Events
So, I just came across a link to a wonderful article from Billboard listing the Top 100 Singles of 2008. Surprisingly, I actually recognized 31 of the artists and I believe I’ve heard only 3 of the singles. Given that I do actually get out to the bar from time to time, it’s entirely possible I’ve heard nearly all of the songs and I either consciously or unconsciously forgot. I was also surprised to see that there were several artists I’ve known since middle school that somehow haven’t given up. Now, I’m not saying there isn’t any good music on this list, nor is this list the real reason for this post. So what’s my real beef with it? That Coldplay’s Viva La Vida is the number 9 single of 2008.
At first I wasn’t interested in voicing my opinion on this topic since I figured it was a pretty black-and-white issue. But for some reason this is still a hot topic and not nearly enough people are siding against Coldplay. First of all, if Coldplay wants to claim that any similarity is coincidental, consider this: what are the chances that two people independently write a song with the same rhythm, tempo, melody, and key? Additionally, what are the chances that this happens within the same lifetime, much less within 5 years? The fact that Coldplay has a history with plagiarism doesn’t help their case either.
What irritates me more is the argument that somehow Satriani is a nobody and who is he to make such a claim? First of all, it doesn’t matter who makes the claim. It’s his song regardless of how popular he is. He deserves credit for writing it. Second of all, Satriani has taught many guitarists who have gone on to make rather prominent careers in the music industry (e.g. Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry LaLonde (Primus), David Bryson (Counting Crows), Kevin Cadogan (Third Eye Blind), and Steve Vai). Basically, any respectable and informed guitarist knows who Satriani is, regardless of their opinion of him. To put this in some perspective, there is a general consensus to expel a college student for plagiarizing any amount of a paper for which he/she receives only a letter grade as part of a course he/she paid for. Yet Coldplay (or hopefully just their lawyers) expects there should be no recourse against them for their act of plagiarism? Oh right… and Satriani kind of won 14 Grammys thus far. So not only is he not a nobody to true music fans, but he’s also not a nobody to the very same people that want to honor Coldplay’s Viva La Vida for some god awful reason.
More importantly, the Grammys are given by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences which has over 150 so-called experts in the music industry to determine if a work is eligible. How did they not notice a song was up for song of the year that was a direct rip from another artist who has won 14 Grammys. What exactly do they do to assess eligibility? I had little to no respect for the academy before, but this is the nail in the coffin for me. Although, I’m sure if I bothered to pay any more attention to the Grammy’s, I would have come to the same conclusion a long time ago.
Update: Coldplay actually won ‘Song of the Year’ for Viva La Vida.
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