Was “Stairway To Heaven” plagiarized?

An acoustic and subtle sound grows gradually to become a strong and enigmatic mix of electronic beats, reaching her vocal climax with the refrain: There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold / And she's buying a stairway to heaven This way. begins one of the greatest rock classics worldwide, being considered as one of the best solos musical history.

The year 1971 marked a before and after in the history of rock when using the famous Gibson SG with two heads, Jimmy Page first performed live at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland, the initial melody of Stairway to Heaven, the biggest musical success of Led Zeppelin, with vocal genius of Robert Plant and John Bonham cunning and John Paul Jones on drums and bass respectively.

Today, more than 40 years since the launch of this legendary piece of music, the English group is accused of plagiarizing the main melody that starts the recognized subject. The complaint was made ​​by Spirit, a band of native psychedelic rock city of Los Angeles, that although achieved some fame, never achieved international success acquired by Led Zeppelin. Taurus, launched three years before Stairway To Heaven, is the name of the music piece of Spirit to which, according to the California band, was stolen this instrumental passage.

"If you listen to both parts can judge for yourselves. It's a real (...) I would say is theft", reportedly said Randy California, guitarist Spirit, in an interview with the media before his death. "And the types made ​​millions of dollars with this and have never said 'thank you ' or 'can we pay?' It's a bit painful point for me. "

Two years after various legal proceedings have been carried out, a federal judge ruled that there is sufficient elements to conduct a trial, since both songs "seem enough." In this sense, last Tuesday began the judicial proceedings in question, attended by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in representation and defense of the legendary British band formed in 1968.

Before waiting for the final verdict, in which stakes a significant percentage of the rights to the song, you can enjoy and compare both topics below:

Taurus, Spirit:

Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin: