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.)

Green Day's newest single 21 Guns, sounds very uncomfortably familiar to Avril Lavigne's multi-platinum hit song, "Complicated", and it's only a matter of time before her publishing company and former label, Arista, begin to take notice. The similarity is so blatant, that you can actually play the two songs at the same time and hear the same exact chord progression and rhythm.
What was Green Day thinking!? It would be a tragedy to see such an iconic rock band, get involved in a career damaging copyright lawsuit.

Here's The Facts:

Avril Lavigne - Complicated (First 24 Seconds).

Green Day - 21 Guns (First 24 Seconds)

Now, Listen to both records simultaneously:

21 Guns and Complicated played simultaneously

Complicated faded into 21 Guns simultaneously

The similarities are clear.

Credit TripletimeXL.com if you use any of this information.