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The Biggest Song Ripoffs in Rock History

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There is nothing worse than taking someone else's hard work and passing it off as your own, are we right? So let's all take a stand against the stealing of content, starting with some of the biggest ripoffs in rock music. You won't believe your ears.

"Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin - Ripoff of "Taurus" by Spirit

One of the most recent cases of major music copyright infringement is the questioning of Led Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven." Spirit guitarist claims their 1968 instrumental song came before Jimmy Page's staple solo recorded in 1971. This is, however, not the first time Page has been accused of making a cover song into an original hit. The band lost the first round of the suit earlier this year, and while the band requested the case be dismissed, the courts have ruled to carry on.


"Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash - Ripoff of "Crescent City Blues" by Gordon Jenkins

In 1955, Johnny Cash's big hit stole lyrics and melodies--not bothering to hide much in the title either--from the 1953 Gordon Jenkins folk song. Cash paid $75,000 to Jenkins, a tidy sum back then but a small amount now compared to the fame and worth of the song today. Oh, Johnny, you slick bastard.


"Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker, Jr. - Ripoff of "I Want a New Drug" by Huey Lewis and The News

Just before the release of the cult comedy "Ghostbusters" in 1984, Huey Lewis and The News released their highest acclaimed album in 1983 entitled Sports, which featured four Top 10 singles, one of which was the ripoff original "I Want a New Drug." Lewis sued in 1985 to receive part of the "Ghostbuster" franchise for compensation but was sued back when he broke confidentiality in 2001 for discussing the lawsuit in public forum.


"Creep" by Radiohead - Ripoff of "The Air That I Breathe" by Albert Hammond

The breakthrough 1992 single from Radiohead credits Albert Hammond as its writing credit now that Hammond successfully sued the Brit rock band for stealing chord progressions from his 1972 hit "The Air That I Breathe" (which was later released by The Hollies in 1974). Thom Yorke can't bat a crooked eye considering Hammond's name now appears on their jacket cover next to the song that got the Radiohead name out more than 20 years ago.


"The Old Man Down the Road" by John Fogerty - Ripoff of "Run Through the Jungle" by CCR

In an interesting suit of plagiarism, John Fogerty was taken to court by his label for stealing from CCR after he opted out of his contract for eight solo records. Fogerty gave up his rights to Creedence Clearwater in order to get out of his contract, therefore losing the rights to steal from his own band. Oh, the irony. He would go on to defame the label's head Saul Zaentz in the song "Zanz Kant Danz," which Fogerty was also taken to court for, ordering him to change the title to "Vanz Kant Danz."


"Shakermaker" by Oasis - Ripoff of "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" by The New Seekers

The 1971 Australian pop song by The New Seekers was famously used in Coca Cola ads. Then in 1994, Brit rockers Oasis released a single "Shakermaker" that stole melodies directly from the Aussie group, a practice that became commonplace for Noel Gallagher and company in the '90s. They were sued for half a million dollars, but Oasis got the last laugh as they close the song live by joking "now we all drink Pepsi."


"Given to Fly" by Pearl Jam - Ripoff of "Going to California" by Led Zeppelin

Released on Zeppelin's IV in 1971, "Going to California" has been a fan favorite ballad featuring a classic acoustic riff with Robert Plant's vocals laid on top. The 1998 Pearl Jam album Yield features one of their most successful songs "Given to Fly" with an extremely similar guitar riff, albeit with Eddie Vedder's raspy vocals. Many people claim the song as a ripoff, even the band itself doesn't deny Jimmy Page's guitar influence. In 2005, Pearl Jam played their song at a benefit show with Robert Plant, transitioning into "Going to California" by the end of it.


"Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice - Ripoff of "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie

Freddie Mercury and David Bowie's 1981 chart topper was later blatantly stolen and sampled for the one-hit wonder Vanilla Ice song "Ice Ice Baby," a song which drew a lot of attention to Bowie, who would eventually sue for sampling and writing credits, along with Mercury. Vanilla Ice, now a celebrity with a real estate job, claims he added an extra note so as not to be a total ripoff. What's next, you're going to tell us he ripped off "Ninja Rap" in the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" sequel, as well? Oh wait, that beat does sound a bit like "Apache (Jump on It)" from The Sugarhill Gang, now that we mention it.


"Why Don't You Get a Job" by The Offspring - Ripoff of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" by The Beatles

The Offspring released a 1998 smash single from "Americana," a song that rips both melody and rhythm of The Beatles 1968 "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" classic. In addition, there is evidence of sampling from Simon & Garfunkel's "Cecilia" in The Offspring single. This is just one of several instances where artists have stolen from The Beatles, almost as if it's standard practice, but The Beatles themselves are not innocent when it comes to pirating music.


The Beatles "Come Together" - Ripoff of "You Can't Catch Me" by Chuck Berry

Although everybody seems to steal from The Beatles, they steal from Chuck Berry, next in line to classic plagiarism-worthy material, it seems. Chuck Berry sued John Lennon for taking melodies and lyrics from his 1956 "You Can't Catch Me" hit, forcing Lennon to pay him back partially with recording three new songs, one of which being a cover of "You Can't Catch Me" to wind up on his covers album "Rock 'N Roll" in 1975. This, of course, led to several more lawsuits over the years.

 

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10 Internet Mysteries That Have Yet to Be Solved

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The Internet is a big place, and while most of it is bright and easy to explore, there are certainly some dark corners. Anonymity enables people to do all kinds of weird things online. Sure, there's plenty of trolling and other such nonsense, but there are also things that go a little deeper. Here are ten unexplained Internet mysteries that are still unsolved.

Cicada 3301 Internet Mysteries No One Has Figured Out, Cicada 3301
Some of these Internet mysteries seem to be cover stories for recruiting incredibly smart people for unknown purposes. Case in point: Cicada 3301, which first appeared in January 2012. Starting as a call on the Internet for "intelligent individuals" with a hidden message encoded in it, Cicada has evolved into an insanely complex series of puzzles that fold in cryptography, data security and dozens of philosophical and cultural references. Allegedly people have followed the messages to their conclusion, but none will speak of what they found at the end or who the puppet masters behind the whole operation are. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Markovian Parallax Denigrate Internet Mysteries No One Has Figured Out, Markovian Parallax Denigrate
The younger generation of Internet users might not remember Usenet, which was essentially a global message board system that started operation in 1980. Posters came from all over the world to share information, and it became home to several mysteries. One of the most perplexing is Markovian Parallax Denigrate, a series of cryptic messages that started in 1996. Each had the same title--those three words--but the content was different each time, an avalanche of impenetrable word salad. Tracing the email address used to post them led to Susan Lindauer, a woman who was arrested for working with Saddam Hussein's government. But she's never admitted to posting them, and the reason is still unknown. (Photo credit: Gizmodo)

Black Holes Internet Mysteries No One Has Figured Out, Black Holes
When we use the Internet, we expect that our data is going to travel safely--emails get sent, websites get loaded, videos buffer. But this unexplained mystery highlights the fact that it doesn't always happen so easily. The phenomenon of "Internet black holes" has been investigated since at least 2008, but engineers are no closer to finding a solution. Packets of information are simply disappearing en route to their destination. Some believe that firewalls and dead IP addresses are to blame, but the volume of dropped traffic indicates that there may be other, still unrevealed forces at work. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

973-eht-namuh-973 internet mysteries, 973-eht-namuh-973
It doesn't really take a lot of time or effort to set up a website, but to make one that captivates and puzzles people for years is a different story. Since at least 2003, 973-eht-namuh-973.com has been serving up a baffling array of text, images and other mysterious content to visitors, and we're no closer to understanding what the purpose of it all is. Closer examination of the site's content reveals links to numerology, ancient mysticism and other unusual subjects, but the identity of the site's creator is still not known.

