00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top songs that take
00:11even more inspiration than they should.
00:19Number 10.
00:21George Benjour – Taj Mahal vs. Rod Stewart – Do You Think I'm Sexy
00:27At least this musical tug-of-war ended on a positive note.
00:35In the late 70s, Rod Stewart dipped his toes into the disco genre, but his chart-topper
00:40quickly sparked controversy.
00:50Brazilian pop star Benjour accused the British rocker of swiping elements of his Taj Mahal.
01:04When Benjour sued Stewart for plagiarism, the singer admitted to subconsciously copying
01:10the tune.
01:11However, rather than engage in a drawn-out legal battle, the situation ended amicably.
01:17Stewart took the high road, deciding to donate all proceeds from his hit to UNICEF, turning
01:23what could have been a bitter dispute into a charitable gesture.
01:34Number 9.
01:35Blur – M.O.R. vs. David Bowie – Boys Keep Swinging
01:41This case doesn't involve an insidious act of plagiarism so much as a clear instance
01:46of one artist drawing heavy inspiration from another.
01:57For their song M.O.R., Britpop icon Blur looked to David Bowie's Lodger album for creative
02:03influence.
02:08After experimenting with elements from Bowie's work, they ultimately crafted a track that
02:12closely mirrored the chord progression of his 1979 classic, Boys Keep Swinging.
02:25While Blur's lively rock anthem has its own distinct style, the parallels were unmistakable.
02:32In fact, the resemblance was so significant that both Bowie and his collaborator Brian
02:37Eno were later credited as co-writers on the track.
02:47Number 8.
02:48Tony Basil – Mickey vs. Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend
02:59Tony Basil's Mickey was a defining track of the 1980s, blending a cheerleader-style
03:04chant with an infectious beat that made it a pop culture staple.
03:07Decades later, Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend stirred up controversy when listeners noticed
03:12its hook sounded remarkably like Basil's hit.
03:22Critics argued that Girlfriend was more than just inspired by the original, and accused
03:27the pop-punk star of lifting Mickey's essence.
03:37Although Lavigne never faced legal repercussions, the similarities left many questioning whether
03:42her song was a tribute, a coincidence, or a blatant rip-off of Basil's timeless bop.
03:49After all, let's face it, it's hard not to think of Mickey whenever Girlfriend comes
03:53on.
04:01Number 7.
04:02Flower Gone – We Run Things vs. Miley Cyrus – We Can't Stop
04:08Miley Cyrus' 2013 party anthem might have dominated the airwaves, but its success came
04:14with a hefty dose of controversy.
04:22Jamaican artist Flower Gone accused Cyrus of lifting key elements from his 1988 reggae
04:27track, particularly the phrase, We Run Things, Things Don't Run We, which Cyrus sings verbatim.
04:40Flower Gone alleged that the phrase and vibe of his song formed the foundation of Cyrus'
04:46piece, leading to a $300 million lawsuit.
04:49While the case was eventually settled out of court, the likeness between the two compositions
04:54are hard to deny.
04:56Here, we have a prime example of the fine line between inspiration and imitation.
05:07Number 6.
05:08Yesayer – Sunrise vs. The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
05:13When Yesayer's experimental track debuted in 2007, its layered, choral-like vocals stood
05:19out as an original feature.
05:26Over a decade later, members of the indie band noticed parallels between Sunrise and
05:32The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar's Pray For Me, which was featured on the Black Panther soundtrack.
05:43Yesayer filed a lawsuit, alleging that the track's production replicated the unique,
05:48ethereal vocal effects of Sunrise.
05:51They even claimed that the segment in question had been extracted, manipulated, and pitched
05:57differently to disguise its origin.
06:00The Weeknd & Lamar denied the allegations, maintaining their innocence.
06:04The legal battle ended in 2020 when Yesayer dropped the lawsuit, leaving fans wondering
06:10what might have happened behind the scenes.
06:18Number 5.
