The Song JAMES HETFIELD Considers the Greatest of All, and Countless Bands Have Tried to Recreate

Summary

• James Hetfield calls Stairway to Heaven the greatest song ever—and says many bands, including Metallica, followed its formula.
• Hetfield first tried to learn the song as a teen, struggling to copy Jimmy Page in his bedroom with a guitar he barely understood.
• His Zeppelin fandom came full circle when Jimmy Page joined Metallica on stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.

James Hetfield has always worn his influences on his sleeve. In a recent episode of The Metallica Report (transcribed by LOUDLEGENDS.COM), the Metallica frontman named Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” as the greatest song of all time.

He joked at first, “When I’m driving, ‘Ace of Spades’ [by Motörhead] is the best song”, but then gave a more thoughtful answer. “As stupid and simple as it might sound, I think ‘Stairway to Heaven’ is one of those songs that so many bands tried to copy,” he said.

He pointed out how its structure, a quiet intro that builds to a full-blown climax, became a blueprint. “‘Free Bird’ [by Lynyrd Skynyrd] is like that. ‘One’ [by Metallica] too. So many songs copied that.”

James’s connection to the song goes back decades.

He’s talked about “Stairway to Heaven” many times over the years. In past interviews, he’s described it as one of the first songs he ever tried to learn.

As a teenager, he spent hours in his bedroom trying to play it, inspired by Jimmy Page’s guitar work.

In a 2004 chat with Rolling Stone, Hetfield recalled figuring out the opening chords and proudly running around the house yelling, “Check it out, I can play this!” His family, less impressed, wanted to know where the rest of the song was.

In another interview, Hetfield admitted the solo was the part that really hooked him. Page had recorded the original solo late in the process, after layering the song with multiple instruments, bass, electric, 12-strings, recorders, which gave it that larger-than-life sound.

That production approach left a mark on Hetfield, who later chased similar textures in his own music.

Before Metallica, Hetfield played in a garage band called Obsession. The setlist included tracks by Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Robin Trower, and yes, Led Zeppelin.

He once told Louder Sound that those jam sessions were crucial to his growth as a musician, even if the band never went anywhere. “I don’t remember learning guitar,” he said. “I just remember picking it up and thinking, ‘How do they make all these noises?’”

That admiration carried over into adulthood.

In 2009, Hetfield got to live out a dream: sharing a stage with Jimmy Page. During the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, Page joined Metallica, Jeff Beck, and Flea for a blistering version of “Train Kept A Rollin’.” (watch it below)

James, grinning ear to ear, looked like a fan who’d just won the lottery.

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