A858DE45F56D9BC9 Internet Mysteries No One Has Figured Out, A858DE45F56D9BC9
Even the most ordinary websites can have mysteries associated with them. Take Reddit, for instance. It's a place for people to share all kinds of content, but it's also where a user known only as A858DE45F56D9BC9 has been posting strings of text and numbers each and every day since 2011. These posts still defy any interpretation or decoding, even after three years of activity, but thousands of Redditors watch them, analyze them and attempt to figure out exactly what is happening. Aside from the messages themselves, we have literally no other clues. (Photo credit: Reddit)

Jack Froese Emails Internet Mysteries No One Has Figured Out, Jack Froese Emails
Electronic mail has changed the way we communicate and connect with our loved ones, but it still has limits. Most notably, you can't send them after you die. Or can you? In June 2011, a man named Jack Froese died unexpectedly of a heart arrhythmia. His friends and family mourned and moved on, but Jack wasn't done. Five months later, one of his oldest friends got an email from Jack telling him to clean out his attic--a reference to a conversation the pair had before Froese's death. Other people got posthumous emails as well, all from Jack's personal account. Nobody knows who's behind it. (Photo credit: Youtube)

Valor por Tamaulipas Internet Mysteries No One Has Figured Out, Valor por Tamaulipas
Let's head south of the border for this next Internet mystery that has perplexed some of the most powerful men in Mexico. The Facebook page "Valor por Tamaulipas" was opened on the first day of 2012 to give voice to the drug-related violence in the Gulf state of Tamaulipas. The site routinely posts pictures of crime scenes and information about illegal acts. This angered the drug cartels, and they offered a $46,000 reward for any leads on the page's administrator. As of press time, the bad guys still haven't figured out who's behind this amazing one-man war on crime. (Photo credit: Facebook)

John Titor
Here's another mystery that has captivated people for over a decade. In 2000, posts from a man named John Titor began showing up on Usenet and other message boards. Titor claimed to be from the future year of 2036, sent back in time to retrieve a computer that he needed to debug a number of UNIX legacy problems. Many wrote him off as a lunatic or someone trolling, but the dedication that "Titor" displayed towards keeping his cover story coherent was off the charts. His messages continued to be posted until 2003, when he disappeared. Curious minds have hired private investigators to look into his story but the true author of the John Titor messages remains unknown.

Satoshi Nakamoto Internet Mysteries No One Has Figured Out, Satoshi Nakamoto
The introduction of Bitcoin to the global marketplace in 2009 changed the way we think about money, but part of the fascination came with the cryptocurrency's unusual origins. The creator goes by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto, which is in all likelihood an alias. Journalists have been digging relentlessly to find the real identity of the Bitcoin creator, but every lead has been inconclusive. In fact, Newsweek claimed the man pictured above, Dorian Nakamoto, was the mysterious Bitcoin creator, but he denied it. With the collapse of several Bitcoin exchanges and the gradual loss in value of the currency, Satoshi Nakamoto may have more reasons than ever to hide out. (Photo credit: Coindesk)

Oct282011Internet Mysteries No One Has Figured Out, Oct282011
Lastly, here's another mysterious website that, as of press time, has yet to be figured out. OCT282011.com is an oddball maze of quasi-scientific diagrams, intentionally broken pages, hidden text and more. The date referenced was one of the proposed ending dates for the Mayan calendar, but when October 2011 came and went, the mystery just deepened. One of the strangest things about the site is that its pages change frequently with no apparent rhyme or reason, requiring investigators to compare dozens of archived versions in their search for clues. (Photo credit: Abovetopsecret)

 

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The Ups and Downs of Going Home for Thanksgiving

