Moments of Musical Mimicry

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The Mission's "Wasteland" basically is "Over the Wall" by Echo & the Bunnymen.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 5 December 2003 08:26 (twenty years ago) link

the drum parts for oasis' "fucking in the bushes" and prince's "tick tick bang"

― k good, Friday, 5 December 2003 09:56 (twenty years ago) link

hmm ... never heard that Oasis track ... but the Prince song drum track is a sample of "Little Miss Lover" by Jimi Hendrix.

― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 5 December 2003 09:58 (twenty years ago) link

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" = minor chords versh of Pixies "Debaser"!!!!!

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Friday, 5 December 2003 10:08 (twenty years ago) link

Tori Amos "Cornflake Girl" vs the theme from "Shelley" w/Hywel Bennet

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 5 December 2003 10:44 (twenty years ago) link

"Bill McCai" by The Coral = "These Boots Are Made For Walking"

Also, much has been made in years past, in various circles, of "Waking Up" = "No More Heroes", but I found the track The Stranglers ripped off in the first place for *that* riff. It's a keyboard riff at the beginning of a track on The Essential Pebbles and now it's come to it I can't remember what it's called... it's not "You Treated Me Bad" by the JuJus, is it? (Look for update on this once I get home to check)

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 5 December 2003 10:52 (twenty years ago) link

I think Yeah Yeah Yeah's Our Time steals both its structure and its primary melody from The Bangles'/Prince's Manic Monday.

― Dave Vinson (Gaughin), Friday, 5 December 2003 11:06 (twenty years ago) link

"Just" by Radiohead has always sounded very like King Crimson's "Red" to me, moreso than "Shot By Both Sides", which "Just" is always alleged to have been a rip-off of.

I know every track on Pink Flag is supposed to be a re-cycling of something or other, but I can never tell what, aside from "Feeling Called Love" being "Louie Louie".

― Schwingung (Damian), Friday, 5 December 2003 11:51 (twenty years ago) link

The Coup uses the melody of 7th Wonder's "Daisy Lady" (also famously used in Sugarhill Gang's "8th Wonder") on "Everythang". I first thought it was a legitimate loan, since the melody is so well-known in rap, but the album sleeve doesn't give any credit to 7th Wonder. Is this a mistake or a rip-off?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 5 December 2003 12:16 (twenty years ago) link

"Shot by both sides" -> "Sound of the underground" girls aloud

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 5 December 2003 12:41 (twenty years ago) link

Mentioned on another thread: Bob Marley's "Buffalo Soldier" and the Banana Splits theme!

― David A. (Davant), Friday, 5 December 2003 21:57 (twenty years ago) link

The chorus of "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" reminds me of the Chorus from Radiohead's "Bones". The riff reminds me of "Highway To Hell".

― man, Friday, 5 December 2003 22:00 (twenty years ago) link

Norah Jones rips off that Charlie Brown xmas special.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 5 December 2003 22:01 (twenty years ago) link

I'm spluttering with confusion and outrage and delight at the SBBS/Sound of the Underground claim, I'm gonna have to check that out

― F. Anthony O'Reilly (Ferg), Friday, 5 December 2003 22:04 (twenty years ago) link

Most of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" sounds way too similar to "Primitive Love" by Suzi Quatro. Total rip-off.

― may pang (maypang), Friday, 5 December 2003 22:06 (twenty years ago) link

Also Interpol's love of that whole Chameleons cymbal-rattling drumbeat thing, and the twin-chorus-delay guitars thing, esp. on 'Leif Erikson', which may as well be a cover of 'The View From A Hill' at the start.

And that one that sounds like This Charming Man.

― F. Anthony O'Reilly (Ferg), Friday, 5 December 2003 22:10 (twenty years ago) link

in "anti-manifesto" by Propagandhi, when he says "by the way i stole this riff," whose riff is it? anyone know?

― Felcher (Felcher), Friday, 5 December 2003 22:12 (twenty years ago) link

In that vein, there's "Borrowed Tune" by Neil Young ("this borrowed tune I stole from the Rolling Stones"), which is a straight steal of "Lady Jane".

― Schwingung (Damian), Saturday, 6 December 2003 02:53 (twenty years ago) link

one month passes...

The riff from Pink floyd's Interstellar Overdrive = theme from Steptoe and Son

― pete s, Saturday, 31 January 2004 15:14 (twenty years ago) link

Tin Machine's "Crack City" is "Wild Thing" with the third chord sheared off.

― Ian Grey (Ian_G), Saturday, 31 January 2004 16:36 (twenty years ago) link

The bridge in Natalie Imbruglia's version of Torn and the riff in James' She's A Star.

And the opening of Tender (Blur) has always reminded me of the opening of Here (Pavement).

― syntaxfree, Saturday, 31 January 2004 17:21 (twenty years ago) link

seven months pass...

Smiths Panic = Metal Guru T Rex

― Bumfluff, Tuesday, 7 September 2004 01:06 (nineteen years ago) link

I thought we were talking about intentional quotes... I love how the Dresden Dolls' "Good Day" lapses into "I Will Survive" for a bar or two.

If we're talking ripoffs, however, then I submit R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" as a slightly slowed-down version of Neil Young's "Hey Hey My My."

