Top 5 Music Rip-offs/Coincidences

Ever hear a song and go "Fucking hell, that sounds an awful like such-and-such". Well here's 5 examples of songs that could well be either blatant copies on the part of the artist or simply a case of sheer coincidence. The 5 below are not samples. They're not acknowledged "inspired by" parts like other songs. There is no admitted connection between the sound-a-like and the earlier version.


5. HEAR'SAY - PURE AND SIMPLE

This isn't a really obvious one (partly the reason why its number 5) but this always used to bother me. If you don't remember this "Classic" from one of the earliest Reality TV show bands then here you go (actual video is removed from embedding so here's a dodgy(er) version):



SOUNDS LIKE:

AROUND THE WORLD - OASIS



This isn't that easy to hear and its possibly my brain playing tricks on me but listen to the chorus part "All around the world/Gotta spread the world etc", then go back and listen to the chorus of Pure and Simple and sing the Oasis chorus over it. See? Its subtle but its there. Who would have thought it. A reality show pop band ripping somebody off.


4. AVRIL LAVIGNE - GIRLFRIEND

You've heard the story about Avril and Co. being sued over this before I'm sure as it was only just sorted recently but in case you don't know what it sounds like (and you get more respect from me if you don't) then here it is:



SOUNDS LIKE:

THE RUBINOOS - I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND

So the whole "Hey Hey You You I wanna be your ( )friend" similarity is quite coincimental but is it likely that she did steal it?



Personally I reckon the Rubinoos should take the stance that Peaches took when Avril ripped her off. Several million more people have heard their song now that she's done it than had heard it before. And its a fucking awful song anyway. They should be thanking her. Muppets.


3. 2 UNLIMITED - TRIBAL DANCE

Remember this? Shit song. Shit band. Who could they have possibly ripped off?



SOUNDS LIKE

2 UNLIMITED - TWILIGHT ZONE

Themselves apparently



Shocking.


2. ELASTICA - CONNECTION

Back at the height of Britpop Elasica were never up their with Blur and Oasis in terms of popularity but they had some great songs and not just a few suggestions of unoriginality. Their first album was supposedly written by Damon Albarn, a fact that is made even stranger by the fact that the band took 5 years to write an inferior follow-up following the break-up of Albarn and Elasica's Justine Frischman. Then there's the fact that one of the best songs on the album ("Waking up") sounds so like The Stranglers its remarkable that it didn't actually manage to sound like any Stranglers song in particular. This one however:



SOUNDS LIKE

WIRE - THREE GIRL RHUMBA



Not a sample but an out and out rip-off. How Wire didn't try and sue I'll never know. Both are great songs in their own right though.


1. NIRVANA - COME AS YOU ARE

Nirvana? One of the most original bands of the 90's? Rip offs? Surely not. Well you all know the song in question



SOUNDS LIKE

KILLING JOKE - EIGHTIES



Nowhere near the worst band to ever come out of the 80's and this song is actually pretty darn good. The coincidence however is far too...um...coincidental. The opening riff is sped up but is very similar and the fact that the same guitar effect is used on it makes me think "Hmm Mr Cobain, you appear to have shot yourself in the....foot with this one". Killing Joke attempted a suing and would probably have won but they called off the dogs after Kurt died. Pity. They should have passed the buck to Courteney. The less money that she has the better.