Get ready for a musical journey through some of the most controversial song similarities! We're diving into tracks that sound suspiciously familiar, exploring the thin line between inspiration and outright copying. From pop hits to rock anthems, these musical "borrowings" will make you do a double-take!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top songs that take
00:11even more inspiration than they should.
00:19Number 10.
00:21George Benjour – Taj Mahal vs. Rod Stewart – Do You Think I'm Sexy
00:27At least this musical tug-of-war ended on a positive note.
00:35In the late 70s, Rod Stewart dipped his toes into the disco genre, but his chart-topper
00:40quickly sparked controversy.
00:50Brazilian pop star Benjour accused the British rocker of swiping elements of his Taj Mahal.
01:04When Benjour sued Stewart for plagiarism, the singer admitted to subconsciously copying
01:10the tune.
01:11However, rather than engage in a drawn-out legal battle, the situation ended amicably.
01:17Stewart took the high road, deciding to donate all proceeds from his hit to UNICEF, turning
01:23what could have been a bitter dispute into a charitable gesture.
01:34Number 9.
01:35Blur – M.O.R. vs. David Bowie – Boys Keep Swinging
01:41This case doesn't involve an insidious act of plagiarism so much as a clear instance
01:46of one artist drawing heavy inspiration from another.
01:57For their song M.O.R., Britpop icon Blur looked to David Bowie's Lodger album for creative
02:03influence.
02:08After experimenting with elements from Bowie's work, they ultimately crafted a track that
02:12closely mirrored the chord progression of his 1979 classic, Boys Keep Swinging.
02:25While Blur's lively rock anthem has its own distinct style, the parallels were unmistakable.
02:32In fact, the resemblance was so significant that both Bowie and his collaborator Brian
02:37Eno were later credited as co-writers on the track.
02:47Number 8.
02:48Tony Basil – Mickey vs. Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend
02:59Tony Basil's Mickey was a defining track of the 1980s, blending a cheerleader-style
03:04chant with an infectious beat that made it a pop culture staple.
03:07Decades later, Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend stirred up controversy when listeners noticed
03:12its hook sounded remarkably like Basil's hit.
03:22Critics argued that Girlfriend was more than just inspired by the original, and accused
03:27the pop-punk star of lifting Mickey's essence.
03:37Although Lavigne never faced legal repercussions, the similarities left many questioning whether
03:42her song was a tribute, a coincidence, or a blatant rip-off of Basil's timeless bop.
03:49After all, let's face it, it's hard not to think of Mickey whenever Girlfriend comes
03:53on.
04:01Number 7.
04:02Flower Gone – We Run Things vs. Miley Cyrus – We Can't Stop
04:08Miley Cyrus' 2013 party anthem might have dominated the airwaves, but its success came
04:14with a hefty dose of controversy.
04:22Jamaican artist Flower Gone accused Cyrus of lifting key elements from his 1988 reggae
04:27track, particularly the phrase, We Run Things, Things Don't Run We, which Cyrus sings verbatim.
04:40Flower Gone alleged that the phrase and vibe of his song formed the foundation of Cyrus'
04:46piece, leading to a $300 million lawsuit.
04:49While the case was eventually settled out of court, the likeness between the two compositions
04:54are hard to deny.
04:56Here, we have a prime example of the fine line between inspiration and imitation.
05:07Number 6.
05:08Yesayer – Sunrise vs. The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
05:13When Yesayer's experimental track debuted in 2007, its layered, choral-like vocals stood
05:19out as an original feature.
05:26Over a decade later, members of the indie band noticed parallels between Sunrise and
05:32The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar's Pray For Me, which was featured on the Black Panther soundtrack.
05:43Yesayer filed a lawsuit, alleging that the track's production replicated the unique,
05:48ethereal vocal effects of Sunrise.
05:51They even claimed that the segment in question had been extracted, manipulated, and pitched
05:57differently to disguise its origin.
06:00The Weeknd & Lamar denied the allegations, maintaining their innocence.
06:04The legal battle ended in 2020 when Yesayer dropped the lawsuit, leaving fans wondering
06:10what might have happened behind the scenes.
06:18Number 5.
06:19Keith Jarrett – Long As You Know You're Living Yours vs. Steely Dan – Gaucho
06:25Steely Dan's 1980 track, Gaucho, from the album of the same name, landed the band in
06:30hot water when jazz pianist Keith Jarrett noticed that it sounded familiar.
06:44Jarrett stated that Gaucho bore an uncanny resemblance to his jazzy 1974 piece, particularly
06:50in its melody and arrangement.
07:00Rather than deny the claim, Steely Dan's Donald Fagan and Walter Becker reportedly
07:06admitted to being inspired by Jarrett's work.
07:09The dispute was resolved when Jarrett received a writing credit on the track, but it remains
07:14a pointed reminder that even a subtle homage can tread dangerously close to infringement.
07:26Number 4.
07:27Public Enemy – Security of the First World vs. Madonna – Justify My Love
07:33When Madonna released her sultry hit in 1990, fans couldn't get enough of its sensual
07:39vibe.
07:40However, hip-hop group Public Enemy noticed something eerily familiar.
07:47The iconic drum beat from their 1988 track, Security of the First World, is nearly identical
07:53to the one driving Madonna's song.
08:03Public Enemy did not pursue legal action, but the offending drum beat didn't go unnoticed
08:08by listeners and critics alike.
08:10Adding to the controversy, Madonna's piece was co-written by Lenny Kravitz, who admitted
08:16to sampling but didn't credit Public Enemy for their work, stating the rap group themselves
08:21had lifted the beat from James Brown's funky drummer.
08:24Can this alleged act of plagiarism ever be properly justified?
08:29We may never know.
08:36Number 3.
08:37The Isley Brothers – Love is a Wonderful Thing vs. Michael Bolton – Love is a Wonderful
08:44Thing
08:51Love may be a wonderful thing, but nasty legal disputes aren't.
08:55The Isley Brothers claimed that Michael Bolton's song copied their 1966 track of the same name,
09:01citing resemblances not just in the title, but also in its melody and lyrical themes.
09:13Bolton and his team denied any wrongdoing, but after a lengthy court battle, the jury
09:18sided with the Isley Brothers in 1994.
09:21The brothers were awarded a hefty $5.4 million in damages, the largest ever payout in a plagiarism
09:28case at the time.
09:37Opinions on the case were deeply divided, with some insisting that Bolton had indeed
09:43ripped off the Isley Brothers, and others believing the singer was innocent.
09:56Number 2.
09:57Wire – 3 Girl Rumba vs. Elastica – Connection
10:02Elastica's single became a defining track of 90s alternative rock, but its success didn't
10:07come without controversy.
10:17The British band Wire accused Elastica of borrowing heavily from their 1977 track, 3
10:23Girl Rumba, specifically its distinctive guitar riff.
10:32Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the song's synthesizer intro was essentially
10:37the same riff, just transposed down a semitone.
10:46Wire made their concerns known, and the two bands ultimately settled the disputes out
10:50of court.
10:51Although Elastica denied any intentional plagiarism, Wire was eventually credited as co-writers
10:57on Connection.
10:58The case became a notable example of how reminiscent sounds can sometimes raise questions of originality
11:05in music.
11:26Number 1.
11:27Sleigh Bells – Infinity Guitars vs. Demi Lovato – Stars
11:37Demi Lovato's 2015 song, Stars, wasn't released as a single, but that didn't stop
11:43noise pop duo Sleigh Bells from hearing it and noticing uncanny similarities to their
11:49very own work.
11:56They filed a lawsuit against Lovato, the album's producers, and the songwriters for copyright
12:02infringement, claiming Stars had sampled elements from their track, Infinity Guitars, specifically
12:08the bass drum counter rhythm and hand claps.
12:16Co-songwriters Karl Falk and Rami Yacoub denied using any samples, asserting that Lovato had
12:21only written one line of the piece.
12:24After a heated legal battle, the case was dismissed with prejudice in 2017, essentially
12:30leaving the dispute unresolved.
12:39Did we miss any brazen musical knockoffs?
12:42Let us know in the comments!