Top 10 Rip Off Songs You Forgot Were AWESOME

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presleys legendary 1956 hit single Love Me Tender is one of the most perfectly constructed love songs of all-time - a delicately sung and beautifully written ode to the authors beloved. But this song wasnt just plucked out of thin air - at least not in its entirety. Its melody is actually identical to the old Civil War tune Aura Lee - to the point where its composer, George R. Poulton, was actually credited on Presleys updated version. Call it a modified or even an improved take on the song, if youd like - but Love Me Tender has roots that stretch far beyond 20th century music.

Sam Smith

Any songwriter will tell you that plagiarism isnt always intentional - and in Sam Smiths case, they claim that any similarities between their 2014 smash hit Stay With Me and Tom Pettys iconic I Wont Back Down are merely a coincidence. In fact, Smith says they never even heard the song before they were forced to hand over songwriting royalties to Petty and his co-writer Jeff Lynne. Its hard to deny that the melodies are similar - but it did raise an interesting debate over what is considered plagiarism in music. We know we love both songs - and who knows, maybe Smith is right, and their choruses just happen to sound the same. I guess well never know for sure.

Coldplay

Coldplay well and truly burst out of their indie-rock with the pop stomper Viva La Vida in 2008 - a huge commercial success for them, even by the bands lofty standards. But according to the legendary guitarist Joe Satriani, Chris Martin and co. lifted the vocal melody of the verse directly from his instrumental track If I Could Fly. This one is hard to defend. You can hear just how the chord progression and guitar-solo mirror Martins opening lines. In fact, this song has been attacked from all angles with accusations of plagiarism - with everyone from Yusuf / Cat Stevens to the Italian 18th century composer Alessandro Parisotti being pointed to as potential sources for the melody.

The Verve

1990s Britpop didnt get too much better than The Verves Bitter Sweet Symphony - but even though it remains one of the most beloved songs of the decade, its not exactly an entirely original piece. Sure, The Verve received permission from record label Decca Records to use a sample of an orchestral version of The Rolling Stones song The Last Time. But not doing the same with the songs composition rights owner, former Stones manager Allen Klein, turned out to be a hugely expensive decision. The Verve ended up being forced to lose out on all royalties from the song - estimated to be a figure in the millions, before Mick Jagger and Keith Richards eventually signed over the rights to The Verve in 2019.

David Bowie

It might seem odd, but long before he was a globally recognized superstar, David Bowie was a struggling songwriter working for a record-label rewriting foreign hits in the English language. After his translation for the French song "Comme d'habitude" was rejected by Frank Sinatra in favour of Paul Ankas My Way, Bowie got some revenge. He borrowed the songs chord progression and created one of the most memorable songs of the 70s, Life On Mars? Call it plagiarism or good ol fashioned payback - but theres no denying the similarities. Both My Way and Life On Mars? are 10 out of 10s in our book.

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys were most certainly one of the most original and innovative bands of their time - but that didnt mean that they were immune from accusations of plagiarism. Their 1963 hit Surfin U.S.A very clearly is greatly influenced by Chuck Berrys 1958 ode to young girls Sweet Little Sixteen. Lyrical content differences aside, theyre basically the same song. Beach Boys lead singer Brian Wilson rejected the idea of conscious plagiarism - but he was eventually forced to list Berry as a songwriter on the track and its pretty easy to see why.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been known for their mind-bending riffery and complex on-stage jamming for years, but in contrast, their 2006 hit Dani California is pretty straightforward. So much so, in fact, that its 4-chord progression on the verse was deemed to be very similar to Mary Janes Last Dance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. To be fair, while the exact chords used differ, the tone and drive of the verses are strikingly similar. But Petty, who had been around the block at that point in time - was quick to play down any rumors of legal action, giving the Peppers a pass while saying that these things happen in rock n roll. A noble gesture indeed.

The Tokens

One of the most famous and heartbreaking stories of song-theft of all-time is undoubtedly the tale of Solomon Linda and Mbube. This song was improvised and recorded by Linda in South Africa in 1939 - where he then sold its rights for the equivalent of about $2. Fast forward 20 years and the song has been adapted for international audiences into The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens - generating millions of dollars for people who had nothing to do with its creation. Linda, on the other hand, was living in poverty and would die in 1962 - 46 years before he received his songwriting credit, and his estate eventually earned royalties for his work.

Men At Work

Men At Works legendary 1981 hit Down Under noticeably uses the melody of the Australian nursery-rhyme Kookaburra as part of its flute arrangement. According to the band, this was done as an in-joke and tribute to the tune and its Aussie-roots. The rest of the song is totally original. However, a record-label called Larrikin Records, which owns the rights to Kookaburra, ended up successfully taking Men At Work to court for a slice of the royalties the song had earned. Fans of the band were outraged that a very obvious nod to a well-known melody was considered to be a theft of property - but according to plagiarism laws, Men At Work were still at fault.

George Harrison

George Harrison lost many battles to be heard during his run with The Beatles - but when each member dove into their respective solo careers, it was clear that Harrison came out on top. His legendary album All Things Must Pass is a bona fide classic. Still, George was forced to admit that he accidentally ripped-off the song Hes So Fine by the Chiffons when writing one of his signature hits My Sweet Lord. You can really hear why this was one of the most famous plagiarism cases in music history - the songs are extremely similar. Does it detract from My Sweet Lord as a listening experience in the slightest, though? Fortunately it does not.

In your opinion, what is a song that is just so good, it makes you turn off your brain and ignore any obvious plagiarism? Let us know in the comments section below.