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.
Wow! I found this while searching for something completely different, and boy am I glad I did! Amazing stuff. Particularly glad I found the SCTV bit, as I was looking for a different SCTV MP3, Rick Moranis' lounge lizard new wave songs, entitled "On A New Wavelength" by a character named Tom Monroe. Anyone know where to find these??? Leave a comment-- I'll check back. Anyway, glad to get this "Stairways" MP3-- hilarious. Thanks.
Posted by: Gordon | August 24, 2007 at 04:14 PM
none of those bands makes me feel like the real, i love led zeppelin
Posted by: tangerine | September 17, 2007 at 04:22 PM
Does anybody knows anything about Helen Jones. I like the way she sings, but I didn´t found any information in the whole internet. Please help.
Kennt jemand die Sängerin Helen Jones ? Ich habe das ganze Internet durchgestöbert aber keine Informationen herausfinden können.
Posted by: peter | October 14, 2007 at 01:56 PM
i have this version, but I don't know who sang it.
it's: (the low bitrate) http://d.turboupload.com/d/2120665/Stairway_To_Heaven.mp3.html
pls reply at my email if you know who sang it :)
thanks
Posted by: golda | October 30, 2007 at 09:04 AM
I know 2 more Versions of Stairway to Heaven by Hayseed Dixie (very good one!) and by Richard Cheese (funny Jazz Version)
Posted by: Teck2 | November 25, 2007 at 10:02 AM
I need the version of guns n roses
Posted by: Gustavo | November 28, 2007 at 05:59 PM
Thanks a lot for what You are doing! Great List. Version 102: In the historical city hall tower of Fürth (Germany) 25 bells ("Glockenspiel") play every day at 12:04 pm a part from the introduction.
Posted by: Alexander Mayer | December 13, 2007 at 03:01 AM
I forgot the link for the city hall version, here is it :
http://www.dr-alexander-mayer.de/downloads/stairwaytoheaven.mp3
Posted by: Alexander Mayer | December 14, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Excellent faux Beatles-style cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WfoccRna6I
Posted by: eck | December 19, 2007 at 12:08 PM
A bunch of those versions were from an Australian TV shows from around 1990 called The Money or the Gun, a sort of mock variety and interview show starring Andrew Denton (now better known as a serious Parkinson-style celebrity interviewer). I think the show ran to 17 episodes, and every week they had a musical guest, each doing Stairway in a different style.
The seventeen versions were released on cassette and CD as Stairways to Heaven. The Allmusic link is here:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:jvfpxqlhldse
My favourite is Barry Crocker and the All Stars. :)
Posted by: DexX | January 14, 2008 at 10:08 AM
didn't Bill murray (sat.nite live)do a version of stairway in a short comedy skit in a lounge setting on snl?
Posted by: jimmyjames | January 20, 2008 at 05:15 PM
Love the "Stairway To Heaven" and "Taco Tico" collections. Please do it with "Popcorn" - lots of great covers out there.
Posted by: | January 24, 2008 at 12:25 AM
Stairway to Heaven is Best Ever
Posted by: Matt | March 07, 2008 at 09:25 PM
banjos.
Posted by: Steanne | May 07, 2008 at 01:38 PM
Don't forget the Ukulele Orchestra.
They have a great cover of Stairway.
Posted by: JohnSnNl | May 10, 2008 at 12:28 AM
heyy... I'm from Brazil. my english is little, but I'd like to post a comment =)...
I and my friends, doing a version adapter of the stairway to heaven, and posting in the youtube.com =D
please , watch it: http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=pllunpyQl9I
thanksss!!!
Posted by: JoThaGa | May 20, 2008 at 08:33 PM
heyy... I'm from Brazil. my english is little, but I'd like to post a comment =)...
I and my friends, doing a version adapter of the stairway to heaven, and posting in the youtube.com =D
please , watch it: http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=pllunpyQl9I
thanksss!!!
Posted by: JoThaGa | May 20, 2008 at 08:36 PM
Hey, I would like to have a version of this but with no words :D
is there anything like that?
Posted by: dor | July 23, 2008 at 07:40 PM
interesting article +1
Posted by: advance | September 13, 2008 at 09:50 AM
I do not understand , as such delirium possible to write????? :-(
Posted by: oral | September 16, 2008 at 02:31 PM
Somebody made a version of "Stairway" with a program for sequencing music for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System.
You can get it (in a zip file with other songs) here:
http://plasticshards.com/blog/archives/60
Posted by: Andrew Eckel | January 16, 2009 at 01:50 AM
However they end up not using 90% of the bells and whistles they bought. a href=http://olref.300mb.info/index.htmlnotebooks hp/a
Posted by: epivevalp | January 19, 2009 at 04:48 AM
sammy davis jr also sang stairway to heaven
Posted by: tom | January 29, 2009 at 08:46 PM
doesnt look like anyone has posted here in some time but I noticed that you have a rendition of SwTH by "unknown" .. well.. that would be Sublime that did that version..
Posted by: Trina J | July 19, 2009 at 10:25 PM
Check out "Taurus" by Spirit from their 1968 LP "Spirit" - the "Stairway" guitar intro is there...3 years ahead of its time.Spirit toured with LZ in 1969/1970.
Posted by: DIL | September 22, 2009 at 09:51 PM