Does it seem like that happens a lot? I've noticed several pop songs that come out with the same name. For example, BTS this year came out with "Dynamite," the same name as the taio cruz #1 hit a decade ago, and even has a very similar chorus "light it up like Dynamite." Do they do that on purpose and how much longer until we hear another "Firework" or "Give me everything" or "Good feeling."
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Same pop song name, different artist.
- Thread starter tall_guy1
- Start date
Dolly Parton and Sheena Easton both had hit songs called "9 to 5". Sheena had to change hers to "Morning Train".
Van Halen and The Pointer Sisters had hit songs called "Jump" in 1984. The sisters' song became "Jump for My Love".
And a very weird case I discovered yesterday. Dion and the Belmonts had a minor hit with "In the Still of the Night". I may have heard that one on the radio yesterday but there are no DJs and no web site or any way to find out what song was played. But as I was researching this, I discovered Dion by himself recorded "In the Still of the Night". This is truly ironic because the Wikipedia article on The Belmonts says they were influenced by The Five Satins, but they did not record the song The Five Satins did. And you would think a group like The Belmonts would do a doo-wop song, but that's not the song they did.
Van Halen and The Pointer Sisters had hit songs called "Jump" in 1984. The sisters' song became "Jump for My Love".
And a very weird case I discovered yesterday. Dion and the Belmonts had a minor hit with "In the Still of the Night". I may have heard that one on the radio yesterday but there are no DJs and no web site or any way to find out what song was played. But as I was researching this, I discovered Dion by himself recorded "In the Still of the Night". This is truly ironic because the Wikipedia article on The Belmonts says they were influenced by The Five Satins, but they did not record the song The Five Satins did. And you would think a group like The Belmonts would do a doo-wop song, but that's not the song they did.
Some other examples which were mentioned when I listed my ideal adult standards playlist.
"Time After Time" was recorded by Rod Stewart but also many other artists. Someone assumed it was the Cyndi Lauper song, but it's not.
"That's All" is another Rod Stewart recording, but it has also been recorded by others. It is not the Genesis song, like someone assumed.
"All of Me" has been recorded by many artists including Frank Sinatra and Willie Nelson. John Legend did a song called "All of Me".
"Time After Time" was recorded by Rod Stewart but also many other artists. Someone assumed it was the Cyndi Lauper song, but it's not.
"That's All" is another Rod Stewart recording, but it has also been recorded by others. It is not the Genesis song, like someone assumed.
"All of Me" has been recorded by many artists including Frank Sinatra and Willie Nelson. John Legend did a song called "All of Me".
Wikipedia lists 11 different songs with that title, including ones performed by ELO, Cyndi Lauper, and Toni Basil. The one recorded by Rod Stewart was the oldest, originally written for Frank Sinatra in 1946. It was also a hit for Sarah Vaughn that year, as well as Chris Montez in 1966.
Stewart's version was recorded by Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Edie Adams, and many, many others going back to 1952.
That one goes back to 1931, and has been a jazz standard since then. Wikipedia shows 6 different songs with that title. All this means is that a song title cannot be copyrighted.
Another rather famous song title for two or more different songs is "Stairway to Heaven," a hit for Neil Sedaka in 1960, as well as the far better-known song by Led Zeppelin in 1971. Could two songs be any more different? Other songs with that title were recorded by Pure Soul, The O'Jays, and Be Your Own Pet.
Holiday example, not so much pop. The song 'You Make it Feel Like Christmas' has two completely different sets of lyrics and two sets of artists. You have the Neil Diamond version from 1992, and now the Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani version from 2017. I definitely prefer Neil Diamond but stations aren't running it as much anymore.
Also, 'All I Want for Christmas is You' was a single for Vince Vance in 1989 (country novelty group), but this was a few years before the other one we all know with Mariah.
Also, 'All I Want for Christmas is You' was a single for Vince Vance in 1989 (country novelty group), but this was a few years before the other one we all know with Mariah.
There are thousands of examples, and the reason for it is you can't copyright a song title. Just the content of the song. Which is why radio stations must report more than song titles to ASCAP & BMI, and why streamers must report ALL of the metadata in songs they play to SoundExchange. It's the only way to make sure the right person is getting paid for songs.
It's especially a problem with one word titles.
"Because" is a Beatles song on Abbey Road. There's a completely different song with the same title by the Dave Clark Five.
It's especially a problem with one word titles.
"Because" is a Beatles song on Abbey Road. There's a completely different song with the same title by the Dave Clark Five.
Not quite the same topic, but last week in 1987 was the first time a song originally recorded by one artist knocked another song originally recorded by the same artist out of the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. “Mony Mony” by Billy Idol knocked Tiffany’s “I Think We're Alone Now” from #1 to #4. Both songs, of course, were originally done by Tommy James and the Shondells.
The Beatles knocked themselves out of the top spot on a few occasions, but two remakes originally by the same artist had not done that before. Not sure if it’s happened since or not.
The Beatles knocked themselves out of the top spot on a few occasions, but two remakes originally by the same artist had not done that before. Not sure if it’s happened since or not.
I can think of three songs called "America": Simon & Garfunkel's, Waylon Jennings' and the patriotic song that begins "My country, 'tis of thee" and is sung to the tune of "God Save the Queen/King."
I had a thread similar to this several years ago on one of the decades boards here. ('50s-'60s, I think) I called it "same title, different song," or something to that effect.
When Barry Manilow covered the Scott English song "Brandy" he changed it to "Mandy" to avoid confusion with the unrelated "Brandy" song by Looking Glass which was a hit at the time.
I read somewhere that the most common title in the history of the British charts was "Tonight"--something like nine or ten different songs.
As for the Dave Clark Five, they recorded two completely different songs called "Everybody Knows" about three years apart, and released both of them as singles. (The earlier one was issued as "Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)" in the US and some other countries, but in the UK neither single bore a subtitle.)
- Status