When I think about songs that have disgustingly amazing and simple guitar riffs, I always imagine the first time they were introduced at band practice. My preferred musing is Malcolm Young from AC/DC going into rehearsal, saying "Guys, what do you think of this riff?", playing the main riff from Back in Black, and everyone immediately knows that it's going to be unstoppable.

There aren't too many songs with riffs like that, but "A Girl Like You" by The Smithereens is definitely on the short list. The Hoboken, NJ band has consistently churned out quality, muscular power-pop over the years, but this song (their biggest chart success, to boot) holds up the best, thanks to that classic and simple riff that you can picture Beavis and Butthead singing, heads banging.

For the comments: riffs. Bring 'em.

This is the third post in a series called Friday Night Ripoffs(?). Here's the deal: every Friday, two songs, where one of them might very well be a gigantic ripoff of the other.

Commenter Uncle Joe McCarthy and C+L blogger Logan Murphy both piped up about this one. Did Green Day lift the riff for "Brain Stew" from Chicago, or is 5th fret, 3rd fret, 2nd fret, 1st fret, open something that just exists in the air? And what about Papa Roach?

Tell us what you think, and leave some suggestions for next week's plagiarism investigation in the comments.