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34 artists whose hits were accused of ripping off other songs
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While the origins of some songs can be hard to pin down,
numerous musicians have been accused of plagiarism by other
singers or songwriters.
Even high-profile musicians like Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus,
Lady Gaga, and Ed Sheeran have had to deal with copyright
infringement lawsuits.
Rap superstars Lil Nas X and Cardi B were also named in a
recent copyright lawsuit.
Cases are frequently settled out of court, but sometimes, as
with George Harrison in 1976, a plagiarism claim can go to trial.
Plagiarism accusations and copyright infringement lawsuits are
nothing new in music. Major artists have fought legal battles
over hit songs while others settle out of court.
Here are 34 examples of hits songs that were at the center of
accusations of plagiarism or lawsuits.
Anjelica Oswald contributed reporting to an earlier version
of this story.
A singer-songwriter is accusing Ariana Grande of stealing the hook for her hit song "7 Rings."
Singer-songwriter Josh Stone
recently filed a lawsuit in New York claiming that Grande
copied the hook ("I want it, I got it / I want it, I got it") for
"7 Rings" from his 2017 song "You Need It, I Got It," which
includes the phrase "You need it, I got it / You want it, I got
it."
"The Raisens are not writers of 'Truth Hurts,'" the lawyer
told the New York Times. "They did not collaborate with Lizzo
or anyone else to create this song."
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Two Georgia producers are accusing Lil Nas X and Cardi B of copying a 2017 song for their hit "Rodeo."
The two rap stars, as well as their collaborators, have been
named in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by two Atlanta
producers,
according to Pitchfork.
The lawsuit accused "Rodeo" of being "substantially similar"
to the producers' "Broad Day," saying it featured a similar
structure and cord progression. The producers
said that Lil Nas didn't have permission to "interpolate" or
"sample" their work.
Lady Gaga is being accused of stealing her hit "Shallow" from an unknown singer-songwriter.
A SoundCloud singer-songwriter has accused singer Lady Gaga of
lifting a part of his song for her 2018 hit "Shallow."
Page Six
reported on Thursday that Steve Ronsen claimed Gaga stole a
three-note progression for the hook of "Shallow." Ronsen and his
lawyer say they are seeking "millions and millions" of dollars
from Gaga in a settlement.
Gaga's legal team
pointed out that Ronsen's song "Almost," which was released
in 2012, sounds nothing like Gaga's "Shallow," and that the note
progression in question is very common, appearing in numerous
other songs.
The lawyer for the"A Star is Born" actress
said Gaga "will fight it vigorously and will prevail"
if Ronsen and his lawyers file a lawsuit.
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A jury recently found that singer Katy Perry's hit "Dark Horse" copied a Christian rap song.
Rapper Lil Nas X is accused of lifting parts from a Bobby Caldwell song for his single "Carry On" in a new lawsuit.
"Old Town Road" rapper Lil Nas X is accused of lifting parts of a
Bobby Caldwell song in a new lawsuit by a company called The
Music Force.
The suit alleges that Nas lifted portions of Caldwell's "Carry
On" for his own song, also called "Carry On," and claims that
Nas was "motivated by greed and malicious intent,"
according to TMZ.
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Carrie Underwood, the NFL, and NBC are being accused of ripping off a songwriting team for the "Sunday Night Football" theme song "Game On."
Country singer Carrie Underwood, the NFL, and NBC are being sued
by a singer and a group of songwriters for allegedly plagiarizing
"Game On," the theme song for NBC's "Sunday Night Football"
program, the New York Post reported.
The lawsuit says that singer Heidi Merrill and her team of
songwriters wrote a version of "Game On" in 2016, and posted a
music video to YouTube after the song was included on a 2017 CBS
broadcast of "Inside College Basketball."
Lawyers for Merrill and her team say that they pitched their
version of "Game On" to Underwood in August of 2017, but that the
singer ultimately turned it down.
However, the lawsuit says that Underwood's song "Game On" for the
2018 season of "Sunday Night Football" features a similar refrain
and melody to the song Merrill and her team pitched Underwood
previously - but doesn't credit them.
The New York Posted reported that Underwood, the NFL, and NBC
hadn't yet responded to requests for comment on the case.
Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" was accused of plagiarizing the Gap Band's "Oops Upside Your Head" in 2018.
Though influenced by numerous funk songs from the '70s and '80s,
"Uptown Funk" had to add additional writer credits in 2018 after
The Gap Band filed a copyright claim. The band now earns a
17 percent share of the
publishing royalties.
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The Beach Boys' "Surfin' USA" was lifted directly from Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen," Brian Wilson said.
Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys was listed as the sole writer of
"Surfin' USA" when it was released in 1963. Chuck Berry was later
given writing credit and publishing royalties after pressure from
his publisher.
The Doors' "Hello, I Love You" features a riff similar to one in the Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night."
The Doors were ordered by a UK court to pay royalties to The Kinks for
using a similar riff from "All Day and All of the Night" in
"Hello, I Love You."
Ray Davies of The Kinks told Rolling Stone that he didn't want to sue, so they
reached a deal.
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Many people thought Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" sounded similar to Boston's "More Than a Feeling."
Similar riffs made people point out the closeness of the two
songs, even though they were in different keys. Nirvana poked funat the comparisons during a
1992 show in Reading, England, by singing the chorus of "More
Than a Feeling" before breaking into "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" was accused of ripping off The Who's "Baba O'Riley."
A similar guitar riff in the chorus of "You Ain't Seen Nothing
Yet" caused people to say that Randy Bachman copied The Who, but
The Who's Pete Townshend was unfazed by the likeness.
"The funniest thing is that in Canada this year I met with Randy
Bachman, once the leader of The Guess Who, who told me that he
not only copied 'Baba O'Riley' for [Bachman-Turner Overdrive's]
hit 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet,' but he even called his band
after us. Why would I not be happy about this kind of tribute?"
he said.
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Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused" caused them to be sued by Jake Holmes, who also wrote a song called "Dazed and Confused."
Led Zeppelin has been involved in numerous copyright infringement
cases. Jake Holmes sued Led Zeppelin in 2010 over
his own "Dazed and Confused," a song he had written and recorded
two years before Led Zeppelin released their version. Holmes had
opened for The Yardbirds in 1967, which featured Zeppelin's Jimmy
Page. The case was settled out of court.
Led Zeppelin were sued again for their song "Whole Lotta Love," which songwriter Willie Dixon felt was similar to his song "You Need Love."
Another lawsuit Led Zeppelin faced was against their 1969 hit
"Whole Lotta Love." Willie Dixon sued the band for copyright
infringement of his song "You Need Love," which was recorded
by Muddy Waters. The case was settled out of court and writing
credit was given to Dixon.
But even before that, Dixon had sued in 1972 for another song he
wrote. Dixon alleged that Led Zeppelin's "Bring It on Home" took
from "Bring It on Home" by Sonny Boy Williamson. It was also
settled out of court and Dixon
received writing credit.
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Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" was said to be a plagiarized version of the band Spirit's song "Taurus."
Led Zeppelin found itself with more litigation when Spirit
bassist Mark Andes filed a suit against "Stairway to Heaven." The
case went to trial in 2016, but a jury found that the
similarities were not copyright infringement. The verdict was appealed in March
2017.
John Fogerty was accused of plagiarizing himself with "The Old Man Down the Road" and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Run Through the Jungle."
In a bizarre case, John Fogerty, the lead singer of Creedence
Clearwater Revival, was accused of plagiarizing
himself. After the band disbanded, Fogerty pursued a solo
career and released "The Old Man Down the Road."
Fantasy Records, which owned the publishing rights to the band's
songs, tried to sue Fogerty for copyright infringement alleging
that "Old Man" had the same chorus as "Run Through the Jungle." A
jury ruled that Fogerty did not infringe upon himself.
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Radiohead's "Creep" was the basis of a lawsuit that alleged the band plagiarized the Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe."
The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" lifted from the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time."
For their hit "Bitter Sweet Symphony," The Verve sampled a
symphonic recording of The Stones' "The Last Time." According to
The Stones' manager Allen Klein, they had only originally agreed
to license a five-note portion but exceeded the usage, thus
voiding their agreement. Settling out of court, song
credit went to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling
Stones and The Verve lost all royalties.
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Lana Del Rey claimed Radiohead's lawyers were harassing her because "Get Free" and Radiohead's "Creep" sounded similar.
Lana del Rey took to Twitter to claim that Radiohead was suing
her and that the lawyers were "relentless."
"To set the record straight, no lawsuit has been issued and
Radiohead have not said they 'will only accept 100%' of the
publishing of 'Get Free,'" a statement read.
During a performance at Lollapalooza Brazil in March, the
singer said the lawsuit was over.
Ed Sheeran was accused copying Matt Cardle's song "Amazing" "note-for-note" in his hit single "Photograph."
Songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard accused Sheeran
of copying the song "Amazing," which was sung by Matt Cardle.
Their $20 million copyright lawsuit
alleged that Sheeran was guilty of "verbatim, note-for-note
copying." The case was privately settled.
