Led Zeppelin is Officially Getting Sued Over ‘Stairway to Heaven’

The question with Pagey is more, why did so many people wait so long to sue? For example:

All you have there is a sequence of four chords descending in pitch , repeated twice , the rest of the song then finishes in the major key. Stairway to heaven is in a minor key and has a different chord change and sequence.

SO any band or musician could be able to sue anyone else who uses the same or similar chords arranged in a similar sequence, and if that was the case then all blues , blue grass and country and western singers would be screwed .

NOTHING TO SEE HERE.

No chance in hell of winning.

The band members of Spirit will be riding the stairway to heaven before this lawsuit gets resolved... Jeez did they wait long enough to pursue this?

Status Quo made a whole living out of re-hashing the same song over and over again. They could sue themselves.

This A minor chromatic pattern is present in hundreds of different songs and many different time signatures. For example it is clearly heard in different Latin American tunes, Stevie Wonder, and others. The Beatles have played it in the key of E minor in songs like "I'm only Sleeping," and others. George Harrison uses in within the song "Something in the Way She Moves." It is a standard bridge for songs.

Last Edited by SpaceCommand on 05/18/2014 05:24 AM

Led Zeppelin sucks. They stole every riff they have.

The lead guitarist is already dead, in a tragic act of heroism:

[link to www.independent.co.uk]

To celebrate the New Year, Randy California and his 12-year-old son Quinn went swimming off the coast of Molokai, in Hawaii. A tidal wave caught them both but California managed to push his son away from the riptide before he was himself pulled out to sea


It may be possible that one of the reasons for this lawsuit is to provide for his son.

The start of this song is In The Evening, another Led Zep song.

Jimmy Page is a cannibal.

Pretty good guitar player. But seriously... he eats people.

Still very interesting...

the cords are close, but not the same... copywrite lawsuits are very much like patent suits... if you change something by 15% you can patent it..

Wow. What an amazing thing it must be to be a parent. He probably did that without even a thought for himself at all.

Thanks for sharing that, Zen.

[link to www.youtube.com]

Right...that's it, then...I'm suing everybody who uses the I,IV,V progression from now on.

[link to www.youtube.com]

Fuckin' three-chord wonder band!

Makes me wonder...

It really makes me wonder.

THIS ^^
Exactly what I was thinking. I learned how to play Stairway from knowing "Something"

Led Zeppelin
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You: Joan Baez - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Anne Brendon)
Dazed and Confused: Jake Holmes - Dazed and Confused
Black Mountain Side: Bert Jansch - Black Water Side
How Many More Times: Howlin Wolf - How Many More Years / Albert King - The Hunter / Jeff Beck - Bolero
Communication Breakdown: Eddie Cochran - Nervous Breakdown
Your Time Is Gonna Come: Traffic - Dear Mr. Fantasy

Led Zeppelin II

Whole lotta love: Muddy Waters (Willie Dixon) - You Need Love / Small Faces - You Need Loving
Lemon Song: Howlin' Wolf - Killing Floor / Robert Johnson - Travelling Riverside Blues
Moby Dick: Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step
Bring it on Home: Sonny Boy Williamson - Bring it on Back

Led Zeppelin III

Since I've Been Loving You: Moby Grape - Never
Hats Off: Bukka White - Shake 'em on Down

Led Zeppelin IV

Stairway to Heaven: Spirit - Taurus

Physical Graffiti

Custard pie: Sleepy John Estes - Drop Down Mama
In my time of dying: Bob Dylan - In my time of dying (Blind Willie Johnson)

Presence

Nobody’s Fault But Mine: Blind Willie Johnson - Nobody’s Fault But Mine

^^ This. Spirit doesn't stand a chance.

Billions of people in the world, even more songs written, and only so many notes on a fret board. There is bound to be some duplication of the odd riff here and there. Elvis made his living ripping off three-chord progression guitar riffs. I can't begin to name how many others did as well.

Nope, I don't believe there is a case here. Shame on Spirit. The entire Stairway song is a masterpiece, as is the majority of Zeppelin's music. No doubt people want a piece of the success to call their own.

Yes!!

Zeppelin completely stole the entire song. As well as MANY others. Hope they deservedly lose. Page is a loser.

Agree.

Even if he was inspired by it, I just don't think it's that similar. I had to listen twice.

Well maybe Led Zeppelin should sue Def Leppard for using similar word arrangement in the band title.

And perhaps Zep should sue Kings of leon for copying artwork from Zeps first album... aye?

I hear it, but I don't see it.

Synesthesia for few.