Sound-Alike Songs
It always kills me when some song you’re listening to sounds like another song.
For example, the opening acoustic guitar riff to “Life Worth Livin’ ” from Uncle Tupelo’s No Depression sounds like the acoustic guitar that drives “You Never Get What You Want” from Patty Griffin’s Living With Ghosts. Another example from my music collection is how the opening bass line and drum kitting from Guster’s “Diane” off of Keep It Together sounds like the opening lines to The Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight”.
You have any examples of this that you’d like to share?
Like “Ice Ice Baby” sounds like “Under Pressure”
September 30th, 2005 at 14:49Or is that too easy?
The chorus melody of Goo Goo Doll’s song Eyes Wide Open sounds a lot like the one in Paul Westerburg’s World Class Fad.
Also, there’s a guitar riff in Loreena McKennitt’s song The Bonny Swans that reminds me terribly of the riff in Santana’s Smooth.
The Havens Gray from AP’s latest reminds me of a Toad the Wet Sprocket song from Coil, but I don’t know which one. It might be a more general texture of the song on that one, though. Does that count?
October 3rd, 2005 at 09:33Ooh. I have a feeling I could come up with a lot of these. For now, I’ll just mention a couple of the ones that come to mind first.
Whoever wrote “Fade” by Love.45 was almost certainly a Goo Goo Dolls fan, because it has a lot of the same feel and structure as “Iris.” It’s also pretty similar in some ways to Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be.”
The opening guitar riff in Banananarama’s version of “Venus” used to always make me think of the one from The Who’s “Pinball Wizard.”
Frankie Sullivan of Survivor had a habit of reusing guitar riffs, but that probably doesn’t count.
October 4th, 2005 at 07:35what modern girl singer sings a song that soundslike ‘Can’t take my eyes of you?’ what is the name of it…..?
October 16th, 2005 at 02:56Ok, here’s a few
Bob Marley – ‘Buffalo Soldier’ sound just like the theme tune to the Banana Splits show.
Iggy Pop – ‘Lust for life’, was clearly ripped by Jet on ‘Are you gonna be my girl’
U2 ‘Beautiful Day’, when he comes in with the chorus, it sounds like he’s about to sing ‘The sun always shines on TV’ by AHA
The Rolling Stones – ‘Brown Sugar’, was obviously the inspiration (and the basis) of the Dandy Warhols ‘Bohemian like you’
The Beatles ‘Obladi Oblidah’ was ripped by the Offspring with ‘Why don’t you get a job’
Paul Weller’s ‘Changingman’ was exactly the same as the Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘10835 Overture’
There are more.
October 16th, 2005 at 03:48Do u know by any chance which song sounds like ashlee simpson’s song ‘boyfriend’?
November 25th, 2005 at 22:58Ummmm … nope.
November 25th, 2005 at 22:59How about the song that sounds like “Take Me Out” by Frandz Ferdinand. I really need to know what it’s called and who it’s by. Anyone know?
August 9th, 2006 at 22:06The chorus of Judas Priest’s “Tyrant” sounds a lot like the one in Jim Stafford’s “Spiders and Snakes”…
August 10th, 2006 at 10:59The ‘living end’ song ‘i cant give you what i havent got’ sounds a bit like Franz Ferdinand.
August 12th, 2006 at 05:01Check out the respective intros of the Muse song “In Your World” and InMe’s “OtherSide”…
Somebody ring the lawyers!
August 29th, 2006 at 15:36http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysc8UYrQLtM
first 10 seconds. sounds almost IDENTICLE to another song. and i can’t think of it. and its bugging me out of my MIND
September 22nd, 2006 at 21:55this one has been killing me!!
Ray Lynch does a song, Celestial Soda Pop.
it sounds like a song, done by a woman (with lyrics) in the 80’s.
October 8th, 2006 at 05:16HELP ME!!
