Songs That Sound the Same

Lazario · Post by **Lazario** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:37 pm

I was watching the Key of Awesome parody of Katy Perry's "California Gurls" and there's a line that goes, "it's the same beat from that other song that Ke$ha did." I didn't think about it at the time, then I was listening to Madonna. So, I was fooling around on YouTube, watched Katy's original video and was humming that. Then about an hour ago, Madonna's "Get Together" popped into my head and I was humming that. I re-watched the Key of Awesome parody and then left it there... Then, I started humming "Get Together" again and realized... I was humming Katy Perry's song too.

0:00-0:08 on Katy Perry's video sounds a lot like 1:58-2:14 on Madonna's video.

Then if you compare Katy Perry's song to Ke$ha's "Tik Tok," the similarities are even more freaky. You hear them right away.

But, then I decided to compare "Tik Tok" to "Get Together." It may seem a slight bit more of a stretch to say, but 2:18-2:49 on Ke$ha's video does sound quite like 2:29-3:00 on Madonna's.

Hear for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwE-SLnLkqY - Katy's video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP6XpLQM2Cs - Ke$ha's video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSDjPyG1O3U - Madonna's video

Can anyone think of any other songs that sound the same?

blackcauldron85 · Post by **blackcauldron85** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:41 pm

I've noticed that "Summer Gurls" is similar to "Tik Tok", especially the "Ohh Ohh Ohh" (or whatever

) during the chorus. When Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" came to radio, some were saying how it sounds very similar to Beyonce's "Halo". I'm sure I could come up with more if I thought about it, but I'm too tired right this moment.

SmartAleck25 · Post by **SmartAleck25** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:37 pm

blackcauldron85 wrote:I've noticed that "Summer Gurls" is similar to "Tik Tok", especially the "Ohh Ohh Ohh" (or whatever ) during the chorus. When Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" came to radio, some were saying how it sounds very similar to Beyonce's "Halo". I'm sure I could come up with more if I thought about it, but I'm too tired right this moment.

Wow, those were the songs I was thinking of! Another one is the band Basshunter's DotA and All I Ever Wanted (not to be confused with Kelly Clarkson's album title). I think that Already Gone and Halo are even in the same key!

Escapay · Post by **Escapay** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:03 pm

As soon as I saw the thread title, I knew I had to post this video:

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qHBVnMf2t7w&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qHBVnMf2t7w&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

albert

zackisthewalrus · Post by **zackisthewalrus** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:57 pm

I've "written" a mash-up of La Roux's "Bulletproof" and Ke$ha's "Your Love is my Drug" that I've performed for my friends. They thought it worked. They're both in the same key. I hope to post it on YouTube soon...

blackcauldron85 · Post by **blackcauldron85** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 6:32 am

That video was pretty genius. I didn't even really have 5 minutes to waste this morning, but that was worth it!

Neal · Post by **Neal** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:35 am

Perhaps what that video shows is that the most popular music is the most simple - the four chord connection between all of those shows that all of those songs are easily memorable and simple. Music that is simplistic is more likely to 'stick.'

Escapay · Post by **Escapay** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 7:12 pm

The simplest of things are often the easiest to remember (e.g. I can remember a sequence like A E A E A E better than A E I E O E A U A O U O A). Thus, that's why the four chords are used frequently. They're easy to remember and easy to set a melody to.

This is why people remember commercial jingles better than they do full song lyrics. Shorter, simpler, easy to whistle.

albert

Goliath · Post by **Goliath** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 3:51 pm

Neal wrote:Perhaps what that video shows is that the most popular music is the most simple [...]

It hasn't always been that way. Otherwise, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and so may other legendary bands/artists wouldn't have become popular. Those simple tunes you hear on the readio today may be popular now, but they will be forgotten in 5 years. But the artists I named will still be known in 50 years.

Funny video, by the way.

ajmrowland · Post by **ajmrowland** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 7:09 pm

"Ice Ice Baby"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xtrEN-YKLBM&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xtrEN-YKLBM&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Escapay · Post by **Escapay** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 10:57 pm

Some of my favorite examples of sampling:

Barry De Vorzon & Perry Botkin, Jr.'s "Nadia's Theme (Theme for "The Young and the Restless")" sampled in Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama"

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sRWWWWrVPAU&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sRWWWWrVPAU&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/em328ua_Lo8&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/em328ua_Lo8&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Soft Cell's cover of "Tainted Love" sampled in Rihanna's "S.O.S."

