Which song was George Harrison accused of plagiarizing for 'My Sweet Lord'?
Answer
He's So Fine
George Harrison was accused of plagiarizing The Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine” in his song “My Sweet Lord.” The legal dispute became one of the best-known music copyright cases of the 1970s.
Bright Tunes Music Corporation, which controlled the copyright to “He’s So Fine,” filed suit against Harrison in February 1971. The claim focused on similarities between the melodies of the two songs. In 1976, a judge found Harrison liable for “subconscious” plagiarism: the ruling held that he had copied the melody without doing so deliberately.
The case continued for years because of disputes over damages and ownership of the plaintiff’s company. In 1981, the settlement required Harrison to purchase Bright Tunes for $587,000, the amount previously paid for the corporation by his former manager Allen Klein.
Harrison later responded musically with “This Song,” released in 1976. The Chiffons also recorded their own version of “My Sweet Lord” in 1975, turning the highly publicized lawsuit into a curious piece of pop history.