MadScreamingGallery Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Always was and always will be my favorite Led Zeppelin song. To me the value of STH and the memories it evokes are priceless and can't be measured in dollars. Stairway Surprise Conde Nast: Portfolio by Miriam Datskovsky July 2008 Issue A back-of-the-napkin analysis of the lifetime worth of the most requested rock tune in history. A back-of-the-envelope calculation of how much the luxury company everyone would love to buy may actually be worth. In the big, bad game of rock and roll, “Stairway to Heaven” is undeniably a winner. Released by Led Zeppelin in 1971, the eight-minute song is considered a musical masterpiece and is one of the most-played rock tunes of all time. Proving its longevity, “Stairway” hit the U.K. charts again last fall and was a top download in the U.S., after Zeppelin’s first downloadable album launched on iTunes. But because the band is notoriously protective of its work, “Stairway” hasn’t met its full moneymaking potential. While other artists have made big bucks by licensing songs to Hollywood and Madison Avenue—think of Bob Dylan’s “Love Sick” in that Victoria’s Secret commercial—Zeppelin has shunned most opportunities. We consulted executives in the music, advertising, and entertainment industries to come up with some numbers, real and potential, for the value of “Stairway." PUBLISHING ROYALTIES Zeppelin hasn’t licensed “Stairway” for movies or commercials. But songwriters Jimmy Page and Robert Plant and Warner/Chappell, the song’s publisher, make money off royalties from record sales, radio plays, and live performances. Zeppelin has played “Stairway” at every gig since 1971, yielding about $150,000 in royalties. Everyone from Frank Zappa to the London Philharmonic has also performed it, and let’s not forget the hundreds of thousands of proms, weddings, and bar mitzvahs where it’s been played. (D.J.’s and venues pay a small annual fee for the right to play it.) Estimated gain: $400,000. Royalties from album and DVD sales total about $8.6 million. Plus “Stairway” has been played on the radio an estimated 2,985,000 times (equal to more than 45 years of uninterrupted airtime), netting nearly $2 million. It’s also thought to be the bestselling piece of sheet music in rock history, with royalties of $1 million. ESTIMATED TOTAL: $12 million THE MASTER RECORDING In 1972, Zeppelin and its label, Atlantic Records, sparred over the band’s refusal to release “Stairway” as a single. But as a result, the public had to buy the album, known as Led Zeppelin IV, to get the song, snapping it up as if it were a single. All told, “Stairway” has appeared on four Zeppelin albums, sales of which have earned Atlantic and the band $500 million, including $56 million for last year’s downloadable album, Mothership. Sales of 2 million DVDs featuring live performances of “Stairway” have brought the band and the distributor, Warner Bros., $48 million. Last fall, Zeppelin, surprisingly, signed a deal believed to be worth $2 million with Verizon Wireless that made ringtones, alert tones, and full-song downloads of "Stairway" available. The band, publisher, and label will share a 10 percent royalty on every download. ESTIMATED TOTAL: $550 million POTENTIAL EARNINGS Does the Verizon deal signal a change of heart? In 2002, Zeppelin licensed a hit for the first time: “Rock and Roll,” for a Cadillac campaign. If the band licensed “Stairway,” advertising experts say it could net as much as $8 million for just one campaign—and a lot more if Zeppelin does other deals. (Licensing songs for use in TV and movies brings in much less: about $80,000 for one deal.) Royalties from the song’s use on sites like YouTube offer a new potential earnings stream: A YouTube search for “Stairway” brought 11,000 results. But if Zeppelin wants to cash in, it should move before nostalgic baby boomers get too old. “If the target market is 45-plus, the song is extremely valuable,” says Izzy DeBellis, executive creative director at Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners. “It’s associated with every last dance you ever had. Prom—it was the makeout song. If you were still dancing slow at the end of the song, you were in.” Estimated total: $10 million or more THE BOTTOM LINE Nearly 37 years after the release of “Stairway,” there seems to be no end to its revenue stream. But Zeppelin could up the total if it wants to go commercial. VALUE OF "STAIRWAY" EARNINGS: $562 million VALUE OF POTENTIAL LICENSING DEALS: $10 million and up TOTAL VALUE OF "STAIRWAY": $572 million or more Sources: Todd Brabec, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers; Led Zeppelin: The Complete Guide to Their Music, by Dave Lewis; Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems and SoundScan; Recording Industry Association of America; Danny Strick, president, Sony/ATV Music Publishing; Alan Wallis, executive director of valuation and business modeling, Ernst & Young. http://www.portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle...venues?rss=true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatbo Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 To me the value of STH and the memories it evokes are priceless and can't be measured in dollars your deep feeling for the song and your positive response to any commercial venture that plays that song is precisely what this article is counting on for it's projections. while it might seem that the song itself is the core-value, it is actually the harder to measure emotional response to the song that is a goldmine. excellent article-thanks for the post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadScreamingGallery Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 your deep feeling for the song and your positive response to any commercial venture that plays that song is precisely what this article is counting on for it's projections. while it might seem that the song itself is the core-value, it is actually the harder to measure emotional response to the song that is a goldmine. excellent article-thanks for the post! Well said. I imagine that, because I am a "baby boomer" and a "Led Zeppelin fan", the marketers would think that