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/srtuQU20QXA&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/srtuQU20QXA&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
(I'm using this "fotolog" version because it's not disturbing like either of Soft Cell's music videos for the song)

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IXmF4GbA86E&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IXmF4GbA86E&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

The Rolling Stones' "The Last Time" (Andrew Oldham Orchestra cover) sampled in The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony"

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bpbjRYtdavQ&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bpbjRYtdavQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rV5VmhY3-Sw&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rV5VmhY3-Sw&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
(This is a Cruel Intentions version of the video, as the official one cannot be embedded. Don't watch it if you haven't seen the movie.)

albert

littlefuzzy · Post by **littlefuzzy** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 1:30 pm

Superfreak sounds an awful lot like a newer song, but I can't name the newer one. I don't know if it was sampled in the new one, or not. Maybe I'm thinking of U Can't Touch This...

There's a part in Star Wars (Empire Strikes Back: The Imperial March, I think) that is pretty close to Prokofiev's Love for Three Oranges.

Err, scratch that (although the Imperial March could be lifted from somewhere), it's actually Return of the Jedi: Parade of the Ewoks... I just listened to both pieces, and it doesn't just "sound similar", it is THE EXACT SAME THING, particularly in the opening.

dvdjunkie · Post by **dvdjunkie** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:47 am

Most of you are too young to remember when that it was the thing for an artist who had a hit record to put out his second one with almost the same tempo and sound, and only the words to it were changed. These songs you guys and gals are quoting are just 'bits and pieces', what about the whole song sounding the same like George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord", he actually was sued by the writers of the song "He's So Fine" which was recorded by The Chiffons.

Other hits from the 60's that were basically the same song with different words included "Hang On Sloopy" by The McCoys, who's second hit was "Fever" and basically was the same beat and tempo as 'Sloopy'.

Most of the songs today are basic samples of other hits, but they are stand-alone songs. You need to go back a few years and find that it was the thing to record a second hit that sounded like the first.

By the way: "Superfreak" was totally redone by MC Hammer and called "You Can't Touch This".

littlefuzzy · Post by **littlefuzzy** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 11:13 am

Phil Johnson · Post by **Phil Johnson** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:25 pm

A lot of the Star Wars stuff was influenced by Holst's "The Planets". I believe the Imperial March is Jupiter.

And Goliath... The Beatles wrote plenty of 4 chord songs.

Simplicity is a great tool in music. The Human brain can only retain so much information, especially with the thousand other things going on in life these days. Complexity has it's place, but simplicity can be beautiful too. My own songs go back and forth between 3 chord wonders and bazillion chord monoliths.

And there's plenty of common chord progressions. Whether it's that four chord thing above for a jazz ii-V-I or a standard 12-bar blues.

Here's two of my favorite examples:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JdxkVQy7QLM&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JdxkVQy7QLM&hl ... fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q1YABGdai5k&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q1YABGdai5k&hl ... fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Margos · Post by **Margos** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:45 pm

Wow, Nirvana just got Rickrolled, and Rick Astley just got a shot of epic! Seriously, I enjoyed that combo better than either of those songs seperately. That was cool!

blackcauldron85 · Post by **blackcauldron85** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:06 pm

Both of those videos were epic- thanks for sharing, Phil!!!

Goliath · Post by **Goliath** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:38 pm

Phil Johnson wrote:And Goliath... The Beatles wrote plenty of 4 chord songs.

I was talking about the 'Sergeant Pepper'-period. Those songs were too complicated to be played alive on stage.

zackisthewalrus · Post by **zackisthewalrus** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 8:51 pm

Phil Johnson wrote: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q1YABGdai5k&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q1YABGdai5k&hl ... fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

To me, this doesn't work because the songs are in two different keys. I wasn't a fan.

Disney Duster · Post by **Disney Duster** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:12 pm

Once I was going to try to make a video of all the Alan Menken music that sounds similar to his other music, but I didn't want to make anyone sad.

But now...

"I can show you the world..."

"Poor unfortunate souls..."

"It's not enough to take the one you love for granted..."

"Little shop, little shop of horrors..."

It's still all new music people, it just happens to sound a little alike. Too many things to count are very alike, yet very different, and new. If nothing was a little similar to other things, we couldn't even understand it, let alone accept and like it.

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