Led Zeppelin ‘Stairway’ Trial: The 10 Weirdest Moments

6. Led Zeppelin Superfans Descend on the Courthouse
Led Zeppelin superfans proved a constant distraction during the trial – even during jury selection, where a potential juror exclaimed, “I’m very much a fan: my love for these guys [gesturing to Page and Plant] is very strong.” (Needless to say, he wasn’t chosen.) At another point, a man ran into the courtroom holding an unsheathed Fender Stratocaster – presumably in hopes of an autograph from Page – before he was summarily booted by the bailiff.

7. Mary Poppins: Rock Goddess
Much of day three’s testimony and examination surrounded an alleged crucial inspiration for Page during the composition of “Stairway to Heaven”: “Chim Chim Cher-ee” – a classic show tune from the beloved Disney musical Mary Poppins. Page couldn’t stop smiling as the sprightly song was played to the courtroom.

8. Jimmy Page Cannot Stop Rocking
Throughout the trial, Page could not keep himself from rocking out whenever music was played. On the witness stand, Page played enthusiastic air drums to John Bonham’s fills during playback of Led Zeppelin’s live cover of Spirit’s “Fresh-Garbage”; the legendary axeman also played air guitar when the original version of “Stairway” was played. Even during performances of “Taurus” – the song the suit claimed Page had cribbed from – he could not help nodding enthusiastically to the groove. Plant, however, made a sour face and raised his eyebrows when an especially pitchy vocal on an early “Stairway” demo was played to the jury.

9. Page vs. Malofiy: The Gloves Came Off
Page gave no quarter to the plaintiff’s counsel. When Malofiy asked how long the duration was of Led Zeppelin playing Spirit’s “Fresh-Garbage” riff during their live show, Page responded, “I don’t know – I don’t have a stopwatch.” During a protracted discussion of Page’s musical beginnings, Malofiy ludicrously stated that, in his youth, Page discovered he “had a gift in his ability to play guitar,” causing the Zeppelin axeman to snap, “Well, yeah…” Laughter subsequently rocked the gallery.

10. My Cousin Vinny Goes Rock & Roll, Part 2
Malofiy seemed to approach the case on a pass/fail basis: in his rebuttal to the defense’s closing arguments, he reminded the jury members that he only needed to prove his case by “51 percent” – sticking his arms out and tilting his body as if he’d become the personification of the scales of justice himself.

Led Zeppelin have won a lawsuit that alleged that they had plagiarized the music to “Stairway to Heaven” from Spirit’s instrumental “Taurus.”