Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin IV [conventional title] by Led Zeppelin (1971) In 1982, eleven years after this album’s release, a 17-year-old ‘big man on campus’ named Benny walked into his private-school math class singing: “Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove”. His stern, no-nonsense Intermediate Algebra teacher (me) turned from writing the day’s assignment on the blackboard to shoot Benny a disapproving glare. Benny sheepishly clammed up. But as I turned back to the blackboard to finish, I sang softly: “Ah, ah, child, way you shake that thing Gonna make you burn, gonna make you sting” As I put down the chalk and turned again toward the class, smile met smile as Benny and I shared a trans-generational moment of awareness of the power of Led Zeppelin IV. Benny ended the semester with a surprisingly good ‘A-‘ in math. It would have been a ‘B+’, but his anachronistic love for Led Zeppelin tilted the scales in a positive direction, and I don’t regret it one bit. There was a time when I considered Led Zeppelin IV to be the greatest album ever, and I’m not sure that that time is past. Young people today should do themselves a favor and develop such a strong a familiarity with this record that they will be able to recognize each track from its opening strains, like Beethoven’s Symphony #5 or Bach’s Toccata and Fugue. It’s that good. Few albums have ever had both the variety and cohesiveness of Led Zeppelin IV. Each listen is an immersive experience, striding through an aural gallery of head-banging rock, moan-inducing blues, culture-resonating folk, and a time-transcending mysticism that carries perennial fascination. And tying all these disparate features together is a musical synthesis of sounds of today (the ‘now’) and images of the misty past (the ‘then’—see below). As musicians, each of the six performers (including Sandy Denny, ethereal backing vocal on “The Battle of Evermore” and Ian Stewart, piano on “Rock and Roll”) executes at peak virtuosity. The four members of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page [guitar], Robert Plant [lead vocals], John Bonham [drums], and John Paul Jones [bass & keyboards]) are each individually on lists of the ‘greatest of all time’ in their respective categories of performance. Yet no rock group (other than The Beatles) ever played better together. From the electro-windup intro on the opening track “Black Dog”, the listener knows he/she is in for a thrill and a treat, in that order. Robert Plant’s inimitably powerful yet soulful a cappella lead vocal storms onto the scene, grabbing the ears. Then, struggling to discern the meter, the listener immediately discovers the groove, even though it seems that John Bonham’s ingenious rhythmic composition is performing a different song altogether, ignoring the standard gum-chewing backbeat of early rock. But everything is in miraculous sync, as Page and Jones muscle on, all pausing to let Plant do his thing before kicking back in with pure power rock. We teenagers listening to this in 1971 had never heard anything like this before, because there never was anything like this before. Then, without letting up, we hear the smashing rock & roll of “Rock & Roll”, where Bonham reminds us that the backbeat still lives, and Page cooks like never before with wild guitar solo work. Page later said the track was written and recorded in fifteen minutes. I would have paid serious money to sit in a room with Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry to watch them hear this track for the first time. And by the way, the most convincing cover of this song was done by Heart (the closing track of Greatest Hits/Live [1980]). And just when we think the album is going to mash out hard rock from beginning to end, we are jolted into a little fantasy medievalism with the next two tracks, “The Battle of Evermore” (check out the Tolkien, Lord of the Rings references) and “Stairway to Heaven”, where Page’s first-time (!) experience with mandolin and iconic solo electric guitar passages wrap around Plant’s mystical lyrics (Plant was only 22 years old at the time). “Stairway to Heaven” is in the rock ballad canon because of its dramatically drawn out development and increased intensity over a steady chord structure. It’s one of the greatest songs ever, not because of profound lyrics, but because of its incomparable instrumentation and vocal performance. Yes, it has been overplayed and over analyzed, but it still moves. The amazing guitar solo (at 5:55) and the wailing lead vocal on the closing bridge (at 6:45) still bring shivers after a thousand listens. Side two begins with “Misty Mountain Hop” providing an explanation of the contrast on side one between the ‘now’ of the first two tracks and the ‘then’ of tracks three and four. After a tale of a druggie’s awkward encounter with a cop in the mundane ‘now’, the artist concludes with a flight to ‘then’: “So I'm packing my bags for the Misty Mountains Where the spirits go now Over the hills where the spirits fly, ooh” And the listener, clutching a copy of Tolkien, The Hobbit, is glad to go along for the ride. The ‘now/then’ duality is beautifully pictured in the cover art, where the front side shows the weathered ruins of an interior wall adorned with an old painting of a seemingly even older man, contrasting with a modern but dull and overcast cityscape where buildings battle with trees on the back side. And between concern for “when the river runs dry” (in “Four Sticks”, featuring Bonham’s superlative drumming with four drumsticks in 5/8 alternating with 6/8) to the droning blues dread of what will happen “When the Levee Breaks” we hear of a search for the perfect woman as the acoustic guitar (Page) and mandolin (Jones) accompany the softly melodic tune “Going to California”: “To find a queen without a king They say she plays guitar and cries and sings... La la la la Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn Tryin' to find a woman who's never, never, never been born.” When in fact she has been born, and her name is Joni Mitchell, and Robert Plant knows it. But he can dream, and so can we. I will listen to this album till the day I die. 5/5

