The same three thundering piano chords creep out of the speakers. The sound of clapping and snapping emerge over stuttering synthetic melodies. The lyrics of betrayal, breakups and bruised feelings lead into The Chainsmokers’ song, ‘Roses’. Or is it ‘Closer’? Oh no, wait it’s ‘Paris’! 3rd time lucky, but who’s counting, right?
There’s a fine line between inspiration and imitation, but it’s often this line that causes musicians to start seeing red instead of seeing dollar signs. As copycat conflict is on the rise, it seems nearly every artist has defended themselves against plagiarism prosecutions at some point in their career, some more than others (here’s to Matt Cardle’s BFF, Ed Sheeran). But what happens when you cut out the middleman and steal your own song instead?
American DJ duo The Chainsmokers are the latest artists under fire, with many people quickly realising the striking similarities between their tracks. Last year, YouTuber John Fassold gained attention after uploading a comedic video titled ‘How EVERY Chainsmokers Song is Written’. What ensued were numerous melodic responses, following the same three-chord system he mentioned, that sounded like they had come straight from The Chainsmokers’ conveyor belt. But with hits like ‘Closer’, reaching over 2 billion views on YouTube and the pair achieving over 35.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the two may have found their recipe for success. However, they aren’t the first to hack the system.
Musicians will often follow the same style when producing music, which can lead to songs sounding familiar. Talking to George Griffiths, Music Editor of culture magazine, TMRW, he explained the ups and downs of self-plagiarism. “Sometimes it can be great, like when a legacy artist such as Britney or Madonna pays tribute to an early career, then you have artists like Taylor Swift who use their back catalogue as a way to move into bold new territory” he claimed. “Other times it hampers an artist’s growth, if you listen to Meghan Trainor’s new single, it sounds exactly like the music from her first album. It completely disregards the steps towards a new sound that she made on her second record and settles for an easy win by sticking to an already established formula.”
Have a listen to Booker T. & the MG’s 1965 track, ‘Jelly Bread’. Sound familiar? That’s because the song resembles their previous number one soul hit, ‘Green Onions’. Now have a listen to Stevie Wonder’s, ‘You Haven’t Done Nothin’’. Sound familiar too? That’s because it follows the same melodic style of his former jazz sensation, ‘Superstition’. Musicians have been recycling winning melodies for decades, but it doesn’t always go to plan. In 1994, the music industry became acquainted with the bizarre court case of artist John Fogerty Vs, well, himself.
Two years before Fogerty left rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and their accompanying label, Fantasy Records, he scribed 70s song ‘Run Through the Jungle’. A few years down the road, in 1985, during his solo career, he released ‘Old Man Down the Road’, which spent three weeks at number one on Billboards Top Rock Tracks chart. Fantasy Records owner, Saul Zaentz, claimed that the songs shared the same chorus and so a three-month court battle followed between the couple, each firing their defence case, which Fogerty eventually won.
So, is there such thing as an original idea? That’s the million-dollar question quite literally to some artists, as creatives are often troubled with the certitude of originality resting on their shoulders. More often than not, artists have found themselves penning an idea which has already been taken, but Cryptomnesia puts this down to a mere accident. The scientific concept argues that the brain is susceptible to mistaking a memory for a new idea. How many times have you suggested a place to go with your friends, and upon response they say ‘Yeah, I recommended that place last week?’ You, my friend, have been a victim of Cryptomnesia.
“It’s easy to get into a habit of songwriting, few can write a completely new song each time they put pen to paper.”
A growing concern which also might be at fault is the finite number of note combinations, posing the question, will we ever run out of new music? “Nah not at all” is the initial response from Liam Deakin, lead guitarist of Birmingham band, The Clause. “When you look at genres that have come out in recent years, it’s completely different to what was coming out in the 90s. I think they’ll be similarities but music develops, and I don’t think that can ever be an excuse for plagiarism.” If that’s the case, the driving force behind self-plagiarism may be due to a number of factors. “I think it can come from rushing pieces sometimes, and stocking album fillers in just for the sake of it with half thought through ideas.” Deakin then goes on to sympathise with fellow songwriters “It’s easy to get into a habit of songwriting, few can write a completely new song each time they put pen to paper.”
There’ll never be an ultimate answer as to why musicians plagiarise themselves. Maybe it’s money? Or maybe it’s nostalgia? Oh no, wait maybe it’s a simple accident? But in the words of fellow creative Pablo Picasso, ‘To copy others is necessary, but to copy oneself is pathetic’.
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