14 Songs That 'Rip Off' Classical Music

📍CORRECTION: 3:34 the 2nd to last chord of "Go West" should be ii7 not IV. They are of course very similar chords though (IV is contained within ii7)

The moral: Don't copy composers until after they sufficiently decompose.

Memories doesn't sound like canon in d, it IS Canon in D.

At 75 now, I've heard SO many pop melodies that were based on classical pieces. It became 'a thing' for me to actively seek them out and collect them. I'll mention a few older favorites, from all over the map: Lesley Gore - "Just Let Me Cry" (Song of India - Rimsky Korsakov) Lou Christie - "Painter" (Un Bel Di - from Madama Butterfly) Various - "Stranger In Paradise" - (Polovtsian Dances - Borodin) Perry Como - "Til the End of Time" - (Polonaise in Abmi - Chopin) Jackie Wilson - "Night" - ("Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns) Della Reese - "Don't You Know" - (from Puccini's La bohème) Honorable mention: Georgia Gibbs + - "Kiss of Fire" - (not a classical piece, but a vintage tango, El Choclo) ...And so many more. Thanks for the opportunity to share some of the things my brain is crammed with - No one I've ever known was interested in this pop trivia.

Billy Joel used the second movement of Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata for the chorus of This Night. He was considerate enough to credit the composer on the jacket of his Innocent Man LP as "L.v. Beethoven."

Only 1600’s kids remember

I was playing cannon in D and my sister starts singing Maroon 5 and I'm like 0_o

I put together a Pachelbel Canon list a few years ago. There may be more. The Farm - All Together now Aerosmith - Cryin' Blues Traveller - Hook (which sort of sings about putting musical "hooks" like Pachelbel in songs) One Tin Soldier - There won't be any trumpets blowing Come the Judgement Day: Los Pop Tops - Oh Lord why Lord Delirium - Paris Village People - Go West (Though you can hear it better in the Pet Shop Boys version) Maroon 5 - Memories Vampire Weekend - Step Aphrodite's Child - Rain And Tears Green Day - Basket Case Procol Harum - Sunday morning Ralf McTell - Streets of London Brian Eno - Fullness of the Wind (er, though this one is a variation on Canon) First Class - Beach Baby Percy Sledge - When a man loves a woman Oasis - Don't look back in anger Coolio - C U When U Get There Vitamin C - Graduation 2 Pac - Life Goes on Expo - This Night Akon - Lonely

There are also many tunes by Tchaikovsky that were turned into songs: 1. "Night birds" by Shakatak.... Hamlet overture 2. "Vereda tropical" by Gonzalo Curiel.... Rose adagio of "The sleeping beauty" 3. "Fina estampa" by Chabuca Granda... Waltz of the flowers of "The nutcracker" 4. "Si la reina de España muriera" by Los embajadores criollos..... waltz of the String serenade. 5. "Starry night" by Glenn Miller..... First movement of the Sixth symphony Etc.

Moral of the story: if u release a fire track people will sample it even hundreds of years later

Im a classically trained musician. I hate"Memories", it drives me insane when the melody doesn't continue. It's like listening to Let It Go but only the "let it go" phrase.

I’m glad you included, ”All By Myself” by Eric Carmen in your list. It is my favorite example of classical music in a rock/pop song. My second favorite is “Could It Be Magic” by Barry Manilow.

As you say, Eric Carmen thought it was OK to use Rachmaninov’s piece for his ‘All By Myself’. He was surprised when the composer’s estate came knocking.

moral: classical musicians were the first rockstars i honestly don’t get why this comment got so many likes😅

When people say they don’t like classical music 😂

Disney's Sleeping Beauty movie just effectively put lyrics to Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty waltz and titled it "Once Upon a Dream".

May I add: You're the Love of My Life, by Santana, taken from Brahms Symphony #3, Movement 3, Paul Simon's American Tune from Bach's O Sacred Head Now Wounded, which Bach borrowed from Hans Leo Hassler and, finally, Dan Fogelberg's Same Old Lang Syne, which, if you listen closely takes part of the melody from the 1812 Overture (some people can't hear it, but it is obvious to me). As a musician ,and teacher, I really appreciate your videos.

It’s nice that he actually goes in depth about the topic instead of making it a watchmojo style top 10 list

So many people say they don't like classical music without ever knowing most music derives from classical.

Eric Carmen: "all by myself" Sergei Rachmaninoff's estate: "well, not quite"