All of these years I assumed the mysterious, melancholic verse of Radiohead’s “Creep” was a signature sound. The haunting progression was lifted straight off the 1974 Hollies hit The Air That I Breathe. Pablo Honey‘s linear notes credit the original songwriters.
The Hollies - "The Air That I Breathe" (1974)
Radiohead - "Creep" (1992)
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these sound nothing alike. one uses chords while the other is individual notes. the singing isnt similar at all. nice try
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Bob Spreen Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
You.
Are.
High.
Listen, *really listen* to both of them. The similarities are obvious.
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Damen Stephens Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 7:17 am
You are Tone Deaf squishfac3 … so much so that your license to even LISTEN to music should be revoked IMMEDIATELY !!
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From Wiki: “Radiohead gives songwriting credit to Hammond and Hazelwood in the liner notes for the album Pablo Honey for the song Creep.”
If you can’t hear the similarity, you’re probably not listening to the right parts of the 2 songs. After the last chorus in Creep, he sings a melody which is identical to the melody used in the verses of the Hollies song.
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Brandi Carlile’s “Follow” (2005) also sounds a lot like this song.
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@Dane Good find!
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Yoko Ono also sounds like the moan of a dying cat.
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“Yoko Ono also sounds like the moan of a dying cat.”
Only when she wants to.
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Always thought these two were similar. I wouldn’t call it a rip off, per se, but “Creep” is undeniably influenced by “The Air That I Breath”. No big deal, that’s how a lot of hits are written: take what people already know and like then put your stamp on it. It’s not even new: How many 60′s songs are “Wild Thing” with different lyrics?
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This part of “Creep” is closer to the Hollies song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkzRNyygfk#t=2m23s
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Radiohead was actually sued by the Hollies’ songwriter(s), successfully, and they now share credit and royalties “Creep,” according to this website:
“The resulting lawsuit saw royalties and co-authorship granted to Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, who wrote the Hollies song.”
http://musicouch.com/musicouching/10-unexpected-song-writing-collaborations/
This reference may be a bit soft, but I’ve heard this from several other sources too (which I now cannot find). I’m sure Radiohead’s management works very hard to keep actual facts about this lawsuit off the web.
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Keith Reply:
April 2nd, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Cool. Thanks for the link!
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dxman Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Radiohead wasn’t sued. They just knew the similarities and credited the original songwriters.
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radiohead “karma police”/ beatles “sexy sadie” (white album)
killing joke “eighties”/ nirvana “come as you are”
led zeppelin ” travelling riverside blues”/ stone temple pilots “interstate love song” ( IMO, even the titles are similar.)
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Keith Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 3:40 am
Your first two suggestions are already on the site. I’ll check out the third though.
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well all you doubters i walked into my local co-op the other day and the radio was on (you know the piped through the shop one) and being a bit of a radiohead fan i thought “oh theres creep on” i admit as i was looking for stuff in the shop i was only half listening but when the guy started singing i thought “hold up whats this” now i knew the song name but wasnt quite sure it was the hollies and i remember thinking to myself how have i never noticed that they sound so similar. i thought id go online today and see if i could find the written music to see how similar it was and lo and behold i find this site with other people saying the same thing (woo hoo im not going insane) i play guitar and there is definatley some of the same chords in both songs and to whoever wrote chords and notes different things and all that well a chord is a collection of notes played to produce a certain sound ie a C or an F which is in itself a NOTE ya follow? as Bob Spreen says LISTEN to it the notes and the chords on both and you will see the light my friens as for the singing i agree that IS different but thats not what we’re all saying its the music that sounds the same ok folks thanks for listening rant over byeeeee
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Keith Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Glad you found the site. This is exactly why it’s here!
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Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another. (Voltaire)
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another one thatll fit these 2(released in 2010) is Vasco Rossi “ad ogni costo”
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Keith Reply:
January 18th, 2012 at 4:17 am
Nice. Although I think this is actually a cover (with a slightly different title). Here’s an article about the song. It’s in Italian so you’ll have to translate it (Google Chrome does it for you)
http://www.musicroom.it/articolo/vasco-rossi-ad-ogni-costo-e-il-nuovo-singolo-cover-di-creep-dei-radiohead/9009/
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For all of the people out there saying that the two are nothing alike… listen to the Hollies clip above again, only DO NOT try to compare it to the clip right under… just replace (in your mind) the words he sings with “sheeeeeeee’s Running all alooooooooooone” and you will hear.
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