"Andrew Lloyd Webber is a plagarist."
Not really a conspiracy, but I know a music teacher who's taken it so far that he boycotts anything to do with ALW, refuses to let anyone sing anything from his musicals, and spends his teaching hours blasting Rachmaninov and Sibelius at 14-year-olds to convince them that Webber has "stolen the music".

A friend and I (in our A2 year) used to use the practice rooms in our free periods, and overhear him yelling at the students who were unfortunate enough to mention liking Phantom during registration. To show our support for the kids, we would play highlights from the shows loudly on the piano. He always tried to drown us out. :P
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 23:33, 4 replies)

The most obvious evidence in favour of this is the uncanny similarities between parts of Pink Floyd's "Echoes" (released 1971) and the main theme of "Phantom of the Opera" (released 1986).
As Roger Waters remarked at the time, "Yeah, the beginning of that bloody Phantom song is from Echoes. *DAAAA-da-da-da-da-da* . I couldn't believe it when I heard it. It's the same time signature - it's 12/8 - and it's the same structure and it's the same notes and it's the same everything. Bastard. It probably is actionable. It really is! But I think that life's too long to bother with suing Andrew fucking Lloyd Webber."
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Fri 28 Aug 2009, 0:29, closed)

Yeah
I went to a Rick Wakeman gig and he kept going on about that one, too.

To be honest, I do believe ALW is a plagarist... I just don't think it's such a big secret as everyone seems to think. Less a conspiracy, more a fact. :P
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Fri 28 Aug 2009, 9:49, closed)

Dunno about him being a plagiarist
but millions of silly old women would be stunned if they found out the REAL truth about him, which is that he is totally shit.
(mudskipper, Fri 28 Aug 2009, 11:00, closed)

He uses all the same notes as several other musicians.
He thinks we won't notice, but I noticed. oh yes.
(Seance Trumpet has got no beef with a man enjoying a croissant, Wed 2 Sep 2009, 0:43, closed)