July 2nd, 2009

Green Day's "21 Guns" inspired by Mott the Hoople?



Mott the Hoople All The Young Dudes

There is a growing amount of internet chatter about the similarities between Green Day's new single "21 Guns" and Mott the Hoople's 1972 hit "All The Young Dudes".

The chorus of each song contain the same exact five notes (if transposed), along with an almost identical chord change.

So I wanted to find out what happens when the pitch of Green Day's "21 Guns" is changed from the key of F to the key of D?

"21 Guns" played in the Key of D (First seven seconds of the chorus)

"All The Young Dudes" (First seven seconds of the chorus)

"21 Guns" and "All The Young Dudes" simultaneously.

I don't think that the similarities between "21 Guns" and "All The Young Dudes", and Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" were intentional, however, as a Green Day fan, I'm surprised that they would release a song that contains notable similarities to other rock records such as:
Neil Young – Heart Of Gold
Scott Mackenzie – San Francisco
Electric Light Orchestra- Telephone Line
Avril Lavigne – Complicated
Mott the Hoople – All The Young Dudes

So there it is, the post that will end all posts about the many 21 Guns comparisons. (Because if I don't stop here, I'm going to do this forever.)



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20 Responses

  1. Anonymous

    green day stole so much dude

  2. perfectpitch

    sure, that one bar was the same but I don't hear any other similarities. When I heard that boring piece by Green Day (21 Guns) it never reminded me of Hoople's song at all.

  3. so it's not just me.

    green day owes Mr Young and David Bowie-he wrote all the young dudes- some royalties.

  4. Adam

    First thing i was thinking when i heard 21 Guns for the first time.

    With the help of the internet the next generations will start listening to real music and not mainstream GARBAGE..

  5. Anonymous

    Green day & avril lavigne rules !

    no tienes nada mejor que hacer?

  6. Elliott

    Yeah but 21 Guns is better =D

  7. Did Green Day steal "21 Guns" from Avril Lavigne? - Page 7 - Avril Lavigne Bandaids: The Best Damn Avril Lavigne Fansite

    [...] surprised more people haven't pointed out the rather striking similarities to All the Young Dudes: Green Days 21 Guns inspired by Mott the Hoople? [...]

  8. Zzr

    I might be wrong, but I think the last notes are actually different. 'Guns' sounds like an octave (D) and 'dudes' sounds like a perfect fifth (A) above the root. Same chord, yes, but different notes.

  9. Ivy

    This song reminds me of the 1960s hippy era song “San Francisco” by Scott MacKenzie though…

  10. Francesco

    the green day song "before the lobotomy"is similat Chayanne – Completamente Enamorados

  11. MAINSTREAM ROCK SUCKS

    I CANT WAIT FOR STP TO RELEASE THEIR NEW ALBUM THEY WILL SHOW EVERYONE HOW TO FUCKIN PLAY MAINSTREAM ROCK THE RIGHT WAY JUST LIKE AIC JUST DID WITH CHECK MY BRAIN! AND IF YOU'RE NOT DOWN WITH THAT I GOT TWO WORDS FOR YA……………..

  12. brycon

    boulavard was stolon by oasis so this is no big deal
    still a great song

  13. brycon

    boulavard was stolon from oasis so this is no big deal
    still a great song
    sorry my mistake

  14. tony bonardi

    The Guitar solo is the theme from "full House" in a different key.

  15. Malagsy

    This song reminds me of the 1960s hippy era song “San Francisco” by Scott MacKenzie though…

    <<<< I totally agree with you ! I hate this song (21 guns)

  16. Greendaygay

    Green Day was once somewhat good, but now, now they just suck on chodes.

  17. Asr

    I think the verses are almost a direct note-to-note copy of Scott MacKenzie's "San Francisco" and yes, the beginning of the chorus is a copy of "All the young dudes". C'mon they all must have known what they were doing but did it anyway, because a big part of their audience doesn't probably know any of these songs. Everytime I hear this song I just get angry!

  18. Gabriel M.

    Green Day didn't stole anything. If the rythm of the lyrics where similar, and if it were ORIGINALLY in the key of D, you could say it MIGHT be similar to that song, but still doesn't mean they "stole" it, what a lame statement.

    WHen composing, you put the chords that fits the most to your lyrics. Once you have the basis, you can come up with some harmony tricks to build up the song. There are many many many many songs that might sound alike to others, but it doesn't mean anything. Green Day recicles a lot of their own riffs to use it in different ways. If you take the intro to "letterbomb" (american idiot), you can sing "viva la gloria" (21st century breakdown) and SURPRISE! Or take the riff from the chorus of "know your enemy" and sing the lines "and there's nothing wrong with me…" from "jesus of suburbia". You could take the intro riff from "wake me up when september ends" and sing along the inro from "before the lobotomy". Man, I could keep on with this forever. Just learn about music, just a little bit, before you say they "steal" just because the sound alike. Cheers

  19. Anonymous

    I'm more inclined to think that other songs on the album bear more striking similarities to other songs:

    Horseshoes and Handgrenades = Main Offender by the Hives

    Restless Heart Syndrome = Windows by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

    and, perhaps most embarassing of all…

    American Eulogy (Mass Hysteria part) = Deadbeat Holiday by… Green Day

    However, the resemblance between these two is also there. Overall they really should have fine tuned this album. Still, though, 21 Guns is a decent song.

  20. Anonymous

    ya know what green day didnt steal crap ok if u listen to other songs it sounds like that too. that is just how it is so stop saying that so and so stole this song from who ever the fuck it is

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