Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' Voted Greatest Guitar Solo by More Than 2,000 Guitarists
A 1971 track by one of the most iconic bands in all of music history has been celebrated by guitarists for featuring the greatest guitar solo of all time. Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' was No. 1 on a prestigious list that was compiled by people who truly care about the art of playing guitar.
Who Ranked Led Zeppelin’s 'Stairway to Heaven' the Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time?
In March 2006, the readers of Total Guitar magazine were asked to vote on what the single greatest guitar solo in music history was. While the results were printed in a magazine issue that is no longer easy to find, the results have been chronicled by articles published by outlets like American Songwriter and The Guardian.
Based on more than 2,000 votes from the guitar enthusiasts who voted, Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' was crowned as the song that featured the greatest guitar solo ever. That was far from the only time that the song has been given that massive honor. For example, in 2016, the readers of Classic Rock magazine also ranked it the best guitar solo ever.
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Performed by the legendary Jimmy Page, there are many reasons why the solo continues to receive immense praise 50 years after it was released. For example, the way that the song builds for minutes before the solo kicks in allows it to be a massive emotional payoff. Just as importantly, it fits the track to perfection, unlike some solos that are mesmerizing but feel out of place. In 2022, the team at Total Guitar described other reasons why the solo is so iconic in poetic terms.
"From the moment Jimmy Page plays the opening run on his ’59 Fender Telecaster (not a Les Paul in sight!) right through to the flurry of notes and the wailing bend that completes it, this is guitar solo perfection. A masterpiece of composition. Rather than wander aimlessly on the guitar, Page creates a ‘song within a song’."
Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Became a Huge Hit Even Though It Wasn’t a Single
Since 'Stairway to Heaven' is an iconic musical epic, most people would likely assume the song was released as a single. While that isn't true, the song still became a gigantic hit for the band.
There are several indications of the song's success, including the fact that it has been streamed on Spotify more than 1.288 billion times. Perhaps the greatest indication that the song was a hit is that in 2019, Billboard named 'Stairway to Heaven' the Led Zeppelin song that generated the most money in the legendary band's history.
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