Hard to argue this should be anything but a 5. I won't waste my time justifying. Go live your life

Oh we heard you like classic rock, lord of the rings, and poetry. Here is an album you might enjoy. Mastapiece

Unimpeachable. Nearly every song on this album is a classic.

Black Dog, Stairway, AND Levee?! You gotta be kidding me

I seem to be mostly alone with this opinion, but here goes: I find Led Zeppelin overrated. That said, this is still a really good album. I like it much better than the other two LZ albums we've had. And Stairway To Heaven and When The Levee Breaks are great songs. But I really can't see this as a masterpiece and tracks 5-7 were pretty weak.

1001 Albums To Never Hear Again Before You Die Chapter 1 - Led Zeppelin IV (Zoso, if you’re nasty) Dear Reader, In this first installment, I’ll ask you some baseline questions in order to gauge your eligibility for opting out of this album permanently: 1. Do you often find yourself in relationships (romantic or otherwise) with people you know are no good for you? If you answered no, do you enjoy feeding stray dogs? (Black Dog) 2. Are you partial to American made luxury cars?(Rock and Roll) 3. Do you like songs about hobbits and get amped up by J.R.R Tolkien and/or weed references? (Battle of Evermore, Misty Mountain Hop) 4. Would you like to reminisce about the time you got a chubby while slow dancing with your crush at your 8th grade dinner dance? (Stairway to Heaven) 5. Do you have a predilection for drum circles and a high tolerance for the phrase “oh, baby”? (Four Sticks) 6. Have you ever wondered what a Joni Mitchell song about wanting to sleep with Joni Mitchell would sound like? (Going to California - Give Zep some credit here, they were doing meta in 1971…truly innovative.) 7. Have you ever taken Quaaludes and tried to write a blues song? (When The Levee Breaks) Now, you’re probably asking yourself “how are these questions going to determine if I never have to listen to Led Zeppelin IV ever again?” The short answer is…they’re not. The truth is, you probably don’t ever need to hear this album again. You’ve probably already heard more than half of it on the radio/commercials/films/tv shows, or you’ve heard it in full hanging out at your weed guy’s apartment, or from an older relative who thinks it’s the pinnacle of mankind’s achievements in recorded music. But, if you find yourself enthralled by the prospect finding out the answers to the questions posed earlier, by all means, revisit this record. It’s actually pretty good.

