Jimmy Page Wanted to Prove People Wrong With 1 ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Solo

For Jimmy Page, his performances on Led Zeppelin albums were just blueprints for their live shows. His main riffs rarely changed, but the guitarist rarely played note-for-note renditions of his solos even as his playing improved in Led Zeppelin. That included “Stairway to Heaven.” Until it didn’t.

Jimmy Page said 1 of his ‘Stairway to Heaven’ solos was different from the rest

Page’s best guitar solos from Led Zeppelin albums — variously played on his Fender Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul guitars, and one Gibson Flying V — remain among the greatest of the classic rock era. Yet when the band performed live, those solos changed as Zep breathed new life into their songs during their concerts.