Video Game / Pop Music Similarities (A 16-Bit Gems Extra)

[MaskOfHorrors]

the shinobi and lemmings one.. sounded nothing like what you said they did.. i think you looked way to hard rto try to find some

[MaskOfHorrors]

huh.. a few of them, such as chrono triggers trial and kens theme.. i didnt hear the resemblence you were pointing out at all.. seemed like a rather big stretch.

[jst4hr]

i got rick rolled

[athrivenessworld]

I get Rickrolled by Chrono Trigger!

[franklinbadge1215]

I almost thought spring yard zone was gonna be the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme.

[JellyNuke]

I loled at the 20th Fox one. LOL

[callumplaysguitar]

"Inner Darkness" sounds like the breakdown from the Mars Volta's "Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt"

[Happytreefriendsfan3]

Chrono Trigger: bitch please i was rickrollin' you before it was cool

[TheTaskmaster]

excellent video. agree with everything. except you missed out on THE ULTIMATE offender. Double Dragon 2 Level 2 and Phil Collins! look into it.

[HydroMonsoon]

Chrono Trigger...Rickrolled us before Rickrolling was cool? WOW.

[Kefka44]

@HydroMonsoon Mst3k did it three years prior.

[Gambito99100]

That's why Sonic songs are just awesome!!!

[DreadGir]

Actually, for that last one (Sonic) I find it very easy to believe that they deliberately copied pop music and famous themes. Sonic 1 was, after all, made specifically for North America. So it would just be a natural step to use American pop music in your built for America game...

[massoud98]

Well, Sonic defended himself in colors… "No Copyright Law in the Universe is going to stop me!"

…guess he's right?…

[1devo6587]

@massoud98 does he actually say that?

[massoud98]

@1devo6587 yeah in a boss fight

[mirrorpiece]

I personally dont think its stealing.. I know as a composer myself that escpecially when forcing yourself to write something good, you sometimes come across melodies that you heard before on tv, radio etc etc. even though you want to write something original.

[HRVDNT]

I wouldn't call Guns 'n Roses pop music. ;)

[Lollipop708]

My mind= Fucked.

[Hucklebubba]

"The Kingdom Trial" always reminded me of "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof. Not necessarily pop music, but still...

See also, if we can step outside the 16-bit era: Ace Combat 2's "Warning Line" versus Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" (mostly just for the bass hook).

[sonicsalt99]

I Heard something about the guy who did the trail one listened to the wall once, And then that beat had stuck in his head, But he didn't know where it came from/

[IsaacGates]

Has nobody noticed that the "Excalibur's Lighthouse" stage in "X-Men" for the Sega Genesis uses a pretty close adaptation of "The Odd Couple" theme? Just sayin' . . . it's weird.

[dakatubes]

Megaman 9 Staff Roll Sound EXACTLY like the opening of Let's n Go!! xD

[ProgressiveAudio]

And of course Sonic 3's music is from MJ himself, at least some claim.

[ProgressiveAudio]

Everyone says that Chrono Trigger theme sounds like Rickroll, but I just can't hear it.

[GoSuperSaiyan]

I know the Megaman X one was fully intentionally for sure

[megapants444]

I always thought that the music from the Metropolis zone in Sonic 2 sounded a lot like Phil Collins 'Susudio' and/or Prince's '1999'.

[yoshiroks777]

@megapants444 It also sounds like "Jump" by Van Halen.

[perun1nj]

In Sunset Riders theres also a tune that sound very similar to Mambo # 5

[TheBadfish153]

story music box sounds like the start of the soviet national anthem to me

[NekoSayuUchiha]

Nice way to Rick-Roll people without getting hated xD

[AgentAlbert33]

Vangelis - "End Theme" from Blade Runner; sounds a bit like Final Fantasy Vll

[WhiplashPuppet]

0:37 You did that on purpose, didn't you? =P

[auhin]

I noticed the Mill Fever/Can't buy me Love one when I was a kid!

