Classic rock is actually riddled with tracks that were (allegedly) stolen from somebody else. Heck, Bob Dylan has made a career of swiping ideas and making them his own. It’s just that none of them is more memorable than the Big 4 of Classic Rock Rip-Off Songs.

Dylan began with 1963’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.” A New Jersey high school student claimed to have composed this song, as reported in an October 1963 edition of Newsweek. Dylan was still up to the same shenanigans as recently as 2006’s Modern Times, which included “When the Deal Goes Down.” He lifted a line from a Civil War-era poet and the melody from an old Bing Crosby hit.

In an ironic turn of events, Rod Stewart was forced to retroactively share publishing credit for 1988’s Top 20 hit “Forever Young” after the two sides agreed its title and theme were too close to a 1973 Dylan song. Stewart donated his portion to charity, something he’d also quietly done with “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” – an earlier song that was embroiled in a plagiarism claim.

What’s Classic Rock’s Biggest Rip-Off Song?

The Beatles were involved with their share of controversies, having drawn inspiration from others – or simply stolen things – to complete 1964’s “I Feel Fine,” 1967’s “All You Need is Love” and 1969’s “Come Together,” among others. But those can’t compare with the most famous Beatles-related rip-off song, found below. Led Zeppelin has a similar resume – with one clear winner.

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Elsewhere, similar storylines played out with the Who (“Zoot Suit”), the Doors (“Hello I Love You”), the Beach Boys (“Surfin’ USA”), Pink Floyd (“Us and Them”) and Steely Dan (“Gaucho”). They all had to get in line behind the following Big 4 of Classic Rock Rip-Off Songs.

Feel free to do your own classic-rock sleuthing. We’ve included the well-known offenders as well as the original songs they (allegedly) plagiarized.
 

No. 4. Deep Purple, “Child in Time”
From: Deep Purple in Rock (1970)
The Rip-Off: It’s a Beautiful Day, “Bombay Calling”

“Child in Time,” a sprawling protest song against the Vietnam War from Deep Purple, was based on “Bombay Calling,” by the largely forgotten psych-rock band It’s a Beautiful Day. “We thought we’d play around with it, change it a bit and do something new – keeping that as a base,” singer Ian Gillan later told Mid-Day. It’s a Beautiful Day returned the favor, turning Deep Purple’s “Wring That Neck” into “Don and Dewey” for their second album.

No. 3. Elton John, “Crocodile Rock”
From: Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1973)
The Rip-Off: Pat Boone, “Speedy Gonzalez”

Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin meant this song to be a tribute to early rock sounds, but they succeeded a little too well: Songwriter Buddy Kaye sued, saying they stole the chorus, progressions and even the vocal style of “Speedy Gonzalez,” a 1962 hit for Pat Boone. They ended up settling out of court, saving John and Taupin a pile of cash. The duo got to keep credit for “Crocodile Rock,” too.

No. 2. Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven”
From: Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
The Rip-Off: Spirit, “Taurus”

Led Zeppelin was taken to court (again) over the similarities between this song and “Taurus” by Spirit, a band with whom they’d toured early on. This time, they prevailed before a court of their peers – but by then, Dolly Parton had already had a hit with 1975’s “We Used To,” which also recalls the familiar opening of “Stairway to Heaven.” She ended up covering the Led Zeppelin favorite in 2002.

No. 1. George Harrison, “My Sweet Lord”
From: All Things Must Pass (1970)
The Rip-Off: The Chiffons, “He’s So Fine”

Perhaps the most famous copyright case in rock history, “My Sweet Lord” bore a strong resemblance to the Chiffons’ early-’60s Brill Building hit “He’s So Fine.” George Harrison said it was all an accident, and even brought his guitar to court to show how he created the track. That convinced the judge that the similarities weren’t purposeful, but Richard Owen nevertheless ruled Harrison guilty of “subconscious plagiarism.” Harrison ended up poking fun at the whole thing in a hilarious track titled “This Song.”

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