3 Times Led Zeppelin Has Made Movies Objectively Better

What band has the most distinguished sound of all time? Is it The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, U2, or Van Halen? That is an impossible question, but if one were tasked with making a top-five list, they’d surely place Led Zeppelin on it. Even if you’ve heard Led Zeppelin once, chances are you’ll be able to recognize them once you hear them again. It’s inevitable, and for that reason, as well as several others, Led Zeppelin’s music has made several movie scenes objectively better, including these three.

Videos by American Songwriter

“When The Levee Breaks” & ‘The Big Short’ by Adam McKay

Adam McKay’s 2015 film is a comedic and didactic masterclass about the 2008 financial crisis. Starring Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, and Jeremy Strong, the movie is not only a blockbuster hit but also a captivating drama that captures one of the most disastrous moments in American history.

Given the severity of this event, McKay and company picked one song to close out the film. That song is Led Zeppelin’s 1971 single, “When The Levee Breaks”. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how this song correlates with the film’s subject matter. Despite its overtness, it is still the perfect closing track, as it is the film’s way of saying that the house of cards is about to fall.

“Tangerine” & ‘Almost Famous’ by Cameron Crowe

Without Led Zeppelin’s “Tangerine”, Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous still arguably has one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time. The 1970 Zeppelin track is the cherry on top, and it comes at the perfect point in the film. In short, it is the cherry on top of an already delicious milkshake—it’s not needed, but it sure makes it better.

The entirety of Crowe’s film uses some of the finest music of the 1970s. To close out the film, he uses Zeppelin’s “Tangerine”. Sonically, it captures the film’s vibe and tonal aesthetic perfectly. Lyrically, it could not better support the bittersweet goodbye that transpires at the end of the film.

“What Is And What Should Never Be” & ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ by David O. Russell

Silver Linings Playbook by David O. Russell is one of the greatest films of the 21st century, and what makes it so is Russell’s attention to detail. One instance that perfectly demonstrates Russell’s talent as a director is when Led Zeppelin’s “What Is And What Should Never Be” comes on.

For your sake, we aren’t going to tell you any plot details about the scene in question. However, if you’ve seen this movie, then you probably agree that the subtextual significance of this scene wouldn’t operate at the level it does if not for Zeppelin’s single.

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images