Imagine a single that sampled U2, Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen, Nirvana and a bunch of others — without permission — and then hit #3 on the Billboard charts, selling more than a million copies. That's right, you're imagining the mother of all lawsuits. You're also imagining something that pretty much already happened — in 1956.

That was when 21-year-old Dickie Goodman, along with partner Bill Buchanan, recorded "The Flying Saucer," parts 1 and 2, on a reel-to-reel tape recorder, parodying Orson Welles 'infamous War of the Worlds broadcast with a frenetic, freewheeling skit about an alien invasion, brazenly incorporating snippets of hits by Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Bill Haley and about two dozen other musical giants.

REPORTER: Pardon me, madam, would you tell us what would you do if the saucers were to land?

WOMAN ON STREET #1 (Little Richard from "Tutti Frutti"): Jump back in the alley!

REPORTER: Thank you and now this gentleman there…

MAN ON STREET #1 (Fats Domino from "Poor Me"): What I'm going to do/ Is hard to tell.

REPORTER: And the gentleman with the guitar, what would you do?

MAN ON THE STREET #2: (Elvis Presley from "Heartbreak… read more »