Can you imagine having the most requested song on FM radio during the 70s and never releasing it as a commercial single … and having the same title as a Top Ten hit from 1960?

In late 1971, an English rock band released a song on their untitled fourth album. It was written by the group’s guitarist and lead singer.

7 minutes and 55 seconds long, it received constant airplay throughout the 70s on the burgeoning FM radio airwaves. In fact, this song is regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time, being voted #3 in 2000 by VH1 on its list of the “100 Greatest Rock Songs.”

Meanwhile back in 1960, a young singer/songwriter from Brooklyn, New York released a song with the same title that went to the #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. At two minutes and 39 seconds long, it was the perfect length for music being played on the AM dial at that time.

The style of the song became his trademark, and he would go on to write and release more hits as well as composing hits for his contemporaries. Today he is recognized as an icon in the music industry. His name … Neil Sedaka.

Ironically, when you refer to the song “Stairway To Heaven,” it is almost always associated with Led Zeppelin – Jimmy Page and Robert Plant’s original composition … and, yes, it was never released as a single.

At a mini concert on January 7, 2021, Neil Sedaka was quoted as saying, “You can’t copyright a title, so Led Zeppelin, I forgive you!”

So, taking the “Led” out, here is Neil Sedaka with his 1960 hit “Stairway To Heaven,” this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.