Remember That Summer Breakthru

Tonight! Tonight only! Triple headline! Monster ballad. Classic rock classic. Techno Arena Rock. All of them big kahunas of song overlapping. Grab a guitar, play one of these, then switch to the other. Works great as a multiple tribute. Unbelievable, but I just found out two of these were covered by The Ataris...Hmmm.

Pay Attention To: Chorus anyone? "Remember yesterday..." starts awfully similar to "I can see you..." and "If I could only reach you..."

Don Henley - Boys of Summer


VS.
Queen - Breakthru


VS.
Skid Row - I Remember You

Stars Another Day

Can't believe I kept this one for so long. This is a definite top ten in song alikeness (whatever that means). For real, growing up, I thought these two were the same.

December 23, 1991: Simply Red delivers a good tune. It's a hit.
May 5, 1992: Jon Secada delivers a far catchier tune, realizes it's loosely based on his residual memory from last years' hit...doesn't really give a damn. It's a hit.

Pay Attention To: "Aaaa-aaaah wanna fall from the stars..." slightly resembles "Iiii Iiiii don't wanna say..." . slightly.

Simply Red - Stars


VS.
Jon Secada - Just Another Day

Mamma Maria

Swedes and Spaniards. Separated by three decades. Similar styles or blatant white-collar robbery? This is a great example on how music might repeat itself after a while or, better yet, how bloody latin writers take a smash hit and convert it into a completely different song keeping what's good. And you thought we wouldn't realize...the nerve!

Pay Attention To: Chorus! It's all about the chorus. "Mamma Mia" even rhymes with "Ave Maria". Furthermore, you can even sing "si me quisieras todo te daria" over "my my, just how much I've missed you".

Abba - Mamma Mia


VS.
David Bisbal - Ave Maria

I Believe It's Blood

Today: A breakthrough. Is it possible an artist can steal from him/herself? Or is it that after so many albums recorded he starts to lose control of his songwriting powers and repeats himself unknowingly?
Even though I consider this man a rock legend I must admit he often steps into his own old material.

Pay Attention To: Intro & Chorus. Try to get the actual album songs in good quality. You can almost sing "Blood on Blood" on top of "I Believe".

Bon Jovi - Blood on Blood


VS.
Bon Jovi - I Believe

Ride Wit The Gang

Can't help thinking Mr. Nelly was riffing under the influence (of Mr. Kool) when he penned down his most famous tune. Try singing one on top of the other...

Pay Attention To: The verse in "Get Down On It" -> "How you gonna do it if you really don't want to dance...", the first part on the chorus in "Ride Wit Me" -> "If you wanna go and take a ride wit me, we three-wheelin in the fo' with the gold D's..."

Nelly - Ride Wit Me


VS.
Kool & The Gang - Get Down On It

Tuesday's Circle

Come full circle. That's what one of the songs in question proclaims. Every time I hear one of these two songs, I cannot help but jump onto the other's lyrics. I would hardly believe Aerosmith didn't get a little bit of "inspiration" for Skynyrd.

Pay Attention To: Just the two songs. They're not in the same scale, but the chord progression and tempo are way too similar.

Lynyrd Skynyrd-Tuesday's Gone


VS.
Aerosmith-Full Circle

I Want It Ballet

Is this even possible? 80's cheesy group and 90's boys band united by one little (yet easily-recognizable) riff? Truth is we're getting nitpicky from now on.

Pay Attention To: Go straight to minute 4:20 on Spandau's song, listen to the piano; then check out the BSB's Smash hit's chorus on minute 0:50 and elsewhere.

Spandau Ballet-True


VS.

Backstreet Boys-I Want It That Way

Knockin' Tonight

Two spectacular guitar players. Two riffs. One subtle "coincidence". Is the snake a big fan of the ex-creamer? Conscious or unconscious borrow? Truth is, one can hardly listen and don't get the similiraties between these two. (Extra credit: Guess who also covers the Dylan song?)

Pay Attention To: The main riff on Clapton's. Slash's first solo's hook. (around 2:55 on this clip)

Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight

VS.

Guns N' Roses - Knockin' On Heaven's Door

Always Sunshine

Well, it's not hard for hip-hop to repeat itself, but here's one that went straight to the source (an already existing source, that is) and came up with something too familiar. One can easily jump from one chorus line to the other and back again...

Pay Attention To: Ashanti's and Lea's material.

Ja Rule - Always On Time


Vs.

Lil' Flip - Sunshine

Unfaithful No More

Here goes an easy one. If you've been listening to the Top40 the last couple years you probably noticed this adulterous case of song-snatching courtesy of the upcoming pop princess!

Pay Attention To: The chorus! It's painful to hear how idiotically similar they are. Not only the chord progression, but the "profound" lyrics.

Rob Thomas - Lonely No More


VS.

Rihanna - Unfaithful

In a Little Mistake

Well, I was off to see Sir Elton John last night. Opening for him was this bitter guy, James Blunt. I'll break into tears if nobody else noticed this before. Even worse, this rip-off is apparently "a hit".
Without further ado.

Pay Attention To: "Ah-ooooooooooooo". Minute 1:31 in the U2 clip. Minute 0:50 in Blunt's.

U2 - In a Little While


VS.

James Blunt - Same Mistake

Hollaback Bridge

Most pop princesses don't write their own material (or sing or play or even have anything to do with it).
"Hollaback girl" was a pretty big hit back in '05. Somehow, a couple years later some absent-minded producer thought it would be cool for "the dutchess" to have an identical song.

Pay Attention to: Chorus. Particularly to Gwen's: "A few times I've been around that track, so it's not just gonna to happen like that..." compared to Fergie's "How come every time you come around my London Bridge wanna go down..."

Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl



VS.

Fergie - London Bridge

Old Habits of Mine

Our first showdown includes two old fellas who know a thing or two about writing hits. Question is: Is Micky J. plagiarizing Rod or is it just a huge huge coincidence...? You decide. Hint: He even borrowed a word for the song's title.

Pay Attention to: The whole intro.

Rod Stewart - This Old Heart Of Mine

VS.

Mick Jagger - Old Habits Die Hard