Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven (REACTION!) 

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"Led Zeppelin didn't write songs that everybody liked, they left that for the Bee Gees" -Wayne's World

"And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last" definitely applies here

I’ve been listening to Led Zeppelin all my life. This song still gives me goosebumps. You have to just close your eyes, sink into it and let it wash over you.

This song is a trip, a progression. The title is perfect. It's a Stairway to Heaven. Once it has reached its crescendo, its peak, it feels like climbing a mountain, and once there, you appreciate the scenery around you from the top. Then it's all serenity and calmness again at the very end. But unfortunately, we live in a fast world nowadays, and people no longer have the time to appreciate these masterpieces. That's why you didn't get it.

Led Zeppelin is like having four Michael Jordans in the same band.

i still hear in my head "does any body remember laughter" from the live version every time i hear this

As a musician in my 40s, this was technically before my time. I still think this is one of the greatest rock songs ever written.

Stairway To Heaven is widely regarded by a lot of people to be the greatest song ever written. And it is.

“The idea of ‘Stairway’ was to have a piece of music, a composition, whereby it would just keep on unfolding into more layers, more moods. The subtlety of the intensity and the overlay of the composition would actually accelerate as it went through on every level, every emotional level, every musical level, so it just keeps opening up as it continues through its passage.” - Jimmy Page

Jesus......I've heard this a million times and all I can feel is the myticism of this band when it plays. The definition of legendary. Unbelievable.

After all these years, it's still a spiritual experience listening to Stairway to Heaven. The mysticism appeals to some more than it appeals to others. But it was a song of another era when we had time to grow into a song or a film unlike today's era of immediate impact. But I think Ryan might grow to like it even more if he gives it another spin without the camera, seated in his backyard and looking up at the evening sky.

The "iconic part" is the journey it takes you on. That suite-like structure is what makes the song so fulfilling and so revered. That said, your mental "set," your internal framing, will exert a massive influence on how you experience the work.

I can understand the issue with the track being over hyped and not knowing the long, unfolding beginning that it plays through to get to the payoff. But once you're familiar with the build and understand the intentional pace they created for this song, Stairway becomes such a joy of a sound. It's like seeing a spectacular flower bloom before your eyes.

Led Zeppelin's music will forever be timeless. What they did between 1969 and 1979 can never be achieved again.

I remember being 12 years old crying listening to this because it was so good. I remember laughter.

A great song stands on its own regardless of Hype. This is a long song. It features a recorder. No drum arrangement until 4 min into the song. It’s a 3 layer song that progresses in tempo at each layer. Plant’s vocals go from whimsical and fragile to masterfully powerful and in your face right after one of the greatest rock solos in a song of all time. There really isn’t a song like Stairway To Heaven and while it’s revered by practically every rocker over the age of 40 It’s easy to understand how it gets lost with some younger generations of music lovers who’s roots don’t originate in the genre. The greatness of this song falls outside of technical application….you either experience Stairway or you don’t.

To answer your question about Zeppelin's music, many people would call each of the members of Led Zeppelin as in the top 5 of their respective instrument in all of rock history. This song is a masterpiece, not just for its influence, but for its actual composition. One think I noticed, you guys listened to basically the last 5 minutes of this song without pausing. It looked several times like George wanted to, but then something interesting would happen in the music and he'd pull back. It really shows the way this (and a lot of Zepp's music) pulls you in. It's interesting and varied. It has a draw to it that's hard to explain.

Thank you for your honesty. Really. It's a huge reason why your channel, your passion, is noteworthy. It's why I keep coming back. It doesn't matter if I agree or not I KNOW I'm getting an honest reaction to the material. A QUALITY conversation cannot commence without honesty. You're the best in the business at honesty. My life appreciating music has been enhanced by your contribution. Thank you fellas.

This is one of those songs that you love and appreciate the more times you hear it. You had an expectation because of the hype. But trust me, the more you listen to it, the more the first part grows on you. Well, for most people anyway....

One of the greatest songs ever written

I'm 33 years old. I got into Led Zeppelin in high school. They are legitimately great. This particular album is fire.

My father always said, "No talking when Led Zeppelin is playing". Also, it doesn't matter how many times you listen to "Led Zeppelin" it's like listening for the first time.

