Yes, it actually happened and these songs made history!
Red Hot Chilli Peppers ‘Dani California’ and Tom Petty ‘Mary Jane’s Last Dance’:
Although RHCP and Tom Petty’s songs share the same beat and chord changes in their verses, the Chilli Peppers just got lucky it seems. When asked by Rolling Stone about the similarities between their songs, Petty responded that there was no negative intent there, and a lot of rock ‘n’ roll songs sound alike.
Foo Fighters ‘Something from Nothing’ and Dio ‘Holy Diver’:
Foo Fighters’ first album single ‘Something from Nothing’ sounds a little like Rainbow/Black Sabbath Singer Ronnie James Dio’s solo band’s debut single ‘Holy Diver’. Ronnie James Dio and Dave Grohl have worked together on the Tenacious D song ‘Kickpoo’.
Nirvana ‘Come as you are’ and Killing Joke ‘Eighties’
Led Zeppelin ‘Whole lotta love’ and Muddy Waters ‘You need love’
Manager Danny Goldberg said of the release of “Come As You Are” as Nirvana’s second Nevermind single, “Kurt was nervous about “Come as You Are” because it was too similar to a Killing Joke song…Killing Joke later did complain about it.” After the Nirvana song was a hit, Killing Joke reportedly threatened to sue Nirvana. Nirvana’s lawyer said the band had never heard of Killing Joke despite the fact that Nirvana had sent Killing Joke Christmas cards in the past. After Kurt Cobain’s death lawsuit plans were dropped. Dave Grohl later played drums on Killing Joke’s entire self-titled 2003 album for free.
Led Zeppelin famously “borrowed” all or parts over a dozen of their favorite blues, rock, and folk artists’ songs without giving them credit until they were sued. Led Zeppelin liberally used the lyrics from Muddy Waters’ “You Need Love”, written by Willie Dixon, for their 1969 hit “Whole Lotta Love”. In 1990 Robert Plant explained, “Page’s riff was Page’s riff. It was there before anything else. I just thought, ‘well, what am I going to sing?’ That was it, a nick. Now happily paid for.” Led Zeppelin settled out of court with Dixon in 1985.
5. Judas Priest “Revolution” (2005) vs. Jane’s Addiction “Mountain Song” (1988)
Watch and compare videos for The Beatles’ “Come Together” and Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me”.
7. Coldplay “Viva La Vida” (2008) vs. Joe Satriani “If I Could Fly” (2004)
8. Jet “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” (2003) vs. Iggy Pop “Lust For Life” (1977)
9. Oasis “Cigarettes & Alcohol” (1994) vs. T-Rex “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” (1971)
Watch and compare videos for Oasis’ “Cigarettes & Alcohol” and T-Rex’s “Bang A Gong (Get It On)”
10. The Offspring “…Get A Job?” (1998) vs. The Beatles “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” (1968)
The Offspring’s “Why Don’t You Get A Job?” is so similar to The Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” that it could almost pass as a Weird Al Yankovic song parody. Surprisingly, despite The Offspring’s liberal lifting of The Beatles’ song melodies, the song never made it onto The Beatles’ lawyers’ radar.
