When writing music, it is incredibly difficult to create something completely unique. Nearly every song has similar scales or chord progressions to other songs. However there are some songs that seem perhaps a little too close.
While this topic has been thoroughly covered by others before now, here are some lesser-known examples of musical similarities. Whether borrowed by accident or purposefully inspired by, here are three songs that sound very similar.
Folger's Coffee commercial
The Folgers Coffee jingle was first released in 1984, and has been featured in advertisements for the coffee brand ever since. The jingle has even been covered by Aretha Franklin, and the rights to the song were recently sold to an individual for over $90,000!
Fine young cannibals - Suspicious Minds
Suspicious Minds by Fine Young Cannibals was released about one year after the first Folger's commercial aired Released on the self titled album, "Fine Young Cannibals" in 1985, the song was originally written in 1968 by Mark James, and was later covered by Elvis Presley in 1969.
Mark James Version
Elvis Presley Version
While it's unlikely that either song was inspired by the other, it is hard to deny that they share similar melody lines and chord progressions.
one shining moment
Originally composed and recorded by David Barrett, One Shining Moment was released in 1986, one year after Fine Young Cannibals released their version of Suspicious Minds, and two years after Folgers started putting their jingle into advertisements.
Beyond just the melody and chord progression, this song's instrumentation and arrangement sounds very similar to the other two as well!
What do you think? Am I crazy? Or do these songs sound similar? Let me know in the comments below!
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