Was Springsteen song <i>reborn</i> in the USA?

He played at Sunday's Super Bowl match, has a song at No 1 and includes President Barack Obama among his millions of fans. But Bruce Springsteen is at the centre of a plagiarism row.

The country's favourite blue-collar entertainer has been accused of lifting the melody for one of his new tracks from the back catalogue of Kiss, a 1970s glam-rock band known for spitting blood, breathing fire, and wearing elaborate make-up.

Kiss fans say that "Outlaw Pete", the first track on Springsteen's new album, Working on a Dream, bears a strong similarity to "I Was Made for Lovin' You", a 1979 track by Kiss .

After noting seemingly identical guitar riffs and drum sequences, fans moved on to the YouTube website, where clips juxtaposing the two tracks have drawn thousands of hits and fuelled angry exchanges between rival fans.

Music critics have also noted the similarities but neither Kiss nor Springsteen have commented.

At the weekend, the left-wing Springsteen had to apologise for agreeing to sell his new greatest hits album only at the supermarket chain Wal-Mart, which has long had strained relations with the unions.