[Ferriorx]

A lot of Doom 2's music is based on a lot of metal songs from the 80s and 90s.

[OlirockCP]

lol at actraiser and 20th century fox by the way. i think theres only like three notes or something that makes them different.

[OlirockCP]

You got chrono trigger rolled.

[StickManBlockland]

I was curious enough to look up the music video for Pink Floyd's "The Trial"

And I must say...

Don't look at the animation unless you like a huge ass singing rock music while his balls hang.

[VShalak]

@StickManBlockland Yeah, the movie interpretation of that album was swing and miss for the most part.

[labelfree904]

The Story Music Box in Yoshi's Island sounds like the Russian national anthem dude!

[ryodark]

I agree with the general consensus that some of the examples only sounded similar through coincidence and a little bit of forced listening, but others were clear rip offs, like the 20th Century Fox fanfare one. Also, I hate to say it, but for me, the Sonic versions of those songs will always be superior!

[ryan489]

Yeah with the whole Earthbound thing, Nintendo blames the internet.

"it wasn't around in 1995 like it is today. That can cause legal troubles that we don't want." (paraphrasing of course)

I agree they are just scared of their own shadow. It's interesting that you connect Johnny B Goode with Final Fantasy Mystic Quest when that song appears to be one of Earthbounds biggest worries for some people.

[Tacom4ster]

What about Doom II and MEGADETH!!!!!!!

Check out "Running From Evil" with "Hangar 18"

[rebirthangel]

@Tacom4ster Doom 2 also had songs from Alice in Chains. Listen to Them Bones, and Angry Chair.

[Ziggy1890]

Chrono Trigger.. the original rick roll.

[hardw0od]

Guns N Roses - My Michelle and Mega Man X3 - Neon Tiger Stage

[kricku]

that blade runner theme sounded like somewhere in symphony of the night. but maybe that's 32-bit

[tjdude09]

Damnit I just got RickRoll'd!

[festagio]

Hey there, Chris from Scotland here. Liking your work keep it up!

I think your video game music and general music comparisons could spawn a 2nd episode at some point.

For example, off the top of my head:-

Super Mario Bros (end boss music) - Mussorgsky, Night on Bald Mountain (about 15 seconds in).

Streets of Rage 2 (Go Straight) - Inner City (Good Life).

The whole of Streets of Rage 2 (Bare Knuckle) music was inspired by Rave music and Detroit Techno which was prevalent at this time.

[festagio]

I believe there is more, give me time to check it out. I reckon this has legs! I see a part 2 coming.

[Kousaburo]

DO SONIC 3 AND MICHAEL JACKSON! LOOK IT UP YUOTUBERS! IT'S EERIE!

[tlonmaster]

You know, I always said to myself that the trial music sounded very similar to The Trial from The Wall. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who saw that. Loving this video!

[yokusa13]

I noticed the similarity Super Metriod mini-boss theme and the Twilight Zone theme

when I replayed it around 5 years ago

[brunoafh123]

Hey man I really like your reviews, but most of these are a really big stretch. Some are undeniable, but others are just coincidentally similar. The Halloween one is just silly.

[AVGNROCKS1996]

Hey at least they copy AWESOME music

[NINTENMASTR]

Mother 3 really had original soundtrack and i heard it in the gameboy yes I bought it from Japan

[Alshtabrann]

*gives nod to bLiNd and DJ Pretzel (of OCR remix.com)*.

I cannot believe I never noticed the similarities before. I grew up with many of the games listed. I am a little floored right now.

[djpretzel]

If you look for similarities on that rudimentary a level, you'll find tons of connections not only between VGM and pop music, but between different bands and sometimes even different songs by the same band. It's meaningful ONLY in terms of pointing out some of the inherent staples of genres and that certain ideas are bound to co-develop or have an influence on composers, not to prove direct homage or major compositional similarity. Mystic Quest is an exception; that seems like a direct allusion.

