1960 Top Ten Songs: Stairway to Heaven (#5)

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And now for the other half of “the hustle.” You see that song title and you IMMEDIATELY think of Led Zeppelin. No. This is 1960, after all, and most of the members of Led Zep were still in school. So let’s go back to the year of my birth for a song you don’t know with a title you do! #5: Stairway to Heaven - Neil Sedaka I wrote this before Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven.” And, as you may know, or maybe you DON’T know, you can’t copyright a title. So, Led Zeppelin, I forgive you! (Neil Sedaka, 2021) I should just leave it at that. But I won’t. You know I can’t. Neil Sedaka was breaking out of the songwriter-only (“Stupid Cupid”) mode and recording his own songs. (Quick trivia: he was a member of the Tokens before they had their big hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”) His happy, upbeat, “tra-la” songs struck a chord with audiences. This was one of his early major hits. And, as he said, it came 11 years before Plant and Page saw the lady that’s sure all that glitters is gold. One quick listen and you’ll never mistake this for the most overplayed song in FM classic rock history. And, truth be told, I prefer this song. More trivia: King Curtis did the sax solo in this song. You’re welcome. Stairway to Heaven Written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield Recorded by Neil Sedaka From Neil Sedaka Sings Little Devil and His Other Hits, 1960 I gotta be going: