Is "Stairway to Heaven" overrated ? I say LZ is a little overrated, but the song itself is not. What a great song !! It statrts slow and melodic and ends up driving and heavy. Great solo as well.
Bryant
Bryant
Is the song "Stairway to Heaven" way overrated ?
- Thread starter Bryant
- Start date
Being that it's among the most popular rock songs ever, by default, it can't really cant avoid being 'over-rated'. There are, and always have been, people talking about it.
But based on the actual merits of the song, it deserves all the accolades. Great, emotional, moving, mystical, powerful, dynamic song....music for the gods, really.
But based on the actual merits of the song, it deserves all the accolades. Great, emotional, moving, mystical, powerful, dynamic song....music for the gods, really.
tsorl
Borne on Wings of Steel
I hate the words underrated and overrated. For something to be over- or underrated there would have to a "true", absolute level of appreciation which of course isn't the case with any piece of art as it's all about opinion. Not a personal attack on you Bryant but this is one of my internet pet peeves.
Stairway to Heaven is a popular song and a pretty good song too IMO, I'm not a big LZ fan though. If it played on the radio I wouldn't change the channel (if I ever listened to radio, that is). Still I'd take Child in Time, Bohemian Rhapsody, Astronomy, July Morning, Stargazer etc. over Stairway any day.
Stairway to Heaven is a popular song and a pretty good song too IMO, I'm not a big LZ fan though. If it played on the radio I wouldn't change the channel (if I ever listened to radio, that is). Still I'd take Child in Time, Bohemian Rhapsody, Astronomy, July Morning, Stargazer etc. over Stairway any day.
A great song. A great, great song. Zep captured a magic that is hard to duplicate, and that song does it as much (and more) than anything else in there catalogue. The problem is that it is just about everyone's intro to epic metal/hard rock songs...and so gets overplayed. Still, the atmosphere is just sooooo good. And the lyrics are crushing...
"There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking"
Still gives me the shivers if I'm driving down a country road.
"There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking"
Still gives me the shivers if I'm driving down a country road.
sixxswine
rockandrollazine.blogspot
RosesofShadow
Fuck my country
great, great song... and yeah, it's very much popular and a very much accessible rock song that's why it appealed to the masses...it has melody, it has atmosphere and it is fucking headbanging material also...
We played this back in High School in one of those Battle of the Bands contest... oh, those were the days...
We played this back in High School in one of those Battle of the Bands contest... oh, those were the days...
I'll agree with tsorl about the rateing thing. A song becomes highly popular for good reason.
My honest Stairway to Heaven story:
I was a huge Zeppelin fan, so much so that I rarely listened to anything else, things were different then, you might get half an hour or maybe a full hour before you were told to go do something or shut the stereo off and do your homework, so Led Zeppelin II became a daily requirement. I had I, II, & III, then I walk into the album section of the department store one day and there is this new nameless album in the Led Zeppelin section with nothing but a sticker on it & the fine print on the edge fold to indicate that it was indeed Led Zeppelin. I snatched it up with my lawn mowing money and took it home. I sat in my room and listened to it. Black Dog and Rock and Roll blew me away and were what I wanted to hear from Zep, then Battle of Evermore disappointed me. Now along comes this song "Stairway to Heaven" and I sat and listened, thinking "this is kinda cool", then it built and built and I got a feeling I cant describe, then the most awsome guitar solo slaps me in the face, then they come out of the guitar solo and drive it hard with Plant delivering that last verse and "too be a rock and not to roll"it winds down quickly "and shes buying a Stairway to Heaven" I was literally floored. Shaking with enthousiasm and emotion "WTF was that" I thought as I reached for the needle to have another listen, and another and another. The I put it back into the sleeve and fly out the door running to my buddies house, "you've got to hear this song".
