Pity the poor Rubinoos. They had a tight power-pop sound and made a number of infectious recordings in the ’70s and ’80s but never quite ascended the charts. And when their sound finally made it, their credit was nowhere to be found: Avril Lavigne, seemingly inspired by their “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” had done her own “Hey! You!” cheerlead with a similar theme, garnering massive success in 2007 with “Girlfriend.” Chad Kroeger’s better half (ahem) kept the songwriting credit for herself and collaborator Dr. Luke, leading to a confidential out-of-court settlement.
You Didn’t Write That: A Brief Guide to (Alleged) Pop Plagiarism
A lawsuit filed against the writers of Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen’s current smash “Good Time” calls to mind other examples of lift-and-tuck procedures in the songwriting process
Avril Lavigne, “Girlfriend”
Full List
Pop Plagiarism
- Hey, I Recognize That Tune…
- Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen, “Good Time”
- George Harrison, “My Sweet Lord”
- The Beach Boys, “Surfin’ U.S.A.”
- The Beatles, “Come Together”
- The Illusion, “Did You See Her Eyes,” and Ike and Tina Turner, “Bold Soul Sister”
- Morris Albert, “Feelings”
- Michael Jackson, “Will You Be There”
- Jessica Simpson, “A Public Affair”
- Lady Gaga, “Born This Way”
- Avril Lavigne, “Girlfriend”
