Why is Stairway to Heaven Banned in Guitar Stores?
Ever since Wayne’s World’s iconic “No Stairway to Heaven” sign debuted in theaters in 1992, guitar store owners have nodded their heads in solidarity. Of course, Led Zeppelin’s 8-minute rock epic has valid reasons for its success, so what gives? Why is Stairway to Heaven banned in guitar stores?
Because, according to many, the song has been played to death. Plus, many beginning guitarists attempt to play Stairway to Heaven well before they have the skills to play it. Thus, most guitar store renditions of the track are poorly executed.
However, a lot behind the classic rock staple’s fame (or infamy) deserves exploration. Read on to learn more about “Stairway’s” 50-year-long legacy.
Do Guitar Stores Actually Ban Stairway to Heaven?
Many guitarists call the song “The Forbidden Riff.” Why? Because most people who’ve spent a good chunk of their life in retail music environments have heard it many times before. People who despise pop hits, for example, can empathize with this mentality.
But do guitar stores ban “Stairway to Heaven?” No. After all, if letting customers play the song persuades them to buy a guitar, no reasonable business owner will say no.
Ultimately, it’s merely good guitar etiquette to refrain from playing Stairway in public places unless someone explicitly requests it. However, if you’re determined to do so, ensure that you can play the song flawlessly — then you may get a pass.
What Other Songs are “Banned” in Guitar Stores?
“Stairway to Heaven” isn’t the only guitar riff that’ll draw unapproving stares. There are many tracks that guitar store owners can’t keep track of how many times they’ve heard.
The implied “ban” list often includes the following tracks:
- “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses
- “Wonderwall” by Oasis
- “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath
- “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult
- “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley
The worst one we can imagine is playing the vocal section of the last example on the guitar. Sure, it’s funny to Rick-roll your guitar store once in your life. But, then again, come on. It’s 2022.
Origins of “No Stairway to Heaven”
As discussed, the phrase “No Stairway to Heaven” comes from a sign in the movie Wayne’s World. But this isn’t the first time that guitar store owners/shoppers have felt that maybe there should be a rule.
After all, Wayne’s World is a comedy. The guitar store sign was one of its countless jokes, yet one of the most memorable. Why? Because the writers hit upon a feeling familiar to thousands of music store workers: hearing the first few horribly played chords and thinking, “Ugh, not again.”
Why is Stairway to Heaven Overplayed?
Overplayed is a subjective term. However, people in music stores may have a different opinion on that, as seemingly every newbie since the 1970s has tried to master Stairway.
But it’s not just novice guitarists in stores who seem oddly infatuated with “Stairway to Heaven.” If we told you that there hadn’t been a single minute since the song’s release that it wasn’t playing on a radio station somewhere, you might believe us.
There’s no denying that Stairway to Heaven has been played extensively. But there are valid reasons behind its success. Chief among them is the fact that it’s an addictive song. Listeners ride a roller-coaster that begins in a graceful meadow. By the end of the song, they’re flying off a ramp and soaring over Middle Earth (fueled by Page’s legendary solo).
Nevertheless, no song is immune to being overplayed. Some songs reach this point after the 3rd play. However, songs like Stairway to Heaven reach this point after the 100th play (for some people). But we know that many people (especially guitar shop owners) have heard Stairway well beyond a hundred times.
How Do I Impress People in Guitar Stores?
We know this is controversial, but guitar stores are for buying guitars, not flexing. But hey, if you insist on bringing a little light to a music store employee’s mood, they may appreciate a brief, skillful performance after hearing their twelfth “Stairway to Heaven” that day.
Humility is the most impressive trait in a guitar store. Remembering how to play a difficult guitar tab, such as “Cliffs of Dover” by Eric Johnson or any song by DragonForce, will impress even advanced guitarists. But only if you do so without trying to show off.
The reason music store owners allow customers to play their instruments is to get a feel for them. Being able to pick up and play an assortment of guitars will enable people to make informed choices before spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on “the one.”