Theres a handful of memories in everyones life they can recall like yesterday, discovering Stairway to Heaven is one of mine. So yea, Id say there is something very special about the song and in its day and for years there was little to compare, some could argueably say still to this day, though I believe there has been quite a few, But Stairway was my earliest impact. I had a nearly similiar experience when I first heard Hendrix's "Bold as Love" which was old by the time I heard it. We only had Are you Experienced and Electric Ladyland floating around for years. I picked up "Axis" at a discount around 72-74 (lawn mowing money lol)
Long after I had played Stairway to death on my cheap turntable it became mainstream FM radio play and they killed it and I wasnt happy. So yes its definantly been overplayed. Its embeded deeply in my mind and I dont even need to hear it to hear it. So this once most enthoused Stairway man would not be caught dead, requesting the song. Well maybe I will, on my death bed, "just one more time please so I can remember my youth".
** To the person who mentioned "Child in Time" and "July Morning"
Hell yea! I played the hell out of those songs too, though I prefer "Look at Yourself" and "Lazy" even though they are not as epic an atmosphere. "Lazy" definantly got the "WTF was that" and played over and over.
My honest Stairway to Heaven story:
I was a huge Zeppelin fan, so much so that I rarely listened to anything else, things were different then, you might get half an hour or maybe a full hour before you were told to go do something or shut the stereo off and do your homework, so Led Zeppelin II became a daily requirement. I had I, II, & III, then I walk into the album section of the department store one day and there is this new nameless album in the Led Zeppelin section with nothing but a sticker on it & the fine print on the edge fold to indicate that it was indeed Led Zeppelin. I snatched it up with my lawn mowing money and took it home. I sat in my room and listened to it. Black Dog and Rock and Roll blew me away and were what I wanted to hear from Zep, then Battle of Evermore disappointed me. Now along comes this song "Stairway to Heaven" and I sat and listened, thinking "this is kinda cool", then it built and built and I got a feeling I cant describe, then the most awsome guitar solo slaps me in the face, then they come out of the guitar solo and drive it hard with Plant delivering that last verse and "too be a rock and not to roll"it winds down quickly "and shes buying a Stairway to Heaven" I was literally floored. Shaking with enthousiasm and emotion "WTF was that" I thought as I reached for the needle to have another listen, and another and another. The I put it back into the sleeve and fly out the door running to my buddies house, "you've got to hear this song".
Theres a handful of memories in everyones life they can recall like yesterday, discovering Stairway to Heaven is one of mine. So yea, Id say there is something very special about the song and in its day and for years there was little to compare, some could argueably say still to this day, though I believe there has been quite a few, But Stairway was my earliest impact. I had a nearly similiar experience when I first heard Hendrix's "Bold as Love" which was old by the time I heard it. We only had Are you Experienced and Electric Ladyland floating around for years. I picked up "Axis" at a discount around 72-74 (lawn mowing money lol)
Long after I had played Stairway to death on my cheap turntable it became mainstream FM radio play and they killed it and I wasnt happy. So yes its definantly been overplayed. Its embeded deeply in my mind and I dont even need to hear it to hear it. So this once most enthoused Stairway man would not be caught dead, requesting the song. Well maybe I will, on my death bed, "just one more time please so I can remember my youth".
** To the person who mentioned "Child in Time" and "July Morning"
Hell yea! I played the hell out of those songs too, though I prefer "Look at Yourself" and "Lazy" even though they are not as epic an atmosphere. "Lazy" definantly got the "WTF was that" and played over and over.
- Nov 24, 2002
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Absolutely overplayed. And because of that song I went in search of the single and ended buying the album and Iron Maiden "Piece Of Mind" tape. So in a way I owe to LZ to start my metal rebirth.
The song was today on radio and I turn the volume down, I can't stand it anymore...overplayed.
NP: Poisonblack - 'Raivotar'
zeppelin
pÇÆuÉq Çq ɹo ÆuÉq
AhGem.... All bow to Led Zeppelin or the streets shall flow with the blood of the non believers
On a serious note though, radio did kill it but it'll never be overrated.
On a serious note though, radio did kill it but it'll never be overrated.
SickBoy
Croatian Panzer division
I agree with this post word for word!
