Listen: 'Taurus' by Spirit in the left speaker, and 'Stairway to Heaven' in the right.
Ramble on, Led Zeppelin -- you didn't steal the guitar riff for 'Stairway to Heaven'.
A jury in Los Angeles has ruled in the band's favour, after they were accused of nicking the opening guitar motif from Spirit, a band they toured with the late 1960s.
Spirit's song 'Taurus', released a few years before 'Stairway to Heaven', is a short, psychedelic folk-influenced instrumental. Its guitar part does bear a striking resemblance to 'Stairway to Heaven', but as Led Zeppelin's attorney pointed out, the descending progression both are based on dates back centuries.
"We are grateful for the jury's conscientious service and pleased that it has ruled in our favour, putting to rest questions about the origins of 'Stairway to Heaven' and confirming what we have known for 45 years," guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Robert Plant said in a statement.
"We appreciate our fans' support, and look forward to putting this legal matter behind us."
Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe, who wrote the 'Taurus' piece, died in 1997. He never showed any interest in suing Led Zeppelin, but did call it a "sore point" that Led Zeppelin never acknowledged the similarities.
The case was taken by Michael Skidmore, trustee to Wolfe's estate.
Newshub.