Wait, this is supposed to be one of the greatest Rock albums of the early 70s? THIS?!? Granted, Stairway to Heaven is a powerful and classic (albeit severely overplayed) track, but outside of that, I hear a lot of generic white-men-playing-the-blues rambling and songs without too much variation or ideas. The Battle of Evermore is pointlessley meandering without going anywhere. The same could be said about Four sticks. Going to California is a welcome change of pace, but is too generic to be really good and sounds the same throughout. When the Levee Breaks left me shrugging. Led Zeppelin are supposed to be one of the best bands of the 60s/70s, but I've been suspecting for some time now that they are simply overrated. This is another case in point. 2/5

I don't even know what to say about this one. This album is part of the fabric of my life. I remember being ten years old, listening to it as loud as possible with my friends' parents. Songs on this album underscored crushes on boys in Zeppelin t-shirts. I've listened to it on many car rides to cottages in the summer, from my first time having the car for a weekend in high school through to the last summer pre-pandemic. It's impossible to be objective, it's one of the greatest albums of my life.

I'm supposed to love this but I just don't

One of the GOAT rock albums and a truely influential album. Zeppelin is like an all-star cast of musicians for this genre. When The Levee Breaks still has one of the most amazing intros of all time. A masterclass. Favourite Tracks: All of them, but special shout out to Misty Mountain Hop, Battle of Evermore, and When The Levee Breaks

girl this sucks

Dear Gabriella, I'm sorry I blasted Misty Mountain Hop and Four Sticks in the car on prom night instead of asking if you were excited for the evening but John Bonham's drumming seemed more interesting than the way you had done your hair.

This truly is one of the best albums ever released. 8 tracks, 6 huge hits. It's kinda unbelievable, even for Led Zeppelin.

I feel as if this album should be prescribed--at least every 10 years put on headphones, lie down, and listen to this album a little more loudly than you might typically (to 11, duh). Feel your brain be cleansed as incredibly tight, expertly played pure rock swaggers through your skull. Enjoy the vocals for the sound and whatever you do, don't think too much about the lyrics.

This album is a fuckin' masterpiece. IMO stairway is the best song ever written (that I've heard) and totally deserves all the praise it gets. Black dog is surprisingly hard to play on guitar. Really jazzy feel but it's a rock song. Rock n Roll is such a simple tune but Plant's singing just sends it into the stratosphere. Even the more, uh, "adventurous" tunes are still interesting and hypnotic. The Battle of Evermore is basically a vocal solo. Interesting drumming, Jimmy fuckin' Page's leads... there's more or less nothing I can criticise about this album. It even goes for the perfect ~40min. And they were in their early 20s when they wrote it. It defies belief. 6/5 if I could.

My friend Twelve Pint Simon loves this record. He used to travel to Belgium every weekend and play it LOUD so all Belgians could hear and kiss him on his mouth. I said "Nobody likes phlegmish kisses" and he said "did you just say phlegmish or flemish?" Then I pointed out that they are homonyns and I was making a pun. Simon laughed, went outside and ate crisps in the carpark.

I have already written at length about the pros (great musicians, powerful production, swaggering performances, Bonzo's drums) and cons (weak songwriting, ridiculous lyrics, plagiarism, culpable business behaviour, sexual assault, Bonzo's behaviour) of Led Zeppelin, so I will avoid repeating myself. This album contains all the best and worst of Led Zep. How can an album bookended with Black Dog and When the Levee Breaks go too far wrong? I am going to suggest that Stairway To Heaven is, in fact, the weakest song on the record. It is cobbled together out of disjointed sweepings with the world's naffest lyrics. Robert Plant is right to be be embarrassed by this song. It does have an iconically great guitar solo (and typically great playing from Bonzo and JPJ), BUT THIS IS NO EXCUSE. Just because it was played on FM rock radio a hundred billion times does not make it good, just familiar. Ubiquity is not the same as quality (see also: Hotel California). That said, this album also has Sandy Denny and a couple of tunes with mandolin (hi Dave, those tracks are your favourites, aren't they?) and that monster drum beat on Levee. For all their myriad faults, Led Zep are still a band you have to hear. I'm not convinced it is actually their best record, but it's still pretty damn great. It's really hard to make a case that this isn't a five star classic.