I never dug LZ much and especially not Page's very overrated playing... But IMO they deserve their status because of this song alone, it's really their peak moment!
rokk
Long Live =^.^=
Never have liked Zep personally and yes IMO Stairway is overplayed even though its a great song. We used to spin the record backward just to hear the Satanic messages. If I remember right you can almost hear something just at the point where the lyrics go: "Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run There's still time to change the road you're on."
NP: http://www.pandora.com/
NP: http://www.pandora.com/
No-Mercy
Feanor
Vimana
Member
- Mar 2, 2007
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Jimmy Page is in no way overrated, he pretty much comes up with a few good riffs for every single song they have. And peak is like peaking at something, you mean pique.
zoidberg
Mallcore Kid
I'll agree with tsorl about the rateing thing. A song becomes highly popular for good reason.
My honest Stairway to Heaven story:
I was a huge Zeppelin fan, so much so that I rarely listened to anything else, things were different then, you might get half an hour or maybe a full hour before you were told to go do something or shut the stereo off and do your homework, so Led Zeppelin II became a daily requirement. I had I, II, & III, then I walk into the album section of the department store one day and there is this new nameless album in the Led Zeppelin section with nothing but a sticker on it & the fine print on the edge fold to indicate that it was indeed Led Zeppelin. I snatched it up with my lawn mowing money and took it home. I sat in my room and listened to it. Black Dog and Rock and Roll blew me away and were what I wanted to hear from Zep, then Battle of Evermore disappointed me. Now along comes this song "Stairway to Heaven" and I sat and listened, thinking "this is kinda cool", then it built and built and I got a feeling I cant describe, then the most awsome guitar solo slaps me in the face, then they come out of the guitar solo and drive it hard with Plant delivering that last verse and "too be a rock and not to roll"it winds down quickly "and shes buying a Stairway to Heaven" I was literally floored. Shaking with enthousiasm and emotion "WTF was that" I thought as I reached for the needle to have another listen, and another and another. The I put it back into the sleeve and fly out the door running to my buddies house, "you've got to hear this song".
Theres a handful of memories in everyones life they can recall like yesterday, discovering Stairway to Heaven is one of mine. So yea, Id say there is something very special about the song and in its day and for years there was little to compare, some could argueably say still to this day, though I believe there has been quite a few, But Stairway was my earliest impact. I had a nearly similiar experience when I first heard Hendrix's "Bold as Love" which was old by the time I heard it. We only had Are you Experienced and Electric Ladyland floating around for years. I picked up "Axis" at a discount around 72-74 (lawn mowing money lol)
Long after I had played Stairway to death on my cheap turntable it became mainstream FM radio play and they killed it and I wasnt happy. So yes its definantly been overplayed. Its embeded deeply in my mind and I dont even need to hear it to hear it. So this once most enthoused Stairway man would not be caught dead, requesting the song. Well maybe I will, on my death bed, "just one more time please so I can remember my youth".
** To the person who mentioned "Child in Time" and "July Morning"
felt like bolding the post.
sixxswine
rockandrollazine.blogspot
I haven't listened to it for this Satanic message that you are referring to....
- Nov 24, 2002
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Some Christians are always bashing the song because it supposedly in a subtle manner trying to convince you to deviate from the good path, etc.
I just know that definitively AC/DC wrote 'Highway To Hell' to mock STH, and even if overplayed too I like it way better than the Zep song
NP: Amaran's Plight - 'Reflections pt.1'
maiden1
50 QUID.I.A.S.A.FOR
mdmatt4ever
Member
- Sep 27, 2006
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zeppelin and page are overrated. i can't find the website right now but on the megadeth forum someone posted a link that tells you all the songs that page/zeppelin "borrowed" aka stole the riff from and in some cases page stole the solo too. if someone can find the webpage it would be great. it covers the songs on the first 4 zeppelin albums. most of the riffs are taken from either old blues songs, bands that opened for led zeppelin or yardbirds songs and most of the solo's are jeff beck solo's from the yardbirds. there are a few times zeppelin actual credits the people who wrote the song but then put themselves as cowriters even though nothing in the song has been changed
EDIT: nevermind heres the link http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/jimmypage.html
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