LISTS \

All 87 Led Zeppelin Songs, Ranked

Every song ever recorded by Zep, listed from worst to first
Andrew Unterberger // September 29, 2014

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Its surprisingly easy to forget about Led Zeppelin in 2014. With arena rock gradually fading from relevance, or at least being
subverted and co-opted as a genre and idea the closest thing to a stadium-geared blockbuster in the last year might have
been One Directions Midnight Memories Zeppelins enduring influence as the ideal of Big Rock Music is less relevant than
ever. Even Almost Famous, the Zep-soaked Cameron Crowe flick that helped expose a new generation to the classic rock of
their parents, is almost 15 years old at this point. The next time you hear Stairway to Heaven, it might actually sound
interesting and refreshing which is kinda cool, but just feels intuitively wrong.
It takes an event like this years spate of deluxe Zeppelin reissues the first three were released back in June, while IV and
Houses of the Holy are on deck for next month to remind you of how incredible this band really was. Some elements of the
Zeppelin experience havent dated quite so brilliantly namely the rampant misogyny, the even more rampant Tolkien
references, and the always-terrible 1976 Presence LP but the songs, the sound, and the sheer size of the group continue to
dazzle to this day. If they make music on this scale in 2014, its certainly not to be found in the rock genre, and youd be
pretty hard-pressed to find it anywhere else, either.
As a tribute to Led Zeppelin, weve ranked all 87 songs in their recorded catalog. Any song to ever appear on a commercial
Led Zeppelin release even the live ones and the reissues can be found here; for songs with multiple recorded versions,
we opted for the best-known rendition. Enjoy our list, and next time youre in your car or your shower, maybe give the local
classic rock station a little love.
87. LA Drone (How the West Was Won, 2003)

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A 15-second intro track to the bands excellent live album, this one is true to its name and included here for strict
completionist purposes only.
86. Candy Store Rock (Presence, 1976)
A hookless, aimless, funk-less tribute to Bo Diddley and 50s rock that was somehow released as a single A-side,
demonstrating just how out of touch the band was in 1976.
85. Darlene (Coda, 1982)
Near-comic in its repititiveness, Darlene does eventually build a certain swing to it, but only the most devoted of fans are
likely to bear with it long enough to get there.
84. Somethin Else (BBC Sessions, 1997)
A faithful but muddled-sounding and mostly uninspired Eddie Cochran live cover, showcasing Zep as the unpretentious rock
purists they never were (and never should have been).
83. Hot Dog (In Through the Out Door, 1979)
After the untenably monochromatic Presence, Zeppelin decided to go the other way with the disorienting genre-hopping of In
Through the Out Door. Several of the experiments were actually quite successful; this cartoonish hoedown excursion was less
so.
82. Royal Orleans (Presence, 1976)
This ones really strong for the first 11 seconds. Unfortunately, theyre followed by about 177 seconds of thoughtless funk
noodling and in-jokey mewling from Robert Plant.
81. Tea For One (Presence, 1976)
A good song unfortunately, its one theyd already written six years prior. Jimmy Page has essentially admitted the song
was a total rewrite of IIIs Since Ive Been Loving You, and Plant sounds so bored with the rehash that he might fall asleep
before the two-minute mark.
80. Ozone Baby (Coda, 1982)
Theres a spark there at the beginning, but its not strong enough to survive the 50th Ooo-ooh / Its my love exhortation in
the songs quickly-grating chorus.

79. South Bound Saurez (In Through the Out Door, 1979)
More of ITtODs self-conscious genre-hopping, this time a jaunty honky-tonk number with Elton John saloon-style piano
and one of Plants more irritating vocals. Someone shouldve spell-checked that title, too.
78. Black Country Woman (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
Possibly the slightest song to appear within Zeps original classic six-album run, the throwaway folk jam Woman is buried

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deep enough in side four of the Physical Graffiti double-LP that maybe they hoped no one would notice it. They were mostly
right.
77. For Your Life (Presence, 1976)
Another solid intro in search of a song to follow: Like most of the somewhat ironically titled Presence, it loses itself somewhere
in the second or third minute of momentum-less grooving.
76. You Shook Me (Led Zeppelin I, 1969)
The bands least-successful early blues reinterpretation, aiming for slow and seductive, but overshooting the mark and
ending up just kind of sluggish.
75. The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair (BBC Sessions, 1997)
An utterly fantastic title, and if you remember a single other thing about the song, youre a better fan than I.
74. La La (Led Zeppelin II (2014 Deluxe Edition Reissue), 2014)
Not a fully-formed song by any means, but a perfectly pleasant organ-led trifle from the first batch of Zep reissues.
73. Boogie With Stu (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
Like Black Country Woman, this is back-end filler for Graffiti. Supremely silly, though there is some legitimate boogieing to
be had, at least.
72. Walters Walk (Coda, 1982)
Hardly one of the groups most memorable rockers, but John Bonhams relentless bass drum-pounding gives the song a
pulse that makes it engaging enough. Parts of it may have inspired the White Stripes Icky Thump, though you could say
that about at least four or five Zeppelin songs.
71. Hots on For Nowhere (Presence, 1976)
Another largely stuck-in-the-muck Presence jam, though this one at least has a catchy hook or two (La las and Oh-ohs!
Stereophonic double-tracked guitars!) to get you through the near-five-minute runtime.
70. Bonzos Montreux (Coda, 1982)
The musical history of primarily drums-only rock tracks is not a particularly long or engaging one, and theres a reason for
that. If you were gonna afford the listening opportunity to one guy, though, Bonzos not a bad choice; if it were a minute or
two shorter itd be a great mixtape interlude.
69. Were Gonna Groove (Coda, 1982)
One of the rawer Zeppelin cuts, and the lead track on the odds-and-sods collection Coda. Not particularly long on hooks, but
high on grit and short on runtime, so an enjoyable enough LZII outtake.

