Music

Black Keys vs. Pizza Hut and 5 other commercial rip-offs

by Sam Sutherland

Since the invention of music, there have been sound-alikes. And since the invention of advertising (by Mad Men), these sound-alikes have been used to sell stuff. That’s because actually licensing a song is expensive, and some bands don’t want their art used to sell P’Zolos and P’Zones. Which makes the Black Keys current lawsuit, targeting Pizza Hut and Home Depot for using elements of their songs, just another link in the chain of corporate buffoonery.

Let’s take a jaunt down musical grey area lane together.

1. The Black Keys allege that Pizza Hut stole “Gold on the Ceiling.”

2. Beach House get lifted by a Volkswagon ad.

3. HSBC steals sound, entire aesthetic from Sigur Rós.

4. Eminem cease-and-desisted Audi for this painfully straight “Lose Yourself” sound-alike.

5. No one learns to stop stealing from Tom Waits, ever.

Unfortunately, people haven’t learned to capture and archive video.

6. Morgan Freeman (it’s a stretch, but it’s worth it) isn’t actually the voice in this GOP attack ad.