View source for Stairway to Heaven

{{Short description|1971 song by Led Zeppelin}}
{{About|the Led Zeppelin song|other uses|Stairway to Heaven (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = Stairway to Heaven
| cover         = Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin US promotional single.png
| alt           = 
| caption       = American radio promotional sleeve
| type          = song
| artist        = [[Led Zeppelin]]
| album         = [[Led Zeppelin IV]]
| released      = {{Start date|1971|11|08|df=yes}}
| recorded      = December 1970, January 1971, February 1971{{sfn|Guesdon|Margotin|2018|p=260}}
| studio        = [[Island Studios]], London; [[Rolling Stones Mobile Studio]], [[Stargroves]], [[East Woodhay]], Hampshire; [[Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio]], [[Headley Grange]], Hampshire{{sfn|Guesdon|Margotin|2018|p=260}}
| genre         = *[[Progressive rock]]
*[[folk rock]]
*[[hard rock]]
*[[blues-rock]]
| length        = 8:02<ref>{{Cite AV media notes| year = 1971| title = ''Untitled ({{a.k.a.}}'' Led Zeppelin IV)| type = Album notes| others = [[Led Zeppelin]]| location = New York City| publisher = [[Atlantic Records]]| id = SD 7208| at = Side one LP label}}</ref>
| label         = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
| writer        = *[[Jimmy Page]]
*[[Robert Plant]]
| producer      = Jimmy Page
| misc          = {{External music video|header=Audio|
{{YouTube|QkF3oxziUI4|"Stairway to Heaven"}}
|type=song
}}
}}

"'''Stairway to Heaven'''" is a song by the English rock band [[Led Zeppelin]], released on 8 November 1971 on the band's untitled fourth studio album  (commonly known as ''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]''), by [[Atlantic Records]]. Composed by the band's guitarist [[Jimmy Page]] with lyrics written by lead singer [[Robert Plant]], it is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time.<ref name="Spin">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xfEjLof28w8C&pg=PA80 |title=The Influence Of Led Zeppelin Is So Profound That It's Almost Impossible To Overstate. (However, We Are Still Going To Try) |date=September 2002 |page=80 |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|SPIN]] |publisher=SPIN Media |access-date=17 May 2024 |archive-date=17 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517172248/https://books.google.com/books?id=xfEjLof28w8C&pg=PA80 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Gigwise">{{cite news |url=http://www.gigwise.com/news/55896/Led-Zeppelins-Stairway-To-Heaven-Voted-The-Greatest-Rock-Song |title=Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' Voted the Greatest Rock Song before the year of 2000 |access-date=24 November 2010 |work=[[Gigwise.com]] |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719202427/https://www.gigwise.com/news/55896/Led-Zeppelins-Stairway-To-Heaven-Voted-The-Greatest-Rock-Song |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=500 Greatest Rock Songs |url=https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songsddd.html |access-date=23 March 2022 |website=digitaldreamdoor |archive-date=14 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014212500/https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songsddd.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 1000 Classic Rock Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rocknrollamerica.net/Top1000.html |access-date=23 March 2022 |website=www.rocknrollamerica.net |archive-date=29 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429133239/http://rocknrollamerica.net/Top1000.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 10 Best Rock Songs of All Time |url=https://www.thetoptens.com/rock/best-rock-songs/ |access-date=23 March 2022 |website=TheTopTens |archive-date=16 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416032827/https://www.thetoptens.com/rock/best-rock-songs/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The song has three sections, each one progressively increasing in [[tempo]] and [[Dynamics (music)|volume]]. The song begins in a slow tempo with acoustic instruments (guitar and [[Recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]]s) before introducing electric instruments. The final section is an uptempo [[hard rock]] arrangement, highlighted by Page's guitar solo and Plant's vocals, which ends with the plaintive [[a cappella]] line: "And she's buying a stairway to heaven".

"Stairway to Heaven" was voted number three in 2000 by [[VH1]] on its list of the "100 Greatest Rock Songs",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2000/vh1rocksongs.htm|title=VH1 100 Greatest Rock Songs 1–50|access-date=1 June 2008|publisher=rockonnet.com|archive-date=1 February 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030201082937/http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2000/vh1rocksongs.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> in 2004 ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked "Stairway to Heaven" number 31 on its "[[500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]" list.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=11 December 2003 |title=500 Greatest Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/ |access-date=23 March 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228215453/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was the most-requested song on [[FM radio]] stations in the United States at the time, despite never having been commercially released as a [[Single (music)|single]] in the US.<ref name=Complete>{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=Dave |year=1994 |title=The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin |publisher=Omnibus Press |isbn=0-711-93528-9}}.</ref> In November 2007, through [[Music download|download]] sales promoting Led Zeppelin's ''[[Mothership (Led Zeppelin album)|Mothership]]'' release, "Stairway to Heaven" reached number 37 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 November 2007 |title=Led Zeppelin score top 40 hit |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/led-zeppelin-232-1339149 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112023140/https://www.nme.com/news/music/led-zeppelin-232-1339149 |archive-date=12 January 2024 |access-date=12 January 2024 |website=[[NME]]}}</ref>

==Writing and recording==
{{quotebox
| quote = The initial idea was to have this quite fragile guitar that would open up this piece of music and for something that would accelerate as it went through from beginning to end. [...] but to actually pull this idea off properly [was a different story]. [...] It's all accelerating, it's all moving. [...] It's not necessarily [[Orchestration|orchestrating]] [...] but it's overdubbing, increasing the texture as it goes through.
| source = [[Jimmy Page]] of [[Led Zeppelin]], as quoted by Daniel Rachel in ''The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters'' (2014)<ref>Rachel, Daniel (2014). The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters. St. Martin's Griffin (published 7 October 2014). pp. 63–64.</ref>
| width = 28%
| align = left
}}

The song originated in 1970 when Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were spending time at [[Bron-Yr-Aur]], a remote cottage in Wales, following Led Zeppelin's [[Led Zeppelin North American Tour Spring 1970|fifth American concert tour]]. According to Page, he wrote the music "over a long period, the first part coming at Bron-Yr-Aur one night".<ref name="MOJO">Sutcliffe, Phil (April 2000). "Bustle in the Hedgerow". ''MOJO'', p. 62</ref> Page always kept a [[tape recorder|cassette recorder]] around, and the idea for "Stairway to Heaven" came together from bits of taped music.<ref name="Light">Tolinski, Brad and di Benedetto, Greg (January 1998). "Light and Shade: A Historic Look at the Entire Led Zeppelin Catalogue Through the Eyes of Guitarist/Producer/Mastermind Jimmy Page". ''Guitar World'', p. 100–104.</ref> The first attempts at lyrics, written by Robert Plant next to an evening log fire at Headley Grange, were partly spontaneously improvised and Page claimed, "a huge percentage of the lyrics were written there and then".<ref name="Light" /> Page was strumming the chords, and Plant had a pencil and paper.

