One Direction respond to claims they ripped off The Clash on 'Live While We're Young' One Direction Tickets

• More One Direction news, reviews, videos and tour dates
• Buy One Direction music from Amazon

Photo: PA

One Direction have responded to claims that they ripped off The Clash on their new single 'Live While We're Young'.

Earlier this week, angry Twitter users vented their fury at the boyband and accused them of copying the opening bars of the legendary punk band's classic track 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go'.

Writing on the social networking site, @joe_ridley said: "One direction stealing the start to 'should I stay or should I go – the clash' little shits!" while @Guywoodgate1989 fumed: "I hope One Direction are paying royalties to The Clash for that crap rip off of Should I Stay Or Go opening riff."

Now, their displeasure is unlikely to be placated by One Direction member Harry Styles, who seemingly admitted during an interview with BBC Newsbeat that the similarity between the two songs was intentional.

Speaking about the likeness between the tracks, he said:

It was kind of on purpose though. It's a great riff, so…

Meanwhile, his bandmate Louis Tomlinson said that it was inevitable that songwriters would pen tracks which sounded similar to older efforts, claiming: "I assume it must be quite difficult to do a unique riff now because there have been so many songs - surely there's only so many riffs you can pull out?"

One Direction were forced to release the video for 'Live While We're Young' early after it was leaked online. The band, who were recently reported to have made £100 million between themselves in the last two years, release their second album 'Take Me Home' on November 12. To compare their new single to The Clash's classic track, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click.

The world's greatest music magazine is now available as a digital edition! For exclusive content you won't find on NME.COM, download here on your iPad/iPhone and here on your Kindle Fire or Nook.

• 

  The Gaslight Anthem, '45'

• 

  50 incredibly geeky facts about Lady Gaga

• 

  50 fastest-selling albums ever

• 

  Album sleeves in their original locations

• 

  15 actually quite amazing one-hit wonders

• 

  20 things you didn't know about 'Sympathy For The Devil'

• 

  The best of the post-beatles

• 

  The six most mind-twisting movie paradoxes

• 

  Album sleeves in their original locations

• 

  Music’s worst financial disasters

• 

  Which album are you most ashamed to have owned?

• 

  Literal album artwork

• 

  Artists on the first album they ever bought

• 

  Walk onstage with the vaccines

• 

  Walk onstage with Courteeners

• 

  50 songs that give you goosebumps

• 

  Weezer - rank the albums

• 

  27 classic songs you didn't know were covers

• Previous: Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme debuts new track ' Nobody To Love' – listen
• Next: Muse's Matt Bellamy says 'The 2nd Law' was inspired by Jeremy Paxman and 'Newsnight''