61 Stairway to Heaven

LED ZEPPELIN 1971

All epic anthems must measure themselves against “Stairway to Heaven.” The acoustic intro sounds positively Elizabethan, thanks to John Paul Jones’ recorder solo and Robert Plant’s fanciful lyrics, partly inspired by Lewis Spence’s historical tome Magic Arts in Celtic Britain. Over eight minutes, the song morphs into a furious Jimmy Page solo that storms heaven’s gate. Page said the song “crystallized the essence of the band,” adding, “Every musician wants to do something of lasting quality, something which will hold up for a long time. We did it with ‘Stairway.’ “