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These Songs RIPPED OFF The Smashing Pumpkins…According to Billy Corgan

Rock N' Roll True Stories | January 7, 2026



the story of Billy Corgan calling out bands who he thinks, ripped off The Smashing Pumpkins.

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Dive into the wild world of Billy Corgan—the outspoken mastermind behind The Smashing Pumpkins—whose music shaped the sound of the ’90s and whose feuds and accusations have become legendary in rock history. This video unpacks Corgan’s long-standing reputation as both a musical innovator and a relentless defender of his artistic turf, exploring the many times he’s publicly accused fellow musicians of copying The Smashing Pumpkins’ signature sound, riffs, and vibe.

We start with Corgan’s infamous reaction to hearing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” produced by Butch Vig right after working on The Smashing Pumpkins’ debut album, Gish. Corgan jokingly accused Vig of “ripping off” his guitar sound, a lighthearted moment that nonetheless set the tone for his future grievances. But things got far more serious in the early ‘90s, when Corgan launched a very public—and ultimately unsuccessful—lawsuit against Collective Soul, claiming their hit “Shine” plagiarized Pumpkins tracks like “Drown” and “Rhinoceros.” The case was dismissed when Collective Soul’s Ed Roland produced a demo of “Shine” from 1989, predating Corgan’s cited songs. The feud didn’t end there; Collective Soul fired back with their song “Smashing Young Man,” widely interpreted as a direct jab at Corgan, and the animosity lingered for decades, with Corgan publicly expressing his disdain as recently as 2019.

Corgan’s accusations didn’t stop with Collective Soul. He’s also pointed out similarities between Metallica’s 1997 hit “Fuel” and The Smashing Pumpkins’ 1995 track “Tales of a Scorched Earth.” Unlike the Collective Soul saga, Corgan took a more measured approach here, acknowledging the resemblance but expressing admiration for Metallica and admitting he’s borrowed from them too. This shows a more nuanced understanding of influence versus plagiarism, but also highlights Corgan’s ongoing sensitivity to perceived artistic theft.

Beyond these headline feuds, Corgan has a history of calling out other artists for what he sees as a lack of authenticity or originality. He’s traded barbs with bands like Pavement, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam, often accusing them of jealousy, cash-grabbing reunions, or simply not measuring up to his standards of artistic integrity. These public critiques have cemented Corgan’s reputation as a “bridge burner”—someone unafraid to speak his mind, even if it means making enemies.

But why does Corgan keep picking these fights? The video explores whether it’s ego, a genuine need to protect his creative legacy, or a deeper obsession with authenticity in music. Corgan himself admits that influence is a gray area, but he draws a hard line between inspiration and outright copying. His fierce protection of The Smashing Pumpkins’ originality, combined with his unfiltered honesty, has made him one of rock’s most controversial—and fascinating—figures.

What do you think? Was Billy Corgan justified in his accusations, or did he take things too far? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more deep dives into rock history and music controversies!

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Written by Rock N' Roll True Stories

Comments

This post currently has 38 comments.

  4. @SharonCorbett

    January 7, 2026 at 7:14 am

    Which of these stories surprised me the most? None.
    Billy Corgan wrote every song of every band whoever played, and if it wasn't for a bit of pesky physics getting in the way he'd tell you he actually wrote the entire Sgt Peppers Album that those kids The Beatles brought out, paving the way (as we all know) for the complete punk, metal, rock scene that followed to exist at all.
    Billy Corgan is his own biggest masterpiece (as he would say in The Pumpkin World).

  13. @ericwarner3150

    January 7, 2026 at 7:14 am

    We would have better music if Billy and Eddie, James, Bono,….. had gone the Kurt. Yes. Pearl Jam sucks. Metallica sucks. U2 always sucked. Smashing Pumpkins was great for 1 album. Then they sucked. Couple partial.

  17. @danieldemayo6209

    January 7, 2026 at 7:14 am

    theres only so many combinations you can play when coming up with rock riffs lol there just tropes. this kinda shit is gonna happen and it really isnt even that close. i love SP but hes kinda buggin here for sure.

  21. @andrewhayden1045

    January 7, 2026 at 7:14 am

    The Pumpkins have 1 album that was solid… 2 others that were very good( 4 if you call Melancholy two albums in one)… all of which I love. But, after the first 3(4), the pumpkins have been absolutely terrible. It's hilarious that Billy whines like he does as his way of staying relevant instead of writing some good Siamese Dream quality music.

  31. @smackleo

    January 7, 2026 at 7:14 am

    the stp and rip-off claim of snail wasn't that they lyrics were similar… it was the melodic run that is similar for the small parts of their songs: "and you're saying you're seeing" vs. "and i feel and i feel when the dogs…" however, despite the similarities, i don't think corgan has much to complain about there since it's just a small melodic run. that same melodic run is probably all over the landscape of music… i think corgan just brought it up during his interview with stp just because it was a passing conversation thought but he wasn't trying to provoke a fight. the nirvana smells like teen spirit sounding like boston's more than a feeling is true- i think even nirvana would admit it… but accusing butch of helping cobain steal the billy corgan sound? idk, the very early corgan guitar sound wasn't like that… he was into hair-metal and shredding as a young teen and then developed a shoegazing-ish/psychedelic sound as he entered his 20's… the blending of the hair-metal and the shoegaze/psychedelic is the sound we get on gish and is further evolved as we see in siamese dream and pisces… at no point did he show anything that would sound like nirvana's smells like teen spirit. no i don't buy that nirvana (cobain) stole corgan's sound. and the beef with collective soul is sad. yes, shine has a similar feel to a lot of early smashing pumpkins stuff that had that melodic, rhythmic flow along with fuzz-like grit, but the court case should have put that to rest. maybe corgan knew he had that sound before collective soul but was bitter he couldn't produce a demo tape of his work that pre-dated the demos from collective soul. it is a possibility since the pumpkins formed in 1988 and corgan might have had stuff that he was working on while he was in the marked before leaving that band. but if he didn't have the tapes to prove it, then that's that. but i think the reason corgan got so upset and holds a grudge to this day is that he really wants to be unquestionably recognized as the pioneer of that particular sound of using that melodic, rhythmic flow with the fuzz-like grit… and in a way, collective soul kinda takes it from him… they don't bc collective soul never became quite as big as the pumpkins and collective soul's overall sound isn't like that either.

  32. @eaglebay-d9y

    January 7, 2026 at 7:14 am

    Who knows Billy is probably right, but the way his personality is… The more I hear him or know about him the more I dislike him. He's ugly an person on the inside and out and at this point I don't even want to admit that Smashing pumpkins were one of my favorite bands. The first band I ever went to see. Seriously Billy is such a fn @sshole.

  36. @Vartick9-n9p

    January 7, 2026 at 7:14 am

    Billy also fired man who came up with the name Smashing Pumpkins after he asked to get paid average wage, not 4 times less for being tour manager and bass technician at the start of their career. Billy by then had tens of millions to his name and called that guy his friend

  38. @sharonneedlesfreedomsnotfr813

    January 7, 2026 at 7:14 am

    I once served Billy a snack back at my place after a late nite set..next thing I knew he let out a shrieking noise as he recoiled in horror..he proceeded to accuse me of robbing him of his childhood as well as an ancient family recipe w the intent to distribute for profit..hoping this was a joke all I could think to say was “don’t sweat it Billy the buttered bread comes free of charge”

Comments are closed.

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