Led Zeppelin Is Getting Sued Over “Stairway to Heaven”

[Prunepicker]

From Time Magazine
Fans have noted the similarity to Spirit's "Taurus" for decades

You may have never heard of the band Spirit, but Led Zeppelin has.

Not only did they play shows with Zeppelin in 1969, but Spirit has now sued
them for allegedly lifting what may be one of the most famous riffs in rock
history — the opening notes of “Stairway to Heaven.”

“It’s been a long time coming,” attorney Francis Alexander Malofiy said in
Bloomberg Businessweek. Malofiy is representing a trust for writer Randy
California, the deceased Spirit guitarist who wrote “Taurus,” the instrumental
track that appeared on the band’s eponymous 1968 debut album and from which
the chord progression is allegedly lifted.

Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page allegedly wrote “Stairway to Heaven” in 1970, two
years after “Taurus” was released, and a year after the band shared stages at
gigs across the United States in 1969. According to the band’s bass player,
Spirit always included “Taurus” in their sets.“It was such a pretty moment,”
said Mark Andes to Businessweek. “It would typically come after a big forceful
number and always got a good response.”

Take a listen and judge for yourself: