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>Stairway To Heaven lovers<


Blue_Soul

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Stairway to Heaven is a particularly universally great song. I can play that song for ANYONE of any age, culture or experience and it is loved by all. Little kids who have never heard the song all love the opening arpeggio as if it was encoded in there genes.

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Stairway is definitly NOT my favorite Zeppelin song. It may have something to do with being a teen in the '70's. It was on the radio all the time, kinda like Freebird of Hotel California, all excellent music but jeez how many more times?

My intention with this thread was not to discuss how "awful" it is but to find it out if there are more people like me here who just love it and don't think it's overrated, their worst song, a disgrace or whatever (not saying you think so but I know some other people do). I hoped this could be a shelter for all those who love the song and don't want to be attacked for it or simply don't want to hear how "bad" it is. <_< Therefore the title you know ;)

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My intention with this thread was not to discuss how "awful" it is but to find it out if there are more people like me here who just love it and don't think it's overrated, their worst song, a disgrace or whatever (not saying you think so but I know some other people do). I hoped this could be a shelter for all those who love the song and don't want to be attacked for it or simply don't want to hear how "bad" it is. <_< Therefore the title you know ;)

Stairway to heaven is a real rock anthem. The problem is, like many other superpopular songs, that you get tired of listening to it, and then you realise there are plenty of enjoyable songs behind. Th Doors fan would feel the same with Light My Firem as any deep purple fan would do with smoke on the water.

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Stairway to heaven is a real rock anthem. The problem is, like many other superpopular songs, that you get tired of listening to it, and then you realise there are plenty of enjoyable songs behind. Th Doors fan would feel the same with Light My Firem as any deep purple fan would do with smoke on the water.

That's not what I meant, it's absolutely fine if you think so but why do those of you who do then come to a thread which has the title "Stairway To Heaven lovers"? When reading here and somehwere else on the internet I noticed that people who don't like it either

a) think it's overrated/average, for example because it is poorly written (music or lyrics) or

b.) think the hype is too much and it's irritating them or

c) think it doesn't fit in LZ's musical genre or

d) have listened to it "too often" and it's irritating them or

e) think that people who have "Stairway To Heaven" as their favorite song or simply love it know nothing about LZ/claim themselves to be fans although they actually aren't and they don't want to belong into this group

I'm not saying each of the reasons listed above applies to everyone here who doesn't like it and I don't want to insult anyone especially not those who say they think Stairway To Heaven simply isn't their favorite as they think other songs are way better, that is an absolute legitimate reason but aren't there threads which would be more appropriate to post in then, like the Overrated Songs thread for example? Or simply open a thread like "Stairway To Heaven sucks" or whatever. I wouldn't come to post in that thread then as it simply wouldn't apply to me. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course but I think threads should stay on topic. Perhaps we should open a "Stairway To Heaven" discuss thread were we can discuss why the song is either great or bad but I don't think we should do it here.

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  • 2 weeks later...
After reading some posts I notice that some of you are not really too fond of Stairway To Heaven, which is perfectly okay of course because everyone has other preferences. But as I am totally in love with that song and it is by far my favorite Led Zeppelin song and one of my all-time favorites I'm curious if some other people here feel the same way. Stairway To Heaven was the song that made me curious about them, to be exact it was the rumors about the backwards lyrics, I got interested in that stuff and during "investigating" ;) I realized how beautiful this song is. I think it's amazing how it starts totally calm and then during the song when the guitar and the drums enter later it becomes more and more energetic. Not to mention the guitar solo and the end, just stunning! Anyone else? :)

I like the song, always have and I go back to when it was first out. To me it is a signature song. The other posters talk about it like it's bubblegum. I know it was over played by I still like it. You cannot knock any song LZ ever did, it's like knocking Rembrandt!

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My intention with this thread was not to discuss how "awful" it is but to find it out if there are more people like me here who just love it and don't think it's overrated, their worst song, a disgrace or whatever (not saying you think so but I know some other people do). I hoped this could be a shelter for all those who love the song and don't want to be attacked for it or simply don't want to hear how "bad" it is. <_< Therefore the title you know ;)

I was amused when guitar shops band Stairway to Heaven, and now I'm amused that its now ok to walk in and grab a guitar and play Stairway to Heaven. I never had a problem with playing that song and I still don't cause its great. Light and Shade- Right?

