Led Zeppelin Loses First Round in ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Lawsuit

[gguerra]

The British rockers must confront allegations that it ripped off the rock group Spirit

Stairway to Heaven Spirit Lawsuit: Led Zeppelin Loses First Round

There are claims that Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page ripped off the chords for “Stairway to Heaven” from Spirit’s 1968 tune “Taurus.”

IMO the two songs have some similarities, but not enough to warrant a lawsuit.

 

[Vader]

Obviously there is a very similar sequence of notes that Spirit song plays twice. Jimmy obviously ....if he heard the song beforehand. ..based Stairway around that sequence but changed it slight and turned it into something much different when you compare the songs intheir complete form. I have definitely heard songs that left things much more blatantly and the song writer did not get sued behind it. Sherly Crow lefted one Keith Richards riffs out right for her song There Goes The Neighborhood. .
Keith didn't care so its no big deal. I don't think family members deserve any royalties for something they had no part in writing. AND IMO the songs are too different to warrent a law suit also ...my opinion. Interested to see how this plays out though. Keep us updated

 

[Aktivator]

Huh what are you guys listening to?
Obvious the opening lines are a rip off but it's 40 years later. Randy California is long dead and it's silly to do this now. Let alone led Zep added so much more and made it an amazing song.

Ps: realize spirit opened for led Zeppelin and played tarkus. Let alone led zep' past of not giving credit on their albums to so many songs to other artists.

 

[Khor1255]

If we allow such legislation on just a similar riff we support stumping creativity on the grounds that it 'might' sound too much like something else. What would be next?

Now if they copied the riff verbatim or didn't add a whole two songs worth of other content there might be an issue. Also if Randy California was the one really benefiting from this it would at least make a little sense.

 

[Pappy]

Yeah it's a ripoff no question there. That' being said, how can people who didn't write it be the ones suing though? I don't understand how that works.

 

[Vader]

People/ bands " borrow" small parts of songs ALL THE TIIME....every musician knows that and admits it. Because there are only so many chords people are allowed to have SIMILAR riffs In their songs so long as they dont take it too far. That is Similar because Its not exactly the same and its a completey different song all told...they will lose the law suit.

 

[Sox]

People/ bands " borrow" small parts of songs ALL THE TIIME....every musician knows that and admits it. Because there are only so many chords people are allowed to have SIMILAR riffs In their songs so long as they dont take it too far. That is Similar because Its not exactly the same and its a completey different song all told...they will lose the law suit.

Sums it up for me.