Claim: Led Zeppelin played music.

`` Stairway to Heaven '' is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin , released in late 1971 . It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band 's untitled fourth studio album -LRB- often called Led Zeppelin IV -RRB- . It is often referred to as one of the greatest rock songs of all time .   The song has three sections , each one progressively increasing in tempo and volume . The song begins in a slow tempo with acoustic instruments -LRB- guitar and recorders -RRB- before introducing electric instruments . The final section is an uptempo hard rock arrangement highlighted by Page 's intricate guitar solo accompanying Plant 's vocals that end with the plaintive a cappella line : `` And she 's buying a stairway to heaven . ''   `` Stairway to Heaven '' was voted number three in 2000 by VH1 on its list of the 100 Greatest Rock Songs , and was placed at number 31 on `` Rolling Stone 's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time '' . It was the most requested song on FM radio stations in the United States in the 1970s , despite never having been commercially released as a single there . In November 2007 , through download sales promoting Led Zeppelin 's Mothership release , `` Stairway to Heaven '' hit number 37 on the UK Singles Chart .