Did Courtney Love Ever Have an Original Thought?

It's a good question. And even on her best work, it seems the answer is no. Here's why: 1998's Celebrity Skin was Hole's most commercially successful album. And it was probably their most musically accessible as well. Borrowing from 1970s power pop and even Fleetwood Mac, Hole ditched the grittier, Riot Grrl sound of old and produced a pretty clean -- and pretty good -- album that found a welcome home in heavy rotation on alternative radio.

Dig a little deeper, and you learn that Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan had a sizable hand in the album's songwriting. Fair enough. But even so, the band's crowning achievement -- at least to me -- is the song "Malibu" and now I realize what a ripoff that track actually is.

The reason? It's basically Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart". At least, it's the exact same chords -- in the exact same pattern. Listen for yourself:

I discovered this when I learned "Love Will Tear Us Apart" on the guitar. It's E minor, D, B minor and A. Strum those chords long enough and you start singing "Malibu" -- it's the same song. At least Courtney Love knew what she was doing. She tips her hat to Joy Division at the 2:35 mark of the song when she sings "And I knew love would tear you apart." Credit where credit is due.