68. Night Flight (Physical Graffiti, 1975)

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Interesting as one of the few Zep songs that begins in media res the band usually makes such a big deal out of their intros, so
to hear Plant jumping in straight away (I received a message from my brother) is pretty jarring and as one of the few
not to feature a guitar solo. Not interesting for a ton else.
67. Hats Off to (Roy) Harper (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
One of the oddest songs in the bands discography, right down to the weird use of parentheses in the title. Theres not too
much of a song there between Plants uninteligibly vibratod vocals and Pages freeform slide guitar, but its an endearingly
idiosyncratic way to end III, and hopefully Roy himself found it appropriately flattering.
66. Baby Come on Home (Boxed Set 2, 1993)
A sort of lost gem of Zeppelins an Otis Redding-style, organ-drenched soul ballad from the bands pre-LP days as the New
Yardbirds. It sounds convincing enough that its hard to believe that its not a cover, and even though it doesnt particularly
play to the bands strengths (except for Plant, anyway, whos having an absolute blast), its a bummer we didnt get to hear
more of this side of the band on their albums.
65. How Many More Times (Led Zeppelin I, 1969)
Primarily remembered for John Paul Jones Green Onions-like walking bass line, and the way the intro unfolds from there.
Its a brilliant first half-minute, and there is no earthly reason why the song should last for another eight minutes after that.
64. Sick Again (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
The growling closer to Graffitis final LP side is an eye-openingly straightforward tale of prowling for underage groupies (One
day soon youre gonna reach sixteen You know Im the one you want / I must be the one you need), hitting a little close to
home Page had actually recently taken up an affair with a 14-year-old Lori Maddox to be written off as satire. Hell of a
riff, though.
63. Gallows Pole (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
A traditional folk cover (super-original title: The Maid Freed From the Gallows) that a suddenly mandolin-infatuated
Zeppelin made their own on the acoustic side of LZIII. A little close to Jethro Tull for comfort at some moments, but an
important transition track nonetheless.
62. Custard Pie (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
The most underwhelming of Zeps eight album-opening tracks more of a credit to the other seven than a knock on the
suitably funky Pie but perhaps the most enthusiastic song about cunnilingus (Chew on a piece of your custard pie!) ever
performed by someone not named Lil Wayne.
61. Dancing Days (Houses of the Holy, 1973)
A classic riff, but Page was tossing off unforgettable licks like he was discarding cigarette butts in the early 70s, so this one
ranks as low as it does due to being a little too repetitive and having a couple WTF? lyrics even by Zep standards (I saw a
lion / He was standing alone with a tadpole in a jar). Does get extra points for the fine STP cover.
60. Poor Tom (Coda, 1982)
A surprisingly enjoyable LZIII outtake, mixing Pages shimmering Bron-Yr-Aur-era guitar lines with a 50 Ways to Leave
Your Lover-like Bonham drum shuffle, and Plants octave-separated self-harmonizing (with one slammin harmonica solo
at the end to boot). Lyrics are a little wife-murder-y, though, so maybe try not to pay those too much mind.
59. All My Love (In Through the Out Door, 1979)
Another one of Zeppelins more divisive hits even the band itself was split on it, with Page and Bonham both considering it
a little soft. They werent wrong, certainly: Love has the bands most pandering chorus (All of my love to you, child) and
a JPJ synth solo where Page would normally find himself in takeover mode. It has its place, though, and as a tribute to Plants
son who died tragically at age five a couple years earlier its hard to argue with too much.
58. Thank You (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
The only Zep song to rival All My Love in sappiness, Thank You lays it on plenty thick (If the sun refused to shine / I
would still be loving you), but its resonated enough with audiences that it was even used to soundtrack the (similarly

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sentimental) end of the True Blood series finale earlier this year. Its not our Zep of choice, but some long-haired couples
probably getting married to it somewhere this weekend, so fair enough.
57. Friends (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
A number of firsts for the band their first predominanlty acoustic song, first to feature heavy string arrangements, first to
be vaguely Eastern-sounding in nature. The chorus is a little pat (The greatest thing you ever could do now / Is lend a smile
to someone whos blue now), but the sound is minorly mesmerizing, and would point the way towards much of the bands
musical future.
56. Im Gonna Crawl (In Through the Out Door, 1979)
The final track on Zeps final studio album was an underrated throwback to their super-early soul days, a torch ballad with a
25 Miles-like lyrical hook of doing whatever it takes to get back to Plants woman. Of course they didnt have this many
synths back then, but thats OK the keys dont distract from Plants superlative vocal performance, reaching tortured
heights not heard from the singer since In My Time of Dying.