06:19Keith Jarrett – Long As You Know You're Living Yours vs. Steely Dan – Gaucho
06:25Steely Dan's 1980 track, Gaucho, from the album of the same name, landed the band in
06:30hot water when jazz pianist Keith Jarrett noticed that it sounded familiar.
06:44Jarrett stated that Gaucho bore an uncanny resemblance to his jazzy 1974 piece, particularly
06:50in its melody and arrangement.
07:00Rather than deny the claim, Steely Dan's Donald Fagan and Walter Becker reportedly
07:06admitted to being inspired by Jarrett's work.
07:09The dispute was resolved when Jarrett received a writing credit on the track, but it remains
07:14a pointed reminder that even a subtle homage can tread dangerously close to infringement.
07:26Number 4.
07:27Public Enemy – Security of the First World vs. Madonna – Justify My Love
07:33When Madonna released her sultry hit in 1990, fans couldn't get enough of its sensual
07:39vibe.
07:40However, hip-hop group Public Enemy noticed something eerily familiar.
07:47The iconic drum beat from their 1988 track, Security of the First World, is nearly identical
07:53to the one driving Madonna's song.
08:03Public Enemy did not pursue legal action, but the offending drum beat didn't go unnoticed
08:08by listeners and critics alike.
08:10Adding to the controversy, Madonna's piece was co-written by Lenny Kravitz, who admitted
08:16to sampling but didn't credit Public Enemy for their work, stating the rap group themselves
08:21had lifted the beat from James Brown's funky drummer.
08:24Can this alleged act of plagiarism ever be properly justified?
08:29We may never know.
08:36Number 3.
08:37The Isley Brothers – Love is a Wonderful Thing vs. Michael Bolton – Love is a Wonderful
08:44Thing
08:51Love may be a wonderful thing, but nasty legal disputes aren't.
08:55The Isley Brothers claimed that Michael Bolton's song copied their 1966 track of the same name,
09:01citing resemblances not just in the title, but also in its melody and lyrical themes.
09:13Bolton and his team denied any wrongdoing, but after a lengthy court battle, the jury
09:18sided with the Isley Brothers in 1994.
09:21The brothers were awarded a hefty $5.4 million in damages, the largest ever payout in a plagiarism
09:28case at the time.
09:37Opinions on the case were deeply divided, with some insisting that Bolton had indeed
09:43ripped off the Isley Brothers, and others believing the singer was innocent.
09:56Number 2.
09:57Wire – 3 Girl Rumba vs. Elastica – Connection
10:02Elastica's single became a defining track of 90s alternative rock, but its success didn't
10:07come without controversy.
10:17The British band Wire accused Elastica of borrowing heavily from their 1977 track, 3
10:23Girl Rumba, specifically its distinctive guitar riff.
10:32Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the song's synthesizer intro was essentially
10:37the same riff, just transposed down a semitone.
10:46Wire made their concerns known, and the two bands ultimately settled the disputes out
10:50of court.
10:51Although Elastica denied any intentional plagiarism, Wire was eventually credited as co-writers
10:57on Connection.
10:58The case became a notable example of how reminiscent sounds can sometimes raise questions of originality
11:05in music.
11:26Number 1.
11:27Sleigh Bells – Infinity Guitars vs. Demi Lovato – Stars
11:37Demi Lovato's 2015 song, Stars, wasn't released as a single, but that didn't stop
11:43noise pop duo Sleigh Bells from hearing it and noticing uncanny similarities to their
11:49very own work.
11:56They filed a lawsuit against Lovato, the album's producers, and the songwriters for copyright
12:02infringement, claiming Stars had sampled elements from their track, Infinity Guitars, specifically
12:08the bass drum counter rhythm and hand claps.
12:16Co-songwriters Karl Falk and Rami Yacoub denied using any samples, asserting that Lovato had
12:21only written one line of the piece.
12:24After a heated legal battle, the case was dismissed with prejudice in 2017, essentially
12:30leaving the dispute unresolved.
12:39Did we miss any brazen musical knockoffs?
12:42Let us know in the comments!
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