Led Zeppelin might have a case to answer to here.
Maybe we’re being presumptuous, but we think there’s a good chance that most of you have heard of ‘Stairway to Heaven’, Led Zeppelin’s biggest hit and one of the most iconic songs of all-time.
We’re also being presumptuous in saying that we think most of you haven’t heard of a song called ‘Taurus’ by a band named Spirit, which was released in 1967, four years before the release of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ in 1971.
You might be hearing something about it in the near future as Robert Plant and Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin are due to appear in court next month after US District Judge Gary Klausner ruled that there were “substantial” similarities between both songs.
According to Business Insider, a lawsuit against the Led Zeppelin duo was filed by Michael Skidmore, the trustee for the estate of Spirit guitarist and composer Randy Wolfe, who tragically passed away in 1997 while trying to save his son from drowning.
Wolfe claims that Page was inspired to write the song after touring with Spirit in 1968 and 1969, prior the release of Stairway to Heaven in 1971 and after the release of Spirit’s song, ‘Taurus’, in 1967.
Page and Plant argue that the chord progression in ‘Stairway to Heaven’ are too widely known to be protected by copyright and they’ll have to put their case forward in court in Los Angeles on May 10.
Have a listen to the two songs below and see what you think (skip ahead to 0:43 in ‘Taurus’ for something that may sound familiar).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q7Vr3yQYWQ&nohtml5=False
Clip via YeOldeRock
Clip via Marco Lotti
Commenting on the similarities between the songs, Judge Gary Klausner said: “While it is true that a descending chromatic four-chord progression is a common convention that abounds in the music industry, the similarities here transcend this core structure.
“What remains is a subjective assessment of the ‘concept and feel’ of two works – a task no more suitable for a judge than for a jury.”
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