I've heard that before!

When I first heard X-Factor Australia winner Reece Mastin's debut single 'Good night', the first thought that came to mind was how it sounded so similar to Pink's song 'Raise Your Glass'. While it has a slightly different tune, Mastin's song has the same guitar riff and drum beat as Pink's hit. Don't get me wrong. Mastin was a deserved winner but I wonder if he's even remotely aware of this.
That said, this blog is not intended to attack him or whoever wrote the song. There's really only so many tunes one can come up with and, sooner or later, one song will eventually end up sounding similar to another. What follows are a list of 'similar songs' that I can recall and who I think came up with the better offering.

1. 'Stronger' (Britney Spears) VS 'Don't Come Back' (Human Nature)

Both songs came out in 2000. Both are somewhat forgotten in the airwaves. Both are 'I'm-strong-enough-to-survive-without-you type of songs. While the composition of both songs are markedly different from one another, the verses sure sound alike!

In my opinion, while the Human Nature track is comes off as smoother and more relaxed, Spears' track makes you want to get up and dance. And as far as the common theme behind both songs is concerned, 'Stronger' conveys it better since the upbeat tempo suggests she really is moving on, having fun and not thinking about the man who wronged her. 'Don't come back' just sounds like a guy trying to act 'cool' with the situation when in fact he sounds like a heart-broken whinger. Spears wins it for me here.

2. 'Unfaithful' (Rhianna) VS 'Lonely No More' (Rob Thomas)

Thomas' song came out first in in 2003, Rhianna's in 2006. Thomas' song is about a guy telling a girl how much she means to him and that he'd seemingly be lonely without her. Rhianna's song is about a woman who is having an affair behind her boyfriend's back. The two songs are from completely different genres (one is pop/rock, the other is R&B) but anyone who listens to them will note that the chorus of both songs sound similar.

To be honest with you, whenever I hear these songs on the radio I always feel the need to switch stations. I'm not too crazy about either of them and the fact that they were both overplayed during their heyday makes it worse. But if I had to choose the better song, I'd go with Rhianna. Sure, it has a darker theme and is not as upbeat as Thomas' offering, but it proves that Rhianna is no slouch in the ballad department - even if her voice sounds auto-tuned.

3. 'Born this way' (Lady Gaga) VS 'Express Yourself' (Madonna)

Madonna's song came out way back in 1989, Gaga's in 2010. Madonna's song has a typical 80's dance record sound whereas Lady Gaga's sounds like the type of song you'd hear blaring out at most trendy nightclubs. Both songs promote self-esteem and empowerment, and both songs sound eerily alike, particularly the chorus.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of either artist or the disco music genre but I quite enjoyed these songs. They're both catchy, upbeat, have a positive message and make you want to get up and dance and sing along to the lyrics (mind you, for me to be able to do that it would need to involve a big room without any witnesses and an abundant supply of alcohol).
As far as making a pick is concerned, it's pretty tough because they sound so alike and convey the same message, so I'll go with Madonna, simply because she came out first. But still a good job by Lady Gaga.

4. 'A Public Affair' (Jessica Simpson) VS 'Holiday' (Madonna)

Simpson's song came out in 2006, Madonna's in 1983. Both are dance tunes, one talking about the overall feeling of being on holiday and the other going on about a girls night out. As is the case with Reece Mastin and Pink, these two songs don't necessarily have the same tune but the similarities in song composition is uncanny.

While Jessica sounds much better in this song than she does in most of her other ones (ie: she doesn't try to hit high notes that shatter mirrors and eardrums), she and this song do not hold a prayer to Madonna's classic. Let's put it this way; 'A Public Affair' barely gets any airtime anymore, 'Holiday' still does. It's a no-brainer, Madonna wins this battle. Sorry, Jess.

5. 'Sarah' (Eskimo Joe) VS 'Never Ending Story' (Limahl)

'Sarah' came out in 2006, 'Never Ending story in 1984. Once again we have two different genres here, with one being a rock song and the other an 80's pop song. But does anyone notice how the chorus for 'Sara' and the tail-end of the chorus for 'Never Ending Story' sounds the same?

On one hand you got a pretty catchy rock tune that you'd expect to hear at a pub and on the other you have an 80's tune that could serve as a guilty pleasure (admit it! Some of you out there would probably start jumping up and down to this one!). For me personally, I'm going to have to go with Eskimo Joe. All due respect to Limahl but everytime I hear that tune I cringe - although it is infectious and guaranteed to stay in your head for days after listening to it.

6. 'Your Love Is A Lie' (Simple Plan) VS 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' (Green Day)

Simple Plan's tune came out in 2008, Green Day's in 2004. Both are in the punk pop genre and have a pretty negative tone about love and loss (the former) and just what appears to be loneliness and depression (the latter). While their respective choruses sound different, the tune to their verses sound quite the same.

I haven't heard either of these songs for a while now but I liked them then and I still like them now. It's hard for me to pick a definite winner, but if I had to choose one I'd probably lean more towards Green Day. The Simple Plan song is definitely scathing and angry enough to make for a good break-up song, but Billie Joe Armstrong has a better voice than Pierre Bouvier.

7. 'Welcome To The World' (Kevin Rudolf) VS 'Supersonic' (Oasis)

Rudolf's offering came out in 2009, Oasis' in 1994. Both are rock songs that are, in my opinion, good to listen to while jogging or working out. Despite the differences in song composition and tempo, with one being louder and flashier and the other smoother and more relaxed, the chorus of both songs sound similar.

I've pretty much made it clear that I like these songs so my pick would come down to which song I could listen to for longer periods of time. On that note, I'm going to go with 'Supersonic'. It's hard to go against old school tunes and Oasis are a band that, to me, are hard to pick against.

8. 'We Are Golden (Mika) VS 'Living On A Prayer' (Bon Jovi) VS 'Heaven Is A Place On Earth' (Belinda Carlisle)

To round off the list, we have a three-way rivalry. Three songs, three different genres, three choruses that sound the same.
'Living on a prayer' came out first in 1986, followed by 'Heaven is a place on earth' the next year while Mika's offering came out in 2009. One is an 80's pop love song, another is an old-school rock tune that looks at a working-class couple struggling to make ends meet, and the other is something of a youth anthem. So we have three different genres and themes here, but which song was the best?

There can really be only one winner for me and it's 'Living On A Prayer'. It's one of those songs that you can sing along to, not to mention air-guitar to. Carlisle's offering is a good song to dance to but just as it was with 'Never Ending Story' it's a tad too cheesy and corny for my palate while Mika's offering is too loud, garish, and quite frankly, irritating.

Well, there you have it. To all you songwriters out there who are dismayed that parts of, if not your entire song sounds like someone else's work don't worry about it. There's really only so many tunes you can come up with and at the end of the day, your song is not their song and would have a completely different story to tell.