10 Rock Songs That Ripped Off Other Songs
2. The Strokes' Petty Squabbles - Last Nite
At the beginning of the 2000's, rock was starting to sound pretty stale. With nu metal and pop punk becoming way too concentrated in the mainstream, many rock fans were looking for something more authentic and original to come to the table. Ironically enough, the thing that jumpstarted the new regime of rock music actually came from borrowing the sounds of rock's glory days.
The Strokes' debut Is This It is one of the best rock albums to come out of the 2000's, with many people pointing to the single "Last Nite" as one of the best on the record. While the song did launch the band into the stratosphere, the opening buildup had a little too much in common with the 70's rock they loved. The way the band builds around a ringing guitar octave is pretty much the same construction as Tom Petty's "American Girl."
The Strokes weren't even shy about the influence either, with Julian Casablancas going so far as to say that they basically stole the idea for their song. Whereas most big wigs would be pissed off, Petty actually got a kick out of the similarities and refused to make a big deal out of the rip. It may not be the most original idea in the world, but the song helped revitalize the love of rock and roll for a whole new generation.