# Songs that sound just like other songs (sampling doesn't count) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 4, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089 "2003-03-04T21:30:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ECJones29](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@ECJones29](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ECJones29)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/1 "2003-03-04T21:30:12Z")
Notice how some songs sound awfully familiar; in fact, they sound like a song you already know. I’ve wondered why more lawsuits don’t arise from this. Here are a few pairs of songs you can sing one to the other without missing a beat. Bet you guys can come up with more. **Fast Car** by Tracy Chapman sounds a lot like… **Jack and Diane** by John Cougar **Fallin’** by Alicia Keys sounds a lot like… **It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World** by James Brown **Steal Away** by Robbie Dupree sounds a lot like… **What A Fool Believes** by The Doobie Brothers **Please Come Home For Christmas** by the Eagles sounds a lot like… **Since I Fell For You** by Lennie Welch ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/2 "2003-03-04T21:36:11Z")
“Oops I Did It Again”/“Woman in Love” “Lighten Up”/“You’re So Bad”/“Ob La Di, Ob La Da” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/3 "2003-03-04T21:45:47Z")
“Pepper” by the butthole surfers/ “Loser” by Beck. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/4 "2003-03-04T22:35:56Z")
“Under Pressure” by Queen and “Ice, Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/5 "2003-03-04T22:39:59Z")
“Can’t Put a Price on Love” (The Knack) = “Beast of Burden” (The Rolling Stones) ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/6 "2003-03-04T23:30:37Z")
Anything done by **Rick Astley** - all of his songs sound the same. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/7 "2003-03-04T23:33:34Z")
Likewise every Blink 182 song. ---
**Author:** ![Tblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tblue)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/8 "2003-03-04T23:39:54Z")
Beautiful Day (U2), and the Sun Always Shines on TV (a-ha). Especially the chorus!! ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/9 "2003-03-04T23:48:29Z")
I think Everclear only has one song. “Get A Job” by _brainfreeze_ and “Obladi Obladah” \*I know the lead singer is Dexter Holland, but my, it is broke! ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/10 "2003-03-04T23:50:15Z")
duh, the Offspring! (oh, and that would be my _brain_ what is broke:D) ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/11 "2003-03-04T23:53:00Z")
“In the Factory” by the Vines and “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da” by the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![twit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/12 "2003-03-04T23:59:36Z")
Tblue, it’s interesting that you should mention those songs by U2 and a-ha since someone decided to mix those songs together into a remix called “The Sun Always Shines on a Beautiful Day.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/13 "2003-03-05T00:26:02Z")
Better Than Ezra’s “Good” and Green Day’s “When I Come Around” have the exact same chords. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bibliophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophile)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/14 "2003-03-05T00:34:44Z")
The intro to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Can’t Stop” sounds like Jeff Buckley’s “Eternal Life.” ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/15 "2003-03-05T00:48:52Z")
I’m betting that The Time lifted entirely the the unmistakable background beat of “Jungle Love” from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Ditto for Billy Ocean’s “Caribbean Queen” - the beat is precisely that of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean”. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/16 "2003-03-05T00:54:37Z")
Of course, there’s “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison & “He’s So Fine” by The Chiffons (although there was a lawsuit for this one). I believe Huey Lewis and the News also sued over “Ghostbusters” sounding too much like “I Want a New Drug”. ---
**Author:** ![RawkStah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@RawkStah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RawkStah)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/17 "2003-03-05T01:08:12Z")
“Finger Poppin’ Time” by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and “The Twist”, also by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, but made famous by Chubby Checker. “Catch A Wave” by The Beach Boys and “Sidewalk Surfin’” by Jan and Dean. Anyone know how this didn’t wind up as a lawsuit? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/18 "2003-03-05T01:32:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tblue \* > \*\*Beautiful Day (U2), and the Sun Always Shines on TV (a-ha). > > Especially the chorus!! \*\* I thought I was the only one who noticed this. I can’t help but sing “Sun…” on top of the tune “Beautiful Day” when it comes on the radio… like it’s my own little remix. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/19 "2003-03-05T01:36:16Z")
“Be a Clown” by Cole Porter (sung by Judy Garland and Gene Kelly in _The Pirate_) and “Make 'em Laugh” by Freed and Brown (sung by Donald O’Connor in _Singin’ in the Rain_). It’s pretty clear that the song was plagiarized, but Porter declined to make an issue over it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/20 "2003-03-05T01:43:01Z")
**Sweet Talking Woman** by ELO and **Do You Believe in Love** by Huey Lewis **He’s So Fine** by The Chiffons, **Kind of a Drag** by The Buckinghams, and **My Sweet Lord** by George Harrison **[Some song I don’t recall]** by Tears for Fears] and **I Am the Walrus** by The Beatles. **Baby Blue** by Bob Dylan and **Child of Our Times** by Barry McGuire The intro to **The Joker** by Steve Miller and the intro to **All Right Now** by Free [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089.md?page=2)