Led Zeppelin began recording "Stairway to Heaven" in December 1970 at [[Island Records]]' new [[Basing Street Studios|recording studios on Basing Street]] in London.<ref name=Schulps>{{cite web|last=Schulps|first=Dave|title=Jimmy Page: The Trouser Press Interview|url=https://teachrock.org/article/jimmy-page-the-trouser-press-interview/|website=teachrock.org|publisher=Trouser Press|date=October 1977|access-date=22 November 2021|archive-date=22 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122205514/https://teachrock.org/article/jimmy-page-the-trouser-press-interview/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Welch|first=Chris|title=Classic Interview: Engineer Andy Johns on the secrets behind Led Zeppelin IV|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/led-zeppelin-iv-interview-andy-johns-bonham-page|website=musicradar.com|publisher=Future Plc|access-date=2 December 2021}}</ref> The song was completed by the addition of lyrics by Plant during the sessions for ''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]'' at [[Headley Grange]], [[Hampshire]], in 1971.<ref name="RS1985">{{cite magazine|last=Davis|first=Stephen|title=Power, Mystery and the Hammer of the Gods: The Rise and Fall of Led Zeppelin|magazine=Rolling Stone|issue=451|date=4 July 1985|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128165609/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 January 2008|access-date=15 January 2008}}</ref> Page then returned to Island Studios to record his guitar solo.<ref name="Complete"/>

The complete studio recording was released on ''Led Zeppelin IV'' in November 1971. The band's record label, [[Atlantic Records]], wanted to issue it as a single, but the band's manager [[Peter Grant (music manager)|Peter Grant]] refused requests to do so in both 1972 and 1973. As a result, many people bought the fourth album as if it were the single.<ref name="Complete"/>

==Composition==
{{Listen
| type        = music
| filename    = Stairway to Heaven 3 sections.ogg
| title       = "Stairway to Heaven"
| description = Three 10-second excerpts demonstrating the different sections of the piece
| pos         =
}}

"Stairway to Heaven" is described as [[progressive rock]],{{sfn|Macan|1997|p=154}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gigwise.com/news/55896/led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-voted-the-greatest-rock-song|title=Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway To Heaven' Voted The Greatest Rock Song|last=Colothan|first=Scott|date=19 April 2010|website=[[Gigwise]]|access-date=5 July 2016|quote=The prog-rock epic is one of three Led Zep songs to make it into the top ten in a listeners' poll conducted by radio station Absolute Classic Rock.|archive-date=19 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719202427/https://www.gigwise.com/news/55896/Led-Zeppelins-Stairway-To-Heaven-Voted-The-Greatest-Rock-Song|url-status=live}}</ref> [[folk rock]],{{sfn|Cramer|2009|p=1116}} and [[hard rock]].{{sfn|Cramer|2009|p=1116}} The song consists of three sections, beginning with a quiet introduction on a finger-picked, six-string acoustic guitar and four [[Recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]]s (ending at 2:15) and gradually moving into a slow electric middle section (2:16–5:33), then a long guitar solo (5:34–6:44), before the faster [[hard rock]] final section (6:45–7:45), ending with a short vocals-only epilogue.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rolling Stone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595876/stairway_to_heaven?rnd=1144767601231&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1483|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028210449/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595876/stairway_to_heaven?rnd=1144767601231&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1483|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 October 2007|title=Stairway to Heaven|magazine = [[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=7 June 2006}}</ref> Plant sings the opening, middle and epilogue sections in his mid-vocal range; he sings the hard rock section in his higher range, which borders on [[falsetto]].

Written in the key of [[A minor]], the song opens with an [[arpeggiated]], [[fingerstyle|finger-picked]] guitar chord progression with a [[chromatic scale|chromatic]] descending bassline A-G♯-G-F♯-F. Page used a [[Harmony Company|Harmony]] Sovereign H1260 acoustic guitar and a [[Fender Electric XII]] 12-string electric guitar played directly into the board for the rhythm parts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://killerguitarrigs.com/what-was-the-stairway-to-heaven-guitar/|title=What was the Stairway To Heaven guitar?|date=31 January 2021|website=Killer Guitar Rigs|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=27 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127013414/https://killerguitarrigs.com/what-was-the-stairway-to-heaven-guitar/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] contributed overdubbed four recorders (probably [[soprano recorder|soprano]], [[alto recorder|alto]], [[tenor recorder|tenor]], and [[bass recorder|bass]]) in the opening section (he used a [[Mellotron]] and, later, a [[Yamaha CP-70]]B Grand Piano and [[Yamaha GX1]] to synthesise this arrangement in live performances) and a [[Hohner]] Electra-Piano [[electric piano]] in the middle section.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thestairwayproject.com/tracks-recording-recorders-original-stairway-project/ | title=Tracks: Recording the Recorders on the Original Stairway Project | date=6 October 2016 | access-date=2 September 2023 | archive-date=2 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902023516/http://www.thestairwayproject.com/tracks-recording-recorders-original-stairway-project/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Total Guitar" />

