![\"Rod](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rod-Stewart-1971-Singer-Hilton-Amsterdam-W-Punt-Far-Out-Magazine-1140x855.jpg\")
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(Credits: Far Out \/ W. Punt \/ Dutch National Archives)<\/p>\n
Sat 10 January 2026 10:05, UK <\/p>\n
Everyone normally has that one moment when their innocence is lost, and nothing is the same again. Whether it was finding out the truth about Santa Claus or seeing one of their parents cry, there\u2019s a disorienting feeling that comes with anyone who has ever felt their world shaken by their favourite things. In the case of many rock fans, that loss of innocence happened the minute Rod Stewart<\/a> released \u2018Do Ya Think I\u2019m Sexy\u2019, but that didn\u2019t mean that it was totally his.<\/p>\n Granted, can you really blame Stewart for wanting to go down this route? I mean, everyone and their mother were cashing in on the disco trend going on throughout the 1970s, and Stewart already had the vocal chops to pull off a lot of different styles, including everything from folksy Americana music to bluesy guttural howls.<\/p>\n If you notice anything about those two genres, though, it\u2019s that neither of them goes with the sounds of sweeping strings and scratchy guitars on \u2018Do Ya Think I\u2019m Sexy\u2019. While there are the makings of a good song here, it would be better if anyone not named Rod Stewart were singing it, especially towards the end of the chorus with the tacky string lines.<\/p>\n When you listen back to the song, Stewart admitted that it had been stolen wholesale from \u2018Taj Mahal\u2019 by Jorge Ben Jor. While this simple acoustic-based ditty should sound like the farthest thing from Stewart\u2019s disco-kissed ballad, it starts to make more sense when you look at both of the melodies for the chorus.<\/p>\n When taken on their own, Stewart used the exact same notes as Jor did on his song, which led to him settling out of court for a massive settlement. Compared to most other rock stars, though, Stewart actually seemed like he didn\u2019t try to hide the similarities.<\/p>\n In an interview after the fact, Stewart claimed that he had most likely heard the melody and ended up indirectly plagiarising it, saying<\/a>, \u201cThe melody had lodged itself in my memory and then resurfaced when I was trying to find a line that fit the chords. Unconscious plagiarism, plain and simple. I handed over the royalties.\u201d<\/p>\n While it\u2019s not easy for some people to see how close the two of them are, it\u2019s not that far off when looking at where Stewart was coming from. He was looking to get acquainted with disco, and Jor\u2019s song was the kind of music that was meant to make people dance. However, Jor\u2019s is a lot more endearing when it comes to career embarrassment<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Rolling Stones also inspired the song<\/p>\n It transpires that Stewart\u2019s 1978 disco-rock hit from\u00a0Blondes Have More Fun\u00a0was inspired by The Rolling Stones\u2019 \u2018Miss You\u2019, taken from their own disco-flirting album of the same year,\u00a0Some Girls. Confirmed by the drummer who played on \u2018Da Ya Think I\u2019m Sexy?\u2019,\u00a0former Vanilla Fudge member Carmine Appice<\/a>. During an interview, the drummer also revealed that the song didn\u2019t turn out as similar to The Rolling Stones as he first expected.<\/p>\n![\"Rod](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Rod-Stewart-1984-Singer-Publicity-Photo-Warner-Bros-Records-Far-Out-Magazine-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>Rod Stewart in the 1980s. (Credits: Far Out \/ Warner Bros. Records)<\/p>\n