Stairway to Heaven facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Stairway to Heaven" |
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American radio promotional sleeve
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| Song by Led Zeppelin | |
| from the album Led Zeppelin IV | |
| Released | 8 November 1971 |
| Recorded | December 1970 – 1971 |
| Studio | Island Studios, London |
| Genre | |
| Length | 7:55 |
| Label | Atlantic |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page |
"Stairway to Heaven" is a very famous song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It came out in late 1971. The band's guitarist, Jimmy Page, and lead singer, Robert Plant, wrote it. They created it for their fourth studio album, which is often called Led Zeppelin IV. Many people think this song is one of the greatest rock songs ever made.
The song has three main parts. Each part gets a little faster and louder than the one before it. It starts slowly with quiet instruments like an acoustic guitar and recorders. Then, electric instruments join in, making the sound bigger. The last part is a fast and powerful hard rock section. It features an amazing guitar solo by Jimmy Page and strong singing from Robert Plant. The song ends quietly with just Plant's voice saying, "And she's buying a stairway to heaven."
"Stairway to Heaven" was super popular on FM radio stations in the United States. This was true even though it was never officially sold as a single there. In 2000, VH1 ranked it number three on their list of the "100 Greatest Rock Songs." In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine put it at number 31 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." Later, in November 2007, the song became popular again through online downloads. It reached number 37 on the UK Singles Chart.
Awards and Recognition
"Stairway to Heaven" has won many awards and been recognized by different groups. These awards show how important and loved the song is in music history.
| Group or Magazine | Country | Award or List | Year | Rank |
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| 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" | 2004 | 31 |
| Rolling Stone | US | "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" | 2021 | 61 |
| 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 |
(*) means the lists were not in a specific order.
Who Played on the Song
Here are the people who played on "Stairway to Heaven":
- Robert Plant – He sang the main vocals.
- Jimmy Page – He played electric and acoustic guitars. He also helped produce the song.
- John Paul Jones – He played bass guitar, electric piano, and recorders.
- John Bonham – He played the drums.
See also
In Spanish: Stairway to Heaven para niños
