Led Zeppelin’s rock classic “Stairway to Heaven” is estimated to generated the band up to US$562 million since its 1971 release.
Not bad at all for an eight minute long song, not bad at all. And had Led Zep opted for licensing deals, they could have earned even more.
Because the band is notoriously protective of its work, “Stairway” hasn’t met its full moneymaking potential. While other artists have made big bucks by licensing songs to Hollywood and Madison Avenue - think of Bob Dylan’s “Love Sick ” in that Victoria’s Secret commercial - Zeppelin has shunned most opportunities.
I can relate to their position on this. It’s actually deeply respectful of your fans. I saw a nice quote from Nick Cave once, along the lines of “people have used my music to propose to their beloved, or bury their friends. I don’t want them to hear it on an ad for a soft drink”.