7 Songs About Plagiarism

"Cause there's always someone somewhere with a big nose, who knows, and who trips you up and laughs when you fall."

The Smiths The recent lawsuit against Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' has once again thrown the concept of plagiarism into the musical limelight. The family of Marvin Gaye successfully sued Thicke, Pharrell Williams and co. to the tune of $7.4 million, arguing that the track borrowed far too heavily from 'Got To Give It Up'. While music relies naturally upon influences of the past to continually evolve, once a certain line is crossed, those responsible can leave themselves open to attack - damaging both their bank accounts and reputations. Although the actual similarities between the two songs are heavily debatable, the whole saga has ensured that the notion of copying is very much a part of contemporary cultural discussion. However, it is not a topic always confined to courtrooms; artists often take matters into their own hands and address plagiarism within their own songs. Whether blasting a specific rival for copying a style too closely, purposefully mocking a different genre, or deriding an entire musical movement, tracks dealing with such topics are often forthright and incredibly compelling. Here are seven of the best examples of songs which directly address plagiarism in one form or another. Spanning various genres, it proves that no part of the pop spectrum is safe from disgruntled accusations of copying, aired directly in the studio from the slighted artists themselves.
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