Firstly your honesty is appreciated. Your channel stands out because of this. To answer the question they are great because of both. As a guitar player for example, playing Led Zeppelin's music feels very natural and clever in an intriguing way where you play it and you think to yourself "this was meant to be written". This is for 90% of their music. Their first 6 studio albums are pretty much flawless. It's difficult to find a bad track frankly. Presence is the first album where they had missteps in my opinion. And they had so much variety which they achieved quality on throughout. I mean not many other bands dipped their toes into so many different genres. None that I know pulled it off anywhere near as good as Zep. When you listen to them over years you realise how good they were especially considering they were kids in essence when they wrote so much of this stuff it's truly astounding. Their production values were also very high, Page ensured this. You can hear every note, every tom, every vibrato it's a pleasure on the senses. But it is also because they were pioneers, they really wrote the book for which other bands followed after in many ways including music management. Research Peter Grant. Their friendship and mutual respect was also another factor that assisted in the quality and creation of timeless material. They knew how good they were and they knew they were so much better than whoever was second best. And if you listen to their music over the years you come to the same conclusion when you listen to other bands, end up being disappointed and go back to Zeppelin. It's like a safe space for quality that becomes a standard that nobody else can match. As for Stairway to Heaven, my advice is, don't worry about trying to understand the lyrics too much because it is open to interpretation at the end of the day. Focus on the feel and emotion. Enjoy the journey. This song is for me the biggest song in rock and general popular music. The entire song is iconic. The intricate guitar work at the intro with descending and ascending notes, the slow build up, the majestic nature of the piece, the intrigue and mystery, the fusion of folk, jazz and rock, the melodic and complimentary recorder, the patient drumming that creates space to exploit, the epic ending and of course the best guitar solo in rock history, full of emotion with question and answer at the end. This song is a masterpiece and I fell in love with it only after months of listening to it in high school in the 90s and love it more and more every time I listen to it. It is class and majesty all rolled into one. Led Zeppelin separate themselves from the pack with these types of songs. No other band could have created this.

I think you being hyped up on this song is a factor. When I discovered a lot of songs I've come to love I listened to it without expectations. I have a feeling this song may grow on you if you give it more listens. Great reaction

Zeppelin’s diversity was one of the things that made them musical giants. From beautiful acoustic ballads like Tangerine and Going to California to bangers like Trampled Under Foot and The Wanton Song; from down home blues like Boogie with Stu to epic slow blues like Tea for One and Since I’ve been Loving You; prog like The Song Remains the Same and Achille’s Last Stand as just some examples of the different styles they played. Plus their live shows were epic improvisational jams!

The unique thing about this song is that it’s constantly speeding up. The most iconic part of this song is the guitar solo but the guitar intro is so iconic too and the lyrics are so introspective and actually applicable to all of us in human nature that we all want to climb our own stairway to heaven. That’s what I think the song is about at least

Led zepplin have heavy songs, soft songs, funky songs, experimental, sexy songs, bluesy songs, folky songs and they do all of them well. To enjoy stairway to heaven it takes an appreciation of building and layers and story telling. It is not intended to be fun bright lights like star wars, it is intended to be introspective and immersive in the same way the Lord of the rings and Narnia are. Some of LZs music is flashy and fun but some of it is mystical and mature. Some people listen to music to be entertained, some listen for emotional reasons, some listen to think or aid in creativity, some listen to be challenged whatever your reason LZ has at least one song for you and that is why they are great.

I love the build up in this song. It's so chill and you can just sit back and sing along with it and then it ends by ramping up the intensity before slowing down again and going out on a mellow note. One of the reasons such a longer song is the most played song on radio for rock.

If you've ever made love, you know why this song is structured the way it is.

This is a song that you have to listen to more than once. The first time you listen you don't know what to expect. When you listen again and again you expect and anticipate the build up towards the last two or three minutes. Once you know what to expect you can better appreciate the song in full.

This song is like a very tall rollercoaster. It has this momentous slow build taking you up and up and up. Finally you reach the apex and go over the crest, plummetting headlong at breakneck speed through the twists and turns. It's amazing that they were patient and confident enough to create this slow burn mega finish song.

Nah Ryan, they are great because of their music. You don’t string four or five consecutive n.1 records on both sides of the Atlantic without being awesome.

Sorry you didn't get it. To those of us of whom grew up with Zep, it is iconic.

Stairway isn't a song you listen to once, it's an ongoing experience. Whenever you feel the need to be serenaded, you play Stairway. You want to rock to Zep? You play "Black Dog". You want to have an orgasm? You play "Dyer Maker". In fact, "Black Dog's" the very first song I remember hearing as a kid of maybe 6 years old. Then it was Sabbath and Twisted Sister and Kiss and a metalhead was born. To answer your question, you need to consider both the time and style. Led Zeppelin transformed what people thought of Rock n Roll as, and reinvented it, just as Black Sabbath did not much after. Led Zeppelin was complete in that they had genre busting members John Bonham, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant... The band is essentially a culmination of Rock G-Ds that somehow came together and mystified the world through music and lyrics.