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That's not what I meant, it's absolutely fine if you think so but why do those of you who do then come to a thread which has the title "Stairway To Heaven lovers"? When reading here and somehwere else on the internet I noticed that people who don't like it either

a) think it's overrated/average, for example because it is poorly written (music or lyrics) or

b.) think the hype is too much and it's irritating them or

c) think it doesn't fit in LZ's musical genre or

d) have listened to it "too often" and it's irritating them or

e) think that people who have "Stairway To Heaven" as their favorite song or simply love it know nothing about LZ/claim themselves to be fans although they actually aren't and they don't want to belong into this group

I'm not saying each of the reasons listed above applies to everyone here who doesn't like it and I don't want to insult anyone especially not those who say they think Stairway To Heaven simply isn't their favorite as they think other songs are way better, that is an absolute legitimate reason but aren't there threads which would be more appropriate to post in then, like the Overrated Songs thread for example? Or simply open a thread like "Stairway To Heaven sucks" or whatever. I wouldn't come to post in that thread then as it simply wouldn't apply to me. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course but I think threads should stay on topic. Perhaps we should open a "Stairway To Heaven" discuss thread were we can discuss why the song is either great or bad but I don't think we should do it here.

Hi Blue_Soul :wave:

I understand you on STH. I remember we talked about it a little bit back here:

http://forums.ledzeppelin.com//index.php?s...c=438&st=20

http://forums.ledzeppelin.com//index.php?showtopic=438

STH wasn't the first Zep song that I heard nor was it the very first song that I heard played lived (although it was played at my first Zep concert) but, as I wrote before, it will always have a very special place in my heart:

...instantaneously evoke other sensory experiences that will forever be associated with those particular songs. It is probably for that reason that I have been accused of being the only person who never tires of listening to STH. I am not just listening to the song; I am reliving some of the best experiences of my life.

If you ever heard them play this live in the LA Forum 1977 shows, you'd gain some new respect. Even if you're sick of the studio and TSRTS cuts. The energy towards the end will knock you on your ass. :o

I wasn't at the '77 shows but I was at the earlier ones and I know what you mean. Nothing like hearing STH live back in Zep's heyday. You are absolute right about the energy - it definitely knocked you on your ass - or knocked the wind out of you. :beer:

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MadScreamingGallery and icantquityoubabe, I love your posts and I agree. Although I am still quite young and therefore cannot be a fan of it for as long as you two have been, the song is very special to me. In my opinion it represents so many different feelings, like sadness, hope, joy... and I can listen to it anytime no matter in which mood I am, because it somehow always fits. It cheers me up and makes me contemplative at the same time. And for me, if there's only one song out there which can be called perfect, it has to be STH. And as for the people who don't like it and bash the song or even the people who love it, I respect their opinions but I don't really care about it anymore. If they want to think you're not a real fan if you love it, I can live with that. Those people know nothing about me and if they want to keep that point of view it's their right to do so as it is mine to love the song. I'm so indescribable happy that this song exists cause it got me into LZ and their wonderful music besides STH. :)

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Not my favourite Zep song but definitely a song that I LOVE with all my heart!!! Its certainly one of their most beautiful songs...it has it all, the beautiful guitar, beautiful lyrics, one of Page's best solo ever...It really has this amazing epic dimension. This song has a mystique. I also hate people who think that to be a Zep fan you gotta hate the song. That's bullshit. I mean Jimmy loves the song! So what? They certainly don't hate him. Robert has issues with this song that we may never understand but that's another story. Bottom line is I LOVE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN and I live, breath, drink, eat Led Zeppelin.

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To me it is the song of all songs. The Holy Grail of music. In Rolling Stone magazine over 25 yrs ago I remember it said people will listen to Stairway to Heaven over 100 yrs from now. It is a song of the ages. I love every Zeppelin album and song (except Hats off to Harper). I am not a fan because of this one song. But it is such a special song I only play it on occasions now. I know that when I leave this earth my daughters will play it at my funeral. It is magical in every sense. And Ive heard people say the lead on the studio album is so great that they wonder if Page could duplicate it again. I think the studio version has a magic about it that sometimes is lost in most of the live recordings-even though I love them too. I dont know how anyone in their right mind coudl make such statements that they are sick of it or it is overplayed. Well, dont play it so often-save it for special times like I do. It is the greatest song ever done in my opinion. And I have not wavered my opinion on that in over 30 years.

