# 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:** 2
**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, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/21 "2003-03-05T01:46:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mjollnir \* > \*\*[Some song I don’t recall] by Tears for Fears] and I Am the Walrus by The Beatles. > \*\* Sowing the Seeds of Love? ---
**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, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/22 "2003-03-05T01:49:24Z")
Yep, that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/23 "2003-03-05T01:55:09Z")
The beginning of **Wonderful** by Everclear sounds almost exactly like the beginning of **Truly Madly Deeply** by Savage Garden. The guitar riffs in the middle of **Loser** by 3 Doors Down sounds very similar to the one in the middle of **Dissolved Girl** by Massive Attack. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/24 "2003-03-05T02:28:50Z")
On a near-miss-tangent-that-won’t-count-as-a-hijack, I find it hilarious that John Fogarty was sued by Creedance Clearwater Revival’s record label for plagiarizing himself. ---
**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, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/25 "2003-03-05T03:06:38Z")
That was for CCR’s “Bad Moon Rising” and Fogerty’s “Old Man Down The Road”. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/26 "2003-03-05T03:17:55Z")
**Together** from the little-known musical **Honk!** has a bridge that uses almost exactly the same melody of **Jellicle Cats** from **Cats**. I think it was actually done on purpose though, because both songs are about cats. Plus, the similarity is way too close to be coincidental. ---
**Author:** ![mmhkay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@mmhkay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmhkay)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/27 "2003-03-05T04:12:04Z")
Shakira’s “Underneath Your Clothes” has the EXACT same melody as the Bangles “Eternal Flame”. When Shakira sings “there’s a so-o-ng…”, I can hear the Bangles chick sing “Close your eyes, give me your hand…”. ---
**Author:** ![BarBQSauce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@BarBQSauce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarBQSauce)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/28 "2003-03-05T04:28:32Z")
Originall posted by RawkStah > [@](#): > > “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? Yeah, they were both written by the [same person](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=11:27:26%7CPM&sql=Bb95j8qptbt94) . ---
**Author:** ![xanadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c4cdca/32.png) [@xanadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanadu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/29 "2003-03-05T04:31:53Z")
YAY! I’ve been saying this one for years!! …and now, I get to share: " **Ghetto Superstar**" by: Maya, etc. sounds EXACTLY like “ **Islands in the Stream** ” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. ---
**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, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/30 "2003-03-05T04:40:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArchiveGuy \* > **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).** But, even the judge in the case said that even though it was plagarism, it wasn’t intentional. I mean, really, he was a Beatle. IIRC, Harrison bought the company that had the rights to “He’s So Fine” after the lawsuit. Haw haw haw! > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BarBQSauce \* > **Yeah, they were both written by the same person .** Sure, play the Brian Wilson card… Thanks, though. I’d suspected as much, especially since Dean sang lead on “Barbara-Ann”. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/31 "2003-03-05T04:46:13Z")
“Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen and “More Than A Feeling” (the chords during the chorus) by Boston “Loony Balloon” by the Kinks and “New Test Leper” by R.E.M. “Karma Police” by Radiohead and “Sexy Sadie” by the Beatles “Disconnect the Dots” by Smash Mouth and “You May Be Right” by Billy Joel “Hope” by R.E.M. and “Suzanne” by Leonard Cohen ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/32 "2003-03-05T05:25:04Z")
The opening riff of “Jaded” by Aerosmith sounds a lot like “Everybody’s Humpin’ Around” by Bobby Brown. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/33 "2003-03-05T12:54:32Z")
The opening of some No Doubt sond sounds like Aerosmiths **Dream On** ---
**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, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/34 "2003-03-05T13:21:10Z")
The opening of Steve “The Hack” Miller’s “Jet Airliner” is ripped off from Free’s “All Right Now.” ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/35 "2003-03-05T13:27:55Z")
The chorus of **Torn** by Natalie Imbruglia and **Like A Prayer** by Madonna Didn’t Barry Manilow sue over Wham’s **Last Christmas** sounding like **Can’t Smile Without You**? **Ghetto Superstar** - **Islands In The Stream** and **Ice Ice Baby** - **Under Pressure** don’t count because they are cover versions. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/36 "2003-03-05T15:29:53Z")
“Some guys have all the luck”, by Rod Stewart, and by Robert Palmer. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/37 "2003-03-05T15:53:51Z")
“The Rising” by Bruce Springsteen sounds like it was ripped off from “Son of a Sailor Man,” by Jimmy Buffet. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/38 "2003-03-05T16:08:00Z")
The bridge in “Hey You” by Pink Floyd follows the same notes as the melody used in “Another Brick in the Wall” (“we don’t need no ed-u-ca-tion…”). Since these are by the same artist and appear on the same album (a concept album, nonetheless) I imagine this was probably intentional. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/39 "2003-03-05T16:24:12Z")
Van Halen’s “Runnin’ With the Devil” and Styx’s “Too Much Time On My Hands” have an almost identical intro. I feel that The Stooges’ “Lust for Life” and Adam Ant’s “Goody Two Shoes” also open the same, and share very similar backbeats throughout. ---
**Author:** ![musicguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@musicguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/musicguy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089/40 "2003-03-05T16:41:19Z")
Mariah Carey’s 'Emotion" and the 70’s hit “Best of my love” are close to identical [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-just-like-other-songs-sampling-doesnt-count/159089.md?page=3)