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For many guys, going home for Thanksgiving is a very significant occasion. Whether you've been off to college or moved away to find your calling in life, you better believe that your parents are going to want you back home for some food and family fun. The only problem is, for every joyous moment, there is one that makes you question what you really have to be thankful for. Here are the many ups and downs of going home for Thanksgiving.

ups and downs of going home for thanksgiving, funny thanksgiving chart

 

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Bianca Kajlich is Totally Dateable

Adria Arjona is a Mystery to Uncover on 'True Detective'

Alyssa Barbara Will Make You Drool All Over Your Desk

14 Cartoons Paused at Highly Inappropriate Moments

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Florida Man Arrested at Taco Bell Drive-Thru Gives Us the Saddest Mug Shot Ever

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Here's what it looks like when you don't get your Meximelt.

sad mug shot arrested at taco bell drive-thru
According to Gawker, Gabriel Harris was arrested shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday morning after a failed attempt at ordering some "food" at a New Smyrna Beach Taco Bell drive-thru just as the "restaurant" was closing.

Employees wouldn't serve Harris because he was on his bicycle, and that didn't sit too well with the 33-year-old. Harris refused to leave the premises until he got his paws on some chow, so employees called the police.

When they arrived on the scene, they found Harris sitting on his bike next to the speaker. As the officers approached him, one of them attempted to remove a Swiss Army knife from Harris's belt. That didn't sit too well with him either, and a brief struggle ensued before the officers were able to subdue him.

In the end, Harris's actions produced a charge of resisting arrest with violence and perhaps the saddest mug shot of all time.

In a related story, Dr. Drew might be in the market for a new stunt double.

The cops probably did Harris a favor when they took him away empty-handed: What Happens if You Eat Nothing But Taco Bell for a Week: An Investigative Report

 

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Jose Canseco is Trying to Sell His Middle Finger

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And it looks like you'll be able save some cash if you bundle it with the gun he used to shoot it off his hand.

According to Huffington Post, former MLB MVP and admitted steroids user Jose Canseco is interested in selling his middle finger that he accidentally shot off his hand while cleaning his gun.

jose canseco trying to sell middle finger
Canseco initially tried to have the finger reattached, but he is apparently giving up after it fell off during a poker game last week.

Canseco told his Twitter followers that he wanted to auction off his dismembered digit on eBay and was thinking about packaging it with the .45 Remington that did the dirty work a few weeks ago. But since the website doesn't allow for the sale of guns or body parts or human remains unless they are "items containing human scalp hair and skulls and skeletons intended for medical use," the former "Bash Brother" might have to shop it elsewhere.

And since most vendors have also told Canseco and his finger to take a hike, it looks like he'll be stuck with it for the time being despite the fact that it is "smelling really bad."

Here's a finger story that is just a tad on the sexier side: Anna Kendrick Reveals That Katy Perry Finger-Banged Her Cleavage

 

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10 Of The Absolute Weirdest Things Your Body Does And Why

Today's Funny Photos

How To Traumatize The Kids In Your Neighborhood This Winter

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Not to sound all "Game of Thrones," but winter is coming (unless you're in Buffalo, in which case it's already here). While you might think fondly of sledding, skiing and snow days, the truth is that winter sucks. There is a silver lining, though, and it's this awesome prank that's only available during the winter months. This is way better than staying indoors and watching "Frosty the Snowman."

How To Murder a Snowman
How To Murder a Snowman
How To Murder a Snowman
How To Murder a Snowman
via Jonno vs the internet

 

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The Funniest GIFs of the Week

Watch These Grandmas Smoke Weed for the First Time

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The legalization of marijuana in Washington has no doubt brought joy to hundreds of thousands of people who call that state home.

But it's a video of three grandmas smoking it for the first time that has brought joy to more than seven million people on YouTube.


We're not sure weed was necessary to get these three ladies to play cards, but it was probably instrumental in getting them to play a game of Cards Against Humanity, which led to them comparing a vaporizer to a dildo and asking for the definition of queefing.

