In this holiday season, please forgive a Jimmy Page fan the following indulgence from the BBC News site today:
Zeppelin classic tops rock poll
Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven has been voted the best rock song of all time by listeners to digital radio station Planet Rock.
The 1971 track took more than 70% of the vote in the poll, conducted on the station’s website.
Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple and Black Sabbath’s Paranoid completed the top five.
“It’s probably the only song fans agree is a classic,” DJ Mark Jeeves said.
“After all these years, there’s nothing to touch it.”
The song was never released as a single, but has been covered by stars including Rolf Harris and Dolly Parton.
Led Zeppelin had two other entries in the top 10 – Whole Lotta Love at number six and Rock and Roll at eight.
Hotel California by The Eagles and AC/DC’s Highway to Hell and Jimi Hendrix’s All Along The Watchtower completed the top ten.
The online poll was to compile a listeners’ top 100, which the station is broadcasting on Christmas Day.
TOP TEN ROCK TRACKS
1) Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
2) Freebird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
3) Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
4) Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
5) Paranoid – Black Sabbath
6) Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
7) Hotel California – The Eagles
8) Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin
9) Highway to Hell – AC/DC
10) All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix Experience
Source: Planet Rock online poll