The trail, which is set to take place on May 10, was announced after judge Gary Klausner ruled that the two songs are ‘substantially’ similar. He claimed that ‘while it is true that a descending chromatic four-chord progression is a common convention that abounds in the music industry, the similarities here transcend this core structure… what remains is a subjective assessment of the “concept and feel” of two works.
If you’re an avid Zeppelin fan and you’re getting a little riled up, you gotta admit that it is pretty coincidental that Led Zeppelin opened for Spirit in 1968. Page has also admitted to possessing a copy of Spirit’s first album, which features ‘Taurus’, but he remains adamant that he didn’t hear that particular song until 2014. Really Jimmy…not even when you were supporting them!?
Michael Skidmore, who is the trustee of the late Spirit frontman Randy Wolfe, says that this case isn’t about money, but about ‘giving credit where credit [is] due’.
Not sure which side your on? Have a listen for yourself…
‘Stairway To Heaven’ by Led Zeppelin:
‘Taurus’ by Spirit:
