[Mike C.]

.

 

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Slotto said:

Werewolves of London clearly ripped off Sweet Home Alabama

I understand that's something called a 1-4-3 riff, or something of the sort, and is not that uncommon. For example, Steve Miller's "Take the Money and Run" fits the same pattern. (If you want to have some fun, look at the writing credit for Kid Rock's "All Summer Long.)

"Surfin' USA" is pretty much a tribute to "Sweet Little Sixteen." 

Here's one I'll bet not many people here know: Randy Newman's "Follow the Flag" gets its major riff/theme from a Civil War song called "Battle Cry of Freedom." (I only know this because we played BCoF in high school band.) 

Stevie Nicks herself claims that her "Stand Back" is her ripoff of Prince's "Little Red Corvette." I love both songs but I don't really hear it. 

Madonna's "Hung Up" is basically an updated ABBA's "Gimme Gimme Gimme." And the first time I heard Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," I immediately recognized Madonna's "Respect Yourself." 

[Brian Austin]

See Part 1 of this video.

Adam Neely also has discussed various plagiarism cases in other videos.

 

[Fat Brian]

The song "Somebody" off an early Blue October album is a near direct copy of "Whatever" by Godsmack.

Blue October 

 

Godsmack

 

[Snake45]

Here's a hilarious discussion of the topic: 

 

[1972coronet]

One of my favourite "ripoff" movements is 1969 (Stooges) whose instrumental is borrowed from the 'middle 8' in Tribal Gathering (Byrds). Ron Asheton of The Stooges admitted that "...Gathering" was thee influence on 1969, as Asheton was a huge fan of The Byrds.

 

 

[Brian Austin]

 

[imarriedawitch]

11 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I understand that's something called a 1-4-3 riff, or something of the sort, and is not that uncommon. For example, Steve Miller's "Take the Money and Run" fits the same pattern. (If you want to have some fun, look at the writing credit for Kid Rock's "All Summer Long.)

The song and the style are two different things. You cite the 1-4-3 riff, I would add the Bo Diddley beat. Songs today are heavy on studio production techniques that alter the note played to the note heard. As a result plagarism cases sometimes don't come down to does one song sound like another but rather are there similarities in the writing. They actually refer to the sheet music and compare them side by side. 

[iamsuperdan]

Not the whole song, but...

 

Listen to One by Metallica. Specifically the breakdown at about 4:30.

 

 

 

Now listen to Darkness Descends by Dark Angel. You can hear it throughout, but listen at 1:03

 

 

I love Metallica. One of my fav bands and the biggest inspiration for my guitar playing. But when I first heard One, I immediately thought of this Dark Angel.

 

It pre-dates One by about 2-3 years. Metallica were part of the same music scene as Dark Angel, and have said they are fans of the band. I don't think it was intentional, but I think they inadvertently copied it.

 

[Slotto]

15 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I understand that's something called a 1-4-3 riff, or something of the sort, and is not that uncommon. 

I was referring to the piano riff, not necessarily the chord progression.

 

[Mike C.]

Stray Cats ripped off Blank Generation from Richard Hell.

 

[1972coronet]

5 hours ago, Mike C. said:

Stray Cats ripped off Blank Generation from Richard Hell.

Which Blank Generation itself was a "ripoff" of Beat Generation by Bob McFadden & Rod McKuen from 1959.

I love Hell's spoof of a spoof song -- I like the Heartbreakers demo (Yonkers Demos 1975-1976) even more than the Voidoids 1977 album cut. 

[ChrisBcritter]

My favorite ripoff. Original, released February 7, 1964:

Ripoff, released July 1964:

 

[Smoke Wagon]

In 1984, Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr. over Parker’s new song for the movie of the same name, “Ghostbusters”. Lewis claimed it was a ripoff of his 1983 single “I Want a New Drug”. Both parties settled out of court.