What song/composition sounds like another artist?

Funny you should mention "On the Dark Side." The first time I heard "Keep the Car Running" by the wildly overrated and terribly annoying Arcade Fire, I was astonished by how much that song was a ripoff of a ripoff. It sounds *exactly* like "on the Dark Side," which sounds like the poor man's Springsteen. It's a copy of a copy, an imitation of an imitation, a tracing of a forgery. It's an embarrassment.
It's more like "on the Dark Side" than "My Sweet Lord" is like "He's So Fine."
That's the end of my ranting for now.
Thanks for listening.
-- Howard

Hodu/Howard,

I disagree on the Arcade Fire. Certainly "Keep the Car Running" follows the same chord progression as Eddie and the Cruiser's "On the Dark Side." But the songs are substantially different in almost every other way (as I'm sure almost anyone's ears can detect upon a cursory listening).

Further, there are approximately 8 bajillion-zillion songs that follow similar chord progressions as predecessors which are still accepted as unique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ALd-Top2A

I could link more videos showing how multitudes of songs from all different genres are at their core the same progression, but in their composition ultimately different. It is musical illiteracy to accuse songs of forgery because they use the same progression/meter. If that is the case, then I'm afraid every song made after the 1900s or maybe even earlier (apart from extremely experimental dissonant stuff, although that's probably all used up too) is a forgery! Heck, much of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones is cribbed from the Blues.

I suppose it gets down to how we define what makes a song a song and from there what makes one unique.

No offense intended, Howard. I hope I made my case without crossing any lines.

-Brian

I think it is probably inevitable... For example Red Hot Chilli Peppers "Dani California" sure sounds like they copied Tom Petty "Last Dance With Mary Jane"

I notice similarities all the time, I think it is almost impossible to be completely creative as everyone influences everyone else.

Another example is Cold Sweat (James Brown) which takes a riff from Miles Davis Kind of Blue

Alexi Murdoch sounds like he's channeling Nick Drake

Antony Hegarty's unique voice reminds me a whole lot ofNina Simone

Madeline Peyroux sounds like she could be the offspring of Billie Holiday