[ClanOfTheGrayWolf]

@djpretzel I actually agree a lot with what you're saying here. Looking through these comments, it's funny how some people hear how these songs are similar, and others just not at all. There really are only so many ways certain styles of music can be written, and when you add in the influence that pop music has on VG composers (intended or not), then it blurs the lines more. Leading to my point - this shouldn't stop EarthBound from getting a VC release! :)

[ClanOfTheGrayWolf]

@djpretzel Also... I have to say that I'm a huge fan of your work. "Twoson Hits the Road" has been on my video game music playlist for years now.

*end fanboy gush*

[Kefka44]

@ClanOfTheGrayWolf please make a sequel to this like "16-bit gems Extra Round 2"

[TANMAC43]

Wow, after being big fans of boh for years, I never knew how similar Chrono Trigger and Pink Floyd sounded.

[arpee9216]

Yoshi theme is closer to the COMMUNIST THEME

[85ihateposeurs]

NOOOOO! You've ruined Ken and Neon Tiger for me! Thanks a lot asshole! But the Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Actraiser were the most blatant steals.

[ZionKraze]

I know another that sounds similar. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles opening on the NES sounds like Stone Cold Crazy from Queen. Then again, that's an 8 bit game so it properly not get on here.

[thapoint09]

I was expecting Money Can't Buy Me Love at Mill Fever.

[booo95]

Looking back at this video, I'm surprised you didn't bring up Doom at all. Just about every song from both 1 and 2 (and hell, several unused songs) is based on some sort of 80s or 90s metal song.

[icarus212001]

For mystic quest, it could've easily have been a Rush song.

[foreal1992]

Tons of those were stretching it

[Darktan2112]

@foreal1992 Most of them were stretching it - a lot. From a compositional perspective, they weren't the same at all. Yes, they were stylistically similar, but there's really only so many styles in the world of music. If you think this is stealing, then all music ever created steals at least a little from another source. Which is actually pretty true.

[ClassicTVMan81]

I got some to include here:

Road Rash 2

"Tennessee" theme is rip-off of Dion's "The Wanderer."

"Arizona" theme is rip-off of both ZZ Top's "Tush" and Alannah Myles's "Black Velvet."

[LeoFan93]

last time i checked mill fever is money don't buy me love by the beatles

[bamapagedesign]

Oh come on, the Yoshi Story theme doesn't sound like Waltzing Matilda. It sounds like the Soviet Union's national anthem! Hah!

[TheBackOfTheBoat]

Yoshi's Island also sounds like the USSR national anthem.

[Sukikeri]

Rick rolled again

[gamegod195]

Duran Duran for the win! love your videos!

[cricetulus]

i heard the sovietic anthem in yoshi's theme

[booo95]

The MMX series just loves Guns n' Roses.

[BRomega2900]

@booo95 I know right. In MMX5, the Mavericks Are named after Guns n' Roses members, and I mean all members; both current and former.

[BRomega2900]

I hear "Money Can't Buy Me Love" in Mill Fever, not "Fever".

[ZionKraze]

This proves it! We can never forget the 80s!

[xRisingForcex]

most of these harmonic ideas aren't terribly inventive and as such don't demand too much originality. especially in blues, there is overlap quite literally everywhere. also, segments like that final fantasy clip are likely nothing more than mere cameo. homage. as a rule of thumb, the less complex and more pedestrian a song is, the higher the chance someone out there has written something similar. the question isn't "has it been done," but rather, "where is it?"

[FSinWCR]

One you missed was "The Flyin' King" from Earthworm Jim 2.

Sounds similar to "Cuban Pete"

[SmashSisterSam]

Neon tiger's stage isn't very surprising because One X game had all the Maverick's names based off of Guns and roses band members.

[ladypyramidhead]

You forgot "Clocktower" (Super Famicom) it sounds even more like The Halloween Theme. But awesome video +favourite! :D

[beyondthegrave2005]

The Peter Gunn theme was also used in the title screen for Spy Hunter on the NES. It remained completely unaltered. Not sure how SunSoft got away with that one... If they did, that is.

[a1r2h3m4]

Did i just get Rick-Rolled subliminally? Yes, yes I did.

[ADAMTHEKILLJOY]

MJ did the music for sonic 3

[Ballstothewallgamer]

Never going to give you up. WHY DID YOU RICK ROLL ME. Anyways WoW I had no idea that so many video game music artists. riped off some pop music. I knew the FF mystic quest music sounded familiar. Great video. :)

[EMike07]

Obligatory, but if we're talking famous examples of game music ripping off copyrighted songs DOOM is probably the best. It's so obvious that the developers for it outright admitted that they asked their musicians to rip off rock music.

[spiritro06]

i dont see the goddam robo thing, thats just a free rick roll >.> and the chrono trigger court music sounds better than the pink floyd song to me anyways lol

[CynosZilla]

Ow! Come on! Don't tell that been Robot Rolle'd isn't the best thing ever. XD

By the way, Sonic 1 & 2 has a lot of song from the Japanese band Dreams Come True, but they were hired for that (i guess XD), and Sonic 3 has a lot of songs from Michel Jackson (he was hired for the job also, but dropped at the middle due the sound technology limits of the 16bits consoles).

That's why Sonic was so bad ass at that time. XD

[Minion066]

Very interesting! It's kinda funny with the Sonic games, though I don't really hear the Marble Zone tune referenced. I can't believe I didn't notice the Bobby Brown and Blade Runner ones.

[DubbsYoshi]

It makes me mad that a great game like Earthbound can't be rereleased but other good games like chrono trigger can get away with it, I still hope they have Ness and Lucas in brawl for a reason

[yoshiboy6464]

sonics alot hipper than we thought

[kindafunnnky]

why arent you more popular?

[rayden1212]

sweet video

[anonymous0s0egion]

Lol, it would have been epic had you placed the rickroll at the end.

[churlyryan]

This is awesome Roo! We want more!

[CRISISDUNN]

Wow the funny thing is all those sonic songs are the ones i remember the most. Good job man.

[tonitonichopchop]

Some of these are so obscure I have no idea how anyone could find these...

[smabjure]

Another Johnny B. Goode similarity in EarthBound is when fighting the New Age Retro Hippies (?v=3q311xD6udo)

[b1gguy7]

lol. I knew Robo would be the first one mentioned

[ferarias1up]

i read that Michael Jackson did the sonic sound track is this a fact... look it up

[ClanOfTheGrayWolf]

@ferarias1up It's rumored he worked on the soundtrack for Sonic 3. I left that alone for this video since that could be it's own subject and he would have just been borrowing songs from himself, so...

[DarkCreedNinja]

@ClanOfTheGrayWolf it has been proved correct

[yamihoon]

@ClanOfTheGrayWolf a great work COTGW. Some folks don't know the difference between similarities (or influences) with plagiarism. I need your opinion about Wiz Khalifa's Never been and Schala's theme

[bLiNdTrance]

@ClanOfTheGrayWolf actuallly his producers (3 of them) for one of his albums are the ones that did some of the sonic music for sonic 3, so it got caught up with his name somehow because of that.

[ClanOfTheGrayWolf]

@bLiNdTrance I did not know that. Thanks for the information. It explains a lot.

[DementisXYZ]

@ClanOfTheGrayWolf Actually, no, shortly after his death, some of the people at Sega confirmed his working on some of the music, but he didn't take credit because he didn't like how it turned out due to the primitive sound of the 16-bit music.

[hypersonic64]

@ferarias1up Actually, his music was remixed a bit and put into the game.

[zeldamaster52]

u explainec this in ur eartbound review but its nice theres an extra also i cant believe theres a song in both mystic quest and earthbound that sound like a chuck berry song

[japplegren]

Awesome job, as usual! I really feel like I learned something after watching your videos. Keep up the great work and your subscribers will keep growing imo. :D

[AnthonysBlog]

Scary to think all this stuff is happening in games without most people noticing