Green Day’s “Waiting” sounds like Petula Clark’s “Downtown”
As one of the most frequently ousted bands recycling old melodies & riffs, I must say Green Day has good taste; Petula Clark’s “Downtown” has always been a favorite of mine. Green Day has also been found to cop a pleasant ascending guitar riff from the Kinks.
For “Waiting” Green Day used the catchy melody of the Chorus in “Downtown” for the verse. This sound-a-like comes across more as a conscious homage than a ripoff, most clearly when Billie Joe begins the second stanza with “Downtown, lights will be shining…”
Green Day: “Waiting” (2001)
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Petula Clark: “Downtown” (’65)
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Popularity: 100% [?]
Update: ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ and ‘Imperial March’ sound like ‘El Capitan’ by John Phillip Sousa
John Philip Sousa: “El Capitan” (1896)
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Here’s an update to the October 14th 2009 Sound-a-like: “A Spoonful of Sugar” from Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins and the “Imperial March” from The Empire Strikes Back. Readers commented that both songs share a similar motif from John Philip Sousa’s march “El Capitan”, written in 1896, the same year he wrote the revered “Stars and Stripes Forever”.
So, if you haven’t already, listen to just how similar the “Imperial March” is to “A Spoonful of Sugar”.
Then check out how both of these tunes borrow from Sousa’s “El Capitan”.
Thanks to some well tuned ears for this update. Can anyone suggest other examples of this motif in the history of recorded music?
Popularity: 30% [?]
The Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA” sounds like Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”
Chuck Berry claimed that the melody to “Surfin’ USA” was his after it became a hit. According to Brian Wilson in his book Wouldn’t it be Nice: My Own Story
Although Brian has written defenses of the song’s originality, I find the the two clips below remarkably similar. The rhythm, structure, melody, lyrics & vocal cadence of Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” is heard all over again in “Surfin’ USA”.
Chuck Berry: “Sweet Little Sixteen” (’58)
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Beach Boys: “Surfin’ USA” (’63)
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Popularity: 62% [?]
Katy Perry California Gurls sounds like Ke$ha Tik Tok
Katy Perry California Gurls Mash Up
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Reader Kayleigh Reid wrote to let me know that Katy Perry’s California Gurls
We’re not the first two to notice, either. Mash2Mix put together an awesome mashup of the two songs that I’m sharing here:
I also learned (via the New York Post) that both songs were produced by the same production team, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco. It’s hard to call reusing your own material “stealing”, but it certainly is lazy.
Thanks again to Kayleigh for suggesting this sound-alike! I’ve got quite a few other emails to work through & post, so keep ‘em coming.
Popularity: 62% [?]
“Werewolves of London” sounds like “Sweet Home Alabama”
Warren Zevon (along with LeRoy Marinell &Waddy Wachtel) had his only top 40 hit with Werewolves Of London
Sure, it’s a common enough progression. But to be written four or so years after such a chart buster as “Sweet Home Alabama” is sorta ballsy.
Take a listen & let me know what you think.
Skynyrd: Sweet Home Alabama (’73)
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Zevon: “Werewolves of London” (’78)
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Popularity: 56% [?]
“Come on Eileen” sounds like “I’m Satisfied with you”
I figure my first post in months should feature an ultra-rare comparison. I can’t a nibble of information comparing these two songs. In fact, I can’t even find good information about the Furys in general. It’s possible that Dexys Midnight Riders understood the value of what they had heard the Furys’ “I’m Satisfied with You”: a tune with a great hook that hardly anyone cared about.
I’ll admit, I’m skeptical that this is indeed a ripoff. Upon first listen I thought the string melody in the intro to “I’m Satisfied with You” was identical to the string sections in “Come on Eileen”.
Then I critically listened to “Come On Eileen
The Furys: I’m Satisfied with You (’72)
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Dexys: “Come on Eileen” (’82)
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HINT: The most tangible connection is between the strings in “I’m Satisfied with You” and the jangly piano in “Come on Eileen“. Interested to hear your thoughts. Am I way off, or is there something here?
