There has been a fair amount of discussion across the social media sites regarding the new single by One Direction entitled "Best Song Ever". The opening chords of the song sound very much like Baba O'Riley, and the band has been criticized for copying The Who's classic hit.
Pete Townshend has issued a statement on the Uncut website defending One Direction and denying that The Who have asked for the song to be withdrawn.
"No! I like the single. I like One Direction. The chords I used and the chords they used are the same three chords we've all been using in basic pop music since Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry made it clear that fancy chords don't mean great music – not always. I'm still writing songs that sound like Baba O'Riley – or I'm trying to!. It's a part of my life and a part of pop's lineage. One Direction are in my business, with a million fans, and I'm happy to think they may have been influenced a little bit by The Who. I'm just relieved they're all not wearing boiler suits and Doc Martens, or Union Jack jackets. The funniest thing is that in Canada this year I met with Randy Bachman once the leader of GUESS WHO who told me that he not only copied Baba O Riley for their hit You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, but he even called his band after us. Why would I not be happy about this kind of tribute?"
The full article can be viewed on the Uncut website.
Here is a comparison of the 2 songs.