CAll Me, Blondie
October 8th, 2006 at 05:36Celestial Soda Pop, Ray Lynch
institute, bulletproof skin:
October 8th, 2006 at 05:40chorus, came from Ill Nino, I am Loco.
Chevelle’s “send the pain below” its a copy of “Be quiet and Drive” by the Deftones
December 20th, 2006 at 22:46The song “The Black Magic Show” by Elefant has a beginning intro that is totally from another song and I just can’t remember what 80’s/ 90’s band it sounds like. Listen and please help me out.
January 20th, 2007 at 12:49the song Shut your eyes by Snow patrol track no4 on the eyes open cd sounds like something from way back can anyone tell me what or who it might be thx
January 30th, 2007 at 12:02“Somewhere Out There” (from that Sondheim animated feature about Fyvel, a mouse,) is so obviously a rip off of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”!
February 10th, 2007 at 16:40And what about the link between Smells like Teen spirit (Nirvana) and the guitarverse/chrous (whatever) in More than a feeling (Boston)?
March 5th, 2007 at 12:082 songs EXACTLY the same, IMHO, but I like them both: Billy Bragg – Take Down The Union Jack remix [2002](Free MP3 download from billybragg.co.uk) and The Hives – Hate To Say I Told You So [2000]
March 9th, 2007 at 02:30three similar intros: inxs “burn for you”, blondie “heart of glass”,and an abba song too
plastic bertrand sings ooh-ooh-oohohh in ‘ce plane pou moir” was from elton johns “your sister cant twist ” about
1 minute 50 seconds.
the same song at 1 minute 53 seconds has an organ solo that sounds like beach boys “amusements parks usa”
the chorus from foo fighters “monkey wrench (one in ten)” from elton john’s “whipping boy”
nirvana “come as you are” sounds like split enz “things”.
doesn’t billy joel’s “honesty” sound like elton john’s “sorry seems to be the hardest word”?.
stock,aitken and waterman used the same chorus twice in to jason donovan songs .First in ” “. then in “too late to say goodbye”.
i’ve heard the troggs “wild thing” riff in transvision vamps “baby, i don’t care” , australian band – hunters and collectors “holy grail” and roxette “the look”.
March 9th, 2007 at 08:31elefant “black magic show” chorus sounds like the verse of aussie 80’s band eurogliders “without you”.
March 9th, 2007 at 08:42tatjana simic/gerald joling did a dutch duet of “can’t take my eyes off you “.
“give it to me” by timbaland…the chorus goes “when you see us in the club, you’d be acting real nice, when you see us on the floor, you’d be watching all night”. the beat sounds really familiar. anyone recognize it?
March 12th, 2007 at 02:15Cinderella’s ‘Nobody’s Fool’ is a ripoff of Def Leppard’s ‘Bringin on the Heartbreak’
March 21st, 2007 at 11:47HEY does n e one notice MC Hammer’s(Cant touch this) sounds just like Price’s(Super Freak)
April 7th, 2007 at 20:21Princes*
April 7th, 2007 at 20:21It’s wasn’t prince, it was Rick James!
April 8th, 2007 at 19:59Dear Mr. Fantasy / Traffic
Your Time is Gonna Come / Led Zeppelin
Belong / R.E.M.
April 8th, 2007 at 20:12Back to Earth / Rusted Root
Chris Daughtry. Home. Was that done before? By whom? Because the hook “i’m goin home to a place where i belong” is so familiar – i am sure i heard it years ago already. Anyone know the answer? Did Chris write it? Didn’t he sing it on Idol? Oh, i am so confused. Thanks.
June 1st, 2007 at 09:02http://www.amazon.com/Article-Daughtrys-Home-became-Farewell/forum/FxS2SNM9MTUQHS/TxPXSMKD0FNGM1/1?_encoding=UTF8&cdItems=25&cdAnchor=B000IY04RC&store=music
i don’t know if this will play, but i found this link. Oh, i get it now – they use it for the exit song. duh. But i still feel like it reminds me of a song i heard long ago. From some Indy type band? Hmm. Thanks.