Popularity: 46% [?]
Stone Temple Pilot’s “Interstate Love Song” sounds like Jim Croce’s “I Got a Name”
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Like Monday’s Sound-a-Like, today’s involves a 90s rock song and a classic track now heard on Oldies stations around the country.
Wikipedia calls the guitar riff from Interstate Love Song
The note-for-note similarity is not really that surprising once you know that the music for “Interstate Love Song” was written by STP bassist and harmony vocalist Robert DeLeo. Clearly he was familiar with the line from Croce’s tune. The riffs are in the same key and similar tempo. Luckily, you don’t have to take my word for it. I’ve created a mashup to let you hear just how uncanny the similarity is.
The mashup begins with the chorus to “I Got a Name”, then plays the chorus again with the guitar riff from “Interstate Love Song” overlaid on top. Finally, the riff from “Interstate Love Song” plays in it’s full copycat glory.
Popularity: 48% [?]
The Offspring’s “Why don’t you get a Job?” sounds like The Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
The Beatles’ released “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da” partly as a tribute to reggae’s growing popularity in Britain during 1968. The Offspring released “Why don’t you get a Job?” as a ska/punk tune from their 1998 album ‘Americana’.
I see the Offspring tune “Why Don’t You Get A Job?
It’s even in the same key CORRECTION: Lord Zall has informed me that the Beatles tune is in B-Flat, and the Offspring’s tune is in F-natural. The Offspring made such a little attempt to change the song that I see “Why don’t you get a Job?” as a humble nod to their musical superiors, The Beatles.
Since these songs are the same key and similar tempo, this sound-a-like is the perfect candidate for a Sounds Just Like first: Mashup! Listen to the second audio sample to hear The Offspring and The Beatles mashed together.
The Offspring: Why Don’t You Get a Job? (1998)
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Mashup: “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da” vs. “Why don’t you get a Job?”
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“Why don’t you get a Job?” was released as the second single from Americana, right after “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)”. I can understand the view that this was a dishonorable move by The Offspring. What do you think?
Popularity: 69% [?]
Fergie’s Fergalicious sounds like JJ Fad’s Supersonic
Here’s a sound-a-like that came in number two on Rolling Stone’s Twenty Craziest Sound-a-like Songs list: Fergalicious vs. Supersonic.
JJ Fad: Supersonic (LP Version)
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Fergie: Fergalicious
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Great, so we found where the vocal melody came from. How about those strings? Well, those are also a sample taken from the Afro Rican’s “Give it All you Got”. Will.i.am is definitely good at what he does. I’m not trying to detract from the skillful arrangement and production of a pop song; only trying to point out the sources. However, I do prefer the lyrics from Mathmiticious.
Popularity: 72% [?]
Royksopp’s Eple sounds like Bob James’ You’re as Right as Rain
Yes, Royksopp’s use of Bob James’ melody line is clearly a sample. I’d prefer to keep the content on Sounds Just Like focused on similar sounding songs, not obvious samples. However, this particular case is important.
Royksopp’s hit “Eple” is based entirely from a 5 second portion of jazz great Bob James’ “Your as Right as Rain”. James’ version itself is a jazzy take on the Stylistics tune by the same name. In addition to the boldness of the move by Royksopp, there is also something to admire in the beauty of their execution. I heard “Eple” first, and was instantly hooked. It’s a catchy riff. Royksopp recognized the potential of 10 notes from a mid seventies jazz number and did their best to make a techno hit. I admire it.
Bob James is no stranger to sampling. Wikipedia claims that a few of James’ tunes “are among the most sampled in hip hop history“.
So take a listen. Enjoy. Decide for yourself: is Eple a creative collage worthy of it’s own praise or a mere piggyback ride? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Bob James: You’re as Right as Rain (1975)
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Royksopp: Eple (2001)
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Popularity: 59% [?]
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