Let's Rank All The Led Zeppelin Albums!
Imposter syndrome almost got me. Almost.
I thought for a split second “who am I to do a Zeppelin ranking” - there are only 8 albums and they’ve been sliced and diced a million ways - what can I say that hasn’t been said? And then I thought:
I’m ME - Doug Cohen, that’s who. And I LOVE Zeppelin. And this is a MUSIC SNOBBERY. Now’s not the time to shrink away from the duty at hand. There may be a thousand Zeppelin album rankings, but there hasn’t been one here. So now there will be 1001. I will attempt to keep this short(ish) and sweet. Zeppelin lore, theories, controversies, tragedies, mythology, madness, addictions - if you start down that path where do you stop? No, let’s try to keep it basic like we don’t know all of that stuff and take a fresh look. The Doug’s Music Snobbery look. And by the way, YES - there is a Zeppelin documentary about to be released and I know there will be a ton of traffic around Led Zeppelin online and I want a piece. Hate the game not the player! Hehe… At least I’m honest, and yes these are my Amazon affiliate links behind the album covers below if you’re inclined to purchase these albums (if you somehow don’t have them already). Just CLICK on the cover. And if you are an audiophile and don’t have the remasters with the bonus rough mixes you may want to treat yourself. Actually hearing Robert Plant’s vocals on In The Evening and Carouselambra for example is revelatory. But I digress…. don’t start geeking out Doug - we’ve got albums to rank.
Let’s Rank All The Led Zeppelin Albums!
Led Zeppelin - Presence - Atlantic Records
8. Presence (1976) So, I’ve never quite figured out how to consider Presence. This is the ONE Zeppelin album that doesn’t float around the ether - it’s not ubiquitous where you just hear it everywhere. An album of deep cuts so to speak, and for me the only Zep LP that isn’t a masterpiece. Not essential. Even the cover is….questionable with “the object.” You can be as triggered as you like over this take but you know I’m right. Now that doesn’t mean it’s not good - it’s actually still close to great. “Bad” Zeppelin is still good Zeppelin. It opens with the third longest Zeppelin track Achilles Last Stand at 10:25 and it’s got an epic feel to it - a chugging charging track that demands plenty of volume……that overstays its welcome as the opener. I’m sorry… It introduces these staccato machine-gun breaks only 4 minutes into the song that bring the vibe to a grinding halt and they repeat it intermittently for the next 6 minutes in a self indulgent mess. By the end of the song you’re exhausted. For Your Life is much more enjoyable. Good groove and you can appreciate Bonham a little more here too. Nobody’s Fault But Mine is a highlight and feels like something approaching classic but once again nothing on this album approaches Black Dog, The Ocean or Kashmir quality… And really there’s nothing “wrong” with that per se. It’s still great, but the guitar/vocal ahh ahh ah ahhhhhhs that Page and Plant do in unison don’t have the same impact as their call and response did on Dazed And Confused for example just 7 years earlier which seems like ages before this. Royal Orleans is good and funky, Tea For One is a solid slow burn closer in the tradition of Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You, Candy Store Rock and Hots On For Nowhere are okay - seem slightly filler-ish to me. And that’s….about it. Relatively speaking of course - it’s still Zeppelin.
Led Zeppelin - Atlantic Records
7. Led Zeppelin (1969) From here on out it’s only classics. And the debut is one of the best of all time, but yeah it’s still slightly raw in spots and not a lot of originals. Having said that, when I think of other leadoff tracks on debut albums like Purple Haze on the first Jimi Hendrix Experience album or Boston’s More Than A Feeling, The Pretenders’ Precious, The Ramones’ Blitzkrieg Bop, Rage Against The Machine’s Bombtrack etc… Good Times Bad Times has to be at the very top of the list. A showcase for all four members, lead vocals, LEAD bass, LEAD guitar and LEAD drums. They all get to shine in a perfect announcement that this will change the game. And change the game it did. Yes it’s hard not to acknowledge that some questionable decisions were made to, shall we say, “reinterpret” other artists without proper attribution (some of which was corrected later), but Zeppelin putting their own stamp on it and creating something uniquely theirs is undeniable. Dazed and Confused is one of these (they later included credits on the live reunion album Celebration Day as “inspired by Jake Holmes”) and it’s an epic with Jimmy Page playing his guitar with a guitar bow for a quite trippy effect. The jam that comes out of that long mid-track interlude with Bonzo just destroying is so awesome. Your Time Is Gonna Come is gorgeous, Black Mountain Side a wondrous acoustic instrumental, Communication Breakdown the most metal thing here, Babe I’m Gonna Leave You a mystical and powerful soft-loud-soft translation of….Joan Baez? Yep - Zeppelin drew their influences from vastly different places right from the get. The blues jams You Shook Me, I Can’t Quit You Baby and How Many More Times all kick ass - the band would only grow and get better from here.
