# Is Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" really a popular wedding song? If so... why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 3, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604 "2016-10-03T23:28:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/21 "2016-10-04T17:32:02Z")
Don’t know about _Stairway…_ as a wedding song, but when I was in (Catholic boy’s) high school, they played the song during the [del]fidgeting and whispering[/del] quiet contemplation period while we waited to go to confession. :dubious:😕 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/22 "2016-10-04T18:16:19Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Don’t know about _Stairway…_ as a wedding song, but when I was in (Catholic boy’s) high school, they played the song during the [del]fidgeting and whispering[/del] quiet contemplation period while we waited to go to confession. :dubious:😕 Sounds like the organist had a bit of a sense of humor. Back in my Catholic days, I used to help out on big masses or services by playing keyboards along with the church organist. We had one service at a cemetery, and I couldn’t help myself but to sneak in a few bars of Stairway while we doing some meditative modal thing in A minor. Nobody in the congregation seemed to notice, but the look he shot me! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/23 "2016-10-04T18:40:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Sounds like the organist had a bit of a sense of humor. Back in my Catholic days, I used to help out on big masses or services by playing keyboards along with the church organist. We had one service at a cemetery, and I couldn’t help myself but to sneak in a few bars of Stairway while we doing some meditative modal thing in A minor. Nobody in the congregation seemed to notice, but the look he shot me! 😃 It would be the sly joke a high school organist would try to slip past the Brothers, but a recording of _Stairway…_, lyrics and all, was played on a tape player. One of the Brothers consciously chose it as the meditation music. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/24 "2016-10-04T18:46:15Z")
In my early 20’s I worked as a wedding DJ, probably did over 200 weddings. I cannot recall ever playing Stairway to Heaven or any Zeppelin song at a wedding. And I was hired to DJ at weddings cover the gamut of budgets - from backyard pool-party affairs to country club swanky. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/25 "2016-10-04T20:08:33Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > It would be the sly joke a high school organist would try to slip past the Brothers, but a recording of _Stairway…_, lyrics and all, was played on a tape player. One of the Brothers consciously chose it as the meditation music. 🆒 Oh, well, then, huh. Odd. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/26 "2016-10-04T20:22:51Z")
Because people don’t listen to lyrics. Often they just hear a few key words in the hook. Stairway to Heaven, duh, 'cause getting married is supposed to be “heaven”. Churches are all about “heaven”. Similar to how Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” became sort of a big right wing patriotic anthem when it came out, nobody actually listened to the lyrics - they only caught the hook. It’s not a patriotic song, it’s an indictment of America. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/27 "2016-10-04T21:28:23Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Don’t know about _Stairway…_ as a wedding song, but when I was in (Catholic boy’s) high school, they played the song during the [del]fidgeting and whispering[/del] quiet contemplation period while we waited to go to confession. :dubious:😕 Did they play that other hymn, In A Garden Of Eden, by I. Ron Butterfly? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/28 "2016-10-05T00:10:15Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Are there _any_ LZ songs that you would play at a wedding reception, unless the couple were total classic rock dorks and would play Zep only for that reason? Yup, the imigrant song ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/29 "2016-10-05T00:30:02Z")
Went to a wedding in the burbs maybe 12 years ago where the wedding party was introduced to “Rock N Roll.” Great wedding, by the way. One of the best playlists I’ve heard. The marriage, maybe not so much. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/30 "2016-10-05T00:41:18Z")
double post ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/31 "2016-10-05T02:53:27Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Are there _any_ LZ songs that you would play at a wedding reception, unless the couple were total classic rock dorks and would play Zep only for that reason? Gallow’s Pole? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/32 "2016-10-05T04:36:20Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Yup, the imigrant song :tilts head: It’s weird that this sort of makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/33 "2016-10-05T04:47:36Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Thematically, I can’t think of a less appropriate wedding song I like the Tiger Lillies so…yeah. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/34 "2016-10-05T07:36:16Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Don’t know about _Stairway…_ as a wedding song, but when I was in (Catholic boy’s) high school, they played the song during the [del]fidgeting and whispering[/del] quiet contemplation period while we waited to go to confession. :dubious:😕 Concur on your organist having a sly sense of humor. He would’ve gotten more points from me if he also did the organ intro to Zeppelin’s “Your Time Is Gonna Come”. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/35 "2016-10-05T07:39:58Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > Having played in a wedding band around 1979-1981, yes, yes it was popular. Inexplicably, as far as I’m concerned. How about _Aqualung_? Was that requested very often? ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/36 "2016-10-06T01:32:34Z")
My ex wife told me her cousin’s first dance song at her wedding was “All My Love” When I responded suggesting ours could be “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You” she wasn’t amused. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/37 "2016-10-06T12:42:25Z")
Even more popular is _I Will Always Love You_. So your new spouse will know that even after you break up, you’ll still be thinking of them. And don’t get me started on _The Hokey Pokey_. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604/38 "2016-10-06T21:42:43Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > How about _Aqualung_? Was that requested very often? No, can’t say I ever remember that being on the song list for a wedding. But Stairway was. It was a long time ago, and I didn’t have that job for all that long, but I vaguely remember that our version was toned down quite a bit in the third section. I don’t think it was played at _every_ wedding, but I remember learning it, so it must have come up at least once. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-led-zeppelins-stairway-to-heaven-really-a-popular-wedding-song-if-so-why/767604.md?page=1)