Portfolio.com breaks down Led Zepplin's "Stairway to Heaven," the most popular song in the history of U.S. radio, and values the song at $572 million or more. The bulk of the estimate comes from the fact that the group refused to release the song as a single, therefore making fans purchase the Led Zeppelin IV along with subsequent albums that featured the song.
All told, “Stairway” has appeared on four Zeppelin albums, sales of which have earned Atlantic and the band $500 million, including $56 million for last year’s downloadable album, Mothership. Sales of 2 million DVDs featuring live performances of “Stairway” have brought the band and the distributor, Warner Bros., $48 million. [Portfolio.com]
That's some 1+1 = 5 type math they use, but there's no questioning that the song to this day is still a money maker.
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