My obsession of late is Led Zeppelin's cribbing of other artists' ideas. LZ is facing a lawsuit from the estate of Randy California, the late guitarist of the '60s band Spirit, that claims the intro to "Stairway" is ripped from Spirit's 1968 song "Taurus."
The LA Times says the suit "aims to stop the re-release of Zeppelin albums containing the song, and to give California (who died in 1997) a co-writing credit on the tune."
When you listen to "Taurus," the similarity is immediately apparent. Both bands shared a stage at various times in '68-'69, and Zeppelin even worked another Spirit track into a live medley around that time. And as we know, it wouldn't be the first time Page and Co. have used someone else's material without credit.
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The riff in question starts about 44 seconds in.
Stairway to Heaven suit
1This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.