55. Bring It On Home (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)

Maybe the only song on LZII that never gets played on classic rock radio a little too slow-and-low for the majority of its
runtime but a fine album closer nonetheless. Gotta love the restraint the band shows with the songs nearly two-minute
whisper of an intro, before ripping into a double-tracked guitar lick that Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls never would have
dreamed of.
54. Out on the Tiles (Led Zeppelin III, 1971)
A great title and a better riff, if not the bands most memorable song beyond those two features. You can only imagine how
great it could have been if the band had held on to the original bar-shanty lyrics to the Bonham-invented tune that inspired
the song: Ive had a pint of bitter and now Im feeling better and Im out on the tiles
53. Down By the Seaside (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
Led Zeppelin doesnt have a ton of songs that would best be described as nice, but this Neil Young homage would certainly
be one: A gently swaying, witsful number with sweetly tremolod guitar and soothing electric piano. (Dont worry, Page still
rips a normal guitar solo in the darker-but-mercifully-short mid-section.) Amidst the epic brutality of much of Graffiti, its a
highly welcome respite.
52. The Battle of Evermore (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
The worst song on the bands best album, Evermore manages not to stick out as an obvious lowlight. In fact, its quite
necessary as a transition track between Rock and Roll and Stairway to Heaven, and the vocal interplay between Plant and
Fairport Convention singer Sandy Denny one of the few guest vocalists to ever appear on a Zeppelin track is fairly
lovely, even if you wish they were given something to sing about other than the typical Lord of the Rings nonsense.

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51. Wearing and Tearing (Coda, 1982)
Zeppelin hoped that this Coda highlight could be mistaken for the Damned or one of their U.K. ilk, and maybe in the process
shed the dinsoaur-rock label theyd gotten (and arguably deserved) from the punks in recent years. Not quite, but
impressively close Wearing does achieve a kind of lean muscularity thats rare in the bands catalog, and Bonzos
thumping motor keeps the song from ever lagging across its 5:29 runtime.
50. Living Loving Maid (Shes Just a Woman) (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
The lyrics rank among Zeps most vile, as unapologetically misogynistic as Zeppelin would get on record. For better or worse,
though, the hooks come out of this thing from so many different directions not to mention that at a scant 2:39 (and
bursting out of the speakers after the surprise end to Heartbreaker), its one of the groups tightest jams that it remains
impossible to deny completely. (Unless youre Jimmy Page, anyway, who allegedly hated the song and never once played it
live.)
49. The Crunge (Houses of the Holy, 1973)
Oft-derided by Zep fans for its faux-funk awkwardness and general frivolity, The Crunge nonetheless has its charms. The
stop-start intro groove, the bands unwillingness to determine any kind of pocket to get into, and of course, Plants dogged,
James Brown-like pursuit of that ever-elusive bridge its all very silly, but its good fun from a band that certainly needed an
injection of lightheartedness every now and then. Its not like anything the Godfather of Soul would sign off on, but its also
not really like anything else, ever.

48. Tangerine (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)

A pleasantly sighing, pedal steel guitar-tinged ballad that isnt LZIIIs best track by any means, but maybe its most definitive.
It was also Zeps first song to bear any kind of obvious country influence, a direction that would get them into more trouble
the further they followed it, but which is deployed quite perfectly here. Cameron Crowe liked it enough to make it Almost
Famous last musical will and testament, so there you go.
47. Black Mountain Side (Led Zeppelin I, 1969)
46. Bron-Yr-Aur (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
Two instrumental interludes, both totally essential on their respective albums, and both about as stately and gorgeous as the
band ever got. The guitar-only Bron-Yr-Aur gets the slight nod over the tabla-featuring Black Mountain Side, mainly for
the awesome whooshing sound of the guitar riff thats seemingly reversed on itself every so often but both represent a