Let's be honest: Perhaps the only thing funnier than the video of these ladies taking hits from the bong would be an actual Broadway production of "P***y Farts."

The grandmas seemed to enjoy their first taste of pot, but they have a long way to go before they're as passionate about it as this former news anchor: Watch This News Anchor Drop an F-Bomb and Quit Her Job on Live TV to Focus on Legalizing Weed

 

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Who Said It: Neil DeGrasse Tyson or Charlie Sheen?

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neil degrasse tyson, charlie sheen quotes
If aliens ever land in hopes of finding the wisest human among us, we should point them to one of two people: astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson or warlock from Mars Charlie Sheen. Both seem to have an inordinate amount of knowledge about the universe. Tyson knows how mankind got here and Sheen knows he's the greatest thing since the Big Bang. These two mighty minds collide in this quote quiz. Take a guess at who said what, and scroll to the very bottom for the answers.

1. "We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us."

2. "Passion is what gets you through the hardest times that might otherwise make strong men weak, or make you give up."



3. "Uncertainty is a sign of humility, and humility is just the ability or the willingness to learn."

4. "If an alien lands on your front lawn and extends an appendage as a gesture of greeting, before you get friendly, toss it an eight ball."

5. "There have to be more important things going on in the world than my past."

6. "Can't is the cancer of happening."

7. "Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not."



8. "The more I learn about the universe, the less convinced I am that there's any sort of benevolent force that has anything to do with it, at all."

9. "I dare anyone to debate me on things."

10. "I get enormous satisfaction from knowing I'm doing something for society."

11. "There's no shame in admitting what you don't know. The only shame is pretending you know all the answers."



12. "If you love with violence and you hate with violence, there's nothing that can be questioned."

13. "If each dead person became a ghost, there'd be more than 100 billion of them haunting us all. Creepy, but cool."

14. "Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them."

15. "If the world is something you accept rather than interpret, then you're susceptible to the influence of charismatic idiots."

16. "I love the smell of the universe in the morning."

17. "The best way to not get your heart broken is pretending you don't have one."

18. "I'm not Thomas Jefferson. He was a pussy."



Answers:
Tyson: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16
Sheen: 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18

 

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Yara Martinez is an 'Alpha' Hottie

The Definitive Thanksgiving Family Dinner Seating Chart

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Well, the holidays are here and before you know it, you'll be forced to sit down with all of the people in your life who have no filter. That's why we put together this handy little seating chart. Now you can know in advance exactly what you're in for.

thanksgiving family seating chart funny
Design by Chris Kim

 

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Rosanna Arkle Loves Getting Wet

Oregon Couple Having Sex in Their Car Arrested Because of Traffic Jam

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Just like an episode of "Scooby Doo," they probably would have gotten away with it if it wouldn't have been for some meddling folks.

According to KVAL, a couple at a Springfield strip club early Sunday evening thought what they were watching was so damn hot that they walked across the street to their parked car and started having sex.

oregon couple busted having sex in car outside strip club and jail
Police said Kelli Knutson and Logan Jackson left the Brick House strip club around 5:45 p.m. to plow each other in their car that was parked across the street in front of the city's brick house, known to most as the Springfield Municipal Jail. Soon after, a small traffic jam occurred while motorists slowed down or stopped to take a peak at the two bumping uglies, but the couple said they were so "caught in the moment" that they didn't notice.

Sgt. Rich Charboneau said he normally would have told the couple to move their sex sesh somewhere else, but because somebody complained and their actions resulted in a small traffic jam, he had no choice but to arrest them and charge them with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.

Sadly, the two lovers weren't able to finish their romp in the big house, as Knutson was hauled away to the Lane County Jail and Jackson was walked into the jail next to where he had parked his car.

We get being in the mood after leaving a strip club, but during a murder trial? Couple Busted Having Sex During Murder Trial

 

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