Arguably the best album -by possibly the best rock band to ever grace the planet.

There are days when you are disappointed with the albums, others when you're surprised or pleased. Today is a very special day. It is akin to Charlie finding the golden ticket. Such a brilliant album from the first second to the last. It really makes my Monday feel a bit closer to a Friday.

Compelling range, and several great songs - Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, When the Levee Breaks. They avoid the trap that they seem to fall into on other albums, of just rocking out in a way that sounds cool but doesn't go very deep. Their best album?

There is a lot of plagiarism on this album, it’s so brazen, like one of those hiding in plain sight situations (Jimmy Saville). I get that stairway is a boomer anthem but it made me feel nothing. It’s a decent album overall but it’s like they colonised black music and copywrited it.

Led Zep are abysmal. Not even listening.

Really dont like led zeppelin

The fiviest of five stars. Theory: though Robert Plant was necessary, as every hard rock band had to have a wailer, this is all about the other three. Case in point: Bonham's drumming on When The Levee Breaks. Case two: Stairway to Heaven is the best example of can hardly hear it/quiet/soft/nice/loud/very loud dynamics ever recorded. Who cares about the lady who knows? Not me Clive.

A bona fide goddamn rock 'n' roll masterpiece! It's way nerdier than you'd think, but it's fucking glorious. Imagine buying this album in 1971? You get it home, you put it on thinking "sweet, new Zep" and then they relentlessly assault you with so much motherfucking badassery for 42 minutes and 35 seconds you don't even think your brain can process one more shit hot guitar lick? What a time to be alive. Wish that's how I heard it for the first time.

You already KNOW this is getting 5 stars! What an incredible showing, from groovin rock songs to intimate, delicate acoustic arrangements, IV may be the peak of Zeppelin's performance. It's more polished than 1, but more raw than later work. Seriously dig it.

When they say "they don't make them like they used to", this is what they have in mind. In my humble opinion, Led Zeppelin IV is the second best album of all time. Apart of containing groundbreaking music (which, later, provided some "rejects" to Physical Graffiti) , with songs like Stairway to Heaven, there are plenty of spectacular individual performances here: John Paul Jones on mandolin in Going to California, John Bonham's solo at the start of Rock and Roll, and (of course) his so creatively recorded performance in When the Levee Breaks. Created by four individuals at the top of their craft, this is a masterpiece from start to finish.

I know this is usually the LZ album that appears on 'greatest albums' lists, but I didn't realise just how many classics they crammed on here. It's also a good touchpoint for a lot of their different styles: rocky, folky, bluesy, Stairway to Heaven-y. It's not perfect but it's still worth 5 stars.

Probably my favorite album of theirs, has quite a bit of range and they are quite far along with their style that this is a great vertical slice of Zeppelin. Unfortunately it's almost become too ubiquitous that I have a hard time separating it from a lot of people that taints the impression. However, it's not my favorite style of rock and I don't always wanna listen to Zeppelin in general. I actually prefer the slower songs like The Battle of Evermore and Stairway to Heaven (as much as it was overplayed). I quite enjoyed Four Sticks with the addition of synths and the percussion is a lot of fun. Culturally and of the genre a 5 but in terms of listening pleasure it's a 4.

Man, the hits here are absolute bangers. But the tracks that aren't hits are major misses. Miles off the mark. It's insane to me that the same album that contains "Black Dog," "When the Levee Breaks," and "Stairway to Heaven" also contains "The Battle of Evermore" and "Four Sticks" which are ... well, there's a reason you probably haven't heard them. They're not bad enough to tank the album but they do pull the rating down a star.

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... i'm bored LMAO

A classic for a reason. Great music, great memories.

Obviously.

That was so good 😊

Almost totally non-experimental, with the narrow exception of some parts of Four Sticks. Still an immaculate straight rock album: Inescapable, cohesive, with many corners which have been partially duplicated since. Even Battle, the low point of the tracklist, manages to make moving upper notes on a guitar sound moving, plaintive, not done-a-million times. The followup fails the latter criterion through no fault of its own.

