"More or less a blatant rip-off"-type cues

[Walk the Skies 202]

Another Carlin one: "American Rock" by Chris Goulstone on CAR-209 has very similar progression to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, down to the album's liner notes even stating it to be "in the style of Nirvana."

Current editions of the album replace the original version with a different Goulstone track with the same name, likely for this very reason.

[apmnut]

Julius Steffaro's "Naughty Trumpets" from De Wolfe DW 3012 is a soundalike of Leroy Anderson's "Bugler's Holiday".

[bardwell64]

The track "The Good Life" from Omnimusic is a blatant rip-off of KPM's track "Bluebird" (from the LP "Happy Rainbows"). Even the intro is very similar.

[Saulaac]

There's a KPM which is a blatant rip of 'Pick Up the Pieces' by The Average White Band.   I forget the LP.
DWS/LP 3513 - 'Let's All Be Happy' is 'Best Years of Our Lives' by Modern Romance.  Same LP has Thriller rip off 'Black Heart'

I remember listening to Bruton "Light My Fire" (BRH 5) album, and track 9 "Light My Fire" by Steve Gray sounds very much like "Pick Up The Pieces".

In fact most of the tracks sound like they were heavily influenced by other tunes of the day. I inserted my suggestions below for the ones I think I recognised.

[00:00] 01. Hawkwind And Fire
Let's Groove by EWF? Jungle Boogie by Kool & The Gang? And The Beat Goes On by The Whispers?

[03:40] 03. Stateside

[06:35] 04. Superdude
Superfly by Curtis Mayfield?

[08:21] 05. Wonder Groove
something from Stevie Wonder, perhaps “Isn’t She Lovely”?

[11:54] 06. Hard Sell

[14:36] 07. Move On
Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield?

[16:03] 08. Fuel Injection

[18:53] 09. Light My Fire
Light My Fire by The Doors and Pick Up The Pieces by Average White Band?

[21:54] 10. Sunshine Shuffle
The Hustle by Van McCoy?

[24:37] 11. Disco Fever
Funkytown by Lipps Inc. and Disco Inferno by The Trammps?

[28:40] 12. Blockbuster

[31:22] 13. Disco Dynamite
Midnight Express by Giorgio Moroder and Knock On Wood by Amii Stewart?

[33:30] 14. Discolypso

[35:52] 15. Reach Out
Reach Out (I'll Be There) by Four Tops and That's the Way of the World by EWF?

[Bronic]

Another Carlin one: "American Rock" by Chris Goulstone on CAR-209 has very similar progression to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, down to the album's liner notes even stating it to be "in the style of Nirvana."

Current editions of the album replace the original version with a different Goulstone track with the same name, likely for this very reason.

Another from Aircraft Music:

this one smells like pearl jam:

[Bronic]

Exciting Mrs. Brown, the very first April Orchestra track...

... is in reality an actual rip-off of Brazilian singer Roberto Carlos' Todos Estão Surdos from 1971!

This particular Roberto Carlos album was released in France also on CBS, April Orchestra's label.

[Lord Thames]

I heard a track recently which I thought was this:

But when I got the Lindup track out, it wasn't right.  Turns out it was this:

One of those rare, but not unknown, cases of a library piece inspired by another library piece!

[complessolibrary]

Corrado Tringali - Luci Di Notte

The Police - Every Breath You Take

[Bronic]

Jump to 34:58 for this 1983 track from Rhodos:

Then check the intro to Rupert Holmes' Adventure from 1980:

[Mr]

Exciting Mrs. Brown, the very first April Orchestra track...

Haha wow - never knew this! Great find, thanks for sharing

[WestleyWolf]

Youth Culture - Matthew Cang from Power Grooves KPM 250

For Comparison Haddaway's What is Love

[apmnut]

An honorable mention: The theme for the popular 80s game show Press Your Luck is a soundalike of Keith Mansfield's "Flash", which was actually used as the theme for the pilot episode.

[Bronic]

Rhodos again. Space Research at 21:33:

Is heavily based on Isao Tomita's Grand Canyon Suite / Painted Desert section. jump to 06:43

[neowave]

Gino Pittoni -  Controllo Finale  (Informatica (Vroommm VRL 603) '1974 (Composed By [Uncredited] – Romano Rizzati)

Miriam Bordoni, Franco Bonfanti - Movimento Di Città  (1975)

Interesting why melody is so similar, maybe there is some original pop hit that they were referring to?