Hit or Miss

Comedian Robert Klein used to joke about getting a copyright on the musical note "C" and then suing everyone else for theft of intellectual property... That made him an ironic choice for the lead in 1979's Broadway production of "They're Playing Our Song." But whether or not a case could be made in court, song writers use the same basic tools to craft their works, however original, derivative or plagiarized.

The "art" of hit-making comes down to finding the right combination of Artist, Repertoire & Timing and a good sense of what ideas to purloin... And when.

Would 'At Last' Be A Hit Today? Audio Embed: All Things Considered 12/30/10, Reporter: Zoe Chace.

Remember this song from Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)?


When William Orbit and Beck lifted the music from "Fresh-Garbage" by the band Spirit, from their 1968 self-titled debut album, they at least had the grace to credit Jay Ferguson as a co-writer.

Not everyone gets the credit they deserve... Even the hard-core Led Zeppelin fan will concede widespread theft of both licks and publishing royalties. But nowhere was the trend more widespread and controversial as in the emergence of rap.

Twenty years ago a series of lawsuits criminalized the hip-hop sampling of artists like Hank Shocklee and Public Enemy. And yet, two decades later, artists like Girl Talk have found success breaking those same sampling laws.

Sampling - On Both Sides of the Law Audio Embed: WNYC's On The Media 12/25/10, Reporter: Jamie York