Ed Sheeran copyright case

[Ein Heldenleben]

I’d be interested to hear what others think of the alleged similarities between Sheeran’s Shape Of You and Oh Why? I can’t hear much of a similarity. I do think Sheeran’s song with its constantly repeated four chord sequence is very monotonous though. Biggest selling single of the Year - says it all really. I would have thought it quite rare to hear Leonard Bernstein quoted in a UK law court along with the phrase “ minor pentatonic melody” - which doesn’t sound right - don’t pentatonic scales hover ambiguously between major and minor until they are harmonised.

[cloughie]

I’d be interested to hear what others think of the alleged similarities between Sheeran’s Shape Of You and Oh Why? I can’t hear much of a similarity. I do think Sheeran’s song with its constantly repeated four chord sequence is very monotonous though. Biggest selling single of the Year - says it all really. I would have thought it quite rare to hear Leonard Bernstein quoted in a UK law court along with the phrase “ minor pentatonic melody” - which doesn’t sound right - don’t pentatonic scales hover ambiguously between major and minor until they are harmonised.

These cases always make me think - if the riff was so good why haven’t the writers made a killing already with a massive hit - and have they never written anything which was lifted from some other song either consciously or unconsciously?
Additionally there is good chance that sequences of notes are going to be put together many times in many different songs - such is the art of composition!

[Forget It (U2079353)]

Compare & Contrast
with the laid back honest attitude of Elvis Costello

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57650176

[muzzer]

Nothing will bring me to listen to it and I hope he loses. He’s made an obscenely large amount of money out of being mostly talentless. The state of the world means in my opinion that the worst excesses of pop culture are a tottering edifice and if it all comes crashing down will take a lot of real culture with it.

[RichardB]

Additionally there is good chance that sequences of notes are going to be put together many times in many different songs - such is the art of composition!

You mean: such is the art of writing simple pop songs whose material is drawn from a highly restricted pool of melodic figures!

[cloughie]

You mean: such is the art of writing simple pop songs whose material is drawn from a highly restricted pool of melodic figures!

Broadly yes - at the same time making sure the words are inaudible and/or meanlngless and there is no story or message in the song. Oh and these days usually written by a committee!
… but who am I to judge?

[RichardB]

Broadly yes - at the same time making sure the words are inaudible and/or meanlngless and there is no story or message in the song. Oh and these days usually written by a committee!
… but who am I to judge?

I think people are making interesting music in that vein just as they always have, and most of what gets to the top of the charts is disposable, shallow and stereotyped, just as it always has been.

[cloughie]

I think people are making interesting music in that vein just as they always have, and most of what gets to the top of the charts is disposable, shallow and stereotyped, just as it always has been.

Agreed, though I don’t prioritise it in my listening time - could be missing good stuff amongst the more interesting.