Stairway to Heaven
“Stairway to Heaven” is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by the band’s guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for their untitled fourth studio album (usually called Led Zeppelin IV). The song is often regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic rock songs of all time.[4][5]
The song has three sections, each one progressively increasing in tempo and volume. The song begins in a slow tempo with acoustic instruments (guitar and recorders) before introducing electric instruments. The final section is an uptempo hard rock arrangement highlighted by Page’s guitar solo (considered by many to be one of the greatest ever[6]) accompanying Plant’s vocals that end with the plaintive a cappella line: “And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.”
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Led Zeppelin is the greatest rock band to ever come out of Great Britain…. Sorry to you Beatles fans or Stones fans as great as both of them are, but Led Zeppelin is a more iconic and cutting edge band.
Zeppelin,enough said,this livr version is my favourite
I prefer The Beatles, Les but I am not going to argue personal preference. What I found interesting was your “greatest rock band to come out Great Britain”. However people vote, the greatest rock band ever is definitely from Great Britain. In an online fan voting list, Led Zep, Queen, The Beatles, The Stones and Pink Floyd were the top five. Hendrix, AC/DC The Who, The Eagles, and Black Sabbath completed the top 10. 7 British 2 American and 1 Australian. Not necessarily my favourites list but hard to argue.
jokerman,
Certainly it’s all personal, and yes I like the Beatles too. That said I found Led Zeppelin to have a connection of greatness between all the members. It’s like they were meant to be, where as the Beatles were really a short lived band. McCartney had more success and longevity with Wings. But I am not anti-Beatles, I just think Led Zeppelin is a true iconic rock band.
But a story from way back in the early 80’s, about 1981 or so. KISM 92.9 out of Bellingham had a weekly series called Battle of the Bands. They had two or three face off for 1 hour of song playing where fans would call in and give their votes. As the weeks passed by the playoffs got fewer and fewer. One Semi final battle was Led Zeppelin vs. The Who vs. Jimi Hendrix. After the show the voting gave it to Led Zeppelin. The next week they faced off vs.The Beatles in the Final competition and for your interest The Beatles did win the fan voting competition.
I remember it like it was yesterday because my buddies and I were getting into Hi-fi and we listened to lot of FM at the time and we were actually together listening to Battle of The Bands on one of my buddies home hi-fi for both those weeks, among other weeks previously.
Hey Les,
Can’t argue with anything you are saying. When I look at the top 10 list that I mentioned which was also fan voted, I am not too bothered by Led Zeppelin being ahead of The Beatles. I am much more bugged by Queen being #2. But that is me.
When you said “Led Zeppilin was the best band to come out of Britain it just struck me at how good the British acts have been. Rock and Roll started in the US with Elvis, Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard Buddy Holly etc. By the early 60s, Holly was dead, Elvis in he army Richard in the church, Berry in jail and rock and roll was dying. Then the British invasion led by the Beatles and the Stones but so many other great groups (Who, Animals, Cream) just dominated. Then Led Zeppelin (and others) show up to dominate the 70s. Remarkable.
I am still going with the Beatles but to give Zeppelin their due. I have a DVD of a charity concert Knebworth 1987. Took place in England so all British acts. McCartney, Elton John, Genesis/Phil Collins, Pink Floyd, Clapton, Dire Straits but the best part for me is Robert Plant and his band with a guest appearance from Jimmy Page. I have probably watched that set more times than I have watched the rest combined.
One last memory. Growing up in Vancouver I saw a few of the big name acts, including Zeppelin twice. The last one was in 1974 when I was in my final year of university, sort of ready to become an adult. I was on the floor of the Pacific Coliseum and a kid beside me politely offered me a joint with “Would you like a toke, sir.” SIR?? I was 22 and all of a sudden, I felt old.
Jokerman,
All those bands and artists are of the GREATS Stature. Funny we are forgetting some great Canadian bands with obviously RUSH at the helm, but I will toss a few more, Prism, BTO, Guess Who, Streetheart, April Wine, Chilliwack and a great longtime folk music type artist Bruce Cockburn to name a few.
Talking about a joint, my buddy, his daughters and I were at the Fleetwood Mac concert what was it in 2015 at Rogers Arena. BTW Fleetwood Mac is another great band and I have been in love with Stevie Nicks since my teen years. We were casually talking about would it be great to have a joint right now when the guy in the row behind us tapped my shoulder and passed a lit joint for myself and us to toke on LOL. 🙂
Les Thanks for the stories. Here is my Fleetwood Mac memory although not really a memory.
I was reminiscing with some friends about bands we had seen as kids. One thing i especially recall is the number of opening acts. I saw The Who open for Herman’s Hermits for example. I wondered who had opened for some of the other bands I had seen. So I did some google research. Found a poster of the Deep Purple concert from 1973. Rory Gallagher was an opener to which a could say a vague “oh yeh”. But also on the bill was the pre-Nicks/Buckingham Fleetwood Mac. Zero memory. Fleetwood and McVie would have been there and maybe Christine McVie. At the time they were a successful enough blues band in the UK but certainly not as big as they would become a couple of years later. Maybe I knew them back then because Fleetwood and McVie played with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers whose guitarist happened to be Eric Clapton. I had that album. Other than that my mind has erased any image of them at the Deep Purple concert I attended.
I went to see Yes and Edgar Winter in 1972. Yes was the headliner although I was more interested in Edgar Winter. I have no memory of the opening act who must have been touring in support of their first album. Some guys called the Eagles. Again, can’t recall them at all. lol