Instrumental Plagiarism Between Elton John and Boston

Instrumental Plagiarism Between Elton John and Boston: A Chronological Case Study

Throughout the history of popular music, certain compositions reveal striking similarities that go beyond influence or coincidence. One of the most compelling and rarely documented examples involves Elton John’s “Screw You (Young Man’s Blues)” and Boston’s “More Than a Feeling.” When examined chronologically, the evidence strongly suggests a case of instrumental plagiarism, in which the same musical idea reappears years later with only a change in tempo and production style.

Elton John’s Recording Comes First (1973)

In May 1973, Elton John recorded “Screw You (Young Man’s Blues)” during the legendary sessions at the Château d’Hérouville, in France. Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, the song features a distinctive instrumental motif that opens the track and serves as its musical foundation.

The recording was officially released later that year as the B-side of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”:

• September 7, 1973 – UK release of the single “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road / Screw You (Young Man’s Blues)”

• October 15, 1973 – US release of the same single

By late 1973, this material was already commercially available and widely distributed internationally.

Boston’s Recording Sessions (1975–1976)

More than two years later, between October 1975 and April 1976, the band Boston recorded their debut album at Foxglove Studio, Watertown, Massachusetts. Among the tracks recorded was “More Than a Feeling,” which would become one of the most iconic rock songs of the 1970s.

The release timeline is well established:

• August 25, 1976 – release of the album Boston

• September 18, 1976 – release of the single “More Than a Feeling”

The Musical Issue: Plagiarism by Structure, Not Speed

When comparing the two recordings, the instrumental opening of “More Than a Feeling” mirrors the melodic structure already present in “Screw You (Young Man’s Blues).” The difference lies primarily in tempo and arrangement, not in the core musical idea.

The melodic contour, harmonic movement, and rhythmic placement of the riff are effectively the same. Boston’s version accelerates the figure and adapts it to a polished arena-rock production, but the underlying musical phrase remains unchanged.

This places the case not in the realm of vague influence, but rather instrumental plagiarism, where an earlier recorded musical idea reappears later with minimal structural alteration.

Later Recognition and the Nirvana Connection

The discussion gained further relevance decades later when Nirvana, during live performances, intentionally referenced “More Than a Feeling” while performing “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” This gesture acknowledged the recognizable nature of Boston’s riff and its cultural footprint.

While Nirvana’s reference does not directly address Elton John, it reinforces how identifiable and transferable this specific musical structure became over time — moving from Elton John (1973) to Boston (1976), and later echoed in alternative rock culture.

Decades later, the discussion gained renewed visibility when Nirvana publicly referenced “More Than a Feeling” during a live performance. At the Reading Festival on August 30, 1992, the band briefly played the opening riff of Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” immediately before launching into “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

This moment has been widely interpreted as a deliberate and ironic acknowledgment of the well-known similarity between the two riffs. By inserting the melody on stage, Nirvana implicitly recognized how recognizable and culturally embedded Boston’s guitar figure had become. The gesture was not an accusation or a legal statement, but rather a self-aware musical reference that highlighted how certain melodic ideas circulate and reappear across generations of rock music.

Chronological Summary

Elton John

• May 1973 – Recording of Screw You (Young Man’s Blues) (France)

• September 7, 1973 – UK single release

• October 15, 1973 – US single release

Boston

• October 1975 – April 1976 – Recording sessions at Foxglove Studio

• August 25, 1976 – Album Boston released

• September 18, 1976 – “More Than a Feeling” single released

Conclusion

The timeline clearly demonstrates that Screw You (Young Man’s Blues) predates More Than a Feeling by more than two years. The instrumental similarity between the two songs is striking and extends beyond coincidence, differing primarily in tempo and production approach. This makes the case a notable example of instrumental plagiarism in 1970s rock history, even if it was never formally disputed in court.

The comparison highlights how musical ideas can migrate across artists and eras, sometimes becoming more famous in their later incarnations while their original sources remain largely unacknowledged.

---

Keywords

Elton John, Screw You Young Man’s Blues, Boston, More Than a Feeling, plagiarism in music, rock plagiarism, 1970s rock, musical plagiarism case, guitar riff plagiarism, Bernie Taupin, Tom Scholz, Château d’Hérouville, Foxglove Studio, classic rock analysis, music history research

Hashtags

#EltonJohn #BostonBand #MoreThanAFeeling #ScrewYouYoungMansBlues
#MusicPlagiarism #RockHistory #ClassicRock #1970sRock
#PlagiarismInMusic #RockResearch #MusicDocumentation
#EltonJohnArchive #MusicAnalysis #RockPlagiarism

Se quiser, posso: