‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zeppelin is without a doubt one of the most recognizable tunes in the annals of rock music. The song, which was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, has been performed by a number of performers, but just one has Jimmy Page’s personal approval.
Heart sang “Stairway to Heaven” live in 2012 at the Kennedy Center Honors, accompanied by an orchestra, two choirs, and John Bonham’s son, Jason Bonham. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant saw the performance and expressed their admiration for the musicians.
Led Zeppelin is still one of the most well-known bands in the rock music scene despite breaking up in 1980. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham made up the band in 1968. Led Zeppelin made the decision to end their musical career after a fruitful career as a famous rock band in the wake of Bonham’s passing.
Zeppelin has produced some of the best rock songs ever, including “Whole Lotta Love,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Black Dog,” and the most well-known rock song of all time, “Stairway to Heaven.” Led Zeppelin IV, the group’s fourth album, contains the iconic Zeppelin song “Stairway to Heaven.” The song, which was written by Page and Plant, is still a staple in the world of rock music and has been covered by a number of artists. Jimmy Page does not appear to have liked it when other bands covered their signature tune, with Heart being the sole exception.
Heart received a standing ovation from the audience following the performance, which caused Plant to cry with happiness. After that, the cover became popular, garnering over four million YouTube views in the first five days following the concert. Moreover, a limited-edition iTunes single of the performance was also released by Kennedy Center.
Plant and Page liked the band’s performance, Heart’s Nancy Wilson said in an interview. Plant acknowledged that the song’s previous poor covers had made him loathe it, but Heart’s rendition of it had done it right. Page agreed, complimenting the group on their excellent performance.
“It went off really great. Afterward, the Zeppelin guys each came back individually. Jones was like, ‘Wow, you did a great job’ and Robert Plant goes, ‘Whoah, I learned to just hate that song because everybody murders it – but you did it justice,” she told to Eddie Trunk. “Way to go!’ And Jimmy Page goes ‘You played that great; just lovely.‘”
Heart’s cover of “Stairway to Heaven” was not only popular; it also had a significant effect. Once Led Zeppelin split up, Page made the decision to forbid any other
artist from performing the song because he felt they wouldn’t be able to give it justice. He merely consented to the song’s instrumental track being aired. He was persuaded to modify his opinion after hearing Heart’s version.
You can hear Heart perform “Stairway to Heaven” below, along with the band members of Led Zeppelin responding to it.
