17 more songs that sound as much (or more) alike than Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” and Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” (part 2 of 2)

You can find the first part of this Inventory here.

1. Sara Bareilles, “Brave” (2013) and Katy Perry, “Roar” (2013)

When Katy Perry released her self-confidence anthem “Roar,” plenty of people remarked on its similarities to Sara Bareilles’ self-confidence anthem “Brave,” which had only come out a few months earlier. Friends Bareilles and Perry have insisted that they have no problems with each other, with Bareilles even saying that she was disappointed in fans who were aggressive toward Perry. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that both songs feature pulsing piano chords, soaring choruses, and verses that are so close to each other that a mashup of “Roar” and “Brave” barely sounds like a mashup at all. [Caroline Framke]

2. Cat Stevens, “Father And Son” (1970) and The Flaming Lips, “Fight Test” (2002)

There was a time when the phrase “That new Flaming Lips track sounds a lot like Cat Stevens” would’ve sounded patently absurd, but that time had long passed by the 2002 release of Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. With the Lips’ post-Zaireeka reinvention in full swing, Yoshimi represented the next evolution in the lusher, gentler psychedelia of Oklahoma’s Fearless Freaks—one that could feasibly integrate a touch of Stevens’ Tea For The Tillerman. “There was a time during the recording when we said, this has a similarity to ‘Father And Son’,” frontman Wayne Coyne told The Guardian in 2003. “But I do regret not contacting his record company and asking their opinion. Maybe we could have gone 50-50. As it is, Cat Stevens is now getting 75 percent of royalties from ‘Fight Test.’” Seventy-five percent might seem a bit much for a melody that Stevens meanders toward in “Father And Son”’s first verse. But once he finds it, it’s difficult not to simultaneously hear Coyne singing about the virtue of “always being cool.” The similarities led to a settlement; Coyne’s genuine regret about this probably explains why his band never went after The New Pornographers for jacking the main riff from Yoshimi’s title track in the outro to “Miss Teen Wordpower.” [Erik Adams]

3. The Rubinoos, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” (1979) and Avril Lavigne, “Girlfriend” (2007)

There’s no real reason why Canadian brat-pop singer Avril Lavigne would’ve been familiar with “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” a power-pop obscurity from ’70s California band The Rubinoos. Still, the similarities between the latter song and her mega-hit “Girlfriend” are uncanny—between the “Hey! Hey!” pep squad-chant exclamations and the comparable cadence of the lyrical phrasing (“I wanna be your boyfriend”/ “I could be your girlfriend”). The “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” songwriters ending up suing Lavigne, her publishers, and producer Dr. Luke, although the case was settled in early 2008 and The Rubinoos gave the songwriting team a pass: “We therefore completely exonerate Avril and Luke from any wrongdoing of any kind in connection with the claims made by us in our lawsuit.” [Annie Zaleski]

4. Iggy Pop, “Lust For Life” (1977) and Jet, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” (2003)

That the existence of “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” didn’t result in scruffy rockers Jet being hauled into court for ripping off “Lust For Life” is one of life’s great mysteries. (Perhaps they got lucky because Iggy himself allegedly brushed off the resemblance and said he and co-writer David Bowie were nicking from Motown anyway.) Either way, Jet’s tune starts with a bouncy bass line and then adds crisp, swinging drums, and sounds so much like the extended percussive beginning of “Lust For Life” that mistaking the two is a snap. [Annie Zaleski]

5. David Bowie, “Boys Keep Swinging” (1979) and Blur, “M.O.R.” (1997)

Blur’s self-titled 1997 LP is known for its Americanized sound, most notably how it nods to the noisy indie rock of Pavement and their ilk. However, old U.K. influences die hard—at least on “M.O.R.,” where the chorus ascends in a vocal and chord progression very similar to (albeit speedier than) the Lodger anchor “Boys Keep Swinging.” If that wasn’t obvious enough, Blur’s sly reference to its own previous big hit (“I’m a boy and you’re a girl”) also just so happened to be rather close to Bowie’s lyrics (“When you’re a boy,” “You get a girl,” etc.). None of this slipped by Bowie’s camp: At some point after the song’s release, “Swinging” songwriters Bowie and Brian Eno also received credit on “M.O.R.” [Annie Zaleski]

