Everyone knew it was coming, the only question was when.
From the moment you hear Jimmy Page’s renaissance-style guitar riff and John Paul Jones’ medieval flutes, this song carries you away into the depths of Middle Earth. “Stairway To Heaven” is often considered by critics one of the greatest rock songs of all time. It was the most requested song on FM radio stations throughout the 1970s, despite its titanic 8 minutes and 2 seconds duration. It was also never released as a single.
I should make it clear and remind my younger readers that this meant radio DJs were forced to actually place the vinyl of Led Zeppelin’s fourth album on their turntable and guide the needle to the precise place where “Stairway” began - each and every time it was requested. And that was exactly how the band wanted it.
“Stairway’s” popularity lead to masses of amateur musicians learning portions of the song on the acoustic guitars laying around their homes...so much that music stores across America posted signs reading “No Stairway” to discourage guests from playing the riff while visiting the store. Despite this, the sheet music for “Stairway To Heaven” is the most purchased of any rock song in history. Today, “No Stairway” signs are somewhat of a classic, must-have furnishing at any music shop.
Written at the Headley Grange mansion, the members of the band claim Jimmy Page came to them with the structure of the song and asked them to build their parts around it. Robert Plant has stated he was sitting near a fire with a paper and pen when all of a sudden his hand started writing. He said he is not sure why, but he was in a bad mood...until he read the newly written lyrics to himself and almost leapt out of his seat in joy.
Plant has never been totally clear about the meaning behind the song, stating that he often interprets the song differently, “depending on the day.”
This type of mystery lead to fan rumors of the band “striking a deal with Satan” and giving up their souls in exchange for the song. Sound ridiculous? This belief soon bled into many religious groups, who begun holding seminars in their communities raising awareness that Led Zeppelin was here to poison their youth.
Satanic messages were purportedly found if you played the record backwards. Rumors continued about the song’s connection to evil forces when Jimmy Page purchased a mansion that once belonged to Aleister Crowley, a well-known occultist and anti-Christian author. The lack of title for the album and the 4 symbols written on the record sleeve further raised speculation that the band may be channeling Satan’s army. With or without the devil, Robert Plant’s lyrics paint a Tolkien-esque picture of a world filled with magic and folklore:
“And it's whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter”
Plant would often change lyrics when singing this song live, adding “Does anybody remember laughter?!” to the audiences’ applause. That just so happens to be a famous line spoken by Fairuza Balk’s character in the movie “Almost Famous”.
Jimmy Page acknowledged the impact the piece had on music and his career and he often expressed an opinion that it showcased the band at their very best:
“To me, I thought 'Stairway' crystallized the essence of the band. It had everything there and showed the band at its best... as a band, as a unit. Not talking about solos or anything, it had everything there. We were careful never to release it as a single. It was a milestone for us. Every musician wants to do something of lasting quality, something which will hold up for a long time and I guess we did it with 'Stairway.' Townshend probably thought that he got it with Tommy. I don't know whether I have the ability to come up with more. I have to do a lot of hard work before I can get anywhere near those stages of consistent, total brilliance."
Page might be correct about the band’s full talent being on display, but we can’t forget about the guitar solo. Played on a 1959 Fender Telecaster given to him as a gift from Jeff Beck, Page recorded 3 improvised versions and picked the one he thought was the best for the song. Classic Rock Magazine and Guitar World both voted the solo the greatest of all time by its panels of critics, fans, and artists alike.
The solo has become so popular, in my opinion, for a few reasons. First, the location of the solo at the climax of the song puts the arrangement on a majestic pedestal. I also believe the solo is extremely tasteful in its length, when compared to other guitar solos typically associated with “G.O.A.T.” lists, such as “Freebird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Finally, it’s unbelievably MELODIC. You can literally “hum” the solo to yourself the way you would a pop song. This genius mastery of the guitar would cement Jimmy Page’s status as one of the great guitar players in history. In 2015, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him 3rd behind only Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix.
I would say most long time Zeppelin fans would agree with me, that at some point in their life they listened to “Stairway To Heaven” an unhealthy amount of times on repeat. I also think most Zeppelin fans wouldn’t argue with Stairway topping a greatest of all time lists. But again, this list is not a “G.O.A.T” list, it’s MY personal favorites.
Stairway will always have a standing reservation in my heart. At the time this article was written it cracked my top 5, but it’s impact on music is not up for opinionated debates. It is a timeless piece that will be discussed with compositions such as “Symphony No. 9” by Beethoven and “The Marriage of Figaro” by Mozart as a song that changed music forever.
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