June 1st, 2007 at 09:06I think the refrain in Umbrella by Rihanna sounds like the verse in the Cat Stevens song Wild World; and her verse could be a descant over Wild World’s refrain. If it’s not a rip-off it certainly is informed by the earlier work. Good thing Yusuf Islam renounced his secular work… He’ll never know.
June 7th, 2007 at 19:12this is realy doing my head in, chemical brothers teenagers sounds like a few songs but there’s one particular song that is sang solo with bass guitar that sounds allmost identical what’s it called and who sings it, iv’e gotta know before my head explodes.
June 11th, 2007 at 21:34ok, here’s three for the pile
1.
The Police – Bring on the night (1979) and Stevie Nicks White Winged Dove (1981)…intro to White winged dove is uber-famous, however there is little difference between the openings to these songs
2.
“Disarm” by Smashing pumpkins and “zombie” by The Cranberries – not sure who was first, but it’s basically the same song
3.
June 20th, 2007 at 13:25This is more ‘borrowed’ than it is ’sound-alike’…Mighty Mighty Bosstones ‘Where did ya go?” is the same exact chord structure as ‘Lay Lady Lay’ by Bob Dylan.
so i really think that Akons new song “don’t matter” corus sounds just like r. kelly’s ingnition remix corus!! listen and you’ll see what i’m talking about
July 15th, 2007 at 14:48John Mayer’s “Waiting on the world to change” might as well be “People Get Ready”. It’s the same chords, just sped up a little. Take a listen!
July 19th, 2007 at 11:09“I’m the kinda” by the peaches
“I don’t have to try” by Avril Lavigne
“I don’t want to miss a thing” by aerosmith
July 19th, 2007 at 19:33“Do I make you proud” by Taylor Hicks.
The choruses sound suspiciously similar.
Wow I can’t believe how much “Waiting on the world to change” sounds like “people get ready” i just listened to that. Even the little chimes or triangle noise is copied!
I was listening to What I Got by Sublime and the veses sound just like The Beatles’ Lady Madonna.
July 21st, 2007 at 18:14There’s a group called Norwegian Recycling that just mashed up a bunch of songs together into a track they call 8 becomes 1. It actually fits them all in pretty nicely.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeYSkxQxcRM
Some of these songs you don’t even think would fit. It uses the loop of the Black Eye Peas’ “Where is the love”
July 22nd, 2007 at 23:30There is a British group called Texas, and their 1999 song “In our Lifetime”, the chorus sounds almost dead on TLC’s 1994 song “Creep”.
[Creep Chorus]
So I creep yeah
Just keep it on the down low
Said nobody is supposed 2 know
So I creep yeah
‘Cause he doesn’t know
What I do and no attention
Goes to show oh so I creep
[In our Lifetime Chorus]
August 28th, 2007 at 09:16Once in a lifetime
You have seen what I’ve seen
You will always swim for shore
Once in my lifetime
I’ll never be in between
Some things you just can’t ignore
Creep video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzb9anFDjWo
In Our Lifetime video:
August 28th, 2007 at 09:18http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8rnblOfeKU
There is a song that was popular several years ago that I thought sounded like “Angel of the Morning” by Marilee Rush. She was a one-hit-wonder with that song in 1968. I can’t think of the song now, but they copied the melody and some of the lyrics and put a different beat to it and called it something else. I can’t believe they didn’t get sued for it as it sounded that close.. much closer than other songs that have been acused of plagerism.
September 7th, 2007 at 16:26I forgot to ask if anyone knows what song I am referring to. (see above comment from me)
September 7th, 2007 at 16:27Okay, I figured it out.. I was referring to Shaggy’s “Angel”. The chorus is a total rip off of the 1968 hit, “Angel of the Morning” by Marilee Rush. Check it out:
Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBmbAqdxw8A
Compare the chorus to this 1968 song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri1ZixuviRc
When the Shaggy song came out, I called the DJ on the radio and asked him if he heard the similarity and he said no, that he thought Shaggy’s song was a rip-off of Steve Miller’s “Joker”. I didn’t really see that similarity, but the chorus is way too similar to “Angel of the Morning” to not hear it.