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 01:11 (nineteen years ago) link

"I thought we were talking about intentional quotes"

Good god I don't know...you may be right. I was just wanting a
'stuff that sounds like other stuff' thread but frankly the search
process flummoxes me..especially when I'm up late and tired like now blah blah..

― Bumfluff, Tuesday, 7 September 2004 01:20 (nineteen years ago) link

"Hey, hey, rock and roll, rock on, ooh my soul" vs. "Hey, kids, rock and roll, nobody tells you where to go, baby"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 7 September 2004 01:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Hey, if you want to do an all-REM edition, there's always "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" (self-explanatory) and "Hope" (Cohen's "Suzanne") - although in both cases the Southern gentlemen actually give their inspirations a co-writing credit, thus cutting them in on the publishing royalties.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 01:27 (nineteen years ago) link

pooh sticks' complete oeuvre to thread.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 03:19 (nineteen years ago) link

everyone knows one can sing "sweet child o' mine" perfectly over the verses of the clean's "drawing to a whole."

also, maybe someone here remembers which it was, but i recall a silkworm record from '95 or so which, during the course of one song had a guitar solo that blatantly mimicked a pavement solo, from which tune i can't recall.

and speaking of pavement, the beginning of "silence kit" resembles "everyday" by buddy holly.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 15:41 (nineteen years ago) link

David Bowie: Red Sails = Harmonia: Monza

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 15:47 (nineteen years ago) link

The first eight bars of the guitar solo in Matthew Sweet's "Behind the Smile" are almost identical to the same bars in the solo of Badfinger's "Baby Blue." And there's another M. Sweet solo that rips off the "Sweet Child O'Mine" riff, but I can't remember which.

― phil d., Tuesday, 7 September 2004 16:20 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh, and the chords for chorus of The Darkness' "Keep Your Hands Off My Woman" are identical to Urge Overkill's "Sister Havana." The melody is completely different, but the chords are played in the same order and rhythm.

― phil d., Tuesday, 7 September 2004 16:22 (nineteen years ago) link

R. Kelly's "Ignition (Remix)" = Sheryl Crow's "Leaving Las Vegas"

I doubt it's intentional or anything, but it's still uncanny.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 17:30 (nineteen years ago) link

muddy waters "mannish boy" = bo diddley "i'm a man"

the songs are pretty much identical. muddy waters would've made a good pooh stick.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 17:45 (nineteen years ago) link

the basic drum-and-bass riff from prince's cream is strikingly similar to the basic drum-and-bass riff from talking heads' version of "take me to the river" (and maybe really similar to the al green version too but, damn, it's been so long since i've heard that one).

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 01:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Tin Machine's "Crack City" is "Wild Thing" with on less chord.
Like, for real.

Bowie's "Absolute Beginners" is "Memories" from Cats.

Actually, a great deal of Bowie, approrpiately, is someone else.

― i grey, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 19:29 (nineteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

http://www.thewebshite.co.uk/nickelback.htm

two nickleback songs played simultaneously, one left channel, one right channel.

― (Jon L), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:12 (nineteen years ago) link

Ike Turner's 'All The Blues, All The Time' has him doing great impersonations of all the other great blues guitarists. Eddie Kirchen's 'Hot Rod Lincoln', at least the recording that I have, has him and the band doing impersonations of loads of people, country, blues, rock, punk, all sorts.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:23 (nineteen years ago) link

eleven months pass...

"Songs for a Blue Guitar" by Red House Painters sounds suspiciously like Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 26 September 2005 00:33 (eighteen years ago) link

six months pass...

HOLY SHIT, I just realized "I Can't Stop Raving" is a rip from Talk Talk's "Dum Dum Girl"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 8 April 2006 00:40 (eighteen years ago) link

speaking only of melodies here...

Sir Douglas Quintet's "Crossroads" = Allman's "Melissa"
Dylan's "Hazel" = Neil's "Ambulance Blues"

and there was one from the other day that was EXACT but i forget now, will remember it and get back to yall

― Branch Dancer, Saturday, 8 April 2006 02:31 (eighteen years ago) link

I heard a 60s soul tune today with the exact same bass-line as Booker T. and the MG's "The Hip Hug-Her" -- anyone know what it is?

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Saturday, 8 April 2006 03:56 (eighteen years ago) link

Nine Inch Nails' "A Warm Place" was once Bowie's "Crystal Japan".

― Lotta Continua (Damian), Saturday, 8 April 2006 07:32 (eighteen years ago) link

nine years pass...

This has been driving me crazy, and a quick Google search turns up nothing, but there is no way this is a coincidence:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAZLmJGQHxc (1982)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eVrT5nZuro (1974)

― Wimmels, Wednesday, 16 March 2016 19:46 (eight years ago) link

The intros to David Bowie's 'Soul Love' and The Cure's 'The Drowning Man'

― // 166,000 W A N K E R S // LOVE (Turrican), Wednesday, 16 March 2016 23:50 (eight years ago) link

six months pass...

Surely I am not the only person to notice this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hW9fADmFrc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRHBLwpASw

― Wimmels, Tuesday, 27 September 2016 14:59 (seven years ago) link

one year passes...

Don Henley's "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" and Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" are pretty much the same song

― Paul Ponzi, Friday, 30 March 2018 11:15 (six years ago) link

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