Today (November 8), Led Zeppelin’s famed album IV turns 50 years old. And to celebrate that fact along with the 1971 album, as a whole, we wanted to write a little bit about one of the most famous songs of all time: “Stairway To Heaven.”
Whether parodied for a 7-11 song or joked about on Wayne’s World, the song has endured since it was released in 1971. The opening Jimmy Page guitar line is as memorable as any, and the thrill vocalist Robert Plant offers his listeners at the height of the song, is ventricle-shaking.
Videos by American Songwriter
Before we go any further, check out this live version by the band, flute and all:
But we also wanted to share three of our favorite covers of the song, to show how it’s impacted other artists along the way. So without further ado, here you go!
Heart
Foo Fighters
Mary J Blige
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UNSPECIFIED – SEPTEMBER 01: Photo of Raspberries (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
UNITED STATES – DECEMBER 04: Photo of Emmylou Harris, December 4, 1979, California, North Hollywood, Palomino Club, Emmylou Harris. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
American singer, songwriter and pianist, Ray Charles (1930 – 2004) performing at the Olympia in Paris, France on May 18, 1962. (Photo by REPORTERS ASSOCIES/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) -
English rock and pop group The Hollies perform the song 'Sorry Suzanne' on the set of the BBC Television pop music television show Top Of The Pops at Lime Grove Studios in London on 27th March 1969. Members of the band are, from left, Tony Hicks, Bobby Elliott, Allan Clarke, Terry Sylvester and Bernie Calvert. (Photo by Ivan Keeman/Redferns) -
LAS VEGAS – APRIL 06: ***EXCLUSIVE*** Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn perform "The Cowboy Rides Away' onstage during the 44th annual Academy Of Country Music Awards' Artist of the Decade held at the MGM Grand on April 6, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/ACM2009/Getty Images for ACM) -
AUSTIN, TEXAS – Lloyd Maines performs onstage during "Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years: A Special Anniversary Taping" of the long-running music series "Austin City Limits" at ACL Live on November 21, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images)