Led Zeppelin - III - Atlantic Records
6. III (1970) I haven’t talked much about my street cred here, but while Zeppelin’s third album came out the year I was born and I never saw them live I did indeed grow up with them through my brothers who are 10 and 8 years older than me. I remember comparing the differences in the effect on the chord that’s played after the “Whole Lotta Love” lyric on II vs. it not being there on The Song Remains The Same - on 8 TRACK. I remember seeing an article about John Bonham’s death when it happened taped to a door of a room in South Quad at Michigan when I was there visiting my brother. And I’m old enough to have played with the sliding record cover on my copy of III. IYKYK. I also got to see Page & Plant twice which was incredible. Anyhoo, let’s talk about THE FOLK ALBUM. Okay it’s not totally but half of this album is acoustic and much of it is much different than the first two. The opening blast of The Immigrant Song is deceiving since there are only two other hard rock stompers here in Celebration Day and Out On The Tiles (the latter of which the band would borrow the intro from in some live performances of Black Dog). All three are great if not quite as collectively celebrated (see what I did there) as the bangers on many of their other albums. The magic here for me is in the others like the mystical Friends, the traditional folk stomp of Gallows Pole, the beautiful That’s The Way, the bluesy slow burn epic Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You, the pretty Tangerine and the folksy hoedown Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.
Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door - Atlantic Records
5. In Through The Out Door (1979) This album has grown for me in recent years. I’ve always loved it so I’m not sure why, but I listen to it more than I used to. The band was tired at this point with Page addicted to heroin, Bonzo’s alcoholism an obvious problem (which killed him) and Plant having been in a horrible car accident and losing his young son Karac to a stomach illness by this point. John Paul Jones by most accounts took on a pretty big role in making this album happen and it’s a huge bounce from Presence in my book. Both albums only have 7 songs but this one feels way more complete. The evolving sound and the use of more synths was perfectly woven into the aesthetic without losing any of the power even if the album isn’t as loud as in their heyday. The sound of a maturing Zeppelin musically has a poignant feel knowing it’s their last, and that adds a dimension that wouldn’t and couldn’t be captured again. The heaviest rocker is the opener In The Evening which reveals layer upon layer as the years go on - it’s immediately the sound of an older band when you compare it to the debut only a decade earlier - it might as well be 25 years. But that isn’t a criticism in any way. All My Love is an ode to Karac and Plant pours his heart out. And while Page didn’t help write this one his tasteful licks in and around Plant’s performance throughout, along with Jonesy’s synth solo and Bonham’s heavy-yet-still-somehow-tender booming make this a perfect song on a pretty much perfect album. Fool In The Rain is one of the most joyful and delightful Zeppelin songs - make that rock songs - ever recorded. Ever. And it’s such a showcase for Bonzo’s versatility - the ogre that can play with swing, style and nuance while still sounding unmistakably himself, and then that Latin samba break? Wow! South Bound Suarez with the fantastic piano complementing Page’s riffing, the fun and rollicking Hot Dog sounding like it comes right out of an old western saloon and the pretty waltz(ish) finish of I’m Gonna Crawl - all great. But the real centerpiece is the incredible Carouselambra. At 10:34 it’s the second longest Zep song only to In My Time Of Dying and I feel it’s criminally underappreciated. Certainly it’s length precludes it from easy consumption or radio play which I get, but it’s one of my favorite Zeppelin songs. The lyrics are mostly indistinguishable, although as I mentioned at the outset you can make out Plant’s vocals a little better in the Rough Mix which had the working title of The Epic. I don’t know why I find Zeppelin’s embrace of synthesizers here so exhilarating but I just do, and the middle mellow section is classic Jimmy Page. Oh - and the whole thing is one of Jonesy’s greatest performances if you just focus on the bass. It’s incredible. You owe it to yourself to get reacquainted with In Through The Out Door if it’s been a minute since you have.
