Led Zeppelin, the legendary British rock band, pioneered heavy metal and hard rock through their distinctive electric sound and influences from folk and blues. The iconic group, which consisted of members Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, first rose to fame in 1969 with their self-titled debut studio album featuring the lead song “Good Times Bad Times.” In 1980, after nearly 45 years as one of rock’s biggest acts, the band disbanded following the tragic death of their drummer, Bonham. However, 57 years later, Led Zeppelin remains relevant in music, thanks to classic hits such as ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ But what’s the real story behind one of their biggest hits?
The Meaning Behind Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”
The year was 1971. The rock band Led Zeppelin had just released their fourth studio album, Led Zeppelin IV, on November 8. The album produced multiple hits, such as “Black Dog” and “Rock and Roll,” but arguably “Stairway to Heaven” was their breakout hit and one of their most classic songs. The over-eight-minute-long track debuted and peaked highly on multiple charts around the world. In 1994, the track was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame‘s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In early 2000, the single was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was named one of the 500 greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine. Nearly 54 years after its release, it’s still a hit with fans, with one fan writing on YouTube under the band’s official account for the song, “This song has aged beautifully, and to me, it still feels like it’s ahead of its time even today. Its composition is sublime. To be sure, Led Zeppelin has and will continue to inspire future generations enough for us to celebrate it for another 50 years and more.”
“Stairway to Heaven” was composed by the group’s guitarist, Page, with lyrics written by lead singer Plant. As for their opinion of the song, Page informed the BBC that “The idea of ‘Stairway’ was to have a piece of music, a composition, whereby it would just keep on unfolding into more layers, more moods. The subtlety of the intensity and the overlay of the composition would actually accelerate as it went through every level, every emotional level, every musical level, so it just keeps opening up as it continues through its passage.”
The song has long been a complex one whose lyrics many fans have found difficult to interpret. According to a deep analysis of the song by an American Songwriter, on the surface, the song essentially tells of a woman obsessed with materialism who firmly believes she can buy anything in life with money, including a stairway to heaven. On the other end of the spectrum, the song conveys that the simple things and life’s natural wonders are more valuable. In an interview with The Guardian, Page revealed that Plant’s lyrics were inspired by Lewis Spence’s classic book, The Magic Arts in Celtic.
However, the song is not without its controversy. In March 2016, the members of the psychedelic rock band Spirit sued Led Zeppelin over the track. According to Radio X, the group claimed that Led Zeppelin had ripped off the opening riff of their song ‘Taurus,’ which they had recorded three years before ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was released. However, Led Zeppelin ended up winning the case and thus did not have to fork over millions in damages.
Why Led Zepplin Hated Performing “Stairway To Heaven”
Despite “Stairway To Heaven’s” massive success, some members of the band haven’t liked performing it. Case in point, Robert Plant. The latter has long been vocal about his disdain for performing the lengthy song on stage. It is a sentiment the rock star has stated numerous times. In fact, according to Far Out Magazine, Plant hates the song. Despite it being one of the group’s most iconic singles, Plant once revealed that one of the reasons he disliked it was due to his vocals. “[I] realized that tough, manly approach to singing I’d begun on ‘You Better Run’ wasn’t really what it was all about at all. Songs like ‘Babe I’m Going to Leave You’… I find my vocals on there horrific now. I really should have shut the f*** up!” Still, it’s a big jump from this to ‘Stairway to Heaven’.
As for performing it, Plant informed The LA Times that “I’d break out in hives if I had to sing that song in every show.” However, in 2023, he surprised and delighted fans by singing the song for the first time in nearly 16 years. As it turns out, Plant performed the song for a good cause, specifically for Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor‘s cancer benefit concert in Oxfordshire, England, which ultimately raised millions of dollars for charity.