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key (if rarely seen) side of Zeppelins power.
45. Hey Hey What Can I Do (Immigrant Song B-Side, 1970)
Easily the most famous Zeppelin song to never appear on a studio album, and certainly one of the best. Why the breezy Hey
Hey was left off LZIII when it would have fit so snugly into that second side unless someone actually protested the
misogynistic lyrical content, which in 1970, hah remains a mystery, but its a folk-rock jam to rival any of the bands best
on LP, and AOR radio deservedly turned it into a Zep standard anyway.
44. Your Time Is Gonna Come (Led Zeppelin I, 1969)
An inspired exercise in musical contrast, as explained by legendary rock producer and Zep superfan Rick Rubin: Its like the
drums are playing a big rock song and the guitars are playing a gentle folk song. And its got one of the most upbeat choruses
of any Zeppelin song, even though the words are so dark. All true, making it the first albums biggest grower of a track.
43. Moby Dick (Led Zeppelin II, 1970)
Just straight flexin. Bonzo certainly earned the right to have one song a concert that he could turn into a ten-minute solo for
his own self-gratification if he so desired, and Moby was that song though in the studio, they at least keep that whale of a
solo down to a (relatively) trim three minutes or so. Dont sleep on that ridiculously grungy Page riff either, though or
Bonhams underrated intro fill, sampled for the Beastie Boys What Comes Around.

42. Trampled Under Foot (Physical Graffiti, 1975)

One of the bands thickest, tightest stomps, largely thanks to the superlative work of John Paul Jones on the clavinet and a
melody generously pinched from the Doobie Brothers Long Train Running. As fun as it is, though, it goes on a minute or
two too long after the groove starts to feel repetitive and Plants cars-as-sex (sex-as-cars?) exhortations get considerably
tiresome, keeping it comfortably out of the groups top tier of hits.
41. Celebration Day (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
Responsible for one of the most exhilirating moments on a Zeppelin record, when the Moog echoes that end Friends give
way to this songs galloping opening riff. The rest of the New York-inspired song is fine, if mostly unextraordinary, but it
does contain a fairly blistering eight-bar Page solo and a solid chorus hook: My my my Im so happy / Im gonna join the
band! Sounds like fun.
40. I Cant Quit You Baby (Led Zeppelin I, 1969)

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The best of LZIs traditional blues numbers, an Otis Rush cover done in a similar style to You Shook Me, but keeping things
light and engaging enough that it never feels like the same kind of drag. Plants banshee wailing is on point and the rhythm
section is as locked in as ever, but really, its a showcase for Page, who kills every little mid-verse fill he gets and he gets a
lot of them before out-Claptoning Clapton on the songs proper solo(es).
39. In the Evening (In Through the Out Door, 1979)
The Zeppelin equivalent to Pink Floyds Young Lust, a strutting, disco-flicked number with pounding drums and a creepy,
bad-ass intro lead-in. Something about the mix of Evening keeps it from being the dance-rock scorcher it probably should
have been the bass is barely audible, the synths are way too high, and Plants non-chorus vocals are thoroughly
unintelligible (though the latter may have been purposeful and possibly for the best) but its still a mostly successful
expansion of the Zep sound, and a much-needed blast of energy coming off their least-propulsive album to date.
38. Traveling Riverside Blues (Boxed Set, 1990)
37. The Lemon Song (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
Two songs inspired by the same Robert Johnson original, both among the groups best blues reinterpretations. Riverside is
all about that slide-guitar riff, one of the lithest, slipperiest, and generally arresting in Pages oeuvre if it didnt directly
inspire the similar intro riff to Jeff Buckleys Last Goodbye, it had to have at least indirectly informed it. On the whole,
though, Lemon is stronger, with a riff as mean as the Riverside hook is gleeful, a great mid-and-late-song tempo switch,
and a much better deployment of the infamous squeeze my lemon section about as subtle as the bands songwriting
thievery, but as shamelessly inspired as well.
36. Dyer Maker (Houses of the Holy, 1973)
One of the ultimate Love-It-or-Hate-It Zep tracks, a cloying reggae tribute with purposefully thoughtless lyrics and one of
the most frequently mispronounced song titles in rock history. (Hint: Its supposed to sound like a country.) Its very good in
album context and great for the occasional drunk radio sing-along, though maybe not so much filtered into Sean Kingston
bubblegum hits.

35. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)

As much as we use the word stomp to talk about Led Zeppelins sound, only one song of theirs actually includes it in the
title, and it certainly earns it. With Pages endless acoustic riffing and Plants double-tracked rhapsodizing laid over Bonhams
boom-bap drums, with handclaps and castanets and even spoons (!!) adding to the fun, it sounds like the whole village is in

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on this one, giving Zep the traveling-folk-band air they seemed determined to cultivate on LZIIIs first half. Despite hardly
being the bands most popular number, they played this one live throughout the 70s, and its not hard to see why.
34. Four Sticks (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
Not the proper invention of math rock per se, but one of the first songs where you can actually hear the band members
counting along in their heads as the song goes on. Considering the time-signature trickery on display, its a little amazing that
Four Sticks remains as enjoyable as it does likely a tribute to the supernatural time-keeping ability of Bonham, who
keeps the song pulsing along at a tense, almost suspenseful clip, long enough for the band to get to the songs foreboding-
synth climax. It peters out a little at the end, likely due to understandable exhaustion.
33. Nobodys Fault but Mine (Presence, 1976)
One of two songs from Presence anyone still bothers to remember, because of its fully-formed riff, locked-in groove even
with constant interruption and the bands wise choice to give Plant able vamping room on the title-repeating chorus. The
production is perfect, the harmonica solo comes screaming in from out of nowhere, and the guys seems to be talking to each
other on a level they reached (disturbingly) infrequently in the late 70s. To stretch as few ideas as this song does over six
minutes without ever being less than awesome is pretty damn hard to do.
32. Rock And Roll (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
Among the groups most popular rave-ups, earned through the sheer frenzy of Bonhams cymbal-crashing, Pages fret-
racing, Jones keys-on-fire piano, and Plants dog-whistle shrieking. Theres not really a whole lot of song there, truly its a
repetitive and largely meaningless chorus, and the melody is pretty standard issue but the band is just in such top form
that Rock and Roll was able to become a classic worthy of exemplifying its title anyway.
31. The Rover (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
Not a radio standard, but a devoted fan favorite Wikipedia says so, even if its citation needed thanks to the mega-sized,
phase-shifted guitar riff and steady bass groove. Its just the sound of Zeppelin at their most generally unimpeachable, heavy
without being overbearing, epic without being self-indulgent, anthemic almost just by showing up.

30. In the Light (Physical Graffiti, 1975)

Graffitis second album-opening attempt at their own Within You Without You, with less specific talk of inner peace and
more sexual come-ons. The climax comes on a little strong (Everybody needs a light!), but the intro is one of the bands
most captivating, and the way the song toggles between minor-chord tension and major-chord warmth across its various

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sections without totally breaking its sense of flow is pretty sensational.
29. Going to California (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
Occasionally dipping into eye-rolling sappiness (She plays guitar and cries and sings / La la la la.'), but generally as tender
and moving as any ballad in the bands catalog. Theres a real undercurrent of loneliness and insecurity there (Telling myself
its not as hard, hard, hard as it seems) that keeps it from becoming sickeningly cloying, even when its used to soundtrack
an event as douche-chilling as the Entourage series finale. Its also supposedly inspired by Page and Plants mutual infatuation
with Joni Mitchell, so thats a win for her.
28. Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin I, 1969)
As much as Zeppelin might have fretted about being phased out by the punks in the late 70s, they couldve very easily
pointed to the three-chord riffing and breakneck pace of their debut albums Communication Breakdown as evidence that
theyd beaten the brats to the punch nearly a decade earlier. The band would go on to write songs way more complex and
compelling than this, but they never got rawer or harder-hitting and in fact, no less a punk authority than Johnny
Ramone admitted to practicing this song to master his guitar technique.

27. The Wanton Song (Physical Graffiti, 1975)

OK, so maybe theres one other time Zep approached the rawness and punchiness of Breakdown. Wanton is as explosive
as any of the bands riffs, an eight-note blast over Bonhams boom-bap drumming that totally overshadows whatever
libidinous claptrap Plant is on about. The songs calmer bridge breakdown arguably necessary to keep the track from being
totally head-snapping probably disqualifies it from being the true equal of the utterly relentless Breakdown, but its also
the more complete song for it.
26. Carouselambra (In Through the Out Door, 1979)
Certainly not among the fondest-remembered songs in Zeppelins body of work, the ten-plus-minute Carouselambra is
nevertheless one of their most fascinating, half-prog and half-disco, with a zooming guitar line, a juggernaut of a synth hook
(which unexpectedly goes all Kraftwerk about halfway in), and one of Plants all-time most-enigmatic lyrics (Opening lines:
Sisters of the way-side bide their time in quiet peace / Await their place within the ring of calm). It shouldnt work, and
many likely would argue it doesnt, but the playing is never less than air-tight, the groove is considerable, the melodic ideas
are plentiful and unpredictable, and the sheer musical ambition is jaw-dropping.
25. In My Time of Dying (Physical Graffiti, 1975)

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A long way from the Zeps earlierst blues excursions, to be damned sure. Time of Dying stretched the bands bluesy laments
to a full 11 minutes, which could have resulted in disastrous over-noodling and interminable dragging, but Zeppelin manage
to maintain interest throughout, with a variety of well-timed tempo and dynamic switches (Were jamming. Were having a
ball. We. Are. Playing, Page would say of the largely-improvised recording), and one of Plants all-time masterful vocal
performances (Oh my JEEEEE-SUUUUUS!!!). Why they undercut the whole thing at the end with a bad in-studio joke is
anyones guess, but by then, theyve earned the right.