6. David Bowie, “Fame” (1975) and James Brown, “Hot” (1975)

Finding out David Bowie ripped off James Brown would be no surprise, given the Godfather’s pervasive influence on late-20th-century music, and Bowie’s eagerness to absorb others’ style as part of his campaign of constant reinvention. But with “Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved),” it was the other way around. JB lifted the guitar riff from “Fame” wholesale only a few months after Bowie’s song went to the top of the charts, even recording it at the same studio, Electric Lady. Brown may have seen it as payback, as the riff was written by longtime Bowie guitarist Carlos Alomar, who played in Brown’s touring band in 1968 and quit after being fined for missing a cue. Alomar was reportedly furious, but Bowie supposedly decided not to sue unless “Hot” became a big hit. It didn’t. [Mike Vago]

7. The White Stripes, “Ugly As I Seem” (2005) and Kid Rock, “Born Free” (2010)

The best argument for Kid Rock accidentally stealing The White Stripes’ “Ugly As I Seem” for his Mitt Romney-approved anthem “Born Free” is that The White Stripes’ deeper cuts are just too cool for Rock to have heard. Maybe Rock would have been come across “Seven Nation Army” while flipping through the radio, but otherwise it would seem he would be more likely to run into Meg White at Kroger in their hometown of Detroit than be influenced by her music. The White Stripes didn’t seek action, choosing to ignore their old neighbor. [Philip Cosores]

8. Chris Isaak, “Wicked Game” (1989) and The XX, “Infinity” (2009)

Chris Isaak’s career-defining hit “Wicked Game” has been covered by everyone from R.E.M., WU LYF, and Washed Out to Daughtry, Lydia Ainsworth, and London Grammar. On The XX’s “Infinity,” it seems like that ubiquity took hold through the song’s chord progression and dreamy aesthetic. Then at about the 2:30 mark, things seem to get a little more blatant. The Broward/Palm Beach New Times notes that the latter half of The XX song also resembles Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy.” [Philip Cosores]

9. The Fall, “New Face In Hell” (1980) and Pavement, “Conduit For Sale!” (1992)

The Fall’s Mark E. Smith famously branded Pavement “rip-offs,” declaring, “They haven’t got an original idea in their heads.” And while the group would eventually prove him wrong, it’s hard not to notice the similarities in the shambling dissonance and deadpan delivery of Pavement’s Slanted And Enchanted. The repetitive riff and slightly British-accented shouts of “Two States” are fairly damning, but most point to “Conduit For Sale!” and its resemblance to The Fall’s “New Face In Hell.” Both are built on a loping, two-chord guitar jangle and a rushed, spoken-word spray of stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and while “Conduit” gets far more manic than the Mancunians’ song, the Fall in its DNA is obvious. Fortunately, Pavement would soon develop more of its own voice—and inspire its own rip-offs. [Sean O’Neal]

10. The Who, “Baba O’Riley” (1971) and One Direction, “Best Song Ever” (2013)

It’s might be reasonable to assume that the One Direction chaps were not particularly aware of The Who, classic rockers their grandparents’ age. The opening bars of 1D’s “Best Song Ever,” however, are awfully close to The Who’s “Baba O’Riley”—if the latter was written in this century. “Best Song Ever” takes the organic, angry original and makes a synthetic, shiny version. Approximately three weeks after its release, 1D fans created a Twitter avalanche with #DontTouchBestSongEver when it was rumored that The Who was demanding the track be withdrawn. But Pete Townshend apparently liked 1D’s song, and had no intention of messing with those angry fans. [Lily Moayeri]

11. The Police, “Message In A Bottle” (1979) and Rihanna, “Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary” (2012)

How great would it be if Rihanna covered The Police’s timeless “Message In A Bottle?” She did the next best thing on “Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary,” which after its opening moans goes right into those familiar Police guitar lines. RiRi’s version doesn’t even update these riffs. In fact, she carries the melody line through to her vocal parts, too, kind of copying Sting’s intonation. The words and sentiment might be different, but the message is loud and clear. [Lily Moayeri]