I'm back and forth a lot over which Led Zeppelin album I think is their best. But honestly, I think, song for song, IV really delivers everything that Zeppelin is about as a band. If you listen to classic rock at all, you probably know most if not all of these songs. They are stone cold classics, all of them. I cannot stress enough how rare that is in an album. Yeah, a few have been overplayed somewhat in the past 50(!) years. But this is an album that holds up ridiculously well to repeat listening. From the mega energy “Rock and Roll,” to the grandiose, epic “Stairway to Heaven,” to the delicate acoustic “Going to California,” to the slow burning blues of “When the Levee Breaks,” every flavor of Zeppelin is present here. “Black Dog,” my word. That is possibly the best intro to any album that I have heard. It's perfection. Fave Songs (All songs, in order from most to least favorite, adding that I love them all): When the Levee Breaks, Going to California, Rock and Roll, Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven, Misty Mountain Hop, Four Sticks, The Battle of Evermore

Led Zeppelin provides crucial evidence in the age old debate about what would happen if the greatest cock rock band of all time was made up of a bunch of Tolkien nerds. Turns out it's pretty cool. This album is excellent the whole way through, and it finishes even stronger than it starts. Stairway to Heaven gets a lot of the attention for this album, but When the Levee Breaks is my nomination for the best Zeppelin song of all time. 5/5

ashamed this is the first time i'm listening to led zeppelin... liked this album to listen to again. misty mountain hop is dooooope i love the discordance and atonality!!

That's a guy with sticks on his back

Heard Before? It seems everyone has a greasy uncle who "shows you real music" when you are ten years old. Notes: - it's not the fault of these songs that they are criminally overplayed and thus meaningless. - although it IS the fault of the lyrics for being so silly. - I've known too many drummers who could "play like Bonzo" by which they meant "hit the drums pointlessly hard". - i forgot how many pretty acoustic segments there are, and how lovely Plant and Denny sound together. Verdict: It is an album which exists. If I could somehow unhear it and then start fresh, I may actually enjoy it. Listen Again? Unavoidable. It will be echoing in subterranean caves long past the time of human extinction.

Probably their best I've heard so far, which isn't really saying much. Stairway to Heaven is cool (if over played), the rest is pretty bland and typical. I'll be nice and give a 3 I guess. I don't hate it, but I definitely don't love it either.

Messieurs Boombastic (Not quite telephontastic) The good here is very very good. The not so good is just that.

what else would I give this

This was my first Zeppelin album. For some reason, when I was 16 years old I got it into my head that I needed to listen to Zeppelin. My dad had missed them completely back in the 70s which means I had missed them when he was raising me, choosing instead to bring me up on The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Billy Joel. I asked a friend who was into classic rock where to start and he said once you listen to Four you'll go back and listen to the rest, and he was right. I became a Zeppelin fiend. I was driving around another friend of mine (yes, I had two whole friends in high school) and he was flipping through my bag of cassette tapes. "Which one is this?" Zeppelin. "Which one is this?" Zeppelin. "And this one?"......Zeppelin. "DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT ISN'T LED ZEPPELIN IN THIS CAR" ......../......Zeppelin. But yeah - this album is perfect, no skips. People hate on "Four Sticks" a bit, but I like it. The flow is perfect - two rockers, followed up by an acoustic folk tune, followed up by a huge rock "ballad," more rockers, a beautiful acoustic song, and then you get arguably the best closer in rock music. It's the most overused drum sample in history for a reason. Good God. Inject it into my veins, hang it in the Louvre, etc. etc. FIVE STARS

I didn’t know I’d like Led Zeppelin this much. I think I liked every song in this album. Nothing that I didn’t like. Wide range of types of songs which allow me to listen to it at any time. I will come back to this album again. Favorite Songs: Black Dog - I knew this song, but not the title. I feel a little…spicy listening to this one. It’s fun! Rock And Roll - Great drum work throughout and what a great ending with the drum. Stairway To Heaven - I think everyone knows this song. Long piece, but beautiful guitar work. I think it uses a recorder? It’s very neat in all. Going To California - Beautiful lyrics. Beautiful melody. I think this is my favorite song of the whole album. When The Levee Breaks - Great combo of drum, harmonica and some bass as well. Nice, steady rhythm. Love the jazz undertone throughout this song.

