random photo of Lindsey Buckingham
Devin Graham (aka Devin Supertramp) makes lots of really cool videos on YouTube. He usually has his friends write original music for these epic three minute clips. He recently posted a video called “Robotic Dolphin and Flying Water Car”. Right away I recognized the music (written by a group calling themselves “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop”) as the theme to National Lampoon’s Vacation. The original melody is from a song called “Holiday Road” (1983) by Lindsey Buckingham. I really do feel bad calling out the little guys, but hey, they’re selling the track on iTunes and I have no evidence that they have credited Buckingham, so here ya go.
Here’s the original video if you’re interested:
Robotic Dolphin and Flying Water Car – In 4K! With Jetovator and Seabreacher
I don’t think credits for singles are included on iTunes, only in album booklets. More to the point, why should we care? No offence, but I figure there will always be someone to steal other people’s music, so why bother about people we’ve never heard who are stealing other people’s music or at least releasing something similar to someone else’s, unless there are a whole slew of similar songs? If people haven’t heard the song which came later, they aren’t going to wonder where it came from.
Sometimes I can look at it as the legacy of the song that came first and obviously a big name artist stealing from a lesser known one is more interesting, but in the case of Taylor Caniff vs Pontus Pettersson, I couldn’t care less if someone neither of us had heard of stole his song from someone else neither of us had ever heard of, but Taylor Caniff does have millions of followers, so it would be of interest to someone.
The point is, you could have instead posted about any of these:
https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2009/07/23/america-vs-michael-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-5525, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2009/07/23/america-vs-michael-jackson/comment-page-1/#comment-4711, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/08/26/nick-and-simon-vs-green-day/comment-page-1/#comment-5549, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/08/26/nick-and-simon-vs-green-day/comment-page-1/#comment-5706, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/08/26/nick-and-simon-vs-green-day/comment-page-1/#comment-5723, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/08/26/nick-and-simon-vs-green-day/comment-page-1/#comment-5929, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2010/01/09/blink-182-vs-green-day/comment-page-1/#comment-1029, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2012/07/23/green-day-vs-night-ranger/comment-page-1/#comment-2320, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/08/21/pitbull-vs-aerosmith-and-run-dmc/comment-page-1/#comment-5558, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/08/21/pitbull-vs-aerosmith-and-run-dmc/comment-page-1/#comment-5583, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2013/12/17/10-one-direction-songs-that-sound-like-other-songs/comment-page-1/#comment-4002, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2013/12/17/10-one-direction-songs-that-sound-like-other-songs/comment-page-1/#comment-4081, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2013/12/17/10-one-direction-songs-that-sound-like-other-songs/comment-page-1/#comment-4126, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2013/12/17/10-one-direction-songs-that-sound-like-other-songs/comment-page-1/#comment-4517, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2013/12/17/10-one-direction-songs-that-sound-like-other-songs/comment-page-1/#comment-5249, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2010/02/06/the-beatles-vs-diana-ross/comment-page-1/#comment-976, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/09/26/bon-jovi-vs-bonnie-tyler-vs-ankie-bagger-vs-belinda-carlisle/comment-page-1/#comment-5976, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/09/26/bon-jovi-vs-bonnie-tyler-vs-ankie-bagger-vs-belinda-carlisle/comment-page-1/#comment-5981, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/09/26/bon-jovi-vs-bonnie-tyler-vs-ankie-bagger-vs-belinda-carlisle/comment-page-1/#comment-5995, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/09/17/did-daft-punk-steal-get-lucky-daft-punk-vs-milks/comment-page-1/#comment-5872, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/09/10/this-new-apple-ad-looks-like-an-ok-go-video/comment-page-1/#comment-5810, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/09/10/this-new-apple-ad-looks-like-an-ok-go-video/comment-page-1/#comment-5930, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/09/09/battle-of-the-saxes-ariana-grande-vs-jason-derulo-vs-macklemore-vs-wild-sugar/comment-page-1/#comment-5748, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/09/09/battle-of-the-saxes-ariana-grande-vs-jason-derulo-vs-macklemore-vs-wild-sugar/comment-page-1/#comment-5800, https://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2014/08/28/5-seconds-of-summer-vs-plain-white-ts-vs-derek-and-the-dominos/comment-page-1/#comment-5582