The sections build with more guitar layers, each complementary to the intro, with the drums entering at 4:18. The extended guitar solo in the song's final section was played for the recording on a [[Fender Telecaster|1959 Fender Telecaster]] given to Page by [[Jeff Beck]] (an instrument he used extensively with the [[Yardbirds]]) plugged into a [[Supro]] [[Guitar amplifier|amplifier]], although in an interview he gave to ''[[Guitar World]]'' magazine, Page said, "It could have been a [[Marshall Amplification|Marshall]], but I can't remember".<ref name="Total Guitar" /><ref name="JPinterview">Steven Rosen, [http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/003340.html 1977 Jimmy Page Interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070528062619/http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/003340.html |date=28 May 2007 }}, ''Modern Guitars'', 25 May 2007 (originally published in the July 1977, issue of ''[[Guitar Player]]'' magazine).</ref><ref name="Light" /> Three improvised solos were recorded, with Page agonising about which to keep. Page later revealed, "I did have the first phrase worked out, and then there was the link phrase. I did check them out beforehand before the tape ran." He has likened the song to an orgasm.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/22/stairway-to-heaven-unreleased-mix-led-zeppelin-iv-remastered| title = Stairway to Heaven: The Story of a Song and Its Legacy| last = Hann| first = Michael| date = 22 October 2014| work = [[The Guardian]]| access-date = 6 October 2020| quote = He's often used sexual imagery to describe the song and it's no different today: 'It's like an orgasm at the end. It's whatever you want it to be.'| archive-date = 28 April 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200428123229/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/22/stairway-to-heaven-unreleased-mix-led-zeppelin-iv-remastered| url-status = live}}</ref> The Am–G–F–G chord sequence in the third section of the song, centred on [[A minor]], is typical of a chord progression in the [[Aeolian mode]].{{sfn|Roche|2004|p=139}}

==Personnel==
According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:{{sfn|Guesdon|Margotin|2018|p=260}}

* [[Robert Plant]] – vocals
* [[Jimmy Page]] – acoustic guitars (six-string and twelve-string), electric guitars
* [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] – bass guitar, electric piano, [[Recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]]
* [[John Bonham]] – drums

==Live performances==
{{more citations needed|section|date=August 2021}}

The inaugural public performance of the song took place at [[Belfast]]'s [[Ulster Hall]] on 5 March 1971.<ref name="Total Guitar">Llewellyn, Sian (December 1998). "Stairway to Heaven". ''Total Guitar'', p.61-62</ref> Bassist [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] recalls that the crowd was unimpressed: "They were all bored to tears waiting to hear something they knew."<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|title=Sold on Song, Stairway to Heaven|work=BBC radio 2|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/indepth/stairway.shtml|access-date=9 February 2006|archive-date=11 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311062808/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/indepth/stairway.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

The world radio premiere of "Stairway to Heaven" was recorded at the [[Paris Theatre|Paris Cinema]] on 1 April 1971, in front of a live studio audience, and broadcast three days later on the [[BBC]].<ref name="Guitar World122">Pallett, Simon (January 1998). "Radio Dazed". ''Guitar World'', p.122</ref> The song was performed at almost every subsequent [[Led Zeppelin concerts|Led Zeppelin concert]], only being omitted on rare occasions when shows were cut short for curfews or technical issues. The band's final performance of the song was in Berlin on 7 July 1980, which was also their last full-length concert until 10 December 2007 at London's [[The O2 Arena|O2 Arena]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.noise11.com/news/robert-plant-performs-stairway-to-heaven-for-first-time-in-16-years-20231028|title=Robert Plant Performs Stairway To Heaven For First Time In 16 Years|author=Cashmere, Paul|date=October 28, 2023|publisher=Noise11|website=noise11.com}}</ref>

[[File:Джимми Пэйдж.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Jimmy Page used a double-necked guitar to perform "Stairway to Heaven" live.]]
When playing the song live, the band would often extend it to over 10 minutes, with Page playing an extended guitar solo and Plant adding a number of lyrical ad-libs, such as "Does anybody remember laughter?", "And I think you can see that", "wait a minute!" and "I hope so".{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} For performing this song live, Page used a [[Gibson EDS-1275]] [[double neck guitar]] so that he would not have to pause when switching from a six to a [[12-string guitar]], while John Paul Jones used a [[Mellotron]] to replicate the sound of the woodwind instruments he used on the studio recording.

By 1975, the band was using the song as its finale in concert. However, after their [[Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1977|concert tour of the United States]] in 1977, Plant began to tire of "Stairway to Heaven": "There's only so many times you can sing it and mean it...It just became sanctimonious."<ref>Dave Lewis and Simon Pallett (1997) ''Led Zeppelin: The Concert File'', London: Omnibus Press. {{ISBN|0-7119-5307-4}}, p. 58.</ref>

The song was played again by the surviving members of Led Zeppelin at the [[Live Aid]] concert in 1985;<ref name="Total Guitar" /> at the [[Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary]] concert in 1988, with [[Jason Bonham]] on drums;{{sfn|Welch|2002|p=231}} and by Jimmy Page as an instrumental version on his solo tours.

The first few bars were played alone during [[Page and Plant]] tours in lieu of the final notes of "[[Babe I'm Gonna Leave You]]", and in November 1994 Page and Plant performed an acoustic version of the song at a Tokyo news station for Japanese television. "Stairway to Heaven" was also performed at [[Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert]] at [[the O2 Arena]], London on 10 December 2007.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reed |first1=Ryan |title=The Day Led Zeppelin United |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/5-years-ago-led-zeppelin-reunite-for-02-concert/ |website=ultimateclassicrock.com |date=10 December 2015 |publisher=Townsquare Media Inc. |access-date=5 February 2021 |archive-date=12 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212020616/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/5-years-ago-led-zeppelin-reunite-for-02-concert/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Plant cites the most unusual performance of the song ever as being that performed at Live Aid: "with two drummers ([[Phil Collins]] and [[Tony Thompson (drummer)|Tony Thompson]]) while [[Duran Duran]] cried at the side of the stage – there was something quite surreal about that."<ref name="Total Guitar" />

==Sunset Sound mix==
A different version of this song by Led Zeppelin is on the remastered deluxe two-CD version of ''Led Zeppelin IV''. Titled "Stairway to Heaven {{small|(Sunset Sound Mix)}}", it was recorded on 5 December 1970, at Island Studio, No. 1, in London with engineer Andy Johns and assistant engineer Diggs. This version runs 8:04, two seconds longer than the original version.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Rolling Stone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/premieres/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-sunset-sound-mix-20141022|title=Hear Led Zeppelin's Hedgerow-Bustling 'Stairway to Heaven' Alternate Mix|author=Grow, Kory|date=22 October 2014|access-date=15 September 2017|archive-date=21 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921001752/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/premieres/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-sunset-sound-mix-20141022|url-status=live}} "It's always interesting to hear stuff that you know really well and hear it differently, but the same", John Paul Jones tells ''Rolling Stone''.</ref>

