Tom Petty gets petty (haha, get it?) with Sam Smith!

If you’re at all in tune with the media chances are you’ve heard about this already, but just in case you haven’t, here’s the scoop. You know lovely British singer-songwriter with the voice of an angel Sam Smith? You know the song that launched him into fame in the US, the deep and moving ballad “Stay With Me”? Well according to Tom Petty’s publishers, it is a little too similar to TP and the Heartbreakers’ 1989 hit “Won’t Back Down”.

Never fear, the order didn’t actually get very petty (haha). Sam Smith and crew agreed to give Petty and Won’t Back Down’s co-writer Jeff Lynne writing credits to the song, adding their names to that of Smith and his Stay With Me co-writers James Napier and Will Phillips.

What do you think? Do you think the songs sound similar? Or that Petty should get royalties? Let us know!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvlTJrNJ5lA&w=420&h=315]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB-5XG-DbAA&w=560&h=315]

P.S. If you’re wondering about how this will change Sam Smith’s Grammy noms, don’t worry, it doesn’t! Nor will Petty receive credit if Smith wins.