# Riff Rip-Offs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381 "2010-10-16T22:19:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/1 "2010-10-16T22:19:17Z")
Songs where the predominant riff or melody rips off the feel of an earlier one, and it hits you immediately. There was a famous case where George Harrison’s "My Sweet Lord was held to have “subconciously plagiarized” from the 1963 Chiffons hit “He’s So Fine.”, which I can hear in retrospect, but not at the time. _(In 1976, Bright Tunes Music sued Harrison because this sounded too much like the 1963 Chiffons hit “He’s So Fine.” Bright Tunes owned the copyright to “He’s So Fine” and received $587,000 when a judge ruled that Harrison “subconsciously plagiarized” the song. Harrison claimed he got the idea for the song from The Edwin Hawkins Singers’ “Oh Happy Day,” not “He’s So Fine.”)_ The two that come to mind for me, where it hit me instantly, are The Strawberries “(Please Baby) Go All The Way” which ripped the opening riff from Free’s “All Right Now” and U2’s “Vertigo” (and I’m a big U2 fan, but there’s no denying it) which rips off The Supremes’s “You Keep Me Holding On” Others? How serious an offense is it? ---
**Author:** ![Gilliver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5fc32e/32.png) [@Gilliver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilliver)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/2 "2010-10-16T22:28:57Z")
The first one that comes to mind is when Vanilla Ice snagged the riff from Queens “Under Pressure”. I really dont know if that one ever went to court, but I cannot hear “Ice Ice Baby” without hearing “Under Pressure” in my head. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/3 "2010-10-16T22:36:02Z")
The Cult, Love Removal Machine, 1987. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qaK81oUmbbs/hqdefault.jpg "The Cult - Love Removal Machine") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaK81oUmbbs) Rolling stones, Start Me Up, 1975-1981. (it had a long period of kicking about in drawers) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZzlgJ-SfKYE/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGH8gHSgTMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCDMU5x280xp-SFRn_4P59ng2g-ZA "Rolling Stones-start me up") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzlgJ-SfKYE) Of course, Led Zeppelin stole every riff they played, but everyone knows that story, right? ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/4 "2010-10-16T22:51:39Z")
> [@Gilliver](#): > > The first one that comes to mind is when Vanilla Ice snagged the riff from Queens “Under Pressure”. > > I really dont know if that one ever went to court, but I cannot hear “Ice Ice Baby” without hearing “Under Pressure” in my head. But that falls more under “sampling”, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/5 "2010-10-16T23:37:33Z")
The riff from [Come As You Are](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vabnZ9-ex7o&ob=av2e) sounds a lot like the intro riff from [The Eighties by Killing Joke](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1oyfG6t2ew&ob=av2e). Probably “subconsciously plagiarized”, the riffs are not the same, just similar. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/6 "2010-10-16T23:41:33Z")
A lot of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s stuff sounds like Hendryx to me, be that’s not surprising. ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/7 "2010-10-16T23:46:57Z")
A very blatant one: The [Ghostbusters theme](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCHFVTQKqdQ) rips off [I Want a New Drug by Huey Lewis & The News.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6uEMOeDZsA) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/8 "2010-10-16T23:52:11Z")
Hall & Oates [I Can’t Go for That](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccenFp_3kq8) from 1981. Michael Jackson [Billie Jean](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi_XLOBDo_Y&ob=av3e) from 1982. Not the most blatant, but you be the judge. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/9 "2010-10-16T23:56:22Z")
Parts of Jewel’s “You Were Meant For Me” sound remarkably like Neil Young’s “The Needle And The Damage Done”. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/10 "2010-10-17T00:02:35Z")
> [@DonLogan](#): > > > [@Gilliver](#): > > > > The first one that comes to mind is when Vanilla Ice snagged the riff from Queens “Under Pressure”. > > > > I really dont know if that one ever went to court, but I cannot hear “Ice Ice Baby” without hearing “Under Pressure” in my head. > > But that falls more under “sampling”, doesn’t it? No, Vanilla Ice explicitly said it was supposed to be a completely different riff. It was the fact that it sounded so much like a sample that he got into so much trouble, at least in the press. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/11 "2010-10-17T00:11:30Z")
[Cracked.com](http://Cracked.com) did an interesting article on this subject: [The 5 Most Famous Musicians Who Are Thieving Bastards](http://www.cracked.com/article_18500_the-5-most-famous-musicians-who-are-thieving-bastards.html). ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/12 "2010-10-17T00:23:23Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > > [@DonLogan](#): > > > > But that falls more under “sampling”, doesn’t it? > > No, Vanilla Ice explicitly said it was supposed to be a completely different riff. It was the fact that it sounded so much like a sample that he got into so much trouble, at least in the press. Similarly, I always thought [Hot](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKb-N2XYNQ0), by James Brown sampled [Fame](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-_30HA7rec)by David Bowie, but James Brown just ripped him off. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/13 "2010-10-17T00:33:11Z")
After the Troggs got away with basically just writing new lyrics for _Louie, Louie_ and had a hit with it, what was gonna stop anyone else from doing the same thing? [Louie, Louie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vae_AkLb4Q) [Wild Thing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qHX493bB3U) And for bands who rip off themselves, is there anyone better (or more notorious) at it than [Dragonforce](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxobzOCEjoI)? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/14 "2010-10-17T03:15:21Z")
The Rubinoos: I Want to be Your Boyfriend The Rolling Stones: Get Off of My Cloud ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/15 "2010-10-17T03:30:03Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Hall & Oates [I Can’t Go for That](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccenFp_3kq8) from 1981. > > Michael Jackson [Billie Jean](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi_XLOBDo_Y&ob=av3e) from 1982. > > Not the most blatant, but you be the judge. Very, very interesting. Never thought of that. Now, of course, I can’t shut both songs in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/16 "2010-10-17T05:16:54Z")
The Kinks stole their own riff from “All Day And All Of The Night” for “Destroyer.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/17 "2010-10-17T05:34:45Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > A very blatant one: > > The [Ghostbusters theme](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCHFVTQKqdQ) rips off [I Want a New Drug by Huey Lewis & The News.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6uEMOeDZsA) I think they BOTH ripped off “Pop Muzik” by M. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/18 "2010-10-17T05:37:36Z")
I think this riff [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/htuxb-m4-ng/hqdefault.jpg "Free - All Right Now RARE") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htuxb-m4-ng) sounds a lot like this one: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUHtJJ1Fgjs) And if the Stones had to sue the Verve, why didn’t they sue Buffalo Springfield? [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_VbImuG71M) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVH-5v-BhHM) ---
**Author:** ![Nom\_de\_Plume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nom\_de\_Plume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nom_de_Plume)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/19 "2010-10-17T12:28:36Z")
David Bowie said he came up with the riff for Rebel Rebel while playing The Stones’ Satisfactionriff backwards. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381/20 "2010-10-17T20:12:42Z")
Suicidal Tendencies [I Saw Your Mommy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlHHmrYUPkc) from 1983 Puddle of Mudd [She Hates Me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYE4CVhVkhw&ob=av3e) from 2002 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riff-rip-offs/557381.md?page=2)