24. Babe Im Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin I, 1969)

A sneakily weird early Zep cut, Babe tears through its tense acoustics with some of the bands most unexpectedly ferocious
playing when the guitars and drums come crashing in pre-chorus, its about as metal as anything youre likely to hear in
pre-Sabbath rock, and Plants caterwauling rarely sounded this pointed again (WERE GONNA GOWALKING THROUGH
THE PARKEVERYDAY!!!). Wouldnt have been our first guess for Miley Cyrus choice of a Led Zeppelin cover, but we
respect it just the same.
23. Houses of the Holy (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
In the Songs Not Actually on the Albums They Share a Title With hall of fame, Houses is a first-ballot entry and might
even get its own wing. Its not hard to think of a couple of songs that couldve been cut from Houses to make room for its
ostensible title track, but fine: Its loss is Graffitis gain, and in Houses it gets one of the groups poppiest, most buoyant
rockers and most critically, the one with the most cowbell to spare. It kicks off in high gear and doesnt outstay its
welcome, and its virtually impossible to get sick of.

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22. No Quarter (Houses of the Holy, 1973)
A mood piece unlike any other in the Zep discography, with supremely fuzzed-out guitar, aqueous electric piano, and a
muffled-sounding Plant not to mention Page pitch-shifting the whole thing down after the fact creating a uniquely
disqueting vibe that may as well have invented the Deftones entire post-90s output. Plant sings about the winds of Thor
and dogs of doom, but he could have been singing about ice cream sandwiches and Slip N Slides and it would have
probably sounded just as ominous.
21. Since Ive Been Loving You (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
Maybe Plants crowning achievement as Zeppelins vocalist, the gut-wrenching, Janis Joplin-like hysteria he imbues Since
with elevates what would otherwise be a fairly standard Zep blues run-through to the centerpiece of LZIII. A five-star Page
solo to carry the songs mid-section certainly helps things along, but this is Plants show, and he steals it right back from his
bandmate with his first SAIIIIIIIIIID IVE BEEN CUH-RYING!!!! Listen to this after soundalike Tea For One (81) if you
need a contrasting example to show how lifeless a song like this becomes when Plant sounds totally divested.
20. The Song Remains the Same (Houses of the Holy, 1973)
If not the all-time best Zep opener, then the one that sounds the most like it couldnt have fallen anywhere else on the album.
Song bursts out of the gate like Seattle Slew at Belmont and barely lets up for its 5:30 runtime, each band member trying to
elbow their way into the spotlight while still remaining perfectly in-step as a collective unit. The song was originally planned
without vocals and sounds like it Plants contributions are sporadic and mostly negligible but for a musical example of
Zep at the peak of their instrumental powers, you cant do much better than this.

19. Good Times Bad Times (Led Zeppelin I, 1969)

A hell of a way to kick off your recorded output, with that repeated bar chord and the drums sneaking up from behind it,
congealing into one of the bands definitive grooves right in time for Plant to slither in over it. Zep would grow as songwriters
and musicians over the course of their ten-year career, but Good Times shows how their swag was on 100 right from their
very first notes as a band, and their cockiness is still totally infectious when heard in the American Hustle trailer over 40 years

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later.

18. Ramble On (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)

Its all about those drums. Not really drums, even no one seems to know for sure what device Bonham played the songs
distinctive rhythm part on (the bottom of a trash can? A hard guitar case?), but the tone of it is so light and breezy that it gets
the song started off in the clouds, the perfect bed for JPJs weightless bass line and Pages pillowy guitar-strumming to come
floating in over. Plants rambling ways (previously foretold in Babe Im Gonna Leave You) are key once the songs in, though
again: Do we really need Gollum sweeping in to steal your girl in the third verse, Robert? Let it go.

17. Achilles Last Stand (Presence, 1976)

Its hard to imagine how the general malaise of Presence didnt seem to infect one note of Achilles Last Stand, but absoltuely

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zero of our complaints about the bands LP nadir apply to the albums scorching opener. Whatever else was going on with
Zep in 76, for ten-plus minutes of Achilles they remembered that they were the best band in the world, and put together a
chugging monster of a jam that never lags in energy or feels even slightly redundant, its impact so relentless that youd be
grateful for another five minutes of galloping bass and rapid-fire drum fills. Oh, and the band invents the Cults entire career
with the bookending guitar riff, just for good measure.

16. Dazed and Confused (Led Zeppelin I, 1969)

Better enjoyed at six-and-a-half minutes than the near-half-hour it would stretch out to onstage, Dazed is the number
where it became obvious that Zeppelin were worthy of their heroes when crafting blues standards entirely of their own. The
intro is still one of the most demonic-sounding things ever heard on a major rock record (even moreso than the incantation-
like breakdown section) and Plants guttural squawking over the verses, while questionable in lyrical nature (Soul of the
woman was created below sorry, ladies) its undeniable in its transportative power.

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15. What Is and What Should Never Be (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
Zeppelin was doing loudQUIETloud way before the Pixies, with the verse-to-chorus on What Is and What Should Never Be
being a particularly strong example of the bands mastery of dynamic shifting. The loose, almost jazzy tip-toeing of the verse
gives way to one of the bands most rip-roaring choruses (and best outros), a jutxtaposition well exploited by the most
intense scene from 2012s Silver Linings Playbook. (Bradley Cooper and David O. Russell: Keeping the Zep flame alive one Oscar-
bait dramedy at a time.)

