Led Zeppelin posed at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, 1969 .
Led Zeppelin. Even at this distance, it's a name that somehow conjures up majesty. Formed at the back-end of the British invasion, they somehow made everything bigger, bolder and brasher than it had been before. They were the first genuine rock gods, with the hair to match and an apparently endless appetite for the perks that come with being young, pretty and imperiously talented.
Over the course of eight albums (and no UK singles), they delivered the unexpected with unearthly precision, able to switch from towering, almost other-worldly epics like Kashmir to the gentle, bucolic folk of That's The Way. While rooted in the blues (let's not go there, OK?) they became something else over the course of a dozen years, taking music into bigger buildings than it had before and playing at a higher volume than was perhaps necessary.
In every respect, they were huge. They had their own plane, for chrissakes. And, in 2025, they finally got their own film, Becoming Led Zeppelin. Typically, it was formatted for IMAX.
At their heart were four extraordinary musicians: the untouchable John Bonham drove the ship forward. Bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones was a beautiful anchor. Guitarist Jimmy Page orchestrated it all, wrangling everything into shape. And, out front, Robert Plant just wailed.
These are Led Zeppelin's 50 best songs.
50. Custard Pie (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
49. Houses Of The Holy (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
48. Your Time Is Gonna Come (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
47. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
46. Travelling Riverside Blues (single, originally recorded 1969)
45. That's The Way (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
44. Tea For One (Presence, 1976)
43. Moby Dick (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
42. Bring It On Home (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
41. You Shook Me (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
40. Trampled Under Foot (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
39. In The Light (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
38. In The Evening (In Through The Out Door, 1979)
37. Nobody's Fault But Mine (Presence, 1976)
36. D'yer Mak'er (Houses Of The Holy, 1973)
35. What Is And What Should Never Be (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
34. Misty Mountain Hop (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
33. Tangerine (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
32. The Lemon Song (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
31. Gallows Pole (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
30. Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
29. Hey, Hey, What Can I Do (single b-side, 1970)
28. The Ocean (Houses Of The Holy, 1973)
27. Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
26. The Rover (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
25. How Many More Times (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
24. Fool In The Rain (In Through The Out Door, 1979)
23. The Song Remains The Same (Houses Of The Holy, 1973)
22. The Battle Of Evermore (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
21. All My Love (In Through The Out Door, 1979)
20. Good Times Bad Times (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
19. Thank You (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
18. Going To California (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
17. Over The Hills And Far Away (Houses Of The Holy, 1973)
16. In My Time Of Dying (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
15. The Rain Song (Houses Of The Holy, 1973)
14. Ramble On (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
13. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
12. Rock And Roll (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
11. Ten Years Gone (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
10. No Quarter (Houses Of The Holy, 1973)
9. Dazed And Confused (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
8. Black Dog (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
7. Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
6. Achilles Last Stand (Presence, 1976)
5. Since I've Been Loving You (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)
4. When The Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
3. Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
2. Kashmir (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
1. Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
