Pop Stars Who Secretly Stole Massive Hit Songs From Other Singers

The music world is full of debates about originality, and legal battles over copyright are common. It’s often hard to tell the difference between being inspired by another artist and actually copying their work. Despite claims of creating completely original hits, many popular songs have faced lawsuits suggesting otherwise – ranging from unintentional resemblances to clear cases of melody theft. These legal disputes usually result in large sums of money being paid or songwriting credits being shared with the original artists. This article looks at musicians who have been accused of borrowing from others’ work to create their biggest songs.

Robin Thicke

The song ‘Blurred Lines’ was hugely popular in 2013, but it quickly became the center of a legal battle over its similarities to Marvin Gaye’s ‘Got to Give It Up’. Marvin Gaye’s estate sued, claiming the song copied the overall feel and musical style of his 1977 hit. The jury sided with the Gaye family and awarded them a substantial amount of money. As a result, Marvin Gaye was officially recognized as a songwriter on ‘Blurred Lines’. This case is now a key example in copyright law, showing that the general ‘feel’ of a song, and not just specific melodies, can be protected.

Olivia Rodrigo

After Olivia Rodrigo’s 2021 hit song ‘Good 4 U’ became popular, many people noticed it sounded very similar to Paramore’s ‘Misery Business’ from 2007. To avoid legal issues, Rodrigo later added Hayley Williams and Joshua Farro as official songwriters on the track. This happened before with another of her songs, ‘1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back,’ which used a sample from Taylor Swift’s ‘New Year’s Day.’ Since then, Rodrigo has made sure to give credit to other artists on her first album to avoid any accusations of plagiarism.

George Harrison

George Harrison, formerly of The Beatles, faced a famous copyright lawsuit regarding his 1970 song ‘My Sweet Lord’. The song was claimed to be too similar to ‘He’s So Fine’ by The Chiffons, released in 1963. The court ultimately decided that Harrison had unintentionally copied the melody. Even though he insisted he hadn’t deliberately plagiarized the song, he was required to pay a large share of its royalties. This case became a key legal example for how unintentional plagiarism is handled in the music and entertainment world.

Sam Smith

Sam Smith’s hit song ‘Stay With Me,’ released in 2014, sounded very similar to a classic rock song from the late 1980s. Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne recognized the resemblance between the chorus of Smith’s song and their 1989 song ‘I Won’t Back Down.’ While Sam Smith’s team claimed the similarity was accidental and that the artist hadn’t heard the original song, both sides ultimately reached a private agreement. As a result, Petty and Lynne were credited as co-writers on the Grammy-winning track.

Vanilla Ice

In 1990, rapper Vanilla Ice found himself in hot water after his hit song ‘Ice Ice Baby’ was found to heavily borrow from Queen and David Bowie’s 1981 song ‘Under Pressure.’ The iconic bassline was directly taken from the earlier track. Vanilla Ice originally insisted the songs were different due to a slight addition in his version, but he ultimately reached a confidential out-of-court settlement to avoid a legal battle. As a result, Queen and David Bowie were both credited as songwriters and received a portion of the song’s profits.

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa’s popular 2020-2021 song ‘Levitating’ was the subject of several lawsuits. First, the reggae band Artikal Sound System sued, claiming the song borrowed a key part from their 2017 song ‘Live Your Life,’ but that case was ultimately dropped. Then, songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer sued, arguing that ‘Levitating’ copied the main melody from their older disco songs, ‘Wiggle and Giggle All Night’ and ‘Don’t Stoppin’. These legal issues demonstrate the challenges pop artists face when creating music inspired by past styles.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry’s 2013 song ‘Dark Horse’ was at the center of a long and costly lawsuit brought by Christian rapper Flame. Flame claimed that Perry and her team had copied the rhythm and parts of his 2008 song, ‘Joyful Noise.’ At first, a jury agreed with Flame and ordered Perry to pay almost $2.8 million. But a judge later reversed that decision, stating the musical elements were too generic to be copyrighted. Although Perry ultimately won the case, it took years to resolve and harmed the song’s image.