I love what you wrote here. If STH is as special to you as it is to me, we can't worry about what others think. Each of us has songs that are important and meaningful to us but not all of us feel the need to comment or criticize another's choice. I absolutely get what you mean about magical. :beer:

MadScreamingGallery and icantquityoubabe, I love your posts and I agree. Although I am still quite young and therefore cannot be a fan of it for as long as you two have been, the song is very special to me. In my opinion it represents so many different feelings, like sadness, hope, joy... and I can listen to it anytime no matter in which mood I am, because it somehow always fits. It cheers me up and makes me contemplative at the same time. And for me, if there's only one song out there which can be called perfect, it has to be STH. And as for the people who don't like it and bash the song or even the people who love it, I respect their opinions but I don't really care about it anymore. If they want to think you're not a real fan if you love it, I can live with that. Those people know nothing about me and if they want to keep that point of view it's their right to do so as it is mine to love the song. I'm so indescribable happy that this song exists cause it got me into LZ and their wonderful music besides STH. :)

I think that the fact that you are young and have recently discovered this song and know how special it is to you speaks volumes about the depth of STH. At one time, the song was associated, by some, with young 70's era American LZ fans (and because of that was somewhat stereotyped). It's great to learn of its universal and timeless appeal. You're right: it touches on so many different feelings. Only we know the depth of our own "fandom" - it's not for others to judge that.

Not my favourite Zep song but definitely a song that I LOVE with all my heart!!! Its certainly one of their most beautiful songs...it has it all, the beautiful guitar, beautiful lyrics, one of Page's best solo ever...It really has this amazing epic dimension. This song has a mystique. I also hate people who think that to be a Zep fan you gotta hate the song. That's bullshit. I mean Jimmy loves the song! So what? They certainly don't hate him. Robert has issues with this song that we may never understand but that's another story. Bottom line is I LOVE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN and I live, breath, drink, eat Led Zeppelin.

Well said.

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I think that the fact that you are young and have recently discovered this song and know how special it is to you speaks volumes about the depth of STH. At one time, the song was associated, by some, with young 70's era American LZ fans (and because of that was somewhat stereotyped). It's great to learn of its universal and timeless appeal. You're right: it touches on so many different feelings. Only we know the depth of our own "fandom" - it's not for others to judge that.

You're right, and it's actually not their business either :D I didn't know it mostly appealed to young American fans in the 70s... but it's quite interesting to know. I don't like all this stereotype thinking. I don't think all the people who love STH are all the same... but everyone is entitled to their opinion :rolleyes: But I agree that it is definitely timeless!

Anyone wanna teach me why this pic

stairwaytoheavend4dtk0.jpg

is associated with STH? I see that it makes sense as it excactly shows that, a stairway to heaven, but I mean why is it associated with Led Zeppelin? Did they use it officially in context with the song? Because I often see it on the web when reading about STH. :unsure:

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Still love that song after 30 years. Nope it has never gotten old. I don't overplay it to myself and I don't listen to the radio that much so it sounds as fresh today as it did back then, maybe more so because in my mind the song is now removed from all period contexts. the seventies, the lighters the bell bottom pants are long gone and the song still does remain the same.

Anyone who think s it is a joke well the joke is on them because they just don't really get it. Stairway to Heaven is the essence of everything that is Led Zeppelin.

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Every time this topic comes up my response is that Stairway has been blacklisted based on radio overplay 20+ years ago. When I was growing up in the 80s I did NOT hear Stairway on the radio. When LZ became more mainstream on classic rock stations right after the boxed set came out, you'd be much more likely to hear D'Yer Maker and Over the Hills. Within the modern era, those songs are by far the most overplayed.

So this is altogether generational. People who are old enough to remember when Stairway WAS overplayed on the radio still seem to think that's the case today--like some form of post traumatic stress disorder. The reality today is the opposite. It is almost NEVER played on the radio today and probably deliberately so. So anyone under 35 probably has no understanding of the whole "Stairway fatigue syndrome".

So all sense of objectivity has been lost with Stairway. Everyone is just judging it based on how often it was played on the radio long ago or whether it's banned in a guitar store. And Robert Plant's aversion to it has just made the situation even sadder.

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Every time this topic comes up my response is that Stairway has been blacklisted based on radio overplay 20+ years ago. When I was growing up in the 80s I did NOT hear Stairway on the radio. When LZ became more mainstream on classic rock stations right after the boxed set came out, you'd be much more likely to hear D'Yer Maker and Over the Hills. Within the modern era, those songs are by far the most overplayed.

