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Post songs that resemble/likely influenced other songs


Zephyr_Nova

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Often when I'm checking out music from past eras, I often come across bits that remind me a lot of specific parts from newer tracks.  Sometimes the similarity is close enough that I believe the older track likely influenced the newer one, especially it's from an artist the newer one would be into.  This happens often enough that I thought it would be worth making a thread to document it.  Should be a fun exercise.  Here's an example I just stumbled upon to start things off:

 

The riff from Nirvana - Come as You Are I think was likely influenced by Killing Joke - Eighties.  It's almost the exact same progression (tuned one half step up) and even uses a similar chorus effect on the guitar.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1U1Ue_5kq8

 

And the Nirvana track for anyone unfamiliar:

 

 

 

 

This sort of thing is so common, it's always surprising to me when someone sues for plagiarism and actually wins (in music)... especially when it's just riff, or a groove (like in that Marvin Gaye vs. Robin Thicke thing -ridiculous!)  Every other song I hear on the radio could be put on trial really.  Most music just isn't that original, and that's okay.

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Often when I'm checking out music from past eras, I often come across... 

 

Goddamnit that redundant second "often" is going to kill me every time i open this thread.  Can a mod please edit it out?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wACCgCCjRc

 

Radiohead had to pay this band because it sounded too much like Creep, but I think that's bullshit. 

 

Hmmm, the double whammy of the chord progression along with the melody in the bridge section of Creep makes it a pretty legit case.  But isn't Radiohead suing Lana Del Ray for ripping off Creep?  There are some obvious borrowed ideas there too, but it's pretty ironic... and I think it should again be the Hollies taking her to court.  

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Ooh I'm liking the song equation theories.  That's taking it to another level.

 

 

So according to Kerrang magazine, Killing Joke did file a lawsuit against Nirvana for copying that riff for Come as you Are, but dropped the case after Cobain's death.  Grohl later played drums on one of their albums.  Interesting!

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I always felt Quincy Jones really liked Everybody Wants To Rule The World and then employed (stole) that 12/8 shuffle feel with that massive bass for The Way You Make Me Feel two or three years later.

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Haha totally.  But also, that bass/synthline + beat from Talking in Your Sleep shifted around slightly = the main loop from MC Hammer's You Can't Touch this.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l4Wo

 

This is fun.

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I made that same Chicago/Green Day connection just last week.  My friend's brass band's covering that Chicago song, and when he showed it to me I was like "are you guys covering that Green Day song?"  Which was exactly how his GF responded when he showed her. 

 

There are a lot of Beck songs we could do this with.  i can't remember them all at the moment, but there's a ton.  He's king of refurbishing old classics.

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But also, that bass/synthline + beat from Talking in Your Sleep shifted around slightly = the main loop from MC Hammer's You Can't Touch this.

 

This is fun.

Talking in Your Sleep track was two years later than Superfreak.

 

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But also, that bass/synthline + beat from Talking in Your Sleep shifted around slightly = the main loop from MC Hammer's You Can't Touch this.

 

This is fun.

Talking in Your Sleep track was two years later than Superfreak.

 

 

Oh yeah, of course!  I was at a restaurant two nights ago and it played too.  Totally forgot about that.  

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Ooh I'm liking the song equation theories.  That's taking it to another level.

 

 

So according to Kerrang magazine, Killing Joke did file a lawsuit against Nirvana for copying that riff for Come as you Are, but dropped the case after Cobain's death.  Grohl later played drums on one of their albums.  Interesting!

 

I don't think Killing Joke ever filed a lawsuit. I believe they discussed the idea but decided against it. They've done a bunch of collab stuff since.

 

Also there's a whole subreddit dedicated to nirvana being influenced by songs. Some are legit, some not so much.

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couple videogame ones..

 

Paranoid Android

and this track from King's Field 4:

 

Blade Runner end theme

and this music from Judge Dredd for C64!

 

.. well maybe..

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