Top 10 Rip Off Songs That Are More Popular Than The Original

These musical rip-offs made bank and became classics! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the times popular songs got more shine than the original tracks they allegedly borrowed from. Our countdown of rip-off songs that are more popular than the original includes George Harrison's “My Sweet Lord”, Nirvana's “Come as You Are”, Led Zeppelin's “Whole Lotta Love”, and more! Do you know another lesser-known track that got aped by a chart-topper? Let us know in the comments!

Watch more great music videos here:

Become a channel member to get access to special perks:

Have your idea become a video!

Subscribe for more great content!

Visit our shop for awesome merch!

Your trusted authority for Top 10 lists, reviews, tips and tricks, biographies, origins, and entertainment news

#Music
#Songs
#RipOff
#Stolen
#Cover
#CoverSong
#Musician
#Band
#Pop
#Rock

[WatchMojo]

Do you know another lesser-known track that got aped by a chart-topper? Let us know in the comments!

[douglasmijangos]

The thing I found dumb is when they take someone to court when their “original” song was a rip off of someone else’s song too 😂

[johnbower]

To be honest, I think a certain amount of unintentional Plagiarism is unavoidable; there are only so many notes and only so many ways they can be put together.

[kennethferrari]

Rapper Ice T recently asked David Gilmore from Pink Floyd if he could borrow the melody for Comfortably Numb but write new lyrics. David Gilmore actually ended up playing on the song for the album.

[Aritro]

Really bad presentation. Play the music back to back so you can clearly hear the similarities and then do the narration afterwards. Don't do it in between and thereby interrupt the listener trying to hear the similarities.

[spencerwelchii]

Fun Fact:
George Harrison eventually owned the publishing rights to 'He So Fine' after winning the lawsuit against his former manager - where upon winning Harrison owned the entire Bright Tunes catalogue including 'He's So Fine'.

[karlmar]

Joe Satriani also sued Coldplay for the same song

[HariSeldon]

She owned up to it well before it was released and made a deal with the band, but Dua Lupa's "Break My Heart" used much of the INXS song, "Need You Tonight". She said she only realized when she heard the recorded version and INXS was completely agreeable to her offer of money and credit on the album. To me it's refreshing to hear about some honesty in the business.

[michaelcorvin]

a lot of these rip offs were unintentional because there's only so many ways you can play instruments before everything sounds indentical or similar

[gretelgammache]

And Killing Joke’s “Eighties” ripped off The Damned’s “Life Goes On”

[davidponseigo]

25 years ago I worked as a Personal Protection Agent for Paul McCartney while he was in New Orleans, Louisiana. I found him to be a very nice man and I even got to sing Irish Folks Songs along with him at a Irish Pub in the French Quarter. I can't sing but I can say I sang with a Beetle !

[PauloRobertoKrebs]

“Mulheres” - Toninho Geraes e Martinho da Vila vs “Million Years Ago” - Adele
“Seville” - Luiz Bonfá vs “Somebody That I Used To Know” - Gotye
“What To Do” - Vanusa vs “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” - Black Sabbath
"Maria Moita” - Carlos Lyra vs “Smoke on the Water” - Deep Purple

[Tricob]

The most interesting case is where a lesser-known song was ripped off twice. Carol Douglas performed the song "Midnight Love Affair" in 1976. Since then, k.d. lang has recorded "Constant Craving", and The Rolling Stones did "Anybody Seen My Baby" - both of which have sound-alike lead vocals. The Rolling Stones did get accused of ripping someone off, but *not* Carol Douglas. No, they were accused of ripping off k.d. lang. It's sad how old tracks get forgotten so soon.

[Mike__B]

An easy solution, just limit copyright of music to 20 years, because as Ed Sheeran showed holding a claim to a few cords that are repeated is absolutely idiotic

[mickjones]

John Lennon acknowledged it was a tribute to Chuck Berry

[kendallmasterssank]

"Joe Satriani’s copyright infringement lawsuit against Coldplay has been settled, Satriani’s rep tells Billboard. Satriani sued the British soft rockers, claiming that “Viva La Vida” ripped off his song “If I Could Fly.” The legal dispute was resolved with an undisclosed settlement between the two parties."

[mikekolokowsky]

“Uptown Funk” was sued by several bands for being a rip off. First time I heard it I thought it was a remake, but couldn’t place just where, because it was from everywhere.

[BNichols]

The youth leader at our church one time wrote a worship song and taught it to the church. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the entire first stanza sounded identical to the opening of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the Lion King. Somehow, he just didn't realize it. It's so easy to inadvertently borrow from songs without even realizing it.

[iamsithazagoth]

You missed The Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night" and The Doors' "Hello, I Love You."

[bricefleckenstein]

You mean you didn't include the Label that sued Fogerty - for sounding like CCR (which he was the lead singer and main songwriter for)?
In other words, they sued him for SOUNDING LIKE HIMSELF.

He won the case just by pointing that simple fact out.