On This Day in 1979, the Bellamy Brothers Were at No. 1 With a Song That Sparked a Feud With a Pop Superstar Decades Later

On this day (May 30) in 1979, the Bellamy Brothers were at the top of the country chart for the first time with “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me).” The song spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 and announced their entry into the country music world.

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The Bellamy Brothers’ first hit single was “Let Your Love Flow,” which topped the Hot 100 in 1976. It also reached No. 21 on the country chart. Their next two singles–“Hell Cat” and “Satin Sheets” failed to break into the top 40, peaking at No. 70 and 73, respectively, on the pop chart. Their next four singles failed to chart. Then, they took aim at the country music format.

[RELATED: Did Britney Spears Rip Off The Bellamy Brothers?]

They had a pair of top 20 country hits in 1978. Then, in 1979, they released “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me” and topped the Hot Country Songs chart. It also reached No. 39 on the Hot 100, giving them their biggest pop hit since their debut.

Thirty-two years later, the song was at the center of a short feud between the brothers and pop star Britney Spears. That year, she released a song called “Hold It Against Me.” The track contained the lyrics “If I said I want your body now, would you hold it against me?” which drew the Bellamy Brothers’ ire.

The Bellamy Brothers Call Out Britney Spears

According to Songfacts, the Bellamy Brothers called Britney Spears out publicly. “Hey, Brit, if I said you ripped off our song, would you hold it against me?” Howard Bellamy said. “If you listen to the lyrics of Britney Spears’ new single, you’ll find some major similarities,” David Bellamy, who penned the 1979 hit, added. “She’s a talented gal. But, professionally, well, in all honesty, we feel completely ripped off. Where’s the originality?” At the time, they were considering taking the matter to court.

In an interview, Howard Bellamy recalled where his brother got the inspiration for the hit. “I have to give credit for that line to Groucho Marx,” he said. He explained that Marx would sometimes use the line on women who appeared on his quiz show, You Bet Your Life.

The line also appeared in Monty Python’s Flying Circus and other TV shows and films over the years.

Spears’ Camp Returned Fire

The Bellamy Brothers took to media outlets to publicly share their thoughts on Britney Spears’ hit single. In a statement, their lawyer pointed out that Dr. Luke, Bonnie McKee, Mathieu Jomphe, and Max Martin, who co-wrote the song, had been accused of infringement in the past.

The songwriters’ camp didn’t follow the same strategy, though. According to Billboard, they filed a lawsuit accusing the duo of making defamatory and libelous statements. “In a publicity stunt aimed to increase their record sales, profit from plaintiffs’ successes, and to combat their dwindling relevance in today’s music industry, the Bellamy Brothers have embarked on a malicious public campaign in wich they have falsely accused plaintiffs of infringing on the copyright in and to the musical composition ‘If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me).’”

The lawsuit was dismissed later that year, and the duo released a public apology to the writing team behind “Hold It Against Me.”

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