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Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Ed Sheeran were all involved in a lawsuit after singer Jasmine Rae sued them for copyright infringement.
Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" was said to be similar to Flourgon's "We Run Things."
Cyrus was slapped with a $300 million copyright infringement
lawsuit in March 2018 over her 2013 song "We Can't Stop."
Jamaican songwriter Michael May, whose stage name is Flourgon,
claims her song took "about 50
percent" from his song. He also wants to stop future sales
and performances of the song.
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Sam Smith's "Stay With Me" apparently shared similarities with Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down."
Tom Petty's publishers contacted Smith after hearing similarities
between the two songs, particularly during the chorus. They
reached an out-of-court agreement to list Petty and Jeff Lynne as
co-writers on the song.
Petty released a statement, saying, "All my
years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen...
Sam's people were very understanding of our predicament and we
easily came to an agreement."
Jon Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" was a reworking of Bonnie Tyler's "If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)."
Desmond Child, who wrote Bonnie Tyler's song, wasn't pleased with how it performed on the
charts and wanted to prove that the song could be a hit.
After teaming up with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, the three
reworked Tyler's song into Bon Jovi's first No. 1 hit.
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Robin Thicke was accused of plagiarizing Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" with his hit "Blurred Lines."
A jury found Pharrell Williams and
Robin Thicke liable for copyright infringement, and they had
to pay the Gaye family $7.4 million in damages. Williams and
Thicke appealed the case in 2016, but the court sided with the Gaye family
once again in 2018. The appeal confirmed that Gaye's estate is
entitled to 50% of all royalties from the song forever.
Kendrick Lamar's "I Do This" allegedly lifted sections of Bill Withers' "Don't You Want to Stay."
In April 2016, Lamar was sued for using a
"direct and complete" copy of Bill Withers' 1975 song as a
sample. The case was filed in the same court that determined the
outcome of the "Blurred Lines" trial.
"The musical composition 'I Do This' consists of nothing more
than new, so-called Rap or Hip Hop lyrics, set to the existing
music of 'Don't Want You to Stay,'" read the suit filed by Mattie
Music Group.
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Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" was accused of copying Joe Satriani's "If I Could Fly."
Guitarist Joe Satriani filed a lawsuit against Coldplay for
copying "substantial original portions" of his 2004 song in 2008.
But less than a year later, the case was ultimately dismissed
and reportedly settled.
George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" was the subject of a lawsuit alleging the singer plagiarized the Chiffons' "He's So Fine."
In one of the most notorious copyright infringement cases, George
Harrison's first solo single resulted in a guilty verdict for
"subconscious plagiarism." The judge wrote that he didn't believe
Harrison deliberately copied the music, but because he had access
to it, he was guilty.
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Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" took the bass line from Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure."
Vanilla Ice famously took the bass line from "Under Pressure," a
collaboration between Queen and David Bowie. When threatened with a suit,
Vanilla Ice settled out of court. Bowie and Queen all got
songwriting credits.
Rod Stewart admitted he unconsciously plagiarized Jorge Ben Jor's "Taj Mahal" with "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy."
Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor filed a copyright infringement
lawsuit against Rod Stewart. Ben Jor has said the lawsuit was
settled out of court and in his favor. Stewart later admitted to "unconscious
plagiarism" of the song in his 2012 autobiography.
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Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" theme allegedly lifted from Huey Lewis and the News' "I Want a New Drug."
Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr. for copyright infringement after
the "Ghostbusters" theme was released. They reached an agreement
in 1995. But in 2001, Parker sued Lewis for breaking a
confidentiality agreement. They weren't supposed to reveal
information about the case after filing a joint press release in
1995, but Lewis commented on the case during an interview on
VH1's "Behind the Music."
Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" bears a resemblance to Hank Williams' "Move It on Over."
Made famous by Bill Haley, "Rock Around the Clock" is considered
to be one of the songs that made rock and roll popular in the
1950s, but some think it bears a striking resemblance to Hank
Williams' "Move It on Over" from the 1940s. But even Williams'
song borrowed from Charley Patton's 1929 recording of "Going to
Move to Alabama."
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2 Live Crew parodied Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" with their song "Pretty Woman," but later got sued for it.
2 Live Crew released a parody of Orbison's song and were sued for
it. The case made it to the Supreme
Court where it ruled in 2 Live Crew's favor as "fair use."
On Thursday, January 3, US District Judge Louis Stanton
said there were "substantial similarities" between Sheeran's and
Gaye's song and determined that the case should go
to a jury. A New York jury will later decide the case.
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