Music Gear News
At Gear4Music.com we update our news channel daily to ensure you always get the latest and most important music news.
Stairway to Heaven 'was an accidental success'
Posted on 17th Nov 2009 19:00 to category Band / Celebrity News
Nearly every electric guitar player in the land knows Led Zeppelin's classic song Stairway to Heaven, but its success apparently came about by accident.
The track was written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page and first appeared on the Led Zeppelin IV album in 1971, but it was never issued as a single.
However, it did go on to become very popular with radio disc jockeys, despite being more than eight minutes long.
According to Charles Cross, author of a recent biography on the rock band, its length was one of the reasons it was played on the radio so often.
"I literally had a 100 DJs swear to me that they only played the song because they needed a long break to go and smoke a cigarette," he told the New York Post.
Cross added that they would not have had time to smoke a full cigarette if it had been any shorter.
The song was included in the setlist at Led Zeppelin's one-off reunion gig at the O2 Arena in London two years ago.
However, Robert Plant has so far ruled out the possibility of a full-time reformation, preferring instead to concentrate on his collaboration with Alison Krauss.
Page has recently been working on the movie documentary It Might Get Loud, while bass guitar player John Paul Jones is now performing with Dave Grohl in Them Crooked Vultures.
Related Music News ▼
Newt Gingrich sued over the use of Eye of the Tiger. MORE »
Jack White has explained that his new studio album is a creative piece of work that only he could have made MORE »
MIA has confirmed that she will be performing alongside Madonna and Nick Minaj at the Super Bowl. MORE »
Sir Elton John has implied Madonna will not be singing live during her forthcoming half-time show at the US Super Bowl by advising her to ''lip-sync good'' when she performs. MORE »
Sir Paul McCartney is writing a track for a computer game because he thinks it is the best way to get younger people to hear his new music. MORE »
Recent Music News ▼
Clive Carroll is to play a history of music on his trusty acoustic guitar. MORE »
Kanye West wants to shoot scenes for his new film in the Middle East.Kanye West looks to the Middle East MORE »
David Lee Roth has revealed that his voice has a bit of David Bowie and Eric Clapton. MORE »
Black Sabbath's Bill Ward says he won't sign the current album contract. MORE »
The inquest into the tragic death of Amy Winehouse may be declared illegal. MORE »
The city of Waukesha has been selected to be a Gibson GuitarTown. MORE »
News by Category:
News by Date:
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
10135 products currently online
From 345 manufacturers
Gear4music.com is a trading name of Red Submarine Limited.
UK company number 3113256. © 1999 - 2012