10 Classic Rock Songs That Were Likely Inspired From Other Songs

In all of rock history, Tom Petty has one of the more impressive pedigrees of most of his peers. Even though he got his start towards the end of the '70s, he has turned into one of the most well respected men in the rock industry, managing to be a part of a classic rock supergroup alongside legends like Bob Dylan and George Harrison. That might be a strange way to start an entry like this, but even someone like Tom can find himself in the funkier side of rock and roll.

When John Frusciante started to get engrained in the Red Hot Chili Peppers once again, the songs didn't stop coming for a second, and Stadium Arcadium turned into one of their greatest undertakings, with Dani California leading the charge. If you listen to the main idea of the riff though, it does sound similar to Petty's own Mary Jane's Last Dance.

Though Petty never took any legal action over it, the Peppers weren't done cribbing from the past either, like when John goes for his solo at the end of the song and quotes the main lick of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze more than a few times when filling out the back half of the track. Considering the band's affinity for rock and roll, hearing these little fragments just feels like a celebration of the kind of music that got them itching to play music in the first place.