10 Perfect Rock Songs That Were Inspired From Another Band

When you talk about the greatest rip offs of all time, the use of samples feels like a totally separate thing. Since you're actually using the original song outright, most of these could be considered an homage to the original rather than just trying to get by on someone else's material. Once that song becomes one of the biggest songs of a generation though, that's when the lawyers come calling.

Just as the Britpop movement was about to reach its full capacity, The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony kicked everything into high gear again, with a track that was considered high art in the realm of British rock and roll. And it's not shocking how well it worked, considering it took inspiration from one of the founders of British rock. When putting together the track, the orchestral arrangement was actually taken from a reworking of the Rolling Stones' classic track The Last Time, only with Richard Ashcroft's brilliant lyrics sprinkled on top.

Of all of the former songs that were "borrowed" though, this one ended up having the ugliest backstory, with the estate of the Stones suing and most of the Verve not seeing a dime for one of the biggest hits of their career. You might see it as a lesson in getting permission, but even Jagger and Richards couldn't have captured the feeling of '90s angst like this if they tried.