I’ve written posts about songs which sound similar to songs which came before, with the lens solely focused on hard rock and heavy metal.
Like.
The While My Guitar Sleeps Effect
Just to name a few.
And I’ve always thought that Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath shared a connection musically but I’ve never verbalized it or wrote about it.
The viewpoint came from a 1995 documentary called “History Of Rock and Roll”, which has Ozzy recalling how “Led Zeppelin I” had a huge impact on him and his bandmates.
Let’s see what kind of impact.
DAZED AND CONFUSED (1969) vs PARANOID (1970)
The authorship of “Dazed and Confused” is heavily disputed and there are various pages out there specifying who wrote what and when.
But, for the sake of this post I will focus on the Led Zeppelin version.
There is a section in “Dazed and Confused” at the 5.02 mark that sounds very similar to the Intro in “Paranoid”.
COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN (1969) vs PARANOID (1970)
Then the verse riff in “Paranoid” has a running E pedal point played over an E5 power chord for two bars, then a D5 power chord for the third bar and the fourth bar ends with three chords G, D and E at the end.
“Communication Breakdown” has a running E pedal point playing for one bar with three chords of D to A to D played in the second bar.
The similarities here are evident. In the way the three chords are played at the end of each bar and the running E note.
It’s basically musicians influencing each other.
But if the entities who hold the Copyrights to Marvin Gaye’s music had a hold of these rights, then there would be litigation everywhere.
HEARTBREAKER (1969) vs THE WIZARD (1970) and IRON MAN (1970)
These ones are a bit different sonically but they all have a common element, which is the Minor to Major transition.
For example, if it was in the key of E minor, it would be an Em to G transition. If the key was in A minor, it would be Am to C transition.
It’s a common element and a building block for creating but I’m sure if the rights of these songs landed with the heirs of Marvin Gaye there would be a lawsuit.
Bonus – SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE (1967) vs NIB (1970)
Check it out and let me know.
The same elements here are also heard in the song “Cocaine” which came out in 1976.
destroyerofharmony 
This is awesome Pete. I need to Youtube these tracks as I’m curious to hear Dazed and Paranoid the new mashup lol
Zeppelin could sue the whole of punk rock on the basis of Communication Breakdown if the rights were as stringent as the Gaye family want them to be. The Dazed and Confused story has some twists and turns in it, Page was kind of a naughty boy on that one.