What do these 80s rockers have in common besides totally 80s hair?
(clockwise top L to R: Jon Bon Jovi, Ankie Bagger,Bonnie Tyler, Belinda Carlisle)
This post has been due for an update.
After posting the insane similarities between Bonnie Tyler’s “If You Were a Woman and I Was a Man” and Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” (both from 1986!) a few folks added some others to the mix. Check these out with Swedish singer Ankie Bagger’s ” Where Were You Last Night” (1989) as well as Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place on Earth” (1987). Important to note is Bad Name and I Was a Man were actually both written by hit making machine Desmond Child.
The Carlisle song is definitely not as similar but here it is anyway:
More Bon Jovi on the site:
Bon Jovi vs. The Rasmus vs. The Decemberists vs. Tokio Hotel
Bon Jovi vs. The Beatles
Bon Jovi vs. Boys Like Girls vs. The Who
Huh, definitely similar, especially the Ankie Bagger one, which not only has a similar chorus but also has a similar pre-chorus!
I’d also add Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” except that’s essentially a big call-back to all the older Bon Jovi songs (it even mentions Tommy and Gina from “Livin’ on a Prayer”!).
Tommy and Gina are also referenced in 99 in the Shade (1988). Anyway, one song that’s missing from this is Love Walks In by Van Halen (released ’86, but recorded 1985-1986), which also reminds me of Listen to Your Heart by Roxette (1988). BTW, I Was A Man was released in May ’86 and the album it came from was recorded from 1984-1986, while Bad Name was released in Jul ’86. I also recommend looking into the cliché love songs, which I have explained under the comments for CatrianiPlay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCC_b5WHLX0
I also heard some background music similar to this in Escape to the Country (2002-).
And now I’ve mentioned Listen to Your Heart have a listen to the song the mother loved when she was ‘young’ in this AAMI ad, written specifically for the ad by a guy by the name of Jon Helms. Someone in the comments stated it’s based on Alone by Heart (1987). When searching for it, I also came across Deep in Your Heart by Snakes in Paradise (1994) and the guitar solo has the CatrianiPlay melody in it. This is a Swedish band, so all I can say is maybe in Sweden the ’80s started in ’89 (although metal was popular), as they may have been too fixated with ABBA before that (but when your country doesn’t have many internationally successful bands and then one as big as ABBA, it’s something to celebrate).
For another ad with a song based on another song, Lumo’s new jingle is based on Heigh Ho from Disney’s Snow White (1938?).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZUNC41FDd0
http://www.youtube.com/user/LUMOEnergy
And Banana Boat based their jingle on Manamana, the song Jim Henson used is his productions.
And surprisingly enough, Mahna Mahna came from an Italian soft-core movie from 1968.
I don’t think it’s the only time Desmond Child did this: compare I’d Die for You by Bon Jovi (1986) and Holding Out for A Hero by Bonnie Tyler (1984), from the soundtrack to Footloose. I know Desmond Child isn’t credited on writing I’d Die for You, but it seems it must have been one of those cases where the producer co-wrote the song and waived the right to be credited. I would have thought the producer would want their name tacked on the end whether they had anything to do with writing the song or not.
One more thing, just for the heck of it, the instrumentals of I’d Die for You sound like just about anything on Bon Jovi’s self-titled debut, including their first hit, Runaway (1982). I’ve also noticed a similarity between I’d Die for You and Born to Be My Baby (1988) and the chorus melody of We Weren’t Born to Follow (2009) sounds like that of Born to Be My Baby.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVtaVrUAPK0
If you’re going to compare chord progressions, the first part of the chorus of Bad Name sounds like Bon Jovi’s earlier song The Hardest Part is the Night (1985).
A rudimentary chord progression that can be found everywhere. Check out Axis of Awesome – Four Chord song for about 30 examples
One Direction – Steal My Girl vs. One Direction – Little Things vs. New Found Glory – It’s Not Your. Fault vs. Journey – Faithfully
Glad I’m not the only person to submit this. When THEY’LL actually get to submitting it, I have no idea.
OK! OK! You got me!
https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/10/17/one-direction-vs-new-found-glory-vs-journey/
heh..
Awesome. Just posted it! https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/10/16/mika-vs-belinda-carlisle/
not as alike but im hearing a resemblance..
could just be me..
It’s not just you. It’s definitely there, particularly in the chorus. While this one sounds like Heaven is A Place on Earth, Love Walks In by Van Halen (released ’86 but recorded 1985-1986), which I’ve said about in reply to the first comment on this page.
“You Give Love a Bad Name” was originally written for Bonnie Tyler under the title “If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)” with different lyrics. Dissatisfied with its success in the US and the UK, Desmond Child re-wrote the song with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.
Source: Wikipedia, can’t believe no one’s pointed it out yet.
As for coincidental similarities, where the two songs were written by two different artists
Now You’re A Man – South Park
Jack Sparrow- Lonely Island
Wow. I just checked the Wikipedia page and dug into the source cited on Desmond Child. Here’s a clip to the interview where Desmond Child talks all about it: https://youtu.be/1MNGFa-rto0?t=130
Check out Kings & Queens by Ava Max (2020).