Win a Grammy and suddenly you're a target. First Joe Satriani sued Coldplay because he claims their "Viva La Vida" - which won Song of the Year at the 2009 Grammy Awards - was a thinly disguised version of his own "If I Could Fly."
Now, Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens is piling on, except he says the song sounds like "Love/Heaven" from his 1973 album Foreigner. But he says he'll wait and see how Satriani fares in court before deciding whether to pursue a legal claim.
For their part, Coldplay have denied the plagiarism allegations, saying any similarities are purely a coincidence.
Decide for yourself:
• Video of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida"
• Audio of Satriani's "If I Could Fly"
• Video of Stevens'/Islam's "Love/Heaven"
Joe Satriani photo by Paul Kane / Getty Images
Comments
The only thing I can say is that there are only so many notes to be able to play, there’s bound to be songs that sound like others. Can anyone agree with that?
The Cat Stevens song sounds nothing like Coldplay; The Joe Satriani song only vaguely resembles it. These guys are just trying to make a quick buck at another’s expense.
This is the most egregious rip-off of Joe Satriani’s tune I’ve ever heard. I hope they pay him every penny he’s asking for.
Here’s a musicologist explaining why this is rampant plagiarism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEGGFJLpbu4