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Examples of artists or bands ripping off their own hits


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Posted

The riff on "Hard & Fast" by Slash is identical to the opening of "Move To The City", only sped up. Infact most of Apocalyptic Love is a watered down re-write of AFD.

Michael Jackson's "Cry" is a blatant attempt to re-create "Man In The Mirror", everything from the subject matter, to the key changes and the big gospel choir ending - it follows the blueprint of "Man In The Mirror" to a T. It even ends with MJ whispering "Change the world" just like he whispers "make that change" at the end of "MITM." Cringeful.

To a lesser extent I think "This I Love" was desperately trying to be the "November Rain" of Chinese Democracy.

And after the success of "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" Prince thought he could record any sugary R&B ballad and repeat the same success (like releasing "Betcha By Golly Wow" as lead single from Emancipation).

Guest Len B'stard
Posted (edited)

A fair bit of the careers of your early rockers such as Chuck Berry Little Richard etc was about cannibalising their previous works and re-configuring them on some vague level. I don't have a problem with it to be honest, as long as a good song comes out the other end.

Edited by sugaraylen
Posted (edited)

Not a case of ripping off hits but Iron Maiden ripps themselves off a lot, specially the songs written by Steve Harris. Same formula over and over again.

The Bon Jovi singles since 2000 all emulate It's my Life which somehow emulates Livin' on a Prayer.

Edited by Smoking Baby
Guest Len B'stard
Posted (edited)

There's a difference between having your own sort of formula and identifiable traits and then just flat out transplanting melodies, riffs, structures from other songs, i think thats what Towelie was getting at. I think anyway, probably do better to ask him.

Edited by sugaraylen
Posted

Almost every AC/DC song post-Back In Black is a rip-off of almost every AC/DC song post-Back In Black.

But I still love them. Can't have too much of a good thing really.

  • Like 2
Posted

AC/DC in Rock N Roll Train --> Rip Off of Highway To Hell

Metallica: The Day That Never Comes ---> One

KISS: I Can't Stop The Rain ---> Beth

KISS: Tomorrow And Tonight ---> Rock And Roll All Nite

Motorhead: Iron Fist, We Are Motorhead and Rock Out --> Ace Of Spades

Posted

Didn't John Fogerty get sued when one of his solo songs sounded like a Creedence song he didn't have the rights to?

yeah

  • Like 1
Posted

A fair bit of the careers of your early rockers such as Chuck Berry Little Richard etc was about cannibalising their previous works and re-configuring them on some vague level. I don't have a problem with it to be honest, as long as a good song comes out the other end.

Well, I mean it was all straight 12 bar blues, wasn't it? There's only so different you can make it sound... Even if you change the tempo and stuff, Long Tall Sally and Johnny B. Goode were still not gonna sound a million miles from each other.

Posted

Do Anything You Want To is pretty somewhat of a rehash of The Boys Are Back In Town, at least follows the same formula.

Not the sane artist but if there was ever an obvious rip off that song is Never Say Die by Sabbath.
Posted

Night Ranger (I know, terrible band) came out with a new album a year or two ago, and I swear their lead single was the same thing as You Can Still Rock in America. That's one way to capture the sound of your glory days, remake the song with different lyrics.

Posted (edited)

Now where do people come down on a band having a particular sound vs recycling their older material? I know with certain bands, their material bears more than a passing resemblance to their older work, but the tunes are still great. Is that a deal breaker?

Edited by moreblack
Posted

Metallica: The Day That Never Comes ---> One

Actually it's more a rip off of Fade to Black. You can play the intro solo to Fade to Black right along with Day That Never Comes, same with the middle riff of To Live is to Die.

You can do that with a lot of Metallica songs. That said, I love Metallica.

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