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy - Atlantic Records
4. Houses Of The Holy (1973) Here’s where it really gets impossible. I just took a break for a second, sat back down and saw I was on Houses Of The Holy and thought - I put that at FOURTH? Well yeah - what are you going to put it ahead of? It’s one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and it’s 4th here. And am I the only one whose favorite here might be the The Song Remains The Same? Not as flat out popular (I don’t think) as The Ocean or Over The Hills And Far Away (or even Dancing Days or D’yer Mak’er for that matter) but what an opener!!! Such a thrilling ride and Plant singing like he just sucked down a tank of helium. I also want to get this out of the way - The Crunge haters can kiss my butt. I LOVE The Crunge. That is all - “where’s that confounded bridge?” The Rain Song and No Quarter are next level and even Tool was willing to suspend their insane time signatures long enough to provide a faithful and killer cover of No Quarter - that’s saying something lol. The Rain Song is a majestic and gorgeous epic and No Quarter is a spooky and trippy dirge with an evil ten ton riff when it kicks in. As for the big ones, the two best are The Ocean and Over The Hills and Far Away - I’ll never, ever, get sick of either of these songs. The acoustic intro to Over The Hills in particular has to be in the convo for the best minute of acoustic guitar ever laid down - anywhere by anyone. Just sublime. The Ocean is such an incredible off kilter groove by Bonham and the weird thing is it sounds more difficult than it actually is to play. Each drummer I’ve played with (4 in total) have been able to pull it off which frankly surprised me. Just a point of interest. Dancing Days is an instantly recognizable riff but for some reason that and the reggae Jamaica ——er…. D’yer Mak’er I mean, are my least favorite tracks on the album. Both still great.
Led Zeppelin - II - Atlantic Records
3. II (1969) A definite step forward from the debut and loaded with classics. The opening chords of Whole Lotta Love…. that was my go to the mornings of my football games in high school. Just a killer - all of it, the lead guitar breaks, the “WAYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEE DOWN INSIIIIIIDE….”, the trippy interlude with Plant’s vocal histrionics Bonzo’s lead-ins. Yeah. Hell yeah. Just about everything here is iconic with the exception of the blues mashup The Lemon Song (which is still great). And by the way, I saw a Zeppelin tribute band last week and they played Heartbreaker……without Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman). Okay - DON’T DO THAT. EVER. I almost rushed the stage. It may have cost me a hamstring, but damnit those two MUST go together. It is decreed by the ROCK GODS. Okay sorry I got worked up. Bonzo gets his turn alone in the spotlight with Moby Dick. And however you feel about listening to drum solos in general, there is something special about this one since it’s really the only true John Bonham studio recorded solo (Bonzo’s Montreux from the Coda collection is certainly a very cool drum track as well - it’s just more structured). Of course both of the standards What Is And What Should Never Be and Ramble On are here as well - both with amazing bass work by John Paul Jones - he’s really the Swiss Army Knife of the band contributing gorgeous keys as well on Thank You. And while we’re at it make sure you listen to this album with headphones - Jimmy Page’s acoustic guitar on your right in Ramble On will probably seem pretty familiar, but what you’ll hear him doing electrically on your left is liable to blow you away - there’s a good chance you haven’t really heard that before. The heavy and groovy closer Bring It On Home is another blues cover that the band later credited properly to Willie Dixon who wrote it after claiming it for themselves originally. Love the muted intro with Plant on harmonica before the jam kicks in and then the return of the harp to….bring it home.
