The resemblance begins with a descending line
The disputed passage is the opening of Spirit’s instrumental “Taurus,” released in 1968, and the quiet guitar introduction to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” released in 1971. Both move through a descending sequence of notes, giving the passages a similar falling, reflective feel. That kind of musical pattern is not a complete song idea by itself: rhythm, harmony, melody, and arrangement all shape how it sounds and how distinctive it is.
The comparison drew added attention because the bands had shared concert bills in the late 1960s. Spirit guitarist Randy California later said he believed Jimmy Page had heard “Taurus.” Page wrote the music for “Stairway,” with Robert Plant writing the lyrics; Page has denied copying the earlier piece.
Similarity is not the same as a settled origin
The resemblance became the subject of a copyright lawsuit brought on behalf of California’s estate. In 2016, a jury found that Led Zeppelin had not infringed the copyright in “Taurus.” The case focused on whether the legally protected musical expression was sufficiently alike—not on proving exactly what Page had heard or remembered while composing.
That distinction matters. Musicians routinely draw on shared scales, chord movements, and musical conventions, and a descending line can occur in many different pieces. A listener may hear a striking likeness without that likeness establishing who created a passage first or whether one writer copied another.
The debate persists because the opening is so recognizable and the bands had crossed paths. But the record supports a more precise story than a settled claim of theft: Spirit released an earlier passage with a notable resemblance, and a jury later rejected the copyright claim over it.
