Here are 101 versions of the song that doesn't remain the same, depending on whether it's the the Australian music hall version, the Gilligan's Island version, the backwards version, the backwards splice-and-dice quarter note version, the glass harmonica version, the Doors version, the reggae version and on and on (all MP3s). Much of this came from former FMU DJ KBC's CD of the same name, which took much of it's content from this 1992 LP.
Dusty Cowshit | Hard-Ons | Little Roger & The Goosebumps | Rock Lobsters
Neil Pepper | SCTV | Glass Harp | Leonard Teale | Beatnix
Ludwig Von 88 | Leif Norbergs | John Paul Young | Pardon Me Boys
Kalocin | Fargone Beauties | Richard Cheese | Robyne Dunn
Rolf Harris | GS Incorporated | Australian Doors Show
Dixie Power Trio | Kate Ceberano & Ministry of Fun | Thomas Dimuzio
Sandra Kahn & Michael Turkic | Pat Boone | Tiny Tim & Brave Combo
Nashville Super Pickers | Congo Natty
Foo Fighters | Vienna Symphonic Orchestra | Dolly Parton
Nileppez Del | Dread Zeppelin | Leningrad Cowboys & The Red Army Chorus
UPDATE: Dutch artist Jeroen Offerman learned how to sing Stairway backwards. Here's a page about it from listener Neil's blog, with the full video. Thanks Mike and Neil!
UPDATE 2: Here's version number 39, an instrumental from Redd Kross. Thanks Arthur!
UPDATE 3: Here are a batch more versions I received since my original post. Click below the jump for 17 more Stairways:
Mitsuhiro Nishiwaki (Musicbox) | Nick Barker and The Reptiles | Splice of Life, Inc
Venetian Snares and Speedranch | Norelpref | Barry Crocker & The Doug Anthony Allstars
Etcetera Theater Company | Helen Jones | James Kochalka Superstar
Jodie Gillies | Judi Connell | London Symphony Orchestra
Far Corporation | Stanley Jordan | Sydney Philharmonia
Those Darn Accordians | Toys Went Berserk
Thanks to Norelpref, Eric, Lukas, Matt, Dan and Frank for this last batch!
Also, here is the Stairway Suite page, with MP3 samples of the song as if it were composed by six well known composers. Thanks to Dave B!
Will the number of Stairways we exceed the number of Tico Ticos? We're getting close...
UPDATE 4: Here are four more, bringing the grand total to 60. Thanks to: Lukas, Mark, John and Al!
Iron Maiden | Me First and The Gimme Gimmes
UPDATE 5: We've done it! With the addition of these four versions, we've exceeded the number of versions of Tico Tico, and it's still rising. Will we reach 100 versions? Including in this batch is one by the National Cynical Network, which combined the first 50 or so covers for their version, and a mashup by DJ Earworm. Thanks Phineas, Earworm, Maarten and Noah!
National Cynical Network | DJ Earworm
UPDATE 6: Alas, only two one new version to add today, plus a famous old andt-Stairway diatribe. But more are reportedly on the way. Thanks to Rich, Steven and Barrett! (Later, I realized I already linked Richard Cheese. This is a bad sign, when even I've lost track of what's up here...)
Die Zorros | Richard Cheese | Michael Mills (Spoken Diatribe)
UPDATE 6: Here's three more, courtesy of Eric and John:
Bellanova | Gregorian Masters of Chant | Guster
UPDATE 7: Our man in The Netherlands, Eric, has sent five four more:
Vogelfrai | Not Moby | Final Fantasy X
UPDATE 8: Whoa - hit the jackpot today! Here are 14 more versions, including a Banjo version (Todd Taylor), a yodeling version (Mary Schneider), a string quartet and more. Thanks Eric (aka NaN), Carl and Theo!
Todd Taylor | Camper Van Beethoven | Mary Schneider, Yodeling Queen of Australia
Sisters of Mercy | White Skull | Sons of Ishmael | Whipper Snappers
Stereofeed String Quartet | Orchestra National De Jazz | Havanarama
Reverend Billy C Wirtz | Zakk Wylde | Johnny Bic
UPDATE 9: As we approach the 100 mark, I should announce now my intention to not turn Stairway To Heaven into my life's work - I'll be stopping additions when I reach 101 versions, although after that point, I'll add new versions that are outstanding or unusual, and retire some of the more boring verrsions I've already posted. Here's seven more, thanks to Nan and Mr. You-Know-Who.
The Raleigh Ringers | The Sauerkraut Project | Steve Morse
The Lounge-O-Leers | Helloween | The Dick Twang Band (Dick's page)
UPDATE 10: With these eight versions, we make it to a nice round 101 covers, and I hereby end this little project there. (I removed two other versions, one of which was a duplicate, and another which was a Zeppelin acoustic version!) I'm still open to receiving more versions and I may occasionally rotate dull versions out for new, unusual versions. But no more daily updates. Thanks to Diego, NaN and M-Slick da ninjA for this final round, and thanks to everyone else who submitted versions in the last week!