Priority number one should be testing the instrument. Sure, you can demonstrate a few impressive tricks as you do so — but only to influence your decision. So stick to playing each model for a couple of minutes. Then, move on to the next one and play something similar to compare.
But if you find the perfect guitar and the only way to express your joy is to crush the solo at the end of “Stairway to Heaven,” then go ahead. Just be prepared for some potential groans.
Stairway to Heaven FAQs
Is Stairway to Heaven Hard to Play?
If everyone who played “Stairway to Heaven” in a guitar shop executed the song flawlessly, there wouldn’t be a “ban.” But, unfortunately, it’s not a song for newbies — the people most likely to make the guitar store faux pas.
Guitarists generally consider Stairway to Heaven to have some difficulty. The song’s introduction includes a series of tricky chords and arpeggios that require callouses to play well.
For reference, Green Day’s song like “American Idiot” marks the easy category of guitar riffs. Meanwhile, “Eruption” by Van Halen sits on the opposite end, in the expert category.
Here’s a handy chart:
| Easy | Intermediate | Advanced | Expert |
| “American Idiot” by Green Day “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult | “Stairway to Heaven” intro “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd | “Stairway to Heaven” middle & end“ Little Wing” by Stevie Ray Vaughan | “Eruption” by Van Halen“ Cliffs of Dover” by Eric Johnson |
Stairway to Heaven Meaning
Disparate phrases pulled from Lord of the Rings? Bustles in hedgerows? What do Stairway to Heaven’s lyrics mean?
Well, not much.
Songwriter Robert Plant stated on Ultimate Classic Rock Nights that “Lyrically, now, I can’t relate to it, because it was so long ago.” Furthermore, Plant recounts writing the lyrics for Stairway in “Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga,” wherein he said, “I was in a very bad mood … Then all of a sudden my hand was writing out words.”
Of course, listeners can create whatever meaning however they want. Literary subjectivity is the key to high school poetry classes, epics like “The Odyssey” and “Beowulf,” and much more.
Was Stairway to Heaven Plagiarized?
Over the past several years, the idea that Led Zeppelin didn’t write the intro to their most famous song has come into public view. In 2014, Mark Andes filed a copyright infringement suit against Led Zeppelin on behalf of Randy Wolfe’s estate.
Specifically, the suit claimed that “Stairway to Heaven” (at least the first few minutes) was a rip-off of a song by Wolfe’s band, Spirit. The song is called “Taurus,” and the opening does sound familiar.
In 2016, the court ruled in favor of Zeppelin. However, the verdict was reversed later that year. Nevertheless, in 2020, courts upheld the original ruling that “Stairway to Heaven” did not constitute copyright infringement.
Of course, the law can be wrong. To suggest that copyright didn’t happen when it did solely based on a court case skips some key details. Legal ruling aside, was Stairway to Heaven plagiarized?
Maybe.
Led Zeppelin did interact with the band Spirit around the time both songs were written. However, the chord progression in question was long before Spirit wrote “Taurus.”
The question becomes: when does a chord progression become a copyrightable melody? It’s hard to answer this definitively without incurring the wrath of some folks.
When Was Stairway to Heaven Written?
Led Zeppelin released “Stairway to Heaven” with their fourth self-titled album, Led Zeppelin IV, in 1971.
Robert Plant wrote the lyrics one year prior, and the band began recording the iconic 8-minute track in December of 1970.
Conclusion
Stairway to Heaven’s intro, also called “The Forbidden Riff,” has been annoying guitar store owners for decades. The Wayne’s World reference hit a sensitive nerve with their comedic “No Stairway to Heaven” sign back in 1992.
Thirty years later, music shop employees still have to put up with cringe-worthy attempts of people trying to play it. But no, they’re (probably) not going to kick you out for playing Stairway to Heaven. If it helps them sell a guitar, why not let people play what they want?
Besides, if they do boot someone out the door, who’s to say someone else isn’t going to pick up the same guitar and Rick-roll the place? For better or worse, some things refuse to change.