==Success and legacy==
"Stairway to Heaven" is often rated among the greatest rock songs of all time.<ref name="Spin" /><ref name="Gigwise" /> Music journalist [[Stephen Davis (music journalist)|Stephen Davis]] wrote that the 1971 song ascended to "[[anthem]]ic" status within two years.{{sfn|Davis|2018|pp=146–147}} Page recalled, "I knew it was good. I didn't know it was going to become like an anthem, but I did know it was the gem of the album, sure."{{sfn|Cross|Flannigan|1991|p=65}}

"Stairway to Heaven" continues to top radio lists of the greatest rock songs, including a 2006 ''[[Guitar World]]'' readers poll of greatest guitar solos.<ref name="SuperSeventies">{{cite web|url=http://www.superseventies.com/stairway.html|title=Stairway to Heaven: Is This the Greatest Song of All Time?|access-date=7 June 2006|archive-date=3 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703050827/http://www.superseventies.com/stairway.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On the 20th anniversary of the original release of the song, it was announced via US radio sources that the song had logged an estimated 2,874,000 radio plays.<ref name="Complete"/> As of 2000, the song had been broadcast on radio over three million times.<ref name=tripleJ>[http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/music_specials/s1402502.htm Australian Broadcasting Corporation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113064900/http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/music_specials/s1402502.htm |date=13 January 2010 }} – Triple J Music Specials – Led Zeppelin (first broadcast 12 July 2000)</ref> In 1990, a [[Tampa Bay area|Tampa Bay, Florida, area]] station (then [[WXTB|WKRL]]) kicked off its all-Led Zeppelin format by playing "Stairway to Heaven" for 24 hours straight.<ref name="RSbio">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/led-zeppelin/biography|title=Led Zeppelin Biography|access-date=8 August 2011|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|archive-date=5 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505012026/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/led-zeppelin/biography|url-status=live}}</ref> It is also the biggest-selling single piece of [[sheet music]] in rock history, with an average of 15,000 copies yearly.<ref name="Total Guitar" /> In total, over one million copies have been sold.<ref name=tripleJ/>

The band never authorised the song to be edited for single release, despite pressure from [[Atlantic Records]]. Page told ''Rolling Stone'' in 1975, "We were careful to never release it as a single",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/led-zeppelin-win-in-stairway-to-heaven-trial-70565/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811200706/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/led-zeppelin-win-in-stairway-to-heaven-trial-70565/ |archive-date=11 August 2018 |title=Led Zeppelin Win in 'Stairway to Heaven' Trial|website=RollingStone.com|date=23 June 2016|access-date=15 January 2018}}</ref> which forced buyers to buy the entire album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-05-15/led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-vs-dot-spirits-taurus-a-reckoning|title=Stairway to Heaven: The Song Remains Pretty Similar|date=16 May 2014|access-date=15 January 2018|website=[[Bloomberg.com]]|archive-date=28 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128060706/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-05-15/led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-vs-dot-spirits-taurus-a-reckoning|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2004, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine put it at number&nbsp;31 on their list of "[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]", then number 61 in 2021.<ref name="rollingstone.com">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-4-1225277/|title=Stairway to Heaven ranked #61 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=15 September 2021|access-date=18 September 2021|archive-date=18 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918182440/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-4-1225277/|url-status=live}}</ref> On 29 January 2009, ''[[Guitar World]]'' magazine rated Jimmy Page's guitar solo the best of the publication's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos in Rock and Roll History.<ref name=solo>{{cite web|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/50_greatest_solos|title=50 Greatest Guitar Solos|work=Guitar World|access-date=4 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207082242/http://www.guitarworld.com/50_greatest_solos|archive-date=7 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2001, the New York City-based [[classic rock]] radio station [[WAXQ]] conducted a listener survey to create a countdown of 1,043 rock songs (the number corresponding with the station's position on the dial at 104.3 FM). "Stairway to Heaven" garnered the most votes from listeners. WAXQ has conducted the survey annually since then; in each subsequent countdown that has followed, including the most recent in November 2024, "Stairway to Heaven" has been the top-ranked song.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.q1043.com/common/top_songs/2013.html|title=Q104.3's Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time|publisher=[[Q104.3]]|access-date=8 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419002538/http://www.q1043.com/common/top_songs/2013.html|archive-date=19 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Plant once gave $10,000 to listener-supported radio station [[KBOO]] in [[Portland, Oregon]], during a pledge drive after the disc jockey solicited donations by promising the station would never play "Stairway to Heaven". Plant was station-surfing in a rental car he was driving to the [[Oregon Coast]] after a solo performance in Portland <!-- not sure which one, but http://www.robertplanthomepage.com/setlists/concert.htm lists  20 June 1988,  23 May 1995, and 8 September 1998  --> and was impressed with the non-mainstream music the station presented. When asked later for the reason why, Plant replied that it wasn't that he didn't like the song, but he'd heard it before.<ref>{{Cite episode|title=World Cafe Looks Back: Robert Plant|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/141331804/world-cafe-looks-back-robert-plant|series=[[World Cafe (radio program)|World Cafe]]|network=NPR|station=[[WXPN]]|airdate=14 October 2011|season=20|minutes=43:34|access-date=30 September 2016|quote=Finally, we'll revisit a 2002 interview, in which Plant tells one of his funniest stories — it involves pledging to a Portland public radio station so it would never again play "Stairway to Heaven."|archive-date=29 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529234637/http://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/141331804/world-cafe-looks-back-robert-plant|url-status=live}}</ref>

"Stairway to Heaven" was selected by the [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in the [[National Recording Registry]] in 2023, based on its "cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation's recorded sound heritage."<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 National Recording Registry selections |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/registry-by-induction-years/2023/ |website=Library of Congress |access-date=12 April 2023 |archive-date=12 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412104836/https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/registry-by-induction-years/2023/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="loc2">{{cite web |title=National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Madonna, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifah, Daddy Yankee |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/national-recording-registry-inducts-music-from-madonna--mariah-carey--queen-latifah--daddy-yankee/s/5a91b115-3825-4a5f-a702-35940b4de958 |website=Library of Congress |access-date=12 April 2023 |language=en |archive-date=12 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120947/https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/national-recording-registry-inducts-music-from-madonna--mariah-carey--queen-latifah--daddy-yankee/s/5a91b115-3825-4a5f-a702-35940b4de958 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[carillon]] in the tower of [[Fürth]]'s historic town hall plays "Stairway to Heaven" daily at 12:04 pm.<ref>[https://www.br.de/br-fernsehen/sendungen/abendschau/as-glock-n-roll-im-rathausturm-100.html Fürth: Glock’n’Roll mit Himmelsleiter]. [[Bayerischer Rundfunk]]. 15 November 2024.</ref>

==Spirit copyright infringement lawsuit==
Page's opening acoustic guitar [[arpeggio]]s bear a resemblance to the 1968 instrumental "[[Taurus (instrumental)|Taurus]]" by the [[Los Angeles]]-based rock band [[Spirit (band)|Spirit]], written by Spirit guitarist [[Randy California]].<ref name="MOJO" /><ref>"Whammy Bar" ''[[Guitar World]]'' April 1997: 19 "But California's most enduring legacy may well be the fingerpicked acoustic theme of the song "Taurus", which Jimmy Page lifted virtually note for note for the introduction to "Stairway to Heaven".</ref> In the liner notes to the 1996 reissue of [[Spirit (Spirit album)|Spirit's self-titled debut album]], California wrote: "People always ask me why 'Stairway to Heaven' sounds exactly like 'Taurus', which was released two years earlier. I know Led Zeppelin also played 'Fresh Garbage' in their live set. They opened up for us on their [[Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1968/1969|first American tour]]."<ref>Sleeve notes, booklet included with [[CD]] EPC 485175</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anglotopia.net/british-entertainment/british-music-british-entertainment/led-zeppelin-stairway-plagiarism-lawsuit-jimmy-page-possible-reunion/|title=Led Zeppelin: Stairway to a Plagiarism Lawsuit, and Jimmy Page on a possible reunion|date=21 May 2014|access-date=23 May 2014}}</ref>

In May 2014, Spirit bassist [[Mark Andes]] and a trust acting on behalf of California filed a [[copyright infringement]] suit against Led Zeppelin and injunction against the "release of the album containing the song" in an attempt to obtain a writing credit for California, who died in 1997.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27497950|title=Copyright row over Led Zeppelin classic Stairway to Heaven|work=BBC News|date=21 May 2014|archive-date=17 July 2018|access-date=21 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717060314/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27497950|url-status=live}}</ref> A lack of resources was cited as one of the reasons that Spirit did not file the suit earlier; according to a friend of California's mother, "Nobody had any money, and they thought the [[statute of limitations]] was done{{nbsp}}... It will be nice if Randy got the credit." If the Spirit lawsuit had been successful, past earnings due to the song—estimated at more than US$550 million—would not have been part of the settlement, but the publisher and composers might have been entitled to a share of future profits.<ref>{{cite news|title=Stairway to Heaven: The Song Remains Pretty Similar|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-15/led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-vs-dot-spirits-taurus-a-reckoning|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140516140438/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-15/led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-vs-dot-spirits-taurus-a-reckoning|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 May 2014|access-date=29 May 2014|newspaper=Bloomberg Businessweek|date=15 May 2014|author=Vernon Silver}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Borrowing a Stairway to Heaven: did Led Zeppelin rip off a riff?|url=http://theconversation.com/borrowing-a-stairway-to-heaven-did-led-zeppelin-rip-off-a-riff-27099|access-date=29 May 2014|newspaper=The Conversation|date=26 May 2014|author=Nicolas Suzor|author2=Eleanor Angel|archive-date=29 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529005256/http://theconversation.com/borrowing-a-stairway-to-heaven-did-led-zeppelin-rip-off-a-riff-27099?|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 11 April 2016, Los Angeles district judge Gary Klausner ruled that there were enough similarities between the song and the instrumental for a jury to decide the claim, and a trial was scheduled for 10 May. The copyright infringement action was brought by Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the late guitarist, whose legal name was Randy Wolfe.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36022876|title=Stairway to Heaven in copyright trial - BBC News|work=BBC News|date=12 April 2016|access-date=12 April 2016|archive-date=12 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412084338/http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36022876|url-status=live}}</ref> On 23 June, the jury ruled that the similarities between the songs did not amount to copyright infringement.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36611961|title=Led Zeppelin cleared of plagiarism in Stairway case|work=BBC News|date=23 June 2016}}</ref>  In July, Skidmore's attorney filed a notice of appeal against the court's decision.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thewrap.com/led-zeppelin-copyright-trial-round-2-bands-accuser-files-for-appeal/|title=Led Zeppelin Copyright Trial, Round 2: Band's Accuser Files for Appeal|date=25 July 2016|newspaper=TheWrap|language=en-US|access-date=17 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36902289|title=Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven verdict appealed|date=27 July 2016|newspaper=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=17 October 2016|archive-date=17 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017155408/http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36902289|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/music/appeal-filed-copyright-case-led-zeppelin-s-stairway-heaven-n618101|title=Appeal Filed in Copyright Case of Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway'|newspaper=NBC News|access-date=17 October 2016|archive-date=17 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017155411/http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/music/appeal-filed-copyright-case-led-zeppelin-s-stairway-heaven-n618101|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2017, the verdict was appealed, with a main argument being that the jury should have been able to hear a recorded version of "Taurus".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/appeal-filed-in-led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-trial-w472692|title=Appeal Filed in Led Zeppelin 'Stairway to Heaven' Copyright Trial|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=18 March 2017|access-date=15 September 2017|archive-date=16 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016122431/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/appeal-filed-in-led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-trial-w472692|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/2017/03/led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-copyright-case-gets-appeal/|title=Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" Copyright Case Gets Appeal|date=19 March 2017|access-date=1 April 2017|archive-date=1 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401071345/http://www.spin.com/2017/03/led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-copyright-case-gets-appeal/|url-status=live}}</ref> On 28 September 2018, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit allowed the appeal, vacating in part and remanding to the U.S. District Court for the [[Central District of California]] for a new trial on several evidentiary and procedural issues.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-28/led-zeppelin-to-face-retrial-over-stairway-theft-claims|date=28 September 2018|title=Led Zeppelin to Face Retrial Over 'Stairway' Theft Claims|first1=Edvard|last1=Pettersson|first2=Vernon|last2=Silver|access-date=28 September 2018|archive-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929075943/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-28/led-zeppelin-to-face-retrial-over-stairway-theft-claims|url-status=live}}</ref> On 10 June 2019, the Ninth Circuit granted rehearing ''[[en banc]]'', meaning the case would be reheard by a larger panel of eleven judges.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2019/06/10/16-56057.pdf |title=Court documents |date=10 June 2019 |website=cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov |access-date=13 December 2020 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224131627/http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2019/06/10/16-56057.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-lawsuit-review-846617/|title=Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven': Appeals Court to Review Lawsuit Decision|first1=Ryan|last1=Reed|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=11 June 2019|access-date=12 June 2019|archive-date=12 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612141905/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-lawsuit-review-846617/|url-status=live}}</ref>

A ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'' article shortly after that decision noted that a Ninth Circuit judge's interpretation of the laws implied that key elements of many classic rock songs, including "Stairway to Heaven", that were recorded prior to 1978 were not protected by copyright to begin with. The panel declared that the scope of copyright for those songs is limited to what was included in the [[Legal deposit|deposit copy]] of the song's sheet music provided to the [[Copyright Office]]; at trial Page had testified that the deposit copy included neither the intro that was under dispute nor his guitar solo. ''Bloomberg'' reporter Vernon Silver found that the deposit copies of other classic rock songs from that era, such as "[[Hotel California]]", "[[Born to Run (song)|Born to Run]]" and "[[Free Bird]]", include only the song's basic chords, lyrics and melody, without any solos or other distinctive musical touches. Copyright law experts could not say whether those elements are copyrighted or not; Led Zeppelin's lawyers have argued they are even if not included in the deposit copy. Silver made an electronic [[Mashup (music)|mashup]] of several of these elements from different songs and included it with the article.<ref>{{cite news|last=Silver|first=Vernon|title=Rock Riff Rip-Off: The Legal Loophole That May Leave Some of Rock's Greatest Riffs Up For Grabs|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2019-classic-rock-riffs-loophole/|newspaper=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]|date=20 June 2019|access-date=22 June 2019|archive-date=22 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622184049/https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2019-classic-rock-riffs-loophole/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 9 March 2020, the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit]] in San Francisco, California, ruled in favour of Led Zeppelin, in that "Stairway to Heaven" does not infringe on the copyright of "Taurus". The full Ninth Circuit used their decision to overturn the controversial "[[inverse ratio rule]]" upon which it had relied over the past several decades in past copyright rulings, stating "Because the inverse ratio rule, which is not part of the copyright statute, defies logic, and creates uncertainty for the courts and the parties, we take this opportunity to abrogate the rule in the Ninth Circuit and overrule our prior cases to the contrary."<ref>{{cite web |date=9 March 2020 |title=Skidmore v. Led Zeppelin, 905 F.3d 1116 (9th Cir. 2018). |url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2020/03/09/16-56057.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210024240/https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2020/03/09/16-56057.pdf |archive-date=10 December 2020 |access-date=13 December 2020 |website=cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2020/music/news/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-copyright-lawsuit-1203527581/ | title = Led Zeppelin Scores Big Win in 'Stairway to Heaven' Copyright Case | first = Gene | last = Maddaus | date = 9 March 2020 | access-date = 9 March 2020 | work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | archive-date = 24 November 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221124111721/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-copyright-lawsuit-1203527581/ | url-status = live }}</ref> This verdict immediately applied to pending cases within the Ninth: a long battle over [[Katy Perry]]'s "[[Dark Horse (Katy Perry song)|Dark Horse]]" in which a jury had found against her for {{USD|2.8 million}} was overturned a week after the Ninth's verdict in "Stairway to Heaven", in part of the Ninth's new finding and that in the case of "Dark Horse", the similarity argument weighed heavily on the inverse ratio rule.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2020/music/news/katy-perry-dark-horse-reversal-1203537482/ | title = Katy Perry Wins Reversal of 'Dark Horse' Copyright Verdict | first = Gene | last = Maddaus | date = 17 March 2020 | access-date = 17 March 2020 | work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | archive-date = 28 December 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211228101406/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/katy-perry-dark-horse-reversal-1203537482/ | url-status = live }}</ref> On 5 October, the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] denied to grant ''certiorari'' to Andes and the trust, leaving the Ninth Circuit's ruling in place in favour of Led Zeppelin.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2020/music/news/led-zeppelin-win-stairway-to-heaven-copyright-1234792866/ | title = Led Zeppelin Win 'Stairway to Heaven' Copyright Battle as Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Case | first = Jem | last = Aswad | date = 5 October 2020 | access-date = 5 October 2020 | work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> The court's decision precludes further appeals, thus ending the copyright dispute.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54423922| title=Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' Copyright Battle Is Finally Over| date=5 October 2020| website=[[BBC News]]| access-date=6 October 2020| quote=The final possible legal challenge to Led Zeppelin's ownership of Stairway To Heaven has been defeated}}</ref>

==Claims of backmasking==
{{Listen
| type = music
| filename     = STH_forwards.ogg
| title        = "Stairway to Heaven" (section)
| description  = The claimed backmasked section
| filename2    = STH_reverse.ogg
| title2       = "Stairway to Heaven" (section) (reversed)
| description2 = The same section reversed
}}

In a January 1982 broadcast of the [[Trinity Broadcasting Network]] television program ''Praise the Lord'' hosted by [[Paul Crouch]], it was claimed that hidden messages were contained in many popular rock songs through a technique called [[backmasking]]. One example of such hidden messages that was prominently cited was in "Stairway to Heaven".<ref>Denisoff, R. Serge. ''Inside MTV'' (1988): 289–290</ref> The alleged message, which occurs during the middle section of the song ("If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now...") when played backward, was purported to contain the Satanic references: "Here's to my sweet Satan / The one whose little path would make me sad whose power is Satan, / He'll give you, he'll give you 666 / There was a little tool shed where he made us suffer, sad Satan."<ref>Arar, Yardena. (AP) "Does Satan Lurk in the Backward Playing of Records?" ''St. Petersburg Independent'' 24 May 1982: 3A</ref>