14. The Ocean (Houses of the Holy, 1973)

Real talk for a minute: The fact that there are 13 Zeppelin songs we think are better than The Ocean is all you need to know
in order to understand what a totemic band this was. There might not be more than two or three hard rock bands from the
entire 1970s who wouldnt gladly trade their biggest hit for this one, a song that stuffs an entire King Crimson albums worth
of changes in tone, tempo, and time signature into one blistering four-and-a-half minute pop single, just to show how fking
easily it comes to them. They dont even bother to take out the phone that goes off in the middle of the song seriously,
check it at 1:38 because who cares, really? Maybe not their best song, but possibly the most casually brilliant thing they
ever did.

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13. Thats The Way (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
The peak of Zeppelins first run of acoustic experimentation, Thats the Way is as simple and lovely as the band ever got. Its
the kind of song you write after a long day of walking around your stately manor in Wales, which we might not have known
before Zep showed us here, as Plant was apparently so overcome with his surroundings that it inspired one of his most
deeply felt lyrics a love song that sounds and feels more like being in love with the entire universe than with any sepcific
person or thing. That, indeed, is the way it ought to be.

12. Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)

The bands biggest U.S. chart hit, hitting #4 in late 69, and a regular on pretty much any greatest-rock-song-ever list, for a
reason. The riff has justly become part of the DNA of popular music, the theremin breakdown section (A combination of
Jimmy and myself just flying around on a small console twiddling every knob known to man, engineer Eddie Kramer said of
it) was decades ahead of its time, and Plants WAYYYYYY DOWWWWN INSIIIIDE. a capella testifying is among the most
spellbinding vocalizing ever heard on a rock record. It might not sound quite as fresh the 10,000th time as it did its first, but
its greatness is inarguable.

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11. Black Dog (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
Like Love, a song so canonical that it basically invented an entire set of rock cliches on its own. The call-and-response
between Plant and the rest of the band at the songs beginning is a song construction almost too perfect to be imitated and
the groove is so sneakily arrhythmic that its borderline impossible for a lesser band to cover and basically everything you
need to know about Plants animalstic, early-70s persona can be expressed in those opening 15 words. Dog gets the slight
edge over Love here by virtue of that off-kilter, winding nature, which makes the song that much fresher, 40 years of
classic-rock overplay later.

10. Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)

With an opening and riff as classic as either Love or Dog (and twice as violent), Immigrant Song also has the advantage
of being under 150 seconds long, an improbably compact shore-invading assault that barely gives you time to process its ass-
kicking awesomeness before it gives way to Friends on LZIII. Any hockey game where this song isnt played at least once
and preferably once per goal, home or away is not giving its attending fans the experience they deserve. (And in terms of
geeky metal imagery cliches, norse mytholygy >>>> Frodo.)

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9. The Rain Song (Houses of the Holy, 1973)
Thats the Way is the bands best acoustic number, but The Rain Song is their best ballad, a gorgeous, chiming epic that
builds and unwinds itself perfectly, with strings, piano, and even mellotron all adding to the songs stately mystique. Even
without the title and Just a little rain section of the songs climax, it evokes the feeling of rain falling outside your window
as well as any other song ever has, and shows that the worlds biggest band didnt always have to go huge to achieve
maximum impact.

8. Misty Mountain Hop (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)

The secret weapon of the groups best album, cleansing the palette post-Stairway with one of the groups simplest, most
accessible and most addictive rockers. The overstuffed verses create a tension with their mantra-like intonation, one
gleefully alleviated by the sheer release of the main riff, a streamlined guitar, and electric piano wallop that keeps Plants
raving about a late-60s hippie bust from ever getting bogged down in flower-power dippiness or self-righteousness. Its an
absolute blast, and one of the more underrated numbers from Zeps classic period, if such a thing is even possible.

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7. Ten Years Gone (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
Perhaps the best Zeppelin song that radio never seemed to really get a handle on, a dark and devastating epic that lives up to
the contextless drama of its title. Its also the secret masterpiece of Jimmy Pages ouevre, a stitching together of about a half-
dozen riffs, each of which has its own unmistakable identity, somehow woven together to create the base for a surprisingly
coherent masterwork of regret and unease. It sounds like nature coming through the speakers, Rick Rubin once said of the
song, and he wasnt wrong.

6. When the Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)

If John Bonham never did anything for Led Zeppelin but the first two measures of Levee, his place in rock history would
still likely be secure. The songs thundering intro the famous sound of which was achieved with two mics at the other end

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of a staircase from the kit has been sampled and rebuilt so many times in rock and rap history that youd think itd lose its
impact, but when it hits as the last track on LZIV, right before Plant zooms in with that swampy harmonica blaring, it doesnt
matter how many thousands of times youve heard it before. The rest of the song is nearly as great, but when you have the
best intro on a Led Zeppelin song the group with more classic intros than any other rock band in history its worth
keeping the focus on that.

