Metallica frontman James Hetfield recently shared his thoughts on what he considers the greatest song of all time during a roundtable discussion featured on The Metallica Report Podcast.
Hetfield offered his perspective on musical greatness and the enduring influence of classic rock compositions when asked about the all-time greatest song.
“Is this a song for every mood, every day, every action?” Hetfield said. “You know, when I’m driving ‘Ace of Spades’ [by Motorhead] is the best song.”
The Metallica vocalist then elaborated on his choice for the ultimate song. He acknowledged its widespread influence on rock music.
“As stupid and simple as it sounds, I think [Led Zeppelin’s] ‘Stairway to Heaven’ is just one of those songs that so many bands have tried to emulate,” he continued. “You start off light and end up heavy. [Lynyrd Skynyrd’s] ‘Free Bird’s’ that. ‘One.’ There’s so many songs that have emulated that.”
Hetfield’s reverence for “Stairway to Heaven” reflects the song’s enduring legacy and the remarkable circumstances surrounding its creation. These details have fascinated music historians and fans for decades.
Wikipedia documented that the song was created during a unique writing process in 1970. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant stayed at a remote Welsh cottage called Bron-Yr-Aur during this time. They captured spontaneous musical ideas on tape and penned much of the lyrics by a fire at Headley Grange. The recording sessions began in December 1970 in London. The Classic Machines noted that John Paul Jones contributed medieval-sounding recorders to enhance the folk character of the song. Drummer John Bonham joined in partway through at 4:18.
The song was released on Led Zeppelin’s untitled fourth album in November 1971. This Is Dig revealed that it was famously not issued as a single despite the record label’s wishes. The band’s manager Peter Grant made this decision. This strategic choice helped maintain the song’s mystique and forced listeners to purchase the entire album to hear it.
The layered, accelerating structure from a fragile acoustic intro to a powerful electric guitar solo has inspired countless artists. It remains a benchmark for epic rock songwriting. Gooseneck Music reported that the song’s innovative approach to dynamics and arrangement became a template that influenced generations of rock musicians. This explains why Hetfield specifically mentioned how “so many bands have tried to emulate” its formula.
The comments were made during Episode 100 of The Metallica Report Podcast. The episode featured a roundtable Q&A with all four current Metallica members.