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - Atlantic Records
2. Physical Graffiti (1975) If I HAVE to pick a Zeppelin road trip album it’s this one. A bit of a hodge podge of 8 new songs intended for this album and 7 that were originally written and tinkered with for previous albums, it all comes together for an epic ride of multiple styles and has a looseness that some other Zep albums don’t have. Possibly my two favorite Zeppelin songs are here, and I say possibly because that’s tough to commit to. But Kashmir and Ten Years Gone are the ones for me. I’ll never get sick of them. Kashmir is one of many Zep tunes that is hard to escape - it’s always kinda been everywhere (including Rat’s car for his first date with Stacy even though Damone tells him to put on Led Zeppelin IV) and likely always will be with its sweeping Far Eastern sounds and towering, deliberate pace. Plant’s vocals kind of floating above (but still tied to) the ever climbing / descending riff with the strings swirling around… there’s no other song like it really. Bonham’s steady tempo with that little double (echo?) bass boom he throws in there along with a few improvised fills is something else as well. I can’t seem to find a definitive answer to what we’re hearing there whether it’s an echo from him playing in the hallway or actually hitting a double bass stroke… A comment I saw on Reddit said “that’s where I just throw my hands up and say well, that’s why he’s the best of all time!” The Page & Plant version with the backing Egyptian / Moroccan orchestra on 1994’s No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded is also worth a listen. Meanwhile Ten Years Gone could be the most beautiful song ever written. And it’s not a sappy ballad of any sort - it’s just….deep. Gets me in the feels as they say and I’m not even going to try to break it down. “…and though the course may change sometimes, the rivers always reach the sea.” If you know you know. I think the only thing that keeps this album from being #1 is that there are a couple songs I actually don’t LOVE, and you have to put IV first - so there’s that. Okay yeah, so I don’t LOVE The Rover or Trampled Under Foot - is that bad? I don’t DISLIKE them just don’t love ‘em. You know what I do love? Custard Pie. And In The Light. And Sick Again. And Night Flight. And, well Physical Graffiti as a whole.
Led Zeppelin - “IV” - Atlantic Records
1. IV (1971) This album is actually untitled but commonly referred to as IV. Yes Stairway To Heaven is a cliché. Yes they were sued for ripping it off (they won). Yes it’s the song no one is allowed to play in a guitar store. And yes, it’s an epic, majestic song that builds with each stage and delivers fully in every way if you just listen to the song without all of that subsequent context. Iconic. The whole album is, right down to the cover. It’s Zeppelin at their most powerful and complex and it might be the best rock album ever made. Every song is legendary. Every song is a classic. And did I say Ten Years Gone could be the most beautiful song ever written? Okay it could be and probably would be……if Going To California wasn’t. See why this is so difficult? Ahhhh….. Jonesy on the mandolin dueling for greatness with Page on acoustic guitar. No percussion here - just sublime and wondrous with such an incredible vocal by Robert Plant. The closer of Rhymin’ & Stealin’ - errrrr I’m sorry - I mean When The Levee Breaks. The fact that a sample of Bonzo’s lead in literally ushered in the first track of the first album by The Beastie Boys only adds to the legend. That intro weighs a thousand tons. What an epic closer. I’m bouncing around here as it’s hard to stay focused under the weight of this masterpiece of an album. Let’s go back to the opener - the also incredibly heavy, groovy one-of-a-kind song with the crazy time signature that would be imitated a thousand times but never replicated - Black Dog. “Hey hey mama say the way you mooooove gonna make you sweat gonna make you grooove” What an opener! One thing you can say about Zeppelin is they open an album in dramatic fashion like no one can. And then they launch right into the “Lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely time” of Rock N’ Roll. It’s basically a greatest hits album. And while the medieval delight of The Battle Of Evermore might be the one song that isn’t AS well known, it’s certainly had plenty of run with Ann and Nancy Wilson leaning into their Zeppelin influences and faithfully covering it live as “The Lovemongers” which appeared on the greatest soundtrack of the grunge era, Singles. Misty Mountain Hop and Four Sticks are classics in their own right that you’ve heard a million times. Four Sticks was given a very cool acoustic treatment with the orchestra on the aforementioned Page & Plant No Quarter album as well as a metal instrumental cover version by Sepultura that is also worth seeking out.
Whew. We did it. We covered the Zeppelin albums - the music by the Hammer of the Gods. Feels good to have this on the Snobbery - it was overdue. What are your thoughts? Share them below!
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M10 Social is owned by Doug Cohen in West Bloomfield, MI and provides social media training and digital marketing services from the Frameable Faces Photography studio Doug owns with his wife Ally. He can be reached there at tel:248-790-7317, by mobile at tel:248-346-4121 or via email at mailto:doug@frameablefaces.com. You can follow Doug’s band Vintage Playboy at their Facebook page here. You can also visit our other business Detroit Jerky at the website www.DetroitJerkyLLC.com!