Robert Plant performed 'Stairway to Heaven' weeks ahead of the Led Zeppelin IV album's 52nd anniversary
By Renee Hansen
![Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Perform At Budweiser Stage Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Perform At Budweiser Stage](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4069,h_2288,x_0,y_203/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/345/01hepa57s3np84n2y8pk.jpg)
Led Zeppelin IV was released on November 8, 1971, the fourth studio album for the band, which featured three of the band's most popular singles, including the signature song "Stairway To Heaven."
Led Zeppelin, originally called the New Yardbirds, formed in 1968, comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. They are known for their guitar-driven hard rock but drew on many different types of music for influence, including blues and folk. The majority of lyrics were written by Plant, with Page writing most of the music.
Robert Plant performed during a charity event, raising money for the Cancer Awareness Trust at Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds. The event was organized by Duran Duran's original guitarist Andy Taylor, who is recovering from stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.
Plant was joined by Taylor and Dino Jelusick of Whitesnake on guitar, Rod Stewart's drummer David Palmer, Guy Pratt, bassist of Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, Kenwyn House, former Reef's guitarist, Taylor's son Andrew, and singer Anne Rani in the performance of "Stairway To Heaven."
Led Zeppelin IV is actually untitled
After the lukewarm and perhaps confused reaction to Led Zeppelin III, Page decided the band would create four symbols representing themselves that would suffice as the fourth album's title. The record company insisted there must be a title, but the band held their ground. It was challenging to identify the album, so it is commonly called Led Zeppelin IV, with Atlantic catalogs referring to it as Four Symbols and The Fourth Album.
The album was a critical and commercial success, becoming the band's best-selling album. The album contains three of Led Zeppelin's most famous songs, including "Black Dog," "Going To California," and probably the best known from the band, "Stairway To Heaven." It was praised by critics, sighting the diversity of songs featured and calling it consistently good, a powerhouse album, and stating it defines the sound of '70s rock.
Led Zeppelin has and always will be considered one of the most innovative and successful rock music bands. They have influenced the genre and have made a significant impact on the development of album-oriented rock and stadium rock.