Led Zeppelin’s 10 Boldest Rip-Offs

by Gavin Edwards Read the Original

Led Zeppelin has a long history of borrowing songs from other artists, often without giving credit, such as with "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Dazed and Confused". They have been heavily influenced by Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Johnson, Moby Grape, and Bert Jansch. Some of these artists have sued the band for plagiarism, while others have not. Examples of their borrowing include their songs "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" and "In My Time of Dying", which are based on traditional blues and gospel songs respectively, and "Boogie With Stu", which is a cover of Ritchie Valens' "Ooh My Head" credited to all five band members plus Valens' mother, though they were sued for the song.

Led Zeppelin has a history of swiping songs from other artists, often without giving credit. They often quote songs, then alter them to make something new. There are exceptions, like Willie Dixon, but often they fail to credit the authors. Examples include "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Dazed and Confused". “As far as my end of it goes, I always tried to bring something fresh to anything that I used,” he claimed. Jimmy Page admits that he adapted existing material to create something new, but he was not always successful in giving proper credit to the original authors.

Led Zeppelin wrote songs that were heavily influenced by and borrowed from other artists, including Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Johnson, Moby Grape, and Bert Jansch. Some of these artists sued the band for plagiarism, while others did not. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” was written by American folk singer Anne Bredon in the 1950s, but Led Zeppelin credited the song as traditional. Led Zeppelin did not always give credit for their borrowings, instead attributing them to traditional sources.

Led Zeppelin's songs "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" and "In My Time of Dying" are based on traditional blues and gospel songs respectively, while "Boogie With Stu" is a cover of Ritchie Valens' "Ooh My Head" credited to all five band members plus Valens' mother. However, they were sued for the song despite borrowing its melody. “I said, ‘What the hell, let him have it.’” Jake Holmes chose not to challenge the use of his song by Led Zeppelin, despite his legal rights to do so.