Stairway To Heaven

Led Zeppelin did not steal a riff from an obscure 1960s instrumental for the introduction of its classic rock anthem "Stairway to Heaven," a federal jury decided Thursday, legally settling a debate that has divided music fans for decades.

A key chapter of rock `n' roll history could be rewritten by a jury that began deliberating Wednesday over whether Led Zeppelin ripped off a riff for its epic "Stairway to Heaven."

Led Zeppelin's lawyers asked a judge Monday to throw out a case accusing the band's songwriters of ripping off a riff for "Stairway to Heaven."

The opening to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," one of rock `n' roll's best-known ballads, was played for jurors Tuesday in a case brought by the estate of a dead musician that claims it was stolen by the men credited with creating it.

For years some have argued that the opening music of one of the most famous rock songs of all time was actually stolen.