10 Musicians Who Were Sued Over Their Own Songs

Music is something that fuels people. It's passionate. It's full of storytelling. And it's a great way to sit back and relax. Although all true, it can be stressful for those writing and producing the music. If they sound a little too similar to other songs or artists, they can get hit with a lawsuit or a copyright infringement claim.

This happens a lot more than you'd think. For this slideshow, 24/7 Tempo scoured the internet, reviewing entertainment and music sources to find plagiarism claims and lawsuits over songs. Click through the slideshow for 10 musicians who were sued over their own songs.

Coldplay

Song in Question: "Viva La Vida"
Person Suing: Joe Satriani
Song They Thought Was Similar/Stolen: "If I Could Fly"
Outcome: Settled out of court for undisclosed amount

Ed Sheeran

Song in Question: "Thinking Out Loud"
Person Suing: Marvin Gaye
Song They Thought Was Similar/Stolen: "Let's Get It On"
Outcome: The court found Ed Sheeran not liable in the lawsuit

Led Zeppelin

Song in Question: "Stairway to Heaven"
Person Suing: The Estate of Randy Wolfe
Song They Thought Was Similar/Stolen: "Taurus"
Outcome: The court ruled in favor of Led Zeppelin

Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams

Song in Question: "Blurred Lines"
Person Suing: Marvin Gaye
Song They Thought Was Similar/Stolen: "Got to Give It Up."
Outcome: Marvin Gaye won the case and was paid $4,983,766.85 and 50% in royalties

The Beach Boys

Song in Question: "Surfin' USA"
Person Suing: Chuck Berry
Song They Thought Was Similar/Stolen: "Sweet Little Sixteen"
Outcome: The Beach Boys gave songwriting credit and publishing rights to Chuck Berry

Lana Del Rey

Song in Question: "Get Free"
Person Suing: Radiohead
Song They Thought Was Similar/Stolen: "Creep"
Outcome: The two settled quietly out of court

George Harrison

Song in Question: "My Sweet Lord"
Person Suing: The Chiffons
Song They Thought Was Similar/Stolen: "He's So Fine"
Outcome: He was found guilty of subconscious plagiarism and paid over $500,000

Vanilla Ice

Song in Question: "Ice Ice Baby"
Person Suing: Queen and David Bowie
Song They Thought Was Similar/Stolen: "Under Pressure"
Outcome: Vanilla Ice was ordered to pay Queen and David Bowie an undisclosed amount

Sam Smith

Song in Question: "Stay With Me"
Person Suing: Tom Petty
Song They Thought Was Similar/Stolen: "I Won't Back Down"
Outcome: Sam Smith acknowledged the similarities and gave credit to Tom Petty