So this is altogether generational. People who are old enough to remember when Stairway WAS overplayed on the radio still seem to think that's the case today--like some form of post traumatic stress disorder. The reality today is the opposite. It is almost NEVER played on the radio today and probably deliberately so. So anyone under 35 probably has no understanding of the whole "Stairway fatigue syndrome".

So all sense of objectivity has been lost with Stairway. Everyone is just judging it based on how often it was played on the radio long ago or whether it's banned in a guitar store. And Robert Plant's aversion to it has just made the situation even sadder.

I hear STH all the time on radio so it depends where you live and what stations you listen to

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After reading some posts I notice that some of you are not really too fond of Stairway To Heaven, which is perfectly okay of course because everyone has other preferences. But as I am totally in love with that song and it is by far my favorite Led Zeppelin song and one of my all-time favorites I'm curious if some other people here feel the same way. Stairway To Heaven was the song that made me curious about them, to be exact it was the rumors about the backwards lyrics, I got interested in that stuff and during "investigating" ;) I realized how beautiful this song is. I think it's amazing how it starts totally calm and then during the song when the guitar and the drums enter later it becomes more and more energetic. Not to mention the guitar solo and the end, just stunning! Anyone else? :)

Don't take my username literally...it's just an allusion to Wayne's World, the sign in the guitar store that says "No Stairway" or something like that...I forget. It's an awesome song.

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Every time this topic comes up my response is that Stairway has been blacklisted based on radio overplay 20+ years ago. When I was growing up in the 80s I did NOT hear Stairway on the radio. When LZ became more mainstream on classic rock stations right after the boxed set came out, you'd be much more likely to hear D'Yer Maker and Over the Hills. Within the modern era, those songs are by far the most overplayed.

So this is altogether generational. People who are old enough to remember when Stairway WAS overplayed on the radio still seem to think that's the case today--like some form of post traumatic stress disorder. The reality today is the opposite. It is almost NEVER played on the radio today and probably deliberately so. So anyone under 35 probably has no understanding of the whole "Stairway fatigue syndrome".

So all sense of objectivity has been lost with Stairway. Everyone is just judging it based on how often it was played on the radio long ago or whether it's banned in a guitar store. And Robert Plant's aversion to it has just made the situation even sadder.

I cannot speak for other countries, but in Germany it is hardly ever or even never played on the radio nowadays (I don't know how it was back in the 70s as I was born in 1983). So the argument that it is overplayed on the radio doesn't work here ;) And about the guitar store ban, I think it wasn't the only song, here's a sign that bans two other songs from playing, too :D

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Stairway will always be my favourite song ever. I don't care if people call it cliche, or whatever, but the song means so much to me. Being a young'un I haven't been hearing it every day for 30 years like a lot of people, so I can't think of it as cliche, or overplayed, or overrated, or whatever else people call it. It basically started my passionate affair with music, and is very close to my heart. People can go ahead and hate it, that's cool, doesn't make a difference to me!

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After reading some posts I notice that some of you are not really too fond of Stairway To Heaven, which is perfectly okay of course because everyone has other preferences. But as I am totally in love with that song and it is by far my favorite Led Zeppelin song and one of my all-time favorites I'm curious if some other people here feel the same way. Stairway To Heaven was the song that made me curious about them, to be exact it was the rumors about the backwards lyrics, I got interested in that stuff and during "investigating" ;) I realized how beautiful this song is. I think it's amazing how it starts totally calm and then during the song when the guitar and the drums enter later it becomes more and more energetic. Not to mention the guitar solo and the end, just stunning! Anyone else? :)

Stairway is a beautiful song...I think! And yes Jimmy's solo on the song is also so beautiful. God I love that man's guitar playing. It is so moving!

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I love Stairway to Heaven. It's just sheer brilliance. Every time I hear it I whistle to JPJ's recorder, sing with Robert Plant, and play air guitar during Jimmy's solo. :) It's one of the first Led Zeppelin songs I ever heard. Surprisingly enough, it took a few listens for it to grow on me as I didn't think as highly of it because it took so long for it to start rocking in the way I'd always heard Zeppelin. But after that I grew to love it for the great song that it is. I do think it's probably played a little too often on the radio but it's actually not too bad around here.... it's pretty evened out in what they play

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