The fact is they were primarily blues guys and blues guys take each others stuff. It's been that way for ever. So I'm not judgy about it, but because youtube is what it is, I found myself drawn into a discussion. *facepaws* FYI here's what I wrote:
I love Led Zeppelin and especially Stairway. Taurus is a crap song. I think we can all agree on that. It's easy to name dozens of songs with a very similar progression but Taurus is close enough that it sounds like someone trying to play Stairway and getting it wrong. My first thought was, it's either coincidence or an inevitability arising from the limited number of combinations. But to learn that Page toured with Spirit is a bit suspicious. Still I thought, even if he heard it doesn't me he stole it (like George Harrison and My Sweet Lord). But when I found out Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (back paid royalties), Dazed and Confused (settled out of court) and Black Mountain Side (not copyrighted as public domain) have dodgy origins, well there does seem to be a pattern. Page is a rock god and if he took this small section of one song and used it as a small section in another song it shows what a genius can do, in fact I'm glad he did steal it! But he should be a classy guy (like Prince was to Journey with Purple Rain/Faithfully) and just say thanks for the starting point instead of spouting bullshit about being led by supernatural entities. Yes, it's just a small part, yes Stairway is the Greatest song in the world, but if Taurus had never existed and someone released it now you can bet your ass everyone saying "but they're not the same" would be crying plagiarism. Search your feelings, you know it to be true! And if (even just in a small way) it means without Taurus there would have been no Stairway, well Jesus! Doesn't it at least deserve a thank you?