September 8th, 2007 at 16:58Fergies Big Girls Dont Cry, sounds like Extreme’s MORE THAN WORDS
September 15th, 2007 at 23:56John Lennon’s Version of “STAND BY ME” and green day’s song: “MACY’S DAY PARADE” the original “STAND BY ME” by ben e king has the same ORCHESTRAL BREAK as MACY’s DAY PARADE, check it out!
September 16th, 2007 at 00:02To Missy:
September 16th, 2007 at 00:06the guitar riff is the riff from the STEVE MILLER BAND song THE JOKER:, the melody is from the ANGEL OF THE MORNING song. those two songs have the same chord changes.
here’s four sound alikes:
On The Road Again: by Canned Heat
September 16th, 2007 at 00:13La Grange: by Z Z Top
Bad Bad Thing: by Chris Isaak
Green Onions: by Booker T and the MG’s
Some of these are samples. Shaggy credited “Angel of the Morning,” didn’t he?
Two that bug me:
“Girls and Boys” by Good Charlotte rips off “Girls and Boys” by Blur. Especially the part in the Good Charlotte song that goes “And these girls like these boys like these boys like these girls….” I heard Damon Albarn say once the only reason they didn’t go after them is because it’s very expensive and hard to prove.
And the Sublime/Beatles connection with “What I Got” and “Lady Madonna.” When I heard it, I thought it was a remake.
September 16th, 2007 at 10:07The ending to Bite to Break Skin by Senses Fail sounds almost EXACTLY like Bullets For Blood by Behing Crimson Eyes
October 27th, 2007 at 16:56Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings” and Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” are basically the same song with different lyrics. The music is the same. The lyrical melodies are identical. My girlfriend likes the Groban song, and everytime she plays it I start singing Midler’s lyrics and it pisses her off. She is in denial that Groban ripped off Midler. To me, it’s blatant robbery! I can’t believe Midler hasn’t sued him … yet.
October 29th, 2007 at 20:51The guitar in “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” by Led Zeppelin sounds like the opening of “25 Or 6 To 4″ by Chicago. The Led Zeppelin song came out about 1 year earlier than the Chicago song, so if anything, I guess Chicago ripped them off.
November 11th, 2007 at 23:03Hey copied a song me love
Original Song: http://www.esnips.com/doc/f8998f5e-7636-4700-9105-dad94b651c14/Dyer-Maker
His Copy: http://www.esnips.com/doc/181a4cd6-e077-47c8-9d3f-4f783ce60aac/Sean-Kingston—Me-Love
December 11th, 2007 at 18:24Take a listen to Britney Spears – “Piece of Me” then listen to Freestyle – “Don’t stop the rock”.
February 14th, 2008 at 19:23- Oasis’ “Don’t look back in anger” sounds very much like John Lennon’s “Woman is the n***** of the world”.
- Hear’Say’s “Pure and simple” sounds very much like Oasis’ “All around the world”.
- Oasis’ “Shakermaker” BLATANTLY rips off Coca`Cola’s theme song, “I’d like to teach the world to sing”.
March 1st, 2008 at 17:15“Sister Golden Hair” by America.
and
“Without You” by Harry Nilsson.
But just the first parts.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:15dance, dance by fall out boy sounds like anything, anything by dramarama especially with the guitar riffs that was according to my husband and now i think i agree with him… just don’t tell him!
April 6th, 2008 at 23:04There is a song from the mid 90’s that I heard again the other night and it sounds like about 6 different Beatles songs
May 26th, 2008 at 02:13…I am the Walrus,Hello Hello,Lady Madonna(a little bit)and
Strawberry fields…does anyone know this song?When it was new
I never knew the name of it
I know one:
Prince; “I feel for you”
Eagles of Death Metal; “Nasty Notion”
They’re mysteriously alike. AND both nice.