I've probably heard this song over 100 times now and when John Bonham comes in I get goosebumps every time...and the last phase of the song is epic. Not everyone's taste, I get that but to those of us who were alive when this era of music was happening it's an awesome song. 💙

Goosebumps every time I hear it. NEVER. GETS. OLD.

This is quite possibly the greatest rock and roll song ever

Its The STAIRWAY to Heaven. The songs is a long slow enigmatic climb. Its not just a good jam, its art.

Sometimes it is important to remember the period in which a particular piece was written. People had longer attention spans as there was less vying for our attention. It may be that this song simply doesn't get to the pay off fast enough for more recent generations. This is the musical version of a 1,000 page Russian novel (e.g. The Brothers Karamazov) in which you have to be willing/able to take the journey and suspend any expectation of immediate gratification, but the result will be profound for those who do/can. Not for everyone, and perhaps on its way to being a historical relic of a bygone era, but those who know, know.

I've been listening to this song for 40 years, and it still affects me every single time. Greatest song ever written.

That guitar solo is one of the best of all time!!

For the longest time starting in the 70s, Stairway to Heaven was often rated the #1 rock song of all time. It’s easily their most famous song.

I love that you didn't like it and were prepared to say so. I don't agree, but it confirms the genuineness of this channel.

it’s not only the influence, it’s the substance. the song starts whimsically, tells a simple, endearing story, and ends in a thunderous crescendo that makes you contemplate your path in life. that being said, of course it won’t hit everyone the same. not everyone listens to Mozart and experiences an existential crisis. different strokes.

The more you listen to the songs, the more they grow on you and the more you get out of it. Their entire catalog is so varied and much more enjoyed when you listen to an album instead of a song. They were definitely innovators too.

I get what Ryan is saying cuz man Zeppelin is sooo hyped up in music culture that you expect it to be a life-changing event when you finally check it out. But YES they really were incredible because of the music and their incredible live performances. Amazing songwriting, all of them were masters of their instruments.

Led Zeppelin was a phenomenal band. They were GREAT because of the music they put out without question. The producing and guitar playing by Page was groundbreaking. The songs...so many are time tested classics. THIS is why they were so influential.

Just a beautiful and timeless song. One of the best ever. Gives me chills. Blew my mind when I heard this album as a teen in the 80s.

This is a band that needs to be listened more than once, with full attention and as background. Once you get it, they will never leave you

If you ever want to get a round of applause in a guitar shop make sure you go in and play this

Sometimes folks over think things. No distrspect. It's a rock masterpiece. Legendary.

This song came out in 1971. There had never been anything like this before it. You need to watch or listen to a live version. Their live performances are unrivaled. Jimmy page plays 5 minute solos that are face melting. Perspective is key

"You're time is gonna come", "What is and what should never be", "Ten years gone", "Babe I'm gonna leave you"....! These Zeppelin tracks are EPIC...!!!

Stairway to Heaven is a masterpiece, but it has a huge reputation to live up to. Kudos to you guys for the honesty in your reaction.

The thing I like the most about this duo,is that they are always very sincere in their reaction.And they have listened to so many genres that their mind shall never be the same again!Greetings to ya all.

To answer your question, The music they put out. This is coming from someone who started listening to rock since 2011. I listen to it all, metal, hard-core, thrash, rap, etc. And Zeppelin are a top band for me. Guitar, vocals, composition. They got it.

I've always thought yall were some of the most genuine reactors, and I still do. But my brain is hurting trying to do the mental gymnastics required to believe y'all haven't heard this.

This is a song that tells a story in a very progressive fashion. it sets up a calm manner then shows you the furious nature behind the story. You will find yourself hum this later and having a difficult time getting it out of your head. It sneaks up on you and you'll listen to it again and see the masterpiece this truly is!

The atmosphere they set-up in this song makes it so good. The way the vocal melody blends with the guitar is why this song hits home. The other thing I like is that it builds through the whole song with each part and then its over. Love it

All time iconic track...Every beginner guitarist tried to learn the intro rift!

