Led Zeppelin had been accused of plagiarizing the opening guitar riffs for “Stairway To Heaven” from another rock band, Spirit. The song in question by Spirit was “Taurus.” A jury in Los Angeles heard evidence from both sides of the argument that included details on how and when Led Zeppelin met the band Spirit, how and when “Stairway to Heaven” was written and other details relating to the musical composition of both songs.
The primary complaint from the prosecution was that Led Zeppelin played a gig with Spirit in 1970 and would have heard the Spirit song “Taurus.” Led Zeppelin did not write and release “Stairway to Heaven” until 1971. During the trial, Led Zeppelin’s defense attorney cited music theory about how both songs contain similar chord structures that have been part of popular music composition for hundreds of years.
The jury has sided with Led Zeppelin and has determined that Led Zeppelin did not plagiarize “Stairway to Heaven.”
Another revelation that came out during the trial was the location where “Stairway To Heaven” began. It has long been believed that “Stairway To Heaven” began life in the Welsh cottage named Bron-Yr-Aur. However, during testimony, it was revealed that “Stairway To Heaven” actually first came into being at an English country estate named Headley Grange.