NationStates Jolt Archive

*NOTE* This is rumor, this is not fact. This is reconstructed from a radio broadcast that I heard several weeks ago and might not even be remembering correctly.

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin is a phenominal song. One of my favorites. Sang around the world. Regarded by many as the best song in Rock history (I'm not one of them, but I do love the song). Want to know what the members of Led Zeppelin said after they finished recording this majestic song? "Well, that was a piece of crap."

I don't know what their current mindset is, but at the time of the songs release they were of the opinion that it was not a very good song, it would not sell well, and it would soon be washed over and forgotten in favor of their other songs.

I think it's pretty damn funny that a "Piece of crap" is now one of the best known songs in history.

Without getting into the fact that many artists don't consider their most popular works to be their 'best', let me just say that their initial reaction may be due to the fact that it is an unsubstanial pop ballad with pretentious lyrics and a bolero type tempo. Who coulda guessed? Plant and company probably prefer and take more pride in some of their more cutting edge stuff, not something that Dolly Parton could (and did) cut a cover of.

...let me just say that their initial reaction may be due to the fact that it is an unsubstanial pop ballad with pretentious lyrics and a bolero type tempo.

The fact that at its live premiere it was met with boredom from the fans in Belfast that were justw anting to hear the songs they already knew from albums I-III may have reinforced this opinion.

Having said that, it certainly isn't their most interesting song.

best known does not mean best...

i'm personally more fond of at least two dozen other LZ songs, but that's just me. people like Stairway for the intro, or the solo, or just because it's accessable and readily heard anywhere.

it doesn't mean it's a fantastic song, just one everyone knows.

give me "when the levee breaks" "ramble on" or "bonzo's montreaux" any day.

As a musician, I can assure you that that which we like and that which the audience wants to hear is often mutually exclusive.

One of the worst pieces of crap I've ever written, "Glass", is the most requested song people want to hear whenever I play somewhere.

I personally think "When The Levee Breaks" is Zeppelin's best song.

When this album came out, I was in college radio and we got special handouts of this album without any graphics... just a "white cover"... I remember listening for the first time and not even getting through "Stairway" without skipping to the next song... LOL... it wasn't until months later that I got to the big rhythm change and said, "Oh OK, now we're talking here..." But I never thought it would become the monster it did... Longevity vs. current popularity are definitely not the same thing. Look at the clamor at the Beatles, now they are considered so not cool I don't dare mention them in my children's company...

When this album came out, I was in college radio and we got special handouts of this album without any graphics... just a "white cover"... I remember listening for the first time and not even getting through "Stairway" without skipping to the next song... LOL... it wasn't until months later that I got to the big rhythm change and said, "Oh OK, now we're talking here..." But I never thought it would become the monster it did... Longevity vs. current popularity are definitely not the same thing. Look at the clamor at the Beatles, now they are considered so not cool I don't dare mention them in my children's company...

No offense, but your children have no taste in music if they don't like the Beatles.

When this album came out, I was in college radio and we got special handouts of this album without any graphics... just a "white cover"... I remember listening for the first time and not even getting through "Stairway" without skipping to the next song... LOL... it wasn't until months later that I got to the big rhythm change and said, "Oh OK, now we're talking here..." But I never thought it would become the monster it did... Longevity vs. current popularity are definitely not the same thing. Look at the clamor at the Beatles, now they are considered so not cool I don't dare mention them in my children's company...
Actually, at least around where I live, people consider the Beatles cool and everyone says they like them. Sure, most of the time those people can't name more than 2 Beatles songs, but they sure think they're cool.

I thought this might be about Misty Mountain Hop (my favorite) or either Kashmir or Dazed and Confused (I never really liked When The Levee Breaks so I overlooked it), not their most popular song but their best song (and yeah, while Misty Mountain Hop is my favorite I still don't think its the best). I have to agree with them, the stuff they had put out before Stairway was better.

I thought this might be about Misty Mountain Hop (my favorite) or either Kashmir or Dazed and Confused (I never really liked When The Levee Breaks so I overlooked it), not their most popular song but their best song (and yeah, while Misty Mountain Hop is my favorite I still don't think its the best). I have to agree with them, the stuff they had put out before Stairway was better.

Well, my favorite would be Ramble On. I just think When the Levee Breaks is their best. But really, the 25th best Zeppelin song is still better than the best song of 95% of bands out there these days.

I'll take my pants off to that!


But I can understand if they get sick of it. I mean if I wrote a song and it was played about 50 times a day every day since it was released I'd pretty much explode too.

Zeppelin. Sigh.

You know, a long time ago, I used to listen to radio. Led Zeppelin was the hottest thing on FM. But after more than 25 YEARS of hearing the SAME TUNES over...and over...and OVER again, I finally turned the damn radio off for good. Maybe it's different if it's all new to you, I don't know- but for me, Led Zeppelin was/is the single greatest contributing factor to my forsaking the medium of radio.

And you know, I enjoy music a whole lot more now that I'm in control of what I hear.

Stairway is just like every other radio-freindly song that evry band produces.

Its a song meant to be put on the radio, to get you to buy the album.

I rate it right up there with Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" or "Iron Man".

Actually, some of Sabbaths worst songs, (with Ozzy)

It is equally as crappy as Judas Preist's "Living after Midnight", and nowhere near as good as other Judas Preist songs like "Better than me, Better by you."

i think stair way is one of their best songs. i also think that they have probably the 12-13 best songs ever.

stairway
rock and roll
misty mountain hop
ramble on
black dog
dazed and confused
fool in the rain
kashmir
custard pie
and on and on and on...

they are the best band ever.

No Stairway!? DENIED!

The best Led Zep song is "Babe i'm Gonna Leave You". Well, thats my favorite ATM. It shits on Stairway to Heaven.

When this album came out, I was in college radio and we got special handouts of this album without any graphics... just a "white cover"... I remember listening for the first time and not even getting through "Stairway" without skipping to the next song... LOL... it wasn't until months later that I got to the big rhythm change and said, "Oh OK, now we're talking here..." But I never thought it would become the monster it did... Longevity vs. current popularity are definitely not the same thing. Look at the clamor at the Beatles, now they are considered so not cool I don't dare mention them in my children's company...

Blasphemy! The Beatles are, were, and shall forever remain the greatest band ever!! Well, except "Hey Jude", after the first three minutes they just say the same freaking thing over and over again for the next four minutes.

Blasphemy! The Beatles are, were, and shall forever remain the greatest band ever!! Well, except "Hey Jude", after the first three minutes they just say the same freaking thing over and over again for the next four minutes.Pah. The Beatles are massively overrated. Their songs are either overly sentimental sludge (I wanna hold your hand, She Loves You, Yeah Yeah Yeah) or selfconciously wacky (anything off Sergent Pepper). The Stones are far superior. As are The Who. Hell, even the Monkees were better then the Beatles.

According the Page and Plant, their favorite song is "Kashmir".
Another factor that made them think that Stairway would not do well was that the lyrics were written in 5 minutes by Plant when he first heard the melody. They didn't work hard on it.

My current favorite is "Achille's last stand".

The Stones are far superior. As are The Who. Hell, even the Monkees were better then the Beatles.
All of them pale in comparison to Pink Floyd. :D

All of them pale in comparison to Pink Floyd. :DBut even the mighty Floyd are but dust under the heel of the Archies. :D