RADIOHEAD BEGAT MUSEMuse started off aping Radiohead and were even produced by the guy who did The Bends. But they shook off the Radiohead- lite tag and are now more often compared to Queen or Depeche Mode.

But not all bands manage to outgrow their early influences. Consider these:

AND COLDPLAY BEGAT ENVY CORPS

"Everything sounds like Coldplay now," intoned comedy combo Mitch Benn and the Distractions. But although many bands have attempted to replicate the strident piano and mock sincerity, it took a band from Iowa to really nail the signature Coldplay sound on their current album, Dwell.

AND NIRVANA BEGAT BUSH

When Nevermind went mega, a grungy goldrush ensued, as record company prospectors converged on Seattle and surrounding areas. But it took a British band led by Gavin Rossdale to really cash in on the new smell of teen spirit.

AND OASIS BEGAT EMBRACE

As Oasis lost the plot with Be Here Now, the time was right for another band to step in and steal their lad-rock crown. Enter five-piece Embrace, with their Oasis-like single, All You Good Good People. Embrace made Oasis sound like, The Beatles.

AND THE SMITHS BEGAT GENE

What band could fill the big, gaping hole left by The Smiths? Not this London combo. They even had their own Morrissey in the form of Welshman Martin Rossiter, but if you had a choice between a re-formed Smiths or a re-formed Gene, which would you give your right arm to see?

AND THE BEATLES BEGAT THE MONKEES

As Beatlemania gripped the US, producers at NBC reckoned a comedy show centring on four wacky kids in a pop band would be a sure-fire hit. And they were right. Modelled on the knockabout style of Help! and A Hard Day's Night, and with songs written by the likes of Neil Diamond, The Monkees' TV series took off like wildfire, making real-life pop stars of Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz.