# Songs that "sound" like covers of another band or group, but aren't **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 17, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982 "2020-04-17T15:11:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [April 28, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/61 "2020-04-28T16:53:01Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I always thought “[There She Goes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu2iv-vMKT8)” by The La’s was a cover of something. Turns out it was not. But some people are more familiar with the cover by Sixpence None the Richer. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/62 "2020-04-28T18:33:22Z")
Soul Asylum’s “[Runaway Train](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtvqT_wMeY)” sounds like a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers song. While I’m not intimately familiar with Soul Asylum’s discography, nothing else I’ve heard from them reminds me of Petty, just that song. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/63 "2020-04-29T00:29:33Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Soul Asylum’s “[Runaway Train](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtvqT_wMeY)” sounds like a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers song. You mean it’s not??? What the hell! ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/64 "2020-04-29T00:57:06Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Soul Asylum’s “[Runaway Train](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtvqT_wMeY)” sounds like a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers song. While I’m not intimately familiar with Soul Asylum’s discography, nothing else I’ve heard from them reminds me of Petty, just that song. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > You mean it’s not??? What the hell! I’ve never thought about it, but now that you mention it, it’s true! But I’ve always thought that Dave Pirner is a dead ringer voice-wise for Thelonious Monster’s leader Bob Forrest. They had their heydays at the same time (my heydays too ;)), and I’ve always thought that the bands sounded like they covered each other. For comparison: Thelonious Monster - [I Live In A Nice House](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb2GvlTwDeY) Soul Asylum - [Without A Trace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNWR3OenaPk) ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/65 "2020-04-29T12:18:24Z")
“Lady Picture Show” by Stone Temple Pilots sounds like a Badfinger cover to me. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ds_43MdYiuQ/hqdefault.jpg "Stone Temple Pilots - Lady Picture Show (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds_43MdYiuQ) ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/66 "2020-04-29T12:22:21Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > … > [Walk of Life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUW6G5QdyYU) by Dire Straits sounds just like a Bruce Springsteen song. > … Holy cow, I never noticed that! Spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/67 "2020-04-29T15:54:06Z")
Much of The Spongetones’ output sounds like covers of other groups, in [this case](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCr_8tvbxpA&frags=pl%2Cwn) The Hollies. _My girl Maryanne She tries to get in as many words as she possibly can I love Maryanne She understands_ ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/68 "2020-04-29T17:18:56Z")
I think that the Hollies always sounded like a cover of various other bands. I listened to a lot of music during the period that they were popular. When I, decades later, ran across their name and wasn’t sure I remembered them, I listened again to their music. Each song of theirs that I remembered I thought that some other group of the time did. I had no idea that those songs were all from the same group. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/69 "2020-04-29T19:23:50Z")
Franz Ferdinand’s “Take me Out” is a cover of Genesis’s “That’s all” ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/70 "2020-04-29T20:46:30Z")
Weird Al Yankovic is the master of deliberately doing this. (He calls them “style parodies”). They aren’t parodies of any particular song, but the style of a certain artist. He usually has 2 or 3 on each album, and they are often the best songs on the album. Examples: Germs - Nine Inch Nails Everything you know is wrong - They Might be Giants Skipper Dan - Weezer Genius in France - Frank Zappa CNR - The White Stripes Dare to be Stupid - Devo ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/71 "2020-04-30T18:37:49Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > I think that the Hollies always sounded like a cover of various other bands. I listened to a lot of music during the period that they were popular. When I, decades later, ran across their name and wasn’t sure I remembered them, I listened again to their music. Each song of theirs that I remembered I thought that some other group of the time did. I had no idea that those songs were all from the same group. Well, “Just One Look”, “The Air That I Breathe”, and “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” are all covers. (Of these three, only “Just One Look” charted under an earlier performer.) But most of their radio singles were original compositions. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/72 "2020-04-30T19:07:41Z")
Right, they didn’t do covers in general. My problem was that when I rediscovered them in the past few years I was surprised to discover that a bunch of songs I vaguely remembered were all by the Hollies. Each of their songs sort of reminded me of the songs of other groups of the time when the Hollies were most popular. Somehow I missed noting that each of those songs was by the Hollies, since I didn’t listen closely to what the D.J.s would say as they introduced their songs. In my mind, up to the point that I rediscovered the Hollies, I had either assumed that each of those songs were by various one-hit wonder groups or were by various well-known groups who did songs vaguely in that style. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/73 "2020-04-30T19:33:44Z")
> [@skdo23](#): > > This was done to death in 1992, but _Plush_ by Stone Temple Pilots sounded like it was sung by Pearl Jam. I think I’ve told this story before…years and years ago I was at my mom’s for Thanksgiving, and my brother had one of the football games on. I wasn’t paying a lot of attention, and then it was halftime. I was half paying attention, but I asked my brother "When did Pearl Jam get so _bad?"_ Turns out it was Creed. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/74 "2020-05-01T02:57:27Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > Weird Al Yankovic is the master of deliberately doing this. (He calls them “style parodies”). They aren’t parodies of any particular song, but the style of a certain artist. He usually has 2 or 3 on each album, and they are often the best songs on the album. > Examples: > Germs - Nine Inch Nails > Everything you know is wrong - They Might be Giants > Skipper Dan - Weezer > Genius in France - Frank Zappa > CNR - The White Stripes > Dare to be Stupid - Devo You forgot [Dog Eat Dog](https://youtu.be/TuSlrEoPWoQ) in the Talking Heads style, and [Bob](https://youtu.be/JUQDzj6R3p4) in the style of Bob Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/75 "2020-05-01T14:34:44Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > You forgot [Dog Eat Dog](https://youtu.be/TuSlrEoPWoQ) in the Talking Heads style, and [Bob](https://youtu.be/JUQDzj6R3p4) in the style of Bob Dylan. Didn’t forget… just didn’t want to make an exhaustive list because I’d be here all day. 🙂 (Craigslist - in the style of The Doors, Mission Statement - in the style of CSNY, etc., etc.) ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/76 "2020-05-01T15:00:40Z")
Another Dire Straits error. First time I heard Sultans of Swing, I thought it was some new amazing Dylan track. Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2020, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/77 "2020-05-02T01:24:17Z")
Leonard Cohen’s [Death of a Ladies Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiygaIWqiQE) Sounds a bit like Pink Floyd. ---
**Author:** ![mikeb33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@mikeb33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikeb33)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/78 "2021-03-24T11:42:22Z")
The Hollies “Long Cool Woman” sounds like CCR with the twangy guitar and lazily spoken lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/79 "2021-03-24T12:45:33Z")
And “La Grange” starts off like a John Lee Hooker “Boogie Chillun” cover. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982/80 "2021-03-24T13:00:57Z")
> [@digs](#): > > When I first heard “[Romeo and Juliet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ojU2T_U7Bk)” at first I thought it was an obscure Dylan song. (“Wait… that’s Knopfler’s guitar… this is Dire Straits?” When I was a kid in the late 70s, I thought “Sultans of Swing” was by Eric Clapton. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-sound-like-covers-of-another-band-or-group-but-arent/851982.md?page=5)