Stairway to Heaven
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame US The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll 1994 *
Classic Rock UK Ten of the Best Songs Ever ! 1999 1
VH1 US The 100 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time 2000 3
RIAA US Songs of the Century 2001 53
Grammy Awards US Grammy Hall of Fame Award 2003 *
Rolling Stone US The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 2003 31
Q UK 100 Songs That Changed the World 2003 47
Toby Creswell Australia 1001 Songs : the Great Songs of All Time 2005 *
Q UK 100 Greatest Songs of All Time 2006 8
Guitar World US 100 Greatest Guitar Solos 2006 1
Rolling Stone US 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time 2008 8
Triple J Australia Hottest 100 of All Time 2009 10
Accolades
Stairway to Heaven is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's untitled fourth studio album (often called Led Zeppelin IV). It is often considered the best rock song and widely regarded by many as the greatest song of all time. The song has three sections, each one progressively increasing in tempo and volume. The song begins in a slow tempo with acoustic instruments (guitar and recorders) before introducing electric instruments. The final section is an uptempo hard rock arrangement highlighted by Page's intricate guitar solo (considered by many to be one of the greatest ever) accompanying Plant's vocals that end 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, and was placed at number 31 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was the most requested song on FM radio stations in the United States in the 1970s, despite never having been commercially released as a single there. In November 2007, through download sales promoting Led Zeppelin's Mothership release, Stairway to Heaven hit number 37 on the UK Singles Chart.