Did you know that Led Zeppelin's legendary song "Stairway to Heaven" isn't the only track shrouded in mystery? Did you know many of their biggest hits like "Whole Lotta Love" and "Dazed and Confused" have been alleged to be heavily borrowed or even outright copied from other artists' works?
▬Contents of this video▬ 00:00 - Intro 00:43 - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You 01:53 - Dazed and Confused 02:53 - Whole Lotta Love 03:54 - The Lemon Song 04:46 - Since I've Been Loving You 05:37 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp 06:21 - Hats Off to (Roy) Harper 07:05 - In My Time of Dying 08:10 - Stairway to Heaven 09:22 - Outro
Led Zeppelin's catalog is filled with iconic rock anthems that defined their signature sound of fusing hard rock bombast with elements of folk, blues, and psychedelia. However, behind many of their most famous songs lies a complicated web of inspirations, allegations of plagiarism, and legal battles over proper songwriting credits.
Take "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" from their 1969 debut, a song they initially credited as a "Traditional" arrangement when it was actually written by Anne Bredon in the 1950s. Or "Dazed and Confused," which Jimmy Page lifted the music for from a 1967 folk song by Jake Holmes before adding new lyrics. Then there's "Whole Lotta Love," with lyrics heavily inspired by the Willie Dixon-penned Muddy Waters classic "You Need Love."
The examples don't stop there. "The Lemon Song" blends lines from Robert Johnson with music from Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor." "Since I've Been Loving You" lifts lyrics nearly verbatim from Moby Grape. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is a not-so-subtle interpretation of Bert Jansch's "The Waggoner's Lad." Even the epic "In My Time of Dying" is essentially a coverof an old gospel-blues standard.
To Led Zeppelin's credit, they didn't try to hide their influences completely—tracks like "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" playfully nod to their inspirations. But more often than not, it took legal action for the original writers to get proper credit and royalties. The band members had differing perspectives, with Jimmy Page downplaying it as minor variations while Robert Plant admitted he "nicked" whole lyrics.
Ultimately, while Led Zeppelin unquestionably created pioneering, influential music, their legacy is somewhat complicated by these borrowing incidents. Were they just extending the folk tradition of sharing songs? Or did they cross an ethical line into plagiarism? Watch the full video to explore these rock and roll mysteries in depth.
Led Zeppelin Stole Their Most Famous Song from Another Artist
By: Facts Verse Title: Led Zeppelin Stole Their Most Famous Song from Another Artist Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK6e-fbZ7oI
