Robert Plant’s Candid Confession: “I Wish We Were Remembered More for ‘Kashmir’ Than ‘Stairway to Heaven'”
In a recent candid interview, Robert Plant, the legendary frontman of Led Zeppelin, opened up about his complex feelings toward the band’s most famous song, “Stairway to Heaven,” and shared his deeper admiration for the often underappreciated epic, “Kashmir.”
“I wish we were remembered more for ‘Kashmir’ than ‘Stairway,’” Plant admitted. “That song feels more like the essence of who we were—experimental, fearless, and reaching for something outside ourselves.”
While “Stairway to Heaven” is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time, Plant has often expressed mixed emotions about it. The song, with its mystical lyrics and iconic guitar solo, has been endlessly dissected and played, becoming both a symbol of Led Zeppelin’s success and a burden of its legacy. “There’s no denying its impact,” Plant said, “but it’s become a bit of a double-edged sword. It overshadows the full range of what we accomplished.”
“Kashmir,” by contrast, holds a special place in Plant’s heart. Born from a road trip through Morocco, the track blends rock with Middle Eastern influences, featuring haunting string arrangements and a hypnotic riff from Jimmy Page. Plant’s vocals soar over the music, delivering some of his most poetic and evocative lyrics.
“It came from a real journey,” he explained. “I remember driving through the desert, the landscape stretching endlessly, and feeling this pull toward something ancient and mysterious. That feeling became ‘Kashmir.’”
For Plant, the song encapsulates Led Zeppelin’s adventurous spirit and musical ambition. “It’s not just a song—it’s a statement. It’s us stepping beyond the blues, beyond rock, into something more cinematic and spiritual.”
Fans and critics alike have come to recognize “Kashmir” as one of the band’s most artistically ambitious works, and many share Plant’s view that it represents the peak of Zeppelin’s creative power.
As time continues to reshape the band’s legacy, Plant hopes that listeners will look beyond the expected classics and rediscover the deeper layers of Led Zeppelin’s catalog. “There’s so much more to us than just one song,” he said. “’Kashmir’ is where our heart was—it’s where mine still is.”
Want this to be part of a longer feature on Plant or a series on Zeppelin’s deeper cuts?
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