Mark Ronson

The hugely popular 2014 song ‘Uptown Funk’ ended up needing extra songwriting credits because it borrowed heavily from older funk music. Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars faced lawsuits, most prominently from The Gap Band, who believed the song copied their track ‘Oops Up Side Your Head’. To avoid a lengthy court battle, The Gap Band’s members were added as official songwriters. Another band, Collage, also claimed similarities to their 1983 song ‘Young Girls’. As a result, the songwriting credits for the hit song grew to over ten people.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s hit song “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” includes a well-known chant – “Mama-say mama-sa ma-ma-coo-sa” – at the end. However, this chant originally came from a 1972 song called “Soul Makossa” by Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango, and Jackson didn’t have permission to use it at first. He later reached a financial agreement with Dibango to avoid a lawsuit. The issue came up again when Rihanna used the same chant in her song “Don’t Stop the Music,” this time with Jackson’s approval but without getting permission from Dibango. Dibango sued both artists, but his claim was eventually dismissed in French court.

Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart’s 1978 hit ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’ borrowed its main melody from a song by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor. Ben Jor sued, claiming Stewart had copied the hook from his song ‘Taj Mahal.’ Stewart acknowledged he likely heard the song at a Rio de Janeiro music festival and called it ‘unconscious plagiarism.’ He resolved the lawsuit by agreeing to give all future royalties from the song to UNICEF. This case is often discussed as an example of how Brazilian music has influenced popular Western music.

Shakira

Shakira’s 2006 song ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ was a huge international success, but it quickly sparked controversy over its use of other artists’ music. The song’s famous trumpet opening was directly taken from Jerry Rivera’s 1992 salsa song ‘Amores Como el Nuestro,’ which Rivera publicly noted with disappointment, though he didn’t take legal action. The chorus also drew inspiration from a song by a group Wyclef Jean was once in, but his role as a featured artist on the track helped avoid legal problems. Shakira has dealt with similar accusations of musical borrowing with other popular songs, including her official anthem for the World Cup, ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber’s hit song ‘Sorry’ became the subject of a legal dispute with indie artist Casey Dienel, who performs as White Hinterland. Dienel claimed that ‘Sorry’ copied a distinctive vocal melody from her 2014 song ‘Ring the Bell’ – specifically, an eight-second section repeated throughout Bieber’s track without her consent or payment. Bieber and producer Skrillex disputed the allegations, with Skrillex demonstrating online how he altered a separate vocal recording. Ultimately, Dienel dropped the lawsuit in 2017, and the reasons for doing so were not made public.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift faced a lengthy legal battle over her hit song ‘Shake It Off’. Songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler sued her, alleging that the lyrics “players gonna play” and “haters gonna hate” were copied from their 2001 song ‘Playas Gon’ Play’. While a judge initially dismissed the claim, saying the phrases were too common to be copyrighted, an appeals court brought the case back to life. After years of fighting in court, Swift and the songwriters reached a private settlement in 2022, resolving the issue before a trial could begin.

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande’s hit song ‘7 Rings’ includes elements from the classic song ‘My Favorite Things’ from ‘The Sound of Music,’ so the estate of Rodgers and Hammerstein is officially credited. However, rapper Princess Nokia claimed ‘7 Rings’ borrowed its style and lyrics from her earlier song, ‘Mine,’ and shared a video comparing the two. Other artists, including Soulja Boy and 2 Chainz, felt the song and its music video took inspiration from their own unique looks. Eventually, Grande’s team resolved the issue with 2 Chainz by including him in a remix of the song.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran faced a copyright lawsuit over his song ‘Photograph’. Songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard claimed it closely copied their earlier song, ‘Amazing’, originally sung by Matt Cardle. To avoid a long and expensive court case, Sheeran reached a settlement with the songwriters for an undisclosed amount – reportedly around $20 million. As part of the deal, Harrington and Leonard were given songwriting credits on ‘Photograph’. This resolution happened before Sheeran successfully defended himself in separate lawsuits concerning his songs ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and ‘Shape of You’.

Madonna

Madonna’s 1990 song ‘Justify My Love’ was a big hit, but its creation involved a dispute over credit. Ingrid Chavez, a poet who worked with Prince, said she wrote the lyrics during a recording session, basing them on one of her poems. She sued producer Lenny Kravitz, arguing she hadn’t received proper recognition or payment. The case was settled privately, and Chavez was eventually credited as a songwriter and given a portion of the song’s earnings. This situation brought attention to how lyricists, who often play a key role, can be overlooked in popular music productions, even when famous artists are involved.

2026-03-17 03:46