Can you imagine what it must have been like to go to the record store in 1971, walk up to the counter, plunk money down, and walk home with your own brand-new copy of Led Zeppelin’s 1971 record Led Zeppelin IV? What a time to be alive!
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Some albums are like greatest hits records and Led Zeppelin IV is one of those. Yet, we here at American Songwriter took on the tough task of whittling the LP down to its most essential elements. Indeed, these are the three best songs from Led Zeppelin’s 1971 LP Led Zeppelin IV.
“Rock And Roll” (Track 2, 3:40)
We’re talking Led Zeppelin, which means we’re talking rock. So, let’s talk about “Rock And Roll”. If you had to show an alien what rock music was about with one single track, this might be the one you should choose. It boasts that raw, rugged energy that the genre can present fans. The song also offers Robert Plant’s banshee voice. It curls around giant mountain peaks like cloud cover. And then the lightning bolts blast out. All that to say, this tune kicks butt!
“Stairway To Heaven” (Track 4, 8:02)
Highlighting Led Zeppelin’s classic 1971 LP can be a tricky thing because the album boasts the most famous classic rock song of all time, “Stairway To Heaven”. It’s a tune we’ve all heard 10,000 times—and for good reason. The song encapsulates the musical and storytelling power that rock music can offer fans. But when you get down to it, is the song better than tunes like “Black Dog” or “When The Levee Breaks”? While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we wanted to make sure “Stairway To Heaven” got its love here.
“Going To California” (Track 7, 3:32)
While Led Zeppelin IV is a classic album, it’s also a brief one. It only offers listeners eight tunes. Thankfully each is a choice, like a perfect course at a Michelin-star restaurant. And “Going To California” is a perfect sampling. It’s hopeful, beautiful, mournful, and unique. What more could you want in a song that can take you out of your mind and into the green hills of California?
Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images
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