Here’s another Lukasz Gottwald (aka Dr. Luke) produced track for the site. This time for the 2007 Avril Lavigne song “Girlfriend”. The chorus similarity did not go unnoticed by seventies power pop band The Rubinoos whose 1979 single “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” shares a striking resemblance. In 2007 Rubinoos frontman Tommy Dunbar and co-writer James Gangwer filed suit in U.S. District Court in Northern California against Lavigne, Dr. Luke, RCA Records and Apple Inc.
“We are not so naive as to chalk it up to some sort of cosmic coincidence,” Dunbar said in a statement on Thursday. “The lyric, the meter, the rhythm … they’re identical.”
More about the lawsuit here: Avril Lavigne Responds To Lawsuit, Says She’s Been ‘Falsely Accused’ on MTV.com
According to PopCrunch.com the case was settled out of court in 2008.
Avril Lavigne has reached a settlement in a lawsuit that accused her of plagiarizing her hit single, “Girlfriend.”
Avril Lavigne “Girlfriend” Lawsuit Settlement; Rubinoos Avril Lavigne at PopCrunch.com
I’d also like to note that The Ramones have a song called “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” released in 1976. It doesn’t sound like either of these.
While we’re here I might as well include the audio samples from the Green Day vs. Blink-182 post for the similarity in the guitar riff.
vs. Green Day vs. Blink-182
once again … this is freaky & just messed up. i love music & i would have bet my life on some of these actually being original. Meh.
This video will explain why most songs sound the same.
The above video will also go into similar songs that are like Canon in D.
Thanks Dr. Eric!
Pachelbel’s Canon is commonly referenced on this site. Then add a similar guitar riff, a specific synthesizer sound and a nearly identical vocal melody and then we have something else. I try not to post songs that simply follow this standard progression.
Avril and Rubinoos both jacked rolling stones “get off of my cloud”
A. It really draws out their creativity. G0 homemade.
I have long thought the intro to Avril’s Unwanted was a direct rip off of Third Day’s Consuming Fire.
I’ll let you all be the judge on this comparison.
Third Day Consuming Fire (2000)
http://youtu.be/-fK9_7ldUvs
Avril Lavigne Unwanted (2003)
http://youtu.be/gT67pctOcms