Rock
Classic-Rock's Transcending Hit
“Stairway to Heaven” is generally considered the most played and most popular rock and roll song of all time. It is the quintessential classic rock song even though its structure, format and length are unusual. The composer Jimmy Page and writer Robert Plant are both considered legends in not just Rock and Roll history but in all of Music. Their band Led Zeppelin, is also considered to be a pioneer band of the genre and their music is now termed “classic rock.” There has been much speculation and interpretation about the song’s meaning, some even claiming that it is a backwards satanic message. The popularity and allure of this song continues to the present to capture both young and old with mystery and promise in throughout the decades.
The band Led Zeppelin had four British members and was (and still is) very popular. They formed in 1968 and dissipated in 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham at the lead guitarist Jimmy Page’s house. His death was caused by a drinking binge. They toured tirelessly during their time together adding to their fame. This song was released in 1971 under the Atlantic Records label. Its creation began in a drugged out and moody strumming session by the fireplace in Headley Grange where Page plucked out the chords by chance and Plant was suddenly inspired to write the first two lines. In the U.S. alone, Led Zeppelin IV the album on which the song appears has sold over 23 million copies. The song was never officially released as a single in the States however gained the great popularity of a single. Robert Plant the lead singer and most notorious member of the band has after that period tried many times to start new bands and regain his declined fame, however the acclaim garnered in the 1970’s by the band and by this particular song was never regained making it timeless. Plant reminisces about this specific feature of his career in an NPR broadcast on Jan. 22, 2004.
The song runs for eight minutes and three seconds which is longer than most popular songs. It is difficult to play a song on the radio for over four minutes without listeners becoming bored. The fact that Stairway to Heaven had received over three million broadcasts by the year 2000 according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, even though being twice as long as most other famous songs speaks to its power rather than its convention. The structure of the song is almost rambling. It is gradual and rolling, starting off with a guitar instrumental that singles out the notes of six chords in a minor progression. There is an addition of a melody in the second bar which is played on a recorder. This is a purposeful connection to the pied-piper character in the song that traditionally played a flute that sounded very much like a recorder. The beginning of the song is often described as a hook that catches the listener. The voice of Plant replaces the recorder with the lyrics in an abstract and lilting manner. As the song progresses, the electric guitars and drums are added in stages creating a soft crescendo. The tempo is also ever so slightly
Dianne Etienne
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