Talent borrows, Genius steals: Best ripped-off riffs and pilfered sounds

[Michael K.]

In the spirit of the 'best covers' thread of the past, but different - I'm thinking of parts of songs, or whole songs, which rip off an intro, a riff, a melody from a song that came before it. Or at least come close enough that you can hear the resemblance. I'm NOT talking about covers, and I'm not talking about sampling - I think we've pretty much got to discount acts that sample from this thread (i.e. just about anything in hip-hop), not because I don't like a good sample, but that's not the gist of this thread.

Some of them might be flagrant and intentional (see Gallagher, Noel) and some might be pretty obscure and possibly not even intentional - but recognizable none the less.

To get you started, off the top of my head...

Oasis - Shakermaker: that's just the New Seekers' I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing by another name.

also Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger: I think Noel's heard Imagine once or twice before

The Jam - Start!: As long as we're talking about the Beatles, might as well mention The Jam's ripoff of Taxman

Smashing Pumpkins - Today: I hear the intro to Blur's Chemical World in the intro to this

Pulp - Disco 2000: The opening is straight off of Gloria, by Melissa Manchester

Texas - Say What You Want: Sounds a lot like Sexual Healing to me


more later...

[metrocorazon]

I think this is a pretty useless topic as EVERY SINGLE band has borrowed from others before them. So if you want lets just list every single band from here to Mozart.

[Unorthodox Yank]

Anybody who deosnt hear "what i got" by sublime, and doesnt see that its prerty much a copy of "lady madonna" by the beatles is a jerk.

[skipshady]

The opening riff on No Doubt's "Don't Speak" is Aerosmith's "Dream On", isn't it?

And Craig David's "Walking Away" borrows so heavily from U2, he actually sang the first verse from "One" before seamlessly moving onto "Walking Away" at the MTV Europe Awards.

[nicodemus]

Originally posted by metrocorazon
I think this is a pretty useless topic as EVERY SINGLE band has borrowed from others before them. So if you want lets just list every single band from here to Mozart. well, mozart ripped off Bach to a certain extent and Bach ripped off the lutheran church's hymns, and the lutheran church ripped off the ... who cares right?

[slipknotter]

the main riff to Papa Roach's "Last Resort" sounds like a rip off of Maiden's "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

[obie]

Everybody who ever ripped off Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley" -- nobody pays to use the Bo Diddley Beat.

[Auriaprottu]

Motown.

[sebakoole]

Originally posted by Michael K.
The Jam - Start!: As long as we're talking about the Beatles, might as well mention The Jam's ripoff of Taxman
Hmm, never noticed that, I guess you're right.

The Foo Fighters' "Ain't it the Life" sounds a lot like "Across the Universe" by the Beatles.

[Smiley321]

Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit" is a boiled-down version of the melody from Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla"

[nancyb]

Soundtrack of Their Lives, Indepent Luxury, borrows heavily from the Buffalo Springfield's Mr. Soul - written by Neil Young. Interestingly, they have a lyric in there that recalls Young's line, "It's better to burn out than fade away," so I think that they are quite open in acknowledging their influence.

[Ellison]

not a sample, just a ripoff ...

Eminem using the beginning of Malcolm McLaren's Buffalo Gals.

[skipshady]

Originally posted by Ellison
not a sample, just a ripoff ...

Eminem using the beginning of Malcolm McLaren's Buffalo Gals. I thought that was a "reference" rather than a ripoff.

In the song but he talks about being a white artist that exploits "black music" for his personal gains and he's taking an indirect jab at Malcolm McLaren (and himself to a lesser extent) for latching on to hip hop.

[sanariot]

Originally posted by slipknotter
the main riff to Papa Roach's "Last Resort" sounds like a rip off of Maiden's "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

Also, they ripped off the real powerful crunching guitar part during the verses of that song from Green Day's "Geek Stink Breath"

[Real Ray]

The one that always comes first to my mind is, "Boogie With Stu" by Led Zeppelin-who had the audacity to list themselves as composers when it's a clear cover of "Oh My Head," by Richie Valens. They eventually settled out of court, listing Ms. Valens on the song credit for future royalties

[sanariot]

Speaking of Led Zep, Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4" is a blatant rip off of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You."

Listen to Oasis' song "Stand By Me" after the 'nobody knows/the way it's gonna be' part in the chorus and tell me you don't hear "All the Young Dudes" by Mott The Hoople.

The Hives' "Hate to Say I Told You So" is a speeded up version of the Sex Pistols' "Submission."

Oasis' "Cigarettes And Alcohol" is T. Rex's "Bang A Gong (Get It On).

Travis' "Writing To Reach You" is Oasis' "Wonderwall" (They even say 'What's a Wonderwall, anyway?' in the first verse.)

[SixFeetUnder]

How about bands that have ripped off themselves?

The Ramones' Rockaway Beach and Rock 'n Roll High School are virtually the same song. Try singing the chorus of one over the chorus of the other...


Otherwise, the worst example of a band ripping off another band is Jan & Dean's Sidewalk Surfin'. It's the same song as Catch a Wave. Exactly.

Second worst: I Want a New Drug (Huey Lewis) ripped off Ray Parker, Jr.'s Ghostbusters. I think there was a lawsuit over it...

[sanariot]

Originally posted by Michael K.
Oasis - Shakermaker: that's just the New Seekers' I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing by another name.


See also Oasis' "Fade Away" (Wham's - "Freedom").

Oasis' "Step Out" (Noel was actually sued by Stevie Wonder over the similarity between this song and "Uptight - Everything's Alright") - It sounds like Cheap Trick covering Stevie Wonder to me, but I digress.

[sanariot]

Originally posted by SixFeetUnder
How about bands that have ripped off themselves?

The Ramones' Rockaway Beach and Rock 'n Roll High School are virtually the same song. Try singing the chorus of one over the chorus of the other...

How about Roxy Music's "Editions Of You" and "Street Life"? Same song if you ask me.

[sanariot]

The Beach Boys' "Surfin' USA" is Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music"

George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" is The Chiffons' "He's So Fine"