There are songs that address social issues with a hard tempo and straightforward lyrics. Then there is “Stairway to Heaven,” which takes you on a journey of enlightenment, like taking a red pill and realizing living in the filth of the matrix.
The song juxtaposes allegories and mysticism, creating an encrypted script that reflects our society of materialism, greed, capitalism, and inequality.
But those who were privy to these perils could decode the true essence of the song, and it soon became a melancholic anthem for generations. But the lyricism is not the only ingenuity of the song; the initial few seconds of the music transcends you to the pearly gates. The brilliant guitar riff is like an inner monologue that compels you to focus on the rest of the song.
When Led Zepplin released their 1971 album, titled “Led Zepplin IV,” no one could have predicted a song could create a musical history. The “Stairway Riff” (as called in the Rock n’ Roll community) was written by the band’s guitarist, Jimmy Page. He was one dude who explored all music genres and was particularly fascinated by blues music.
Page first started arranging the chords back in 1960 as he played with blues progression on his guitar. He was inspired by legendary Blues artist Robert Johnson. And a decade later, he produced the world’s most well-known piece of music.
The song was so influential that Rolling Stone magazine ranked no. 31 of the “500 greatest songs of all time” in 2004. In 2009, Guitar World magazine ranked Jimmy Page’s guitar solo at no. 1 out of “100 Greatest Guitar Solos in Rock and Roll History.”
And now, decades later, the song still brings shivers down the spine for how relevant the message is even today.
However, with the immortal popularity and relevancy of the song, it was also embroiled in some controversies.
Stairway To Heaven: History Of Bizzare Controversies
Copyright controversy:
In 2016, a relatively unknown band, Spirits, accused Led Zepplin of plagiarizing their song “Taurus,” which was recorded three years earlier than the release of Led Zepplin IV.
The band claimed the famous stairway Riff was actually liable for a copyright strike.
Listen to the song from time stamp 0:45. The chord progression sounds similar to Led Zepplin’s song. This lawsuit was taken to court in 2016, with a subsequent hearing in an 11-person jury in September 2019.
In the end, Led Zepplin won the appeal in the copyright case.
Satanic Implications:
In a weird turn of events, a religious leader once claimed that one verse of the song promotes satanism. When the middle verse is played backward, the stanza sounds like it has references to satan–
“Here’s to my sweet Satan / The one whose little path would make me sad whose power is Satan, / He’ll give you, he’ll give you 666 / There was a little tool shed where he made us suffer, sad Satan.”
However, the Led Zepplin songwriter Robert Plant himself denounced these claims in a stern manner–
“To me it’s very sad, because ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, that’s not my idea of making music.”
But there seems to be another bizarre controversy that borderlines amusing. “Stairway to Heaven” is officially declared as a forbidden Riff. What does it mean?
What do Forbidden Riffs Mean?
Imagine you are alone in a room with a child, and you ask him to sing a song. The child starts singing a nursery rhyme. You applaud the child and compliment him. Now the child is encouraged and starts singing the song again…and again…and again… and again to infinity. Are your ears bleeding yet?
Now put this context in a musical instrument store. Every guitarist that enters the shop asks to check out the latest guitars; at that moment, they start showing off their skills. And most of the time, it’s the select few songs that are covered repeatedly.
As a joke, the shop owners ban certain songs due to how overplayed they are.
Here are some of the most famous forbidden riffs–
- Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
- Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple
- Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses
- Enter Sandman by Metallica
- Back In Black by AC/DC
And also…Stairway to Heaven.
Why Is Stairway to Heaven a Forbidden Riff?
The song is an aspiration for most musicians. The music achieved its anthemic status due to the genius behind the songwriting. Every guitarist must have attempted the Riff at least once in their lifetime. The song was so influential that radio stations would play the song on repeat during the 70s. And the echoes of which are heard in this generation as well.
As a fun collective joke, Stairway to Heaven is considered a Forbidden Riff because of how often the guitarists would just casually play the tune. Hence, most stores have “banned” the Riff. But if you are a true Led Zepplin fan, you must rebel against any bans…. Play whatever you want!
What are your thoughts on the forbidden Riff? Do you believe that “Stairway to Heaven” is plagiarized?
What are your interpretations of the song? Let us know in the comments section below.
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