Powerhouse of an album!

Led Zeppelin IV Hobbit me up, bitch. Definitely my favourite Led Zep album, their best synthesis of blues-rock and elves and goblins, with one of my favourite ever Led Zep songs in The Battle of Evermore. But then there isn’t a weak song on here - I suppose if you are only putting 8 songs on the album they all have to be bangers, and they are. Black Dog for lascivious blues rock, Rock’n’Roll for breakneck rock’n’roll, The Battle of Evermore for wailing Sandy Denny and folky mystical Hobbitry. Stairway is of course overfamiliar, but listening objectively it is a stupendously great song. I love the electric piano on Misty Mountain Hop. I’ve never really thought about it until today, but Four Sticks, particularly the guitar, sounds quite like Bodysnatchers from In Rainbows to me? Going to California has that lovely folky lilt and When the Levee Breaks with its oft-sampled powerhouse drumming. There’s not a bad song or weak moment, it’s a masterpiece in 70s blues-folk-rock. Simple 5. 🔣🔣🔣🔣🔣 Playlist submission: The Battle of Evermore

This. In a sea of amazing albums from Led Zeppelin, this one, Led Zeppelin IV, is their magnum opus. "Stairway to Heaven" is not my favorite Led Zeppelin song, but I'd be remiss not to mention this song. It's a masterwork of a song that tips the scales on this already stacked album. This song builds and progresses expertly from a musical, lyrical, and vocal standpoint. It creates mystery and intrigue, it tells a story, it climbs upward, and it unleashes. It does all of this while dabbling across multiple genres, refusing to be pinned into any one box. It really is a stellar song. The important thing is that the rest of the album really lives up to "Stairway", though. Each song is epic, creative, and unique in its own right. While they may not be 8 minute long epics, these other tracks really do stand out, as well. This album doesn't just rest on its laurels, though it could. Every listen, across every year, across the passing decades, is a reminder of why this album really is a no-skip masterpiece. It's just one of the greatest albums that has and ever will exist, and that's saying something when your basis of comparison starts at "every other outstanding Led Zeppelin album".

Feels a little silly writing a review of this, so all I'll say is that in case you weren't aware, "When the Levee Breaks" is one of the most sampled beats of all time, for example on fellow 1001 album lister Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill (Rhymin' and Stealin'). It's one of the hugest, heaviest grooves you'll ever hear, mainly because John Bonham is has a devastating sense of time that makes him one of the funkiest drummers ever and people will continue to borrow his beats for many years to come. Go listen to it again right now if you can, focusing on the drums. Magnificent. Listen to Black Dog, for example. The guitar and bass are playing these ridiculously complicated riffs and Bonham cuts through it all like Alexander The Great slicing through the Gordian knot, with an incredibly simple beat that takes great maturity and musical instinct to conceive, and immaculate sense of time to execute so effectively, and provides a powerful contrast to the busy strings. People tend to get distracted with the fiery guitar and Lord of the Rings references and blues thievery but for me at least, Bonham is the most interesting and probably most influential musician in this band and this album is a tremendous showcase for his talents.

Well, come on now…. Could there be a more influential rock album? Rock song? There’s an argument to be made, but probably a waste of breath. It’s not my all-time, but deserves the accolades of a top ten. So 5, despite the plagiarism.

Another classic, even if Stairway is the most overplayed song in history.