Here are some I haven’t said about before:
The first part of the verse of Learn to Love by Bon Jovi (2009) sounds like 20 Good Reasons by Thirsty Merc (2007), which in turn sounds like Crying by Roy Orbison (1961), 20 Good Reasons peaked at #4 on the ARIA charts and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2008 APRA Awards; A Good Heart by Feargal Sharkey (1985) in part sounds like The Passenger, the backing vocals in the chorus of Grenade by Bruno Mars (2010); Savin’ Me by Nickelback (2005) sounds kind of like Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer (1997), Savin’ Me peaked at #18 on the ARIA charts and #2 on the Billboard Pop Songs and Adult Pop Songs charts; Sing (2014) also sounds like a bad version of Need You Tonight by INXS (1987); You Ruin Me by The Veronicas (2014) sounds kind of like Who Knew (2006); The jingle from McLeay’s Bulk Store sounds kind of like Oh, Lady Be Good (1924), etc., but unfortunately I can’t find it on YouTube; part of Last Night by Good Charlotte (2010) sounds like The Flame, Break it Down Again, etc.; the riffs from American Idiot (2004) and Doublewhiskeycokenoise (1998) sound like Kitty by The Presidents of the United States of America (1995) (the melody of which sounds like Green River) and other three chord riffs, such as Green Day’s own At the Library (1990) and Don’t Leave Me (1990), which in turn sounds like All Day and All of the Night by The Kinks (1964); Flavor of the Weak by American Hi-Fi (2001) sounds like the chorus of I’d Die for You by Bon Jovi (1986) and True Love by P!nk (2012) also sounds like these; Turn Up the Music by Chris Brown (2012) also sounds like I’m Not Alone, etc.; The bridge of Since You’ve Been Gone and that part of Maps sound like the verse melody of Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran (1982); the verse of Far Away by Nickelback (2005) sounds like that of Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper (1983) and That’s Freedom by John Farnham (1990); Always by Bon Jovi (1994) sounds like Walk On by Jimmy Barnes, written by Desmond Child and Joe Lynn Turner (1987) and Wake Me Up, Next to Me and The Division Bell by Pink Floyd (1994) also sound like the chorus of Working Class Man by Barnesy (1985) and I agree with my mother when she says that St. George and the Dragon sounds like Toto’s first hit, Hold the Line (1978).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzcpq7h5VYU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx9qUR9P2ZQ#t=1m03s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPc-o-4Nsbk#t=42
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-rv2BQa2OU#t=48s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SKEp-H0Eqs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMRaSXh9-n4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOg5VxrRTi0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZIbpexA4g8#t=30s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BMwcO6_hyA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erSJGrpfnOI#t=58s
This probably seems like an overwhelming amount, but the things I hadn’t said about before I’d been wanting to say over the course of two weeks and this is a good website, but there is always room for improvement.
And I heard the CatrianiPlay melody in an episode of Bargain Hunt. They use a lot of songs which weren’t written for the show, so it may be difficult to find. Another I had been trying to find how to relate to a post is that part of Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) by Billy Joel (1993) sounds like Do That To Me One More Time by Captain & Tennille (1979).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry4ngf766N0
Thanks Mark. You have a point about not necessarily caring about some of these artists, but they are there and if I happen to come across them myself then I will post them. I initially started this site for that reason. I appreciate your support of the website but I just don’t have a whole lot of time to listen to focus on every submission (not just yours, but everyone’s!). It’s a time consuming process to edit down the music and do some general fact checking. If you were to pick THE BEST one on this list, which would it be?
I previously gathered up some of my best, but out of those, probably the Cliché Love Songs or Basim-Cliche Love Song (2014) vs Jordin Sparks-Tattoo (2007) vs Train-Drops of Jupiter (2001) vs Real Thing-You To Me Are Everything (1976) vs Dobie Gray-Drift Away (1973) as it is one which has yet to be touched upon on this site, I realised it almost entirely by myself and Train is one of my favourite bands and I like and own all of their albums except the self-titled debut (which features a song called Train!) and the new album, Bulletproof Picasso.
Another website had made the connection between the verse of Drops of Jupiter and the chorus of Drift Away and Pat Monahan had been asked by his company to write a hit, the result being a song which sounds like two hits. I have tried songwriting and know how easy it is to slip into an already existing melody, so I won’t jump to conclusions, but of course, that’s not what this website is for.
Anyway, one day I was listening to a compilation of Eurovision 2014 and I heard Cliché Love Song. Immediately I thought it sounded like both of those, but also You To Me Are Everything. I knew there was another song and then I released there is a similar melody in the pre-chorus, if that’s what it is, of Tattoo.
I don’t know if you’re still intending on doing a final update to CatrianiPlay, but the piano part of Drops of Jupiter also has the CatrianiPlay melody and it must be getting close to 40 songs with the same melody now, depending on what you count as a similar, but different melody and what is a variation on the same melody. I could go on about Keith Urban-Shame vs Train-Words or Train-You Already Know vs Jason Mraz-I’m Yours in addition to Jonas Brothers vs Jason Mraz or I could even go really off topic and discuss Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds-Don’t Pull Your Love (intro)(1971) vs Edison Lighthouse-Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes (intro)(1970), but from now on, I’ll comment less frequently. I probably have been hogging the comments section and even though I don’t post comments like: They do sound similar, I always thought they sound similar or Such and such ripped them off bad, I still find that the recent comments are often all mine and when someone else posts a comment, I reply to it. I’ll bet you were astonished to find I’d been holding back on you somewhat, but I like there to be a rhyme and reason to everything.
I know you said about doing another Green Day super-post and I’m racking up a few for that. I’ve been intending on making it into a video, or a series of videos on Youtube.
I was thinking of starting my own website, but when I found there were several, of which this seems the first and best, I decided I would rather contribute to an already existing site, but I will give you time to catch up. I could start Thatbirdsongsoundslike.com or Thatsongdoesn’tsoundlike.com, but I think I would have to establish some rules for the latter to give it some purpose. I might include uncharacteristic songs by a particular artist, songs with similar names and songs which people say are similar or that one is based on the other but they aren’t alike. Another idea would be to connect songs by six degrees, like in network science. Would any two of the songs with the CatrianiPlay melody count as one degree?
Also, I think the reason we notice similarities is that our brains are wired to connect things in order to understand them, like we are wired to recognise faces and as a result, we can see faces in random shapes or just see pictures and if we rotate an object 90 degrees, sometimes we can see something else, making one object look like four or more things, like we can look at the melody, chord progression, timbre and arrangement of a song to hear the similarity to other songs. The statement that we are most influenced by the music we hear when we are 14 suggests to me that anything we hear and like after that is because it reminds us of something else, not to suggest that this website is pointless or anything.
If you don’t like calling out the little guys, just don’t, or at least put it as a low priority, that was my main point in the original comment. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the Cliché Love Songs is my choice.
I’ll check out Cliche Love Song.
Start your own site and make YouTube videos if you really want to. Seriously! I kept talking about this until I finally did it. That was 7 years ago and I’ve made like $10 on ad revenue but I still do it. Not many people out there will ever consistently keep a site active for this long. Most personal sites or tumblr accounts are dead within a year. My motivation for running this site is not to post every single sound-alike that is submitted to me. I get A LOT. But some are more compelling than others. No offense, but getting 10 paragraph comment is a big put-off. You should just be authoring your own site. You clearly seem to have a huge interest in this.
re: CatrianiPlay – yes, I have a draft with many more examples. It can only get so big until it’s not very interesting anymore.
re: Green Day – Eventually. I get bored of writing and listening to the same thing.