Because of the music they put out first. You are very honest and very sharp . It is absolutely normal for you not being familiar with this king of music to have many blind points listening to songs like this one. The built up on this song is seminar. Prolific atmosphere in the first part and then comes the rising up step by step. Great melodies harmonies performance and musicality. As a guitarist (not professional) learning to play the intro of this song first and of course the rest of the song, it was a unique feeling. I am deep into metal and mainly extreme metal but these classic rock songs are just like nectar.

This song has a moment that’s fitting to your rocket analogy… it combines this sort of folky mystical vibe and then ratchets it up into a groovy, hard rock song slowly, the way a movie builds from the beginning to the climax, in a way that really was “EPIC” to a lot of people at the time and still is today. It’s a combination of things that really emotionally moved people and excited/entertained the listener in a new way.

This is why I love these guys. Their honesty is not about clicks, or fully biased that it feels fake, but all about artistry, impact, and wow factor. In this day and age of fake or sell out reactions, this channel is definitely still the best reactions in the internet.

Albums at this time were meant to be listened to from front to back. The placement of this song, which was fourth on the album, was absolutely perfect coming out of The Battle for Evermore and into Misty Mountain Hop. It's the crown jewel of crown jewels because of how it stands out as a full album listening experience.

This song is meant to be listened to and experienced; with no pressure to like or dislike it.

Yo, guys! I'm a 66 yo that grew up on 60s and 70s rock. I love your reaction to this song. However, you are reacting to a song that is 50 yrs old. At the time, this group owned the 1970s and into the 80s. They were so different and so influential that they were beloved by nearly everyone. They were the gold standard. I love this song and will stop whatever I am doing when this song is played. Over the years, many, many other groups have come along that are great. There are too many to count. But when you grow up to this greatness, I place Led Zeppelin as my favorite band of all time., and this is my favorite song of all time. Keep the reactions coming. That's my 2 cents.

Dudes. This is such a great chill song to drive to late at night while road tripping in your thoughts of the days gone by and those that are ahead. Just enjoying the moment and appreciating all that life has to offer. Spent many times with this song in the background while driving. It's the song as a whole not just the last "jamming" part.

I appreciate your honesty in your reaction to what is THE ULTIMATE ROCK SONG. Stairway to Heaven is perfect. The folkloric parts at the start of the song set the foundation on which all the subsequent parts build on to that epic final part. Not one note is unnecessary or out of place. To your question about what makes Led Zeppelin great, it's about their re-interpretation of classic Chicago Blues and Delta Blues There is a great amount of cultural appropriation and copyright rip-off of Led Zeppelin's early influences (they settled a few lawsuits and ended up compensating some of their heroes-reluctantly, but hey...), but there is undeniable majesty to their entire catalogue. Keep up the good work, guys.

After the millionth time of listening to this song knowing the pace and what comes next the build up, the solo, the vocals, the drums etc It blows me away every single time just amazing. Give these guys more time to really appreciate the song and recognize the talent of these 4 individuals. I’m sure they’ll come around

I am a 65 year old Grandmother and I love listening to your reactions! I have listened to lots of reactions, watched lots of video's and have never left any comments to any of them. I have never felt the need until now. I feel I need to let you all know how much I enjoy your reactions. I know I will always be getting your honest opinion. I also love the interactions between both of you. I am a fan and have been since my first time watching (Christ Stapleton, Tennessee Whiskey).

For that time in history this has to be the absolutely most beautiful guitar solo ever created. Definitely a slow build up song to an amazing ending. Always a top 10 classic for me 🖤

Stairway is unquestionably a great song on its own, not just an influence on others. Just look at the number of folks that cover it, and how many kids in bedrooms learning guitar play it, over and over and over again. And if you are still reading this, a song that I would love to see you guys react to that I don't think you would normally hear is Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Welcome to the Pleasuredome

I’m older and a huge fan of your channel.. honestly it’s really hard not to love you guys.. i love your reactions.. you both compliment each other and are often right on target with your musical sense.. keep going ❤

I appreciate the fact that they weren't afraid to use dynamics, subtlety, and patience knowing full well that the average radio Listener's attention span is about 3 minutes.

I was born 9 years after this song was released so it's not even in my era. It is the single greatest rock song of all time and it's not even close. If you don't feel that song when it's on there is something wrong. That said, love your videos. You guys are great!

I've heard this song a million times and I could hear it again a million more. This is truly the greatest rock song is history. Hands down.

They do what everyone does when they hear this song, especially for the first time; they sit in silence and take it all in.

Some songs are a journey. As Rick Beato would put it, "headphone music", described in Boston's "More than a Felling" that uses flanging and panning and not really meant to groove, but to put your headphones on and lose yourself in the song.

