Borrowing versus Stealing

So, as it turns out, I ended up watching the season finale of Dancing With The Stars, on account of staying with my brother and sister-in-law for Thanksgiving, and said sister-in-law was a big enough fan to even vote after Monday night's show.

Anyway, Tuesday featured performances from Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus, and the difference between the two was pretty staggering. In the chorus of Keys' song, there was maybe a chord progression that sounded like it had something in common with "Living For The City," although they didn't really sound anything alike. It gave it a bit of retro flavor in an otherwise contemporary song.

Cyrus' song -- which the host of the show went to great lengths to point out that she "co-wrote" -- was a complete ripoff of "Rock Lobster" by the B-52s. The riff was the same. The background vocal melody was the same. It was totally shameless.

Now, I know most people listening to Miley Cyrus aren't going to know that, and maybe that air of familiarity goes over well with parents of tween fans, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.