Sometimes reporting rumours, or wishes even, pays off. Led Zeppelin will reunite in late November for a one-night-only engagement in London. On the off chance that you can't get tickets, be satisfied with my top-ten greatest Led Zeppelin songs of all time. On second thought, rather than go back three years for a music post without the benefit of Youtube, I repost, for your auditory pleasure, my September 2005 piece in its entirety, only now I do so with links to the actual songs. Enjoy!
(Originally posted September 25, 2005) Twenty-five-years ago today, Led Zeppelin was no more. Drummer John Bonham, who imbibed too much alcohol after a rehearsal for an upcoming tour, was found dead on September 25, 1980. He was 32.
Led Zeppelin was the best-selling act of the 1970s. Were they a proto-metal band? A 12th-century minstrel show? White, English bluesmen? They were all of these things and more. Here are their ten best songs.
10. Whole Lotta Love--Before Stairway to Heaven, this was Led Zeppelin's signature song. After eight albums, this stands as the band's only top-ten single. When fans say John Bonham played tree trunks, you believe it after hearing this song. Led Zeppelin II (buy it here) was actually the band's second album to appear in 1969.
9. Going to California--Copied by Pearl Jam in "Given to Fly," nothing beats the original. GTC appears on the fourth best-selling album (buy it here) of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
8. All of My Love--Led Zeppelin find the synthesizer.
7. Achilles Last Stand--I'm ready to go to battle against some ancient hoplites, how about you? At 10:26, this stands as the third longest Zeppelin song.
6. In the Light--A John Paul Jones song off Physical Graffiti (buy it here) that was never played live.
5. Tangerine--A pre-Zeppelin song that finally appeared on Led Zeppelin III (buy it here).
4. No Quarter--The riffmaster offers my all-time favorite Zeppelin riff. When people say Led Zeppelin sold their souls to the devil (save JPJ), I don't believe it. When I hear No Quarter, I do. This song is spooky.
3. The Rain Song--At LAV School at Camp Pendleton in 1996, I played this song on the 52-area bar's jukebox non-stop. It's mellow, but not mellow. Crank up the mellotron. Houses of the Holy (buy it here) stands as the creative height of Led Zeppelin.
2. Ten Years Gone--Quiet to loud to quiet to loud. The most underrated Zeppelin song.
1. Stairway to Heaven--At 5:56 you begin to hear something you've never heard before. At 6:42 you hear something better. The Memorial Day top-500 songs countdown that your local classic-rock station does every year always ends the same way: "And she's buying...a stairway to...hea...ven." Sometimes everyone agrees on something for a reason: because it's the best.
Here's my top 10 Dan:
10. Immigrant Song
9. Communication Breakdown
8. Whole Lotta Love
7. Rock and Roll
6. The song remains the same
5. All my Love
4. Dazed and Confused
3. Black Dog
2. Stairway to Heaven
1. Kashmir
Great picks, love the deep cuts from "Physical Graffiti. Was that a synth or a Mellotron on "All of My Love"?
Thanks for the Rolling Stone link - I tried to register at www.ahmettribute.com but (surprise) the site has crashed. Man, I'd love to hop across the pond for this one.
PS I still think you should trade out All of My Love for Levee.
This isn't the first time you've picked Levee, Veronica. You are a wise woman.
I'd throw in for "Since I've Been Loving You".
"Tangerine" is a great pick, Dan. One of those songs that you wish were longer, like a good book(Hendrix's "Little Wing" fits this bill as well).
Led Zeppelin shows why they are probably the best band of all time. They were still relevant, and most teenagers still go through a Zeppelin phase at some point.
I am 37 years old I am still going through that Zepplin phase.
Agreed. I'm older than that and I've been maintaining this phase since I first heard their initial offering in (gulp) 69' on one of my pal's super duper and incredibly loud stereo system. Wow, I am old.
Had their stuff on vinyl, tape, cd and now on my ipod. And I enjoy as much today as I did then.