Following the claims made in the television program, California assemblyman [[Phil Wyman]] proposed a state law that would require warning labels on records containing backmasking. In April 1982, the Consumer Protection and Toxic Materials Committee of the [[California State Assembly]] held a hearing on backmasking in popular music, during which "Stairway to Heaven" was played backward and self-described "neuroscientific researcher" William Yarroll claimed that the human brain could decipher backward messages.<ref>Billiter, Bill. "Satanic Messages Played Back for Assembly Panel" ''Los Angeles Times'' 28 April 1982: B3</ref>

The band itself has mostly ignored such claims. [[Swan Song Records]] responded to the allegations by stating: "Our turntables only play in one direction—forwards." Led Zeppelin audio engineer [[Eddie Kramer]] called the allegations "totally and utterly ridiculous. Why would they want to spend so much studio time doing something so dumb?"{{sfn|Davis|2018|p=301}} [[Robert Plant]] expressed frustration with the accusations in a 1983 interview in ''Musician'' magazine: "To me it's very sad, because 'Stairway to Heaven' was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, that's not my idea of making music."<ref>{{cite web|last=Considine|first=J.D|url=http://www.led-zeppelin.org/reference/int18.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051025111105/http://www.led-zeppelin.org/reference/int18.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=25 October 2005|title=Interviews|access-date=7 June 2006}}</ref>

==Accolades==
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+Accolades
!scope="col"|Publication
!scope="col"|Country
!scope="col"|Accolade
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Rank
|-
!scope="row"| [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]
| US
| "[[The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/halloffame.htm|title=The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll – December 1994|access-date=10 February 2009|publisher=Jacobs Media|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090719220814/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/halloffame.htm|archive-date=19 July 2009}}</ref>
| 1994
| *
|-
!scope="row"| ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]''
| UK
| "Ten of the Best Songs Ever!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/50.html#ten|title=Ten of the Best Songs Ever! – September 1999|access-date=10 February 2009|publisher=Classic Rock|archive-date=18 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718181914/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/50.html#ten|url-status=usurped}}</ref>
| 1999
| 1
|-
!scope="row"| [[VH1]]
| US
| "The 100 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1436393/20000107/story.jhtml|title=The 100 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time – July 2000|access-date=10 February 2009|publisher=VH1|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408042358/http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1436393/20000107/story.jhtml|archive-date=8 April 2009}}</ref>
| 2000
| 3
|-
!scope="row"| [[RIAA]]
| US
| "[[Songs of the Century]]"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/07/list.top.365.songs/|title=Songs of the Century|access-date=18 August 2007|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America|date=7 March 2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051211164530/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/07/list.top.365.songs/|archive-date=11 December 2005}}</ref>
| 2001
| 53
|-
!scope="row"| [[Grammy Awards]]
| US
| "[[Grammy Hall of Fame Award]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame#s|title=The Grammy Hall of Fame Award|access-date=18 August 2007|publisher=National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122042616/http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame|archive-date=22 January 2011}}</ref>
| 2003
| *
|-
!scope="row"| ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| US
| "[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]"<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6596661/500songs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041121052340/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6596661/500songs|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 November 2004|title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time – November 2003|access-date=10 February 2009|magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>
| 2004
| 31
|-
!scope="row"| ''Rolling Stone''
| US
| "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"<ref name="rollingstone.com"/>
| 2021
| 61
|-
!scope="row"| ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| UK
| "100 Songs That Changed the World"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#100%20Songs%20That%20Changed%20The%20World|title=100 Greatest Songs of All Time – January 2003|access-date=10 February 2009|publisher=Q|archive-date=19 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019101341/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#100%20Songs%20That%20Changed%20The%20World|url-status=usurped}}</ref>
| 2003
| 47
|-
!scope="row"| [[Toby Creswell]]
| Australia
| "1001 Songs: the Great Songs of All Time"{{sfn|Creswell|2005|p=516}}
| 2005
| *
|-
!scope="row"| ''Q''
| UK
| "100 Greatest Songs of All Time"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#100%20greatest%20songs|title=100 Greatest Songs of All Time – October 2006|access-date=10 February 2009|publisher=Q|archive-date=13 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013220837/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#100%20greatest%20songs|url-status=usurped}}</ref>
| 2006
| 8
|-
!scope="row"| ''[[Guitar World]]''
| US
| "100 Greatest Guitar Solos"<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/article/100_greatest_guitar_solos_1_quotstairway_to_heavenquot_jimmy_page |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223041316/http://www.guitarworld.com/article/100_greatest_guitar_solos_1_quotstairway_to_heavenquot_jimmy_page |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 December 2008|title=100 Greatest Guitar Solos – October 2006|access-date=18 October 2009|magazine=Guitar World}}</ref>
|2006
|1
|-
!scope="row"| ''Rolling Stone''
| US
| "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time"<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/20947527/page/41|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607000936/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/20947527/page/41|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 June 2008|title=100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time – June 2008|access-date=10 February 2009|magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>
| 2008
| 8
|}

