And while the hackneyed jokes and Wayne’s World references that punctuate that legacy are more than earned by its overwrought cadence of foggy mysticism, loose social commentary, feigned depth and interminable live performances, at the time of its release, the song was no laughing matter. Every time you flick your Bic to illuminate a dark arena into a rock and roll galaxy, you’re praising “Stairway’”s legacy. It popularized the double-neck guitar, yielding lifetimes of back problems for shredders worldwide. For generations of teens, “Stairway” has been the soundtrack to countless bong rips, slides into second base and roadside fatalities.