Starts well, ends well, goes on a bit in the middle. Honestly, like, Zeppelin are good, they're just not as good as their fans or, more important, they themselves think they are.

A classic of course - can't really review it neutrally as I have the vinyl and have listened to it repeatedly, though not for a while. Not sure my 52 year old self likes it quite as much as my 17 year old self did, but it is still pretty good.

Yes! Finally an album that I'm quite familiar with. Immersed my self in all the 60's classic bands when I was just a young pup coming of age to the realization of what music means. What an album. Hell, what a band! Full blown classic Zep' immediately on display in Led Zeppelin IV from the opening riff of Black Dog to the unmistakable hard drumming of Bonham in When the Levee Breaks. Been a long time since America simply rock and rolled and no one did it better than LZ. The fantasy interlude of The Battle of Evermore slows down the album and not one of my favorites but an enjoyable tune non the less. Admittedly, I switch the station if Stairway to Heaven comes on but still fully appreciate the impact and value of Stairway and the lyrics. And if I do listen to it, can still bring on the goose bumps...does anybody remember laughter (added in one of their live versions). Right back into the head banging, body thumpin' with Misty Mountain hop. Why don't you take a good look at yourself and describe what you see and Baby, Baby, Baby do you like it? Always thought the lyrics were drowned out in Four Sticks. Going to California is one of my favorites, not of just Led Zeppelin's. Could listen to it over and over. Meet you up there where the path runs straight and high...Tellin' myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems...it's hard (it's hard included in a live version). And one last full blown hard rock song with Plant's unique singing exhibited: Don't it make you feel bad When you're tryin' to find your way home You don't know which way to go? If you're goin' down south They got no work to do If you're going down to Chicago. A-ah, a-ah, a-ah...

I could see it being really good if the only alternatives were the Beatles and Charles Mingus and shit but most songs weren’t very memorable

Music for hobbits and dragons

Not much care here. III for me. But yeah, should be on this here list.

Misty Mountain Hop and Going to California are forever favorites. It's really hard not to love this album and really hard not to skip Stairway to Heaven.

The fourth rock album from Led Zeppelin was a critical and commercial success, as well as the band's best selling album. The album is certified 24x platinum which makes it diamond certified too. The band's most popular song "Stairway to Heaven" also comes from this album. This album is regarded as a cornerstone of the 1970's hard rock music, because it had a great diversity of songs and was so popular. I thoroughly liked this album and will listen to more Led Zeppelin songs I haven't heard yet.

it’s like a country album but with rock. i don’t like it, i only like one song. 4/10

Album six. Time to ruffle a few feathers... I've never understood the widespread reverence for this boring, self-indulgent, self-important wank. The emperor is well and truly stark-bollock naked here. A real chore to listen to, despite some deservedly famous drum production and great guitar sounds. Plant's voice never fails to grate as he wails his way through the least melodically and rhythmically interesting route between two points time after time. One star, awarded purely for the groove Page, Bonham and Jones create amid the pretentious pentatonic rock-blues wankery.

It’s funny I went into this with sort of a bad attitude, like I remember thinking this album is overrated. And that is incorrect, this album is rightfully obsessed over. The only issue for me still is that I don’t love the album cover, I find it underwhelming. But it’s literally a no skip masterpiece. Even the weakest song (the battle of evermore) is still solid and much better than most bands “best songs”. It’s crazy how great this album and 1, and 3 are! I didn’t intend to give all the keeping albums I’ve gotten so far 5s but they genuinely earned and deserve them. Not to mention they are the foundation for most of the music I still listen to to this day. Genuinely a valid nominee for greatest band of all time. This is probably their greatest album ever, but I personally still like 3 the most.

Going to be very original here and give it 5 stars because I mean come on, it really is that good. There's a fair argument to say they're the best band of all time. This isn't even my favourite album of theirs.

Great to see this one come up on the list, because I hadn’t listened to it in the last, oh, five days? And that’s too long without. It’s overplayed for a reason. Because it fucking rules.