Dash Rip Rock (Stairway to Freebird) | Short Attention Span Stairway
Jana | Iron Horse | Ann Wilson
Del Pueblo Del Barrio | Jon Brion | M-Slick da ninjA
UPDATE 11: I've eliminated a few misspellings pointed out in the comments, and also deleted links to identical songs with different titles. As a result, we've fallen below 101 versions. If anyone has a version not here, e-mail me at ken at wfmu dot org and I'll add it, so we can get back to 101. (I'm counting the backwards Dutch version as one of the original 101 versions.)
UPDATE 12: We're back up to 101 versions. Thanks Delano and Jeff! The previous version by Heart was in fact Ann Wilson solo, this is Heart live from 1976.
Incredible web site!
I did not know there were so many covers made of this tune.
Thans for taking the time to set it up!
-Astrotrain
Posted by: Astrotrain | May 20, 2006 at 11:28 AM
This is an amazing collection. I am very impressed. I did want to point out though ... there are only 99 unique files ... I think you may be 2 shy of 101.
Posted by: gesan | May 20, 2006 at 04:38 PM
What about the track "Voodoo Dick" by Aber N. Stein? It contains parts of Stairway To Heaven.
Link: http://musicbuilder.net/music/bands/3667/
It's the second one down.
Posted by: XNet | May 21, 2006 at 12:00 PM
web is good look me web www.aerosmith1x5.cjb.net
Posted by: julito | May 22, 2006 at 12:53 PM
and Dread Zeppelin's version was producted by Plant and Page
Posted by: Masta | May 22, 2006 at 04:31 PM
There's also a version that the band Great White did. It's actually really good too.
Posted by: Chicken Fingers | May 22, 2006 at 06:49 PM
whoaw, i dont might there was so many versions !
Posted by: Gerard de Suresnes | May 22, 2006 at 07:32 PM
Congo Natty is a famous umbrella group/label for d&b & jungle artists (headed by Rebel MC).
What you have labelled as reggae is drum&bass (jungle). Electronic music with 170 beats per minute!
The song is a remix of Stairway to Heaven with "Junglist", a song which is as much a d&B anthemn as Stairway is a rock one.
It is not REGGAE (though it does have influences)!
Posted by: Dustek | May 23, 2006 at 04:24 AM
DJ Earworm's mash up "Stairway to Bootleg Heaven" is worth a go, mashing the Dolly Parton version with The Eurythmics, The Beatles, Laurie Anderson, Art Of Noise, The Beastie Boys and Pat Benatar...
www.djearworm.com
Posted by: :zoviet*france: | May 26, 2006 at 01:02 PM
Ah, you got it already.
Posted by: :zoviet*france: | May 26, 2006 at 01:07 PM
Drone Forest has an entire album reworking "Stairway to Heaven" into an ambient drone. It's called "Airways Nova Teeth" and it exists here:
http://www.droneforest.com/airways.html
Posted by: C. Reider | May 27, 2006 at 02:14 PM
No "Stairway to Heaven" cover collection is complete without The Wonder Band's disco "Stairway to Love". Some more info on rare Zeppelin covers here:
http://www.oldbuckeye.com/prox/p34.html
Posted by: ghidorah | May 28, 2006 at 03:07 PM
Its a collection of butcheries of my favorite song!
Posted by: Brad | May 29, 2006 at 03:41 PM
the iron horse and nashville super pickers versions are exactly the same note for note as far as i can tell. after removing one of those an adding another version i picked up in the comments there, that brings my folder to 99 versions...
Posted by: Ian | June 03, 2006 at 08:48 PM
BTW... It is Jon Brion (not Brian).
Posted by: brion fan | June 10, 2006 at 08:57 AM
Yes it's Brian not Brion LOL
BWT nice collection of songs you have here
great work :)
Posted by: Gool | June 10, 2006 at 10:51 AM
The one labelled "Final Fantasy X" seems to just be the London Symphony Orchestra cover. I'm pretty sure it didn't appear in Final Fantasy X.
Posted by: Jadael | June 10, 2006 at 11:45 AM
There is one by Metallica!
Posted by: Will | June 10, 2006 at 06:49 PM
The words can be sung the tune of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". :D
Posted by: zgystardst | June 10, 2006 at 09:33 PM
The Camper van Beethoven track is called Hairway to Steven, not?
Posted by: casper | June 11, 2006 at 04:13 AM
a friend of mine just told about this site here: www.coverinfo.de
maybe it's worth having a look. they have at least 50 different cover-versions of 'stairway to heaven' and possibly some that you haven't on your list.
Posted by: rainer | June 13, 2006 at 05:30 AM
maravilha.....nem acreditei qdo vi...
parabens
Posted by: luiz anelli | June 13, 2006 at 08:29 PM
There are two versions of Jana.
So, not reach 101 versions.
Posted by: WW | June 13, 2006 at 10:30 PM
One more version!
Link: http://rapidshare.de/files/22676694/Stairway_to_heaven.zip.html
TRIBUZY - STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
http://www.tribuzy.com/
Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
Posted by: DELANO | June 14, 2006 at 11:34 PM
Siento escribir en español, pero... Lo que importa es lo que se dice no cómo se dice no?? Fantástico!!Una buena recopilación, pero hay versiones que dejan mucho que desear... Nadie iguala a la original!!!!!
Posted by: David | June 15, 2006 at 06:23 PM