I fit squarely into the demographic envisioned by whoever is planning these ad campaigns. Unfortunately for them, as deep and emotional as my feelings are for STH, my decision to buy a car (or insurance or jewelery) wouldn't be based on whether STH was played in a commercial. You're welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scs Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Sad to think that a certain band member once reffered to this greatest of the great, timeless song as an albatross around his neck. I just don't get that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zosodude13 Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 awesome article! cool to look at the hypathetical on what JUST stairway could have done by itself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arntzen Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Bah. The facts can't lie, but blah. So many better Zep tunes. Like Hotdog, for example... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phhhl Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Sad to think that a certain band member once reffered to this greatest of the great, timeless song as an albatross around his neck. I just don't get that. It is not even close to my favorite Zeppelin tune, and never has been. The library of amazing songs is so vast it is impossible to make that distinction. But, by all accounts the boys created it from the ground up, which is more than I can say for some of their greatest jams... ie. some of the greatest rock songs in history, that incidentally borrowed so much from existing music. I recognize it's genius, the way that it incorporates a crescendo the way a classical piece does, and just about every great element the band represented (unforgettable guitar solo, incredible vocals and lyrics, pulsating drums). I recognize that it is their seminal song; I just don't know that I would even put it on a set list of my dream Zeppelin show. It is almost like it overshadows their body of work in the minds of too many and steals some of the thunder away from what Zep was all about... certainly no one hit wonder. I think I understand what the albatross comment was about, and I can't say I disagree with it. I don't know if it was Hammer of the Gods that introduced me to the concept that Stairway was a subliminal alchemical formula to magically produce gold from natural elements, and some kind of byproduct of Jimmy's occult fascination. But, if the song is worth $572,000,000, it is difficult to refute that legend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
led zep maniack Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Bah. The facts can't lie, but blah. So many better Zep tunes. Like Hotdog, for example... PLEASE TELL ME YOURE JOKING. IF YOURE NOT YOURE A NUT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunChild Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Thanks MSG, I saw that and had pretty much the same response. One of the most amazing pieces of music of the 20th century, as far as I'm concerned, and this woman is doing stone-cold financial analysis. (I want to send her a doobie and a copy of TSRTS...) beatbo, you sum it up beautifully as well. The thing is, one of the meanings of it (and there are many to be had, depending on one's mood or emotional state, and the version you're listening to) is how the commerical pales to nothing in the face of the spiritual journey. What kind of deafness would it take to think STH would be a good way to sell anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotplant Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Thanks for posting that MSG. The song is permanently etched in my mind. Many artists are sometimes overwhelmed by the "greatness" of some of their songs. I'm just thankful it was created. Timeless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadScreamingGallery Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 awesome article! cool to look at the hypathetical on what JUST stairway could have done by itself Yes, as you say, "JUST stairway" - it is amazing to think of the potential value of just that one Zep song. Thanks MSG, I saw that and had pretty much the same response. One of the most amazing pieces of music of the 20th century, as far as I'm concerned, and this woman is doing stone-cold financial analysis. (I want to send her a doobie and a copy of TSRTS...) beatbo, you sum it up beautifully as well. The thing is, one of the meanings of it (and there are many to be had, depending on one's mood or emotional state, and the version you're listening to) is how the commerical pales to nothing in the face of the spiritual journey. What kind of deafness would it take to think STH would be a good way to sell anything? You're welcome. Thanks for posting that MSG. The song is permanently etched in my mind. Many artists are sometimes overwhelmed by the "greatness" of some of their songs. I'm just thankful it was created. Timeless. You're welcome too. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the greatness of that song - and it's permanently etched in my mind too. There are many Zep songs that rekindle memories of my Zep days but, for some reason and all these years later, it is Stairway that has the most powerful effect on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IluvJimmyPage Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 You're welcome too. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the greatness of that song - and it's permanently etched in my mind too. There are many Zep songs that rekindle memories of my Zep days but, for some reason and all these years later, it is Stairway that has the most powerful effect on me. I totally agree with you MSG! I still remember exactly when and where I was when I heard Stairway to Heaven for the first time. I thought it was an unbelievably amazing song back then and still do to this day (even more so if you can imagine) - definitely withstands the test of time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadScreamingGallery Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 I totally agree with you MSG! I still remember exactly when and where I was when I heard Stairway to Heaven for the first time. I thought it was an unbelievably amazing song back then and still do to this day (even more so if you can imagine) - definitely withstands the test of time! I thought you might, "ILJP". I can imagine that the song is even more "unbelievably amazing" today because I feel the same way - as "unbelievably amazing" as it was back then, it is even more so today because of all of the beautiful memories that it carries with it and because of all the great Zep experiences that it brings back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arntzen Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 PLEASE TELL ME YOURE JOKING. IF YOURE NOT YOURE A NUT. Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry. Your use of big, scary capitals and the mad faces made me see the error of my ways. I apologize profusely. HOT DOG FOREVER! HATS OFF TO WHATS-HIS-NUTS IS BETTER TOO! BAUAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! Hey, what happened to the roll text on this site? Sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickZepp Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 It's not one of my favorite Zepp songs but I understand it's greatness and it's importance. It's the song that every fan of music knows. Even non Zepp fans know what Stairway to Heaven is. It's one of the most popular songs ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Always was and always will be my favorite Led Zeppelin song. To me the value of STH and the memories it evokes are priceless and can't be measured in dollars. http://www.portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle...venues?rss=true Great Post Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatbo Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 tonight, the boston celtics were introduced before the NBA finals game with 'kashmir' blazing! i wonder if it were measurable the influence of that song-considering it wasn't available to anyone since 'fast times at ridgemont high'. it has been wanted so bad that movie makers have even commissioned knock-off versions: rage against the machine at the end of 'the matrix'; gets played at alot of sporting events now, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadScreamingGallery Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Great Post Thanks You're welcome - and thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 tonight, the boston celtics were introduced before the NBA finals game with 'kashmir' blazing! i wonder if it were measurable the influence of that song-considering it wasn't available to anyone since 'fast times at ridgemont high'. it has been wanted so bad that movie makers have even commissioned knock-off versions: rage against the machine at the end of 'the matrix'; gets played at alot of sporting events now, though... And they just won the NBA Championship too. Oh, the power of Kashmir and Led Zeppelin continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scs Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Hotplant, why must you bring politics onto a non political forum?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Thanks for posting that article, MSG! There are some really interesting figures in there (the airplay ) , but I have to agree that the real value of the song resides elsewhere, in ourselves, in our memories, the things it has meant for us at different points in our lives. It's my firm belief that when musicians create music in order to make money, you can hear it...and it lessens the 'real' value of it. I'm not sure I have any watertight arguments to support the contention. It is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadScreamingGallery Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 tonight, the boston celtics were introduced before the NBA finals game with 'kashmir' blazing! i wonder if it were measurable the influence of that song-considering it wasn't available to anyone since 'fast times at ridgemont high'. it has been wanted so bad that movie makers have even commissioned knock-off versions: rage against the machine at the end of 'the matrix'; gets played at alot of sporting events now, though... And they just won the NBA Championship too. Oh, the power of Kashmir and Led Zeppelin continues. If I hadn't once believed in the power of Zep music and that "fifth element, magick", I would have dismissed this as nothing more than sheer coincidence. But I think a small part of me does still believe... Thanks for posting that article, MSG! There are some really interesting figures in there (the airplay ) , but I have to agree that the real value of the song resides elsewhere, in ourselves, in our memories, the things it has meant for us at different points in our lives. You're welcome, Otto. My husband actually questioned the airplay figure. It's my firm belief that when musicians create music in order to make money, you can hear it...and it lessens the 'real' value of it. I'm not sure I have any watertight arguments to support the contention. It is what it is. Beautifully stated! I don't know if it's possible to find any watertight arguments to support that statement but, maybe, in this instance, they're not needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docron Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I agree with the money thing... thats why music sucks in the 2000's. Back in the 60's and 70's people had something to get off their chests... ... once everyone figured out there was significant money to be made doing such a thing, people started putting out all sorts of garbage... songs that you can tell have no personal meaning to the band at all. Pitiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
led zep maniack Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry. Your use of big, scary capitals and the mad faces made me see the error of my ways. I apologize profusely. HOT DOG FOREVER! HATS OFF TO WHATS-HIS-NUTS IS BETTER TOO! BAUAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! Hey, what happened to the roll text on this site? Sad I GOT YOUR HOTDOG PAL. AND IT'S PLUMP N JUICY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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