[Cryptomnesia] Vertigo

"Vertigo" by U2 sounded awfully familiar when it first came on the radio in 2004.

Cryptomnesia happens when you write a work of authorship, such as a book or a song. You think it's your own work, but it turns out you were unknowingly recalling something you had read or heard years before.

Was it an accident, or did U2 copy the Supremes and Stone Temple Pilots, and did Coheed and Cambria copy U2?

Exhibits:
A. Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin' On
B. Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On
C. Kim Wilde - You Keep Me Hangin' On
D. U2 - Vertigo
E. Pino P vs U2 - You Keep Me Hangin' On
F. Stone Temple Pilots - Sex Type Thing
G. Coheed and Cambria - The Hound (of Blood and Rank)

The zooming effect in the opening sequence is from the film "Vertigo" by Alfred Hitchcock.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• u2
• vertigo
• you
• keep
• me
• hangin
• on
• hanging
• diana
• ross
• supremes
• vanilla
• fudge
• stone
• temple
• pilots
• sex
• type
• thing
• coheed
• cambria
• hound
• plagiarism
• cryptomnesia

[KingOfKiwis]

I would say that the chord sequences are similar which happens from time to time (there isn't an efinite number of chords, so there is only a limited number of sequences).

However, the styles are different, and they are different lyrically, so I don't believe that there is enough similarity for U2 to be accused of plagiarism.

[tepples]

The "chord progressions" in the choruses of YKMHO vs. Vertigo are chord progressions, but the melody is exactly the same. But the "chord progressions" in the chorus of The Hound vs. the sabi of Vertigo are more like counterpoint bass, which acts like a melody.

And "the styles are different, and they are different lyrically" was the case in Bright Tunes Music v. Harrisongs Music, yet the judge in that case ignored those differences.

[fearandloafing]

sorry, but i disagree. the chords in "set me free" and "vertigo" are a match, yes, but the melody differs. (in "my sweet lord," the melody also matched "he's so fine.") there are only so many chord progressions out there. and every doo-wop song ever written was G-Em-C-D or D-Bm-Em-A. EVERY one.

[tepples]

Which "set me free" are you talking about? If you mean You Keep Me Hangin' On, then yes, there's a melodic match there too. If you mean The Hound, that's a counterpoint bass, which acts more like a melody than like a chord progression.

[aranykai]

Uncanny is a bit of a stretch here. Many songs are built on the same blocks, accepted snippets of melody or rhythm that are commonly viewed as pleasing.

[tepples]

Copyright is just as much of a stretch. Case law fails to make clear why George Harrison gets sued for "My Sweet Lord" but U2 does not for "Vertigo".

[sunnysoundblackpool]

wonder if U2 copyed the supremes with (pride) in the name of love remember the supr

emes singin (stop!) in the name of love

[jbgandhi2]

As time goes on, it will become impossible to make anything that hasn't been done before. As long as people are allowed to own ideas and sue each-other over sorting algorithms and melodies, our only industrial output will be lawsuits. Great for lawyers, bad news for everyone else. Even recording industry organizations will eventually lose in this.

[Mudkip183]

DOnt BE hatin this guys is a genius!!!!!!!!!

[0AhmadMetallic0]

wow five fucking stars

[zakiemon]

When I used to make up comic books when I was younger, I had a character named Nero. I later found out about 5 years later that I didn't just make up that name. I thought that I made up that name.... I was dumb...

[saintmikky]

oh the rythmic pattern is different in coheed then u2 plus Coheed doesnt suck