5. Fool in the Rain (In Through the Out Door, 1979)

A large portion of the Zep-listening population would likely bristle at the inclusion of the bands final Top 40 hit in their all-
time top five, and its not hard to see why. Conceptually, the song sounds disastrous: a pop song closer thats just as much
Bennie and the Jets as Whole Lotta Love, which drops out with a hissing disco whistle for an extended samba breakdown?
Luckily, Led Zeppelin were really good goddamn songwriters, and Fool is as tight and catchy and clever as any other
late-70s crossover, with one of Plants finest story lyrics a mopey tale of getting stuck in the rain waiting for a date, with
the perfect last-line resolution and an out-of-nowhere Page solo that shreds about as much as anything he did on the
bands first few albums. Ignore the haters: Fool is classic Zep, and shows that the band was still capable of excelling in new
and interesting modes, right up until their untimely breakup the following year.

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4. Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin IV, 1973)
The most monolithic song in rock history, a song thats no fun to write about and is occasionally no fun to even listen to. But
what can you say? Stairway is Stairway, and therell never be another song like it. If its not the bands best song, it is the
one you need to have heard, the one that tells you everything about the bands lyrical and musical infatuations, their strengths
and their weaknesses, their power and their legacy. And by the end, yeah, it rocks pretty damn well too, with a Page solo
consistenly ranked as the greatest in music history, and deservedly so. It might not be our favorite Zeppelin song the Song
Remains the Same doc might have permanently ruined any chances of that but if you were to put it No. 1 on your list, we
couldnt really disagree with you.

3. Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)

A typically searing main riff and Plant vocal for the first few verses, but Heartbreaker doesnt reach its highest gear until
the key shifts unexpectedly for the songs makeshift third verse, which goes all crazy at the end (Whyd you call me some
other guys name / When Im tryina make LOOOOOVEEEE TO YOUUUUU!!!) before cutting out completely for a solo Page
showcase. His playing in that section, sans accompaniment rivaled only by Eruption as the most famous true guitar solo
in rock history is peerlessly electrifying, and the moment when the band kicks back in is nearly as good.
Taken in full, Heartbreaker is an insane mishmash of questionable ideas hell, how many other songs can you think of
that end mid-word? but the bands brilliance and sheer bravado carries it, making it one of their best and best-
remembered songs, and proof that they could simply do things other bands could not.

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2. Kashmir (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
The song Led Zeppelin themselves would most like you to remember them by, and for good reason. The biggest song on their
biggest album in the biggest stretch of their career, Kashmir was, obviously, Led Zeppelins ultimate too-big-to-fail
moment: a plodding eight-and-a-half minute journey through a faraway land that Zeppelin themselves had never even been
to, a song which was either going to define them as pretentious fops whose reach far exceeded their grasp, or simply, the
greatest hard-rock band in the history of recorded music.
Naturally, it did the latter, as the song stands as their most singular, hypnotic and awesome-in-the-truest-sense epic of the
bands career though theyd have their moments in the former category soon enough. Puff Daddy caught some heat when
he sampled the song for the silly Come With Me off of the 1998 Godzilla sountrack, but his instincts were right: The
Kashmir riff is the sound of a gigantic green lizard wrecking a downtown metropolis, and like the rest of the song, it never
ceases to amaze.

1. Over the Hills and Far Away (Houses of the Holy, 1973)
Why Over the Hills? Its not the bands best-known song or biggest hit. Its not the bands most rocking or prettiest song.
Its probably not the first song that anyone thinks of when they think of Led Zeppelin. But it is the song that best

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demonstrates just about everything the band does well: the unforgettable and impossible-to-pin-down opening riff, the life-
affirming transition from acoustic to electric, the constant switches in tone and dynamic, the piercing solo with double-
tracked climax, the impeccable interplay of guitar, bass, and drum, the inimitable Plant shrieking, the gorgeous coda, even
the super-oblique title its Zep through and through, checking all of the boxes and kicking your ass while doing so.
But the thing that really seals it for Over the Hills is the sense of wonder it inspires. Zeppelins greatest quality, apart from
the weird time signatures and otherworldly instrumentation and teenage-male-pandering lyrics, was their ability to elevate,
to make you believe that there was a secret world of higher musical understanding that only they as the Ultimate Rock Gods
had access to, and which they could transport you to for three to ten minutes at a time, depending on which side of which
album you were listening to.
The climax of Over the Hills, as the songs main hook starts to fold in on itself, and Plant does his You really ought to
know wailing, as the song echoes on and on into infinity, is as wondrous as the band ever got, achieving a classic-rock
nirvana that only a handful of songs in history have ever been lucky enough to be able to touch. The harpsichord outro and
brief fade-in of the rest of the band that closes the song brings it back down to earth a little, but the sensation lingers on far
after youre done listening. Zeppelin rules.

Andrew Unterberger
TAGS: led zeppelin, The Lists

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