“Borrowed Tune” from Tonight’s The Night, shockingly enough.
I hear huge similarities in the chorus of Lovin and Cherry Pie - not the lyrics, but the guitar riff.
Good stuff about Pearl Jam - I’d forgotten that most of that record was written before Vedder joined the band.
Adding yet another one : Remember the theme from the Smurfs? It’s the same melody as “Centerfold” from J. Geils Band.
It gets worse. Youtube is now full of videos where people reveal the secret of writing a hit song. With 4 chords.
Not the entire song, but Lennon’s Just Like Starting Over has the lines
“…but when I see you darling, it’s like we both are falling…”
which remind me of
“…but she looks in my eyes, and makes me realize…”
in Brian Wilson’s Don’t Worry Baby.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ “Dani California” sounds similar to Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”.
To the point where people asked why Petty didn’t sue.
Also, the base line of Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4” sounds like the descending guitar line from Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”.
The one hit wonders “The Trashmen’s” “Surfin’ Bird” and The Trashmen’s “Bird Dance Beat”. Granted, it was likely done on purpose. I guess they were trying to recapture the success of the their first and only hit. Actually, i think they tried to immitate Surfin’ Bird a few times. Sort of sad, especially when you consider they stole the original from the “Rivingtons”.
I noticed that the first time I heard “Starting Over.”
The one I find funny is the beginning of “Back in the USSR,” whose opening riff closely mimics that of “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy” by the Ohio Express!
Pinball Wizard is reminiscent of The Wabash Cannonball to my ears. Musically as well as lyrically, with the “from [location x] to [location y]” opening line and all the verses having an AABB scheme culminating in a “ball” rhyme.
Are you joking?
The guitar riffs have no “huge similarities” in the chorus or verse.
Secondly, “Centerfold” and the Smurf song do not have the same melody at all.
Try “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “The Alphabet Song” THOSE have the same melody.
Mary Had A Little Lamb doesn’t belong there. Baa Baa Black Sheep does, however. Along with Mozarts "Variations on “Ah, Vous Dirai-Je, Maman”, which is the original French folksong that they all came from.
ETA: Mary Had A Little Lamb DOES have the same melody as London Bridge is Falling Down, though.
I thought the same thing, but then I watched this http://youtu.be/OX12c8GLVJc
OMG
Ray just couldn’t see going to court over it.
How about the “Star Wars” theme and “Born Free.”? One is the other one, played upside down. I’ll never forget Victor Borgia appearing on Johnny Carson, sets some sheet music down on the piano, and plays “Born Free.” Then he turns the sheet music over, and plays “Star Wars.” Classic.
Kanye West’s Black Skinhead sounds a lot like the Doctor Who theme to me.
Well, that and Ray didn’t write it. Melanie Safka (of “Brand New Key” fame) wrote it. I assume she also didn’t see going to court over it, though, because I can’t find any indication online of a royalty battle between her and ELO, either…
There is a crappy Pretenders song (Don’t get me wrong?) from late in the catalog when they really were pretending that sounds just like some crappy Miami Sound Machine song. I despise them both, and won’t go looking for links.
OOPS! I knew it was one of them.:smack:
Nice, but still not the same melody.
Miike Snow’s “Paddling Out”, used to annoying regularity in the new Budweiser “Grab Some Buds” commercials, has the same chord changes (though at different tempo and spacing) as Bob Marley’s “Jammin’”.
Maybe retribution for Bob stealing the Banana Splits theme song for “Buffalo Soldier”?
A quick look, contains many of the ones mentioned here already.
Led Zeppelin and a whole bunch of other artists