<small>(*) designates unordered lists.</small>

==Charts==
===Digital download===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Chart (2007–10)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
| Canadian ''Billboard'' Hot Digital Singles Chart<ref name="Canadian singles chart">{{cite magazine |url={{billboardurlbyname|artist=led-zeppelin/}} |title=Hot Digital Songs – 1 December 2007 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=19 January 2009}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
| EU ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Singles Chart<ref name="Canadian singles chart" />
| style="text-align:center;"|79
|-
{{single chart|Germany|15|songid=7181|artist=Led Zeppelin|song=Stairway to Heaven|access-date=29 March 2021}}
|-
| [[Irish Singles Chart]]<ref name="Irish singles chart">{{cite web|url=http://acharts.us/ireland_singles_top_50/2007/47|title=Top 50 Singles – 22 November 2007|publisher=IRMA|access-date=19 January 2009|archive-date=3 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203045443/http://acharts.us/ireland_singles_top_50/2007/47|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|24
|-
| [[RIANZ|New Zealand RIANZ]] Singles Chart<ref name="New Zealand singles chart">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/weekchart.asp?year=2007&date=20071119&cat=s|title=Top 40 Singles – 19 November 2007|publisher=RIANZ|access-date=29 March 2021|archive-date=23 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223154402/https://charts.nz/weekchart.asp?year=2007&date=20071119&cat=s|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|13
|-
| [[Norwegian Singles Chart]]<ref name="Norwegian singles chart">{{cite web|url=https://norwegiancharts.com/weekchart.asp?year=2007&date=200747&cat=s|title=Top 20 Singles – 21 November 2007|publisher=norwegiancharts.com|access-date=29 March 2021|archive-date=27 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827165103/https://norwegiancharts.com/weekchart.asp?year=2007&date=200747&cat=s|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|-
| [[Portugal|Portuguese Singles Chart]]<ref name="Canadian singles chart" />
| style="text-align:center;"|8
|-
| [[Swedish Singles Chart]]<ref name="Swedish singles chart">{{cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/weekchart.asp?year=2008&date=20080103&cat=s|title=Top 60 Singles – 3 January 2008|publisher=swedishcharts.com|access-date=29 March 2021|archive-date=23 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123003449/https://swedishcharts.com/weekchart.asp?year=2008&date=20080103&cat=s|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|57
|-
| [[Swiss Singles Chart]]<ref name="Swiss singles chart">{{cite web|url=https://hitparade.ch/charts/singles/02-12-2007|title=Top 100 Singles – 2 December 2007|publisher=hitparade.ch|access-date=29 March 2021|archive-date=21 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521163843/https://hitparade.ch/charts/singles/02-12-2007|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
| [[UK Singles Chart]]<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20071118/7501/|title=Official Singles Chart Top 100|work=Official Charts Company|access-date=29 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308031950/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20071118/7501/|url-status=live}}</ref>  
| align=center|37
|-
| US ''Billboard'' Hot Digital Songs Chart<ref name="US digital songs chart">{{cite magazine | url = https://www.billboard.com/artist/led-zeppelin/chart-history/ | title = Hot 100 Digital Songs – 1 December 2007 | magazine = Billboard | access-date = 19 January 2009 | archive-date = 19 November 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211119201208/https://www.billboard.com/artist/led-zeppelin/chart-history/ | url-status = live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|30
|-
| US ''Billboard'' Hot Singles Recurrents Chart<ref name="Canadian singles chart" />
| style="text-align:center;"|16
|}

<small>Note: The official [[UK Singles Chart]] incorporated legal downloads as of 17 April 2005.</small>

===Certifications and sales===
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|award=Platinum|type=single|artist=Led Zeppelin|title=Stairway to Heaven|relyear=1971|certyear=2023|id=12152|access-date=24 February 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|award=Platinum|number=2|note=sales since 2009|type=single|artist=Led Zeppelin|title=Stairway to Heaven|relyear=2010|certyear=2019|id=7059|access-date=9 September 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Led Zeppelin|title=Stairway to Heaven|award=Platinum|number=4|relyear=1971|access-date=December 16, 2024|certyear=2024|source=radioscope}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|award=Platinum|type=single|artist=Led Zeppelin|title=Stairway to Heaven|relyear=1971|certyear=2024|access-date=28 November 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|number=2|award=Platinum|type=single|artist=Led Zeppelin|title=Stairway to Heaven|relyear=2000|certyear=2025|id=12577-2162-1|note=2000 release|access-date=28 July 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|nocert=true|type=single|artist=Led Zeppelin|title=Stairway to Heaven|salesamount=1,700,000|note=digital sales|salesref=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6311997/numbers-led-zeppelin-zooms-onto-the-chart|publisher=[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]|title=Numbers: Led Zeppelin Zooms Onto the Chart|author=Keith Caulfield|date=7 November 2014|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|noshipments=true|nosales=true}}

==See also==
*{{slink|List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs#Stairway to Heaven}}
*[[List of Led Zeppelin songs written or inspired by others]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Cramer|first=Alfred William|title=Musicians and Composers of the 20th Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WZ87AQAAIAAJ|volume=4|year=2009|publisher=Salem Press|isbn=978-1-58765-517-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Creswell|first=Toby|author-link=Toby Creswell|title=1001 Songs: the Great Songs of All Time|edition=1st|location=Prahran|publisher=Hardie Grant Books|year=2005|chapter=Stairway to Heaven|isbn=978-1-74066-458-5}}
*{{cite book|last1=Cross|first=Charles|last2=Flannigan|first2=Erik|title=Led Zeppelin: Heaven and Hell, An Illustrated History|year=1991|publisher=Harmony Books|location=New York|isbn=0-517-583089}}
*{{cite book|last=Davis|first=Stephen|author-link=Stephen Davis (music journalist)|title=[[Hammer of the Gods (book)|Hammer of the Gods]]|year=2018|orig-date=1985|location=London|publisher=Pan Books|isbn=978-1-5098-5252-9}}
*{{cite book|first1=Jean-Michel|last1=Guesdon|first2=Philippe|last2=Margotin|year=2018|title=Led Zeppelin All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track|publisher=[[Running Press]]|isbn=978-0-316-448-67-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Macan|first=Edward|title=Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture|url=https://archive.org/details/rockingclassicse0000maca|url-access=registration|year=1997|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-509887-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Roche|first=Eric|title=The Acoustic Guitar Bible|publisher=SMT/Bobcat Books|location=London|date=2004 |isbn=1-84492-063-1}}
*{{cite book|last=Welch|first=Chris|title=Peter Grant: The Man Who Led Zeppelin|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2002|isbn=0-7119-9195-2}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
*''Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song'', by Chris Welch, {{ISBN|1-56025-818-7}}
*''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', by Dave Lewis, {{ISBN|0-7119-3528-9}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [[NPR]] [[Fresh Air]] [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3868283 audio interview with Robert Plant] (2004), who comments on various covers of the song, the lyrics and writing it.
* [https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29550639 Jimmy Page: How we wrote Stairway to Heaven] (2014) at [[BBC]]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/indepth/stairway.shtml Sold on Song], "Stairway to Heaven" at [[BBC Radio 2]]

{{Led Zeppelin songs}}
{{Led Zeppelin}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stairway To Heaven}}
[[Category:1971 songs]]
[[Category:1970s ballads]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records singles]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Led Zeppelin songs]]
[[Category:British progressive rock songs]]
[[Category:Folk ballads]]
[[Category:Hard rock ballads]]
[[Category:Heart (band) songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Jimmy Page]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jimmy Page]]
[[Category:Songs written by Robert Plant]]
[[Category:Songs involved in plagiarism controversies]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies in music]]
[[Category:Religious controversies in music]]
[[Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings]]
[[Category:Works subject to a lawsuit]]