It's bad enough that radio stations fell in line with some out of touch New York "consultant" as to what to play, but there are enough lemming listeners to keep those consultants in business. 
Posted on 12/24/2004 8:32:01 AM PST by flitton
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
For anyone that doesn't think that Robert Plant is the best rock and roll singer of all time-just try singing "Stairway to Heaven". It's a killer.
I'd remove Bohemian Rhapsody and replace it with Won't Get Fooled Again.
I'd have put Whole Lotta' Love at #1. But Stairway also works.
Darn. Planet Rock doesn't do Shoutcast, otherwise you could grab tomorrow's Top 100 using Streamripper.
It's bad enough that radio stations fell in line with some out of touch New York "consultant" as to what to play, but there are enough lemming listeners to keep those consultants in business.
No barf alert?
Not for the composers of the viking kitties theme tune. I wouldn't dare.
I kind of like Zeppelin in general but "Stairway" along with some of the other numbers there like "Hotel California" and "Freebird" are just hard to listen to.
No way!
I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd play it live in concert. It was loooooong, boring and the fans, including myself were getting restless. I love anything by Skynyrd EXCEPT for Freebird.
Well you were lucky to see them. Here in the UK, as a teenager my plans to see them were tragically interrupted by the plane crash. Then I twice got tickets to see Rossington Collins as a sort of consolation only to have to get refunds as they cancelled the tour both times. :-(
Skynyrd's great, but I have to agree with MotleyGirl on this one.
Where's "Sheena is a Punk Rocker?" "God Save the Queen?" "Gary Gilmore's Eyes?"
PLEASE tell me that you ARE NOT a fan of the godawful Kingdom Come and Whitesnake.
Correction: I like 3, 5, 9, and 10. Freebird S-CKS!
I'm thinking more old Def Leppard and Great White.
Kingdom Come and Whitesnake are OK...but they rate far lower than Zeppelin on my scale.
Huge Zep fan here. The thing about Stairway is that Plant even said it isn't Zepp's best work. Kashmir might be but any list where Zepp is number one works for me. The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again to me is the defining rock song if there is such a thing.
BLEECH! A Broadway Show theme masquerading as a "Rock Classic."
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