'Stairway to Heaven' accused of theft

  • 13/04/2016
'Stairway to Heaven' accused of theft

The 1971 classic 'Stairway to Heaven' is one of the most successful rock songs of all time.

But the band behind the hit has been accused of stealing its opening notes and millions of dollars in royalties could be at stake.

It was once the most requested track on American Radio, but Led Zeppelin's anthemic song 'Stairway to Heaven' has been accused of ripping off from Spirit's 'Taurus', written years earlier.

Anthony Macari has met both Jimmy Page and Spirit's late guitarists Rudy California, but says the opening of both songs is widely used.

"The chord progression has been around since the year dot."

Now Zeppelin's guitarist Page and singer Robert Plant will have to appear at a trial in the US next month where, unusually, a jury will determine whether the two songs are the same.

"There's an old phrase in the music business -- where's there's a hit, there's a writ," says writer David Hepworth.

"People only come for you with plagiarism suit when there is a huge amount of money to be had."

Mick Wall wrote the definitive biography of the group and says this case has been made possible because a remastered version of 'Stairway' was recently reissued,  meaning the statute of limitations no longer applies.

"When you think it's estimated $550 million in royalties, you can see what they missed out on."

But however overplayed, however contentious the copyright -- one thing cannot be denied -- 'Stairway' still remains one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

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