If it keeps on rainin', the levee's going to break...

A monolith of hard rock, perhaps the tightest record ever produced. Folk elements are also grand.

Black Dog - Got to know this song because of fandom and Sirius Black specifically, always a banger when it comes on in my playlist! Rock and Roll - Listening to this songs I just feel like doing the twist in a 50s American diner or something cliche like that, it's a nice tune and I'm pretty sure I'd heard it before somewhere as well The Battle of Evermore - This song just gives me all the D&D bard vibes, something that wouldn't be out of place in a renfair for sure Stairway to Heaven - A banger, a classic, 10/10, want to give this album 5 stars for this song alone, I am supremely biased towards it, the car sing-a-longs with my parents were never complete without it Misty Mountain Hop - This really just feels like a song about getting high in a park with strangers and I'm happy for them I guess, I would shimmy along to this at a club after a couple of drinks Four Sticks - Possibly the weakest song in this album for me, it's not bad, just a bit forgettable Going to California - The deeper voice and calmer vibe threw me off after the last song, it was a nice wind down before the finale When the Levee Breaks - Boy am I glad that American Pie taught me what a levee was so I was ready to tackle this song! And if the previous song was about California we are now in Chicago and honestly even though I've never been to either I hear the vibes match. Overall I liked this song, felt like something I'd listen to in the back of a live music bar while enjoying a drink (can you tell by now I know literally nothing about music genres and just go off vibes and relate things to either fandoms or my personal experience?)

Now this is where Led Zeppelin really starts in on the Tolkien Rock stage of their existence. It's one of my favorites of theirs but what I really do love is this note from Discogs regarding the title. "The fourth Led Zeppelin album released on November 8, 1971, intentionally left untitled, with no indication it was by Led Zeppelin on original release - although many have commonly referred to it as "Led Zeppelin IV", "Zoso", "Symbols" or other unofficial titles. On Discogs, the title of this release is "Untitled", unless specifically titled otherwise, i.e. "Led Zeppelin" or "IV" (as some later versions)."

боже харашо ну леж зепелін імба хто б казав інше 4.5

Some albums I have just heard so many time they feel natural to me. I don't get excited by them, I feel like I am drinking water. But it doesn't happen to most of this album, no matter how many thousands of times I've listened to this. Even after all this time I get the excitement when showing this album to someone who hasn't heard it before. Almost like letting someone in on a secret - but this is no secret. Everyone know how big this album is.

Bliss

I know most of the songs, they're mostly really good but for some reason it's not an album (or a band) I ever go to listen to - I'm not really sure why!

Un discazo. Para su época es espectacular

A classic

They put all bangers on one album! Seriously it felt like every good led zeppelin song was on here.

I would have loved to have seen them live, they’re so tight and on it here. I do know someone who saw them at Knebworth who claims there was a guitarist in the wings covering for Jimmy Page as he was in the midst of an alcohol problem. This album is immense, not a dud track to be heard. They had some kind of alchemy going on, maybe there was something in the Aleister Crowley obsession…

duh

Very good

One of the epitomes of rock

I mean it's LZ4. There's a reason we're sick of hearing all these songs. Classic. Which actually makes the album hard to rate. You can't listen to this with fresh ears. Stairway still gives me chills though.

The one album that keeps American rock radio stations alive.

10/10 For me, this is where Led Zeppelin peaked. The range of styles that they cover across the record, from folk to blues to metal, add great depth and variety, while always maintaining the inherent tonal quality that makes it sound like no other band. This is undeniably Led Zeppelin, and what's particularly great about that is that every member of the band plays a part in that sound. Robert Plant's vocals and Jimmy Page's guitar obviously take the spotlight, but there is exceptional work from the rhythm section too. Bonham's perfectly arranged and considered drum work treads the fine line between restraint and balls-to-the-wall action perfectly. John Paul Jones' solid and underrated bass work pins the groove, adds weight and a rock-solid centre, