Post songs that resemble/likely influenced other songs

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.

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. 

  On 1/22/2018 at 6:33 AM, Zephyr_Nova said:

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?

  On 1/22/2018 at 6:39 AM, Candiru said:

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.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcE6Qh6MvPE

slowed down equals

https://vimeo.com/172217952

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=590BYwVuC_E

(skip to 2 minutes in)

plus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxt1MdVWWZ8

equals

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

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 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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmGMzyajA2U

plus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T1c7GkzRQQ

equals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-fA-gBCkj0

some more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNq9gmY_Oz4

ripped off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUAYeN3Rp2E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilKcXIFi-Rc

ripped off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr9Cn3yFnnQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwlPAXouY8A

ripped off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXQUu5Dti4g

ripped off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd8AVbwB_6E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmeag1rwQgo

sounds a lot like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9VtfyqgiFE

  On 1/22/2018 at 8:20 AM, zaphod said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmGMzyajA2U

 

plus

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T1c7GkzRQQ

 

equals

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-fA-gBCkj0

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.

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.

  On 1/22/2018 at 8:32 AM, Zephyr_Nova said:

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.

  On 1/22/2018 at 8:39 AM, ManjuShri said:

 

  On 1/22/2018 at 8:32 AM, Zephyr_Nova said:

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.  

did we do this one yet

fragments of time is just a completely incompetent steely dan rip

this one's bugged me forever

1992:

1984:

  On 1/22/2018 at 12:57 PM, span said:

 

I have been laughing for 5 mins straight at this. Thank you.

  On 1/22/2018 at 8:54 PM, ghsotword said:

1992:

 

1984:

Damn.

Damn at that Fahbulb one too.

And lol at Merzmarbles.

Check this out.

  On 1/22/2018 at 8:05 AM, Zephyr_Nova said:

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi6gC-xe0K8

https://vimeo.com/2817941

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..

=