12. J.J. Fad, “Supersonic” (1988) and Fergie, “Fergalicious” (2006)

Fergie overtly sought hip-hop cred with her solo breakout single “Fergalicious”—an obvious nod to J.J. Fad’s “Supersonic.” Ferg-E-Ferg’s track sampled a heavy piece of the original’s composition, mimicking almost everything from cadence to melody. While it initially just sounded like a cute ode to the ’80s female rap outfit, “Fergalicious” became the target of a lawsuit in 2009. One of the original members of NWA, The Arabian Prince (also the co-writer of “Supersonic”), filed a suit over his share of the composition of the original, which in turn led to him demanding royalties from “Fergalicious.” However, his real issue was with his former label Ruthless Records, the same label that signed J.J. Fad, so Fergie gingerly slid past those charges unscathed, her hit single in tow. [Kathy Iandoli]

13. Leonard Cohen, “Suzanne” (1967) and R.E.M., “Hope” (1998)

The members of R.E.M. always shared writing credit on their songs, something they decided to do early on. In 1998, one additional guy showed up in the liner notes for Up: Leonard Cohen. Cohen’s “Suzanne” has a melody almost identical to that of “Hope,” so Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills decided to give Cohen his share of the credit. Though the songs are markedly dissimilar in many ways (“Suzanne” is an acoustic, lovelorn ballad; “Hope” is a propulsive, beats-and-synth fever dream), and the lyrics are completely different, there’s no denying the melodic similarities. On his R.E.M. blog Pop Songs 07-08, Matthew Perpetua provided Stipe with some reader questions, one of which asked about “Hope”’s origins. Stipe replied that the narrator is “facing some very difficult questions about longevity and survival,” ultimately pinning his hopes on using reptile DNA to boost his immunity. So… not exactly the relationship-woe themes of “Suzanne.” But it’s a hell of a melody. [David Brusie]

14. Nirvana, “Stay Away” (1991) and Stone Temple Pilots, “Between The Lines” (2010)

Fairly or unfairly, Stone Temple Pilots spent much of their ’90s heyday trying to prove they weren’t a total grunge knockoff. That hardly mattered to anyone by the time of the band’s self-titled release in 2010, but it’s unfortunate that a few seconds of the record’s lead single, “Between The Lines,” had to go and resurrect some old demons. Outside the chorus, there’s not a ton of similarity between the song and Nirvana’s Nevermind track “Stay Away,” but when Scott Weiland hits that “get away” vocal at the 1:30 mark, the similarities to Cobain’s verse are impossible to ignore. [Ryan Bray]

15. Kanye West, “Love Lockdown” (2008) and OneRepublic, “Love Runs Out” (2014)

“Love Runs Out” at first seems to be rehashing Adele’s “Rumour Has It,” which OneRepublic leader Ryan Tedder produced and co-wrote. But if you strip away the oohs and cavernous drums, the actual heart of the song pulses with the blood of Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown.” The refrains are melodic clones, the end of Tedder’s verses mirror the top of Kanye’s in terms of phrasing, and the nearly identical titles are both repeated in 10-syllable hooks. Whether coincidence or copying, there’s been no legal action yet, so maybe Yeezus forgives. [Carl Williott]

16. Simon And Garfunkel, “Cecilia” (1970) and Fun, “Some Nights” (2012)

Fun’s “Some Nights” and Simon And Garfunkel’s classic “Cecilia” are pretty divergent in style: The former is all thunderous drama and the latter is as light and pert as a sunny walk in the park, but it’s hard to debate the similarity of the chant that’s the focal point of each tune. (The drumming closely evokes “Cecilia” in rhythm as well.) Nate Ruess did later admit that he drew on Paul Simon while writing the song… not “Cecilia,” however, but Graceland. A touch ironic, given that Simon himself has long been dogged by claims of stealing music for Graceland, and perhaps that’s why he hasn’t raised a stink, publicly or legally, about “Some Nights.” [Chris Mincher]

17. Dillinger Four, “Doublewhiskeycokenoice” (1998) and Green Day, “American Idiot” (2004)

Billie Joe Armstrong made no secret of being a big Dillinger Four fan: Green Day even took D4 on tour in Japan. Which is why it was a rather glaring example of musical appropriation when Green Day’s album American Idiot subsequently came out, and its title track lifted not only the main riff from D4’s “Doublewhiskeycokenoice,” but actually imposed an eerily similar structure at points. It’s played at a slightly different rhythm, perhaps to disguise that very fact. There’s a rumor that Green Day actually settled with the band out of court for a hefty cash payment, but that’s just hearsay, whereas the theft itself you can actually hear. [Alex McCown]