But help me; There is a song from the sixties which sounds exactly like the Beatles, voices and all, its very alike the verse in “All my lovin” by the Beatles, but also very much alike “Girls in their summer clothes” by Bruce Springsteen.
June 9th, 2008 at 18:17Anyone know what song that is??
I know now!
It is “The Kids are allright” by The Who! It’s very alike “All my loving”
June 11th, 2008 at 13:23Celestial Soda pop by Ray Lynch = Call me by Blondie
June 23rd, 2008 at 04:48“Complicated” by Avril Lavigne and “How’s it Gonna Be” by Third Eye Blind actually play well together (when mixed)
“Family Affair” By Mary J. Blige mixes nearly perfectly (key and tempo) with “Try Again” by Aaliyah
Just to bring this post into the realms of pop xD
The choruses to Leona Lewis’ “I Will Be” and James Blunt’s “Carry You Home”…same chord progression, same melodic shape…the first time I heard “Carry You Home”, I was singing along before I even knew how it went cuz it was so alike to Leona’s song!
The Veronica’s “4ever” and Pink’s “U + Ur Hand” choruses share same chord progression, similar production, albeit different melodies but you’d be forgiven for thinking they were related somehow.
Lemar’s “If There’s Any Justice” and Shapeshifters “Lola’s Theme”…the first couple of lines in the verse in both songs sound similar, and I’m suuuure it’s copied from another song…I originally thought “Walk On By” but I don’t think it is.
Then not to mention Avril Lavigne’s whole “Hey, hey, you, you, I don’t like your girlfriend” rip off from “I wanna be your boyfriend” by The Rubinoos…total copy!
Madonna’s “Future Lovers” bassline totally copies Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”…however, I don’t know if that’s a deliberate sample or not, but it was my impression that they copied it.
OK, I’m done
July 10th, 2008 at 03:38“You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban is a combo ripoff of Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong.”
July 10th, 2008 at 18:18This has been bugging me for years. The song “Santa Monica” by Everclear has a guitar intro that sounds like a song from the 80s. I’ve been trying to figure this out … any ideas? Please email me at guy_patterson@att.net with subject: Sound-Alike
Thanks!
July 13th, 2008 at 14:40obscure one bombay calling by its a beautiful day ripped by deep purple child in time
August 27th, 2008 at 07:55The chorus of Lost Prophets ‘Town Called Hypocrisy’ sounds exactly like Ricky Martins “Livin La Vida Loca” Lol
December 2nd, 2008 at 15:38Natasha Bedingfield’s song “I Bruise Easily” – the bit where she goes “anyone who can touch you, can hurt you or heal you; anyone who can reach you can love you or leave you” sounds exactly like the instrumental interlude / riff of Goldfrapp’s “Number 1″.
Who agrees?
December 23rd, 2008 at 03:32Kottonmouth Kings song “Where I’m going” sounds like what other song? Can anyone tell me? Thanks
January 15th, 2009 at 17:43i think Fuego by Pitbull sounds like a few songs … but i just can’t think of the name of the song… can someone tell me please?
August 30th, 2009 at 07:29Roy Jones Jr.’s Can’t be touched sounds a lot like another song, but I can’t figure it out
September 10th, 2009 at 09:35One that bother me is Coldplays, “Death and all his friend” The beginning part before the song changes.
September 29th, 2009 at 09:24i just heard a song that has a bassline similar to steve millers the joker but backwards,sounded like the chorus was “stay with me” it was like a alternative rock song ,,,anyone know
October 12th, 2009 at 19:14I just posted about how Will Smith ripped off old southern rocker Fats Domino in his beat for “Switch”. Listen to the comparison here http://soundsjustlike.com/will-smiths-switch-sounds-like-fats-dominos-im-walkin/
October 24th, 2009 at 16:31