Music The classic Led Zeppelin song that divided the band
Every self-titled album by Led Zeppelin felt like another step forward. While Jimmy Page had used the early part of his career playing the heaviest blues he could think of, Zeppelin’s knack for different styles of rock and roll led to them exploring new sonic depths that no one would have considered. Critics may have been critical of their songwriting at the start, but Zeppelin’s fourth outing was when they truly grew into rock and roll superstars.
In just eight tracks, Zeppelin deliver a smorgasbord of everything that made them unique, from the stunning riff in ‘Black Dog’ to the reckless abandon behind ‘Rock and Roll’. If there were one song that summed up the power behind Led Zeppelin, it would have to be ‘Stairway to Heaven’.
Conceived initially as a small suite by Page, the song would become synonymous with 1970s rock and roll, taking the listener on a musical journey in eight minutes. Although the band will probably never outrun the everglow of their classic hit, not every member shares the same opinion of their most celebrated track.
When talking about the song in Classic Rock Stories, John Paul Jones considered it one of the ultimate examples of the band at their best, saying, “I actually like ‘Stairway’. I know that’s really corny, but it encompasses a lot of the elements of the band – from the acoustic start to the slightly jazzier section, even, and then to the heavier stuff towards the end.”
From the moment that he started working on the material, though, Robert Plant soured on the song, admitting, “I truly loathed it. When we used to rehearse, we’d perform ‘Stairway’ as a reggae tune because Page could never get me to sing it otherwise.”
Page still remained proud of the song, however, later telling Legendary Rock Songs that it “showed us at our very best”. For what it’s worth, Plant did at least know that he was participating in something that was bound to be unique, recalling the writing sessions, “My hand was writing out the words. I just sat there and looked at them and almost leapt out of my seat.”
As the song started to gain more traction as a modern classic and the bane of many guitar store employees’ existence, Plant began to sour on the song even more. Even when the band broke up after John Bonham’s death, there was a slim chance of finding this song on any Plant setlist since he said that he would break out in hives if he had to sing the song again.
Then again, it’s easy to see why Plant holds such animosity towards the song these days. After making different creative leaps in his solo career, Plant is a vastly different man than the young kid who wrote the lyrics about a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold. Even with select performances in 2007, Plant not liking his signature tune may be one of the reasons why a full reunion tour isn’t in the cards.
Regardless of what Plant thinks about it now, Page still sees the track as a landmark achievement for rock and roll, remarking, “Every musician wants to do something of lasting quality, something that will hold up for a long time. We did it with ‘Stairway’.”