There is no possible way you haven’t heard this

This is a standalone masterpiece. The lyrics are as important as the music. The best songs, for me, build in intensity and tempo and this song is the archetype of that. It's very melodic and mystical with kick ass transitions and the iconic guitar solo. Jimmy Page is playing at least 3 guitars. Give it a few more listens and ruminate on the lyrics - they are open to wide interpretation.

Love your honesty. Everyone has their favorite genre in music. Your commentary said it all.

"There's still time to change the road you're on." They're catalogue of incredible music is unmatched.

Heart singing this at the Kennedy honors. Absolutely best cover of any song ever. Led zeppelin was there. Original drummer son played drums jad a choir even the Obama's were there. A must see!!

this song has always been about the mood created and the journey it takes you on for me. it builds so beautifully. my mum loved it dearly so i was introduced to it at a very young age, and always love every second of it, so it's difficult to imagine what it's like only giving it a proper listen at a later stage in life.

There is a reason why this song is the most played song on the radio in history!!

LOVE you guys. I would never rip on you for an opinion. Your honesty is what makes this channel great. I'd answer your question of greatness vs influence this way: Led Zeppelin WAS wildly influential. No doubt. But a lot of WHY they were influential is their greatness in both creativity and innovation. Jimmy Page wrote Stairway to almost exactly create the feelings Ryan had, but expecting a positive response. The whole idea was to build and build and build- including an ever increasing tempo, which Page acknowledged is considered taboo in virtually all forms of music. The lyrics tell one story and the adventurous layers of sound and tempo in the music tell another. Many pop tunes were written with the express intent of BEING a pop tune. THIS was written with the express intent of being the Godfather of all Rock Opuses. That is a ballsy position to take, and they delivered. The reason you guys openly wonder about their greatness vs their influence is because while they broke rules and were great, they changed Rock so much, everyone who followed HAS to identify them as an influence. That in and of itself IS greatness.

Ryan & George: We don't know what the hell this song is about. Everyone else: Neither do we.

The only true way for anyone to be cognizant of how iconic, influential, inspirational, musically exceptional, to how this epic masterpiece changed the game not only for song writing but for the countless guitarists influenced by this song that have become well known and have written songs enjoyed and loved by the masses as well, these musicians may have chosen a different direction in life other than music without this song's direct influence. Imagine from then until now deleting all the music that this song sparked into existence as if it was never heard by anyone, only then, only then would it be possible to comprehend and hear the unequaled genius and the level of guitar writing, song writing and performance by Led Zeppelin and how the lack of this song would devastate and erase countless songs and musical selections that were never written in Stairway To Heaven's absence. Thank God we do not know of such a time and place.

The answer is everything. These guys are the gods of rock….vocals, drums and guitar are everything. The era just plays a huge factor of the vocals and song

Led Zeppelin are the foundation from which all modern day rock in based. Masterpiece. And to answer your question I think LZ are great because of both the influence and the musicality.

This song will always be a classic no matter what. It's iconic. It's also one of my mom's favorite songs ; so it reminds me of her. ❤

This one of them tunes that it isn't just about the music it is the words that if you listen to it, you will go on a spiritual journey to what you think it means to you as a song it allows you to open your mind, heart and spiritual feelings I have listen to led zeppelin since I was a kid.

“I hope there’s some kind of crazy transition” *smirk creeps across my face*

You know that if anybody plays the intro to this song in any guitar store... There immediately thrown out of said store... It's called the forbidden riff

When you first said you were having trouble engaging I was thinking "But this song has just started!". Lots of rock, classic rock especially, needs to be heard in its entirety before you make a decision on if it's engaging or not. Think of 3 act storytelling, a beginning/middle/end. You can't judge a story just by the beginning.

used this song at my infant daughters funeral back in 2014. she was only 5 months old and lived her entire life in hospitals, never got to come home or even see the sun. Miss her every day. Isabella Mae DeArmond. March 4 2014 - July 23 2014.

Glad you guys don't fake it. Thanks for keeping it real.

They are the greatest because of the music they put out. A lot of critics didn't get it but the fans knew what was up. It's impossible to listen to their first record and not recognize their genius. First time I listened to their records front to back, and in order, was 1994. I was in High School and it changed me forever.

Respect for speaking your opinions fully on such a juggernaut of a song. Idk if you've heard or reviewed the song "since I've been loving you" by zeppelin but they have a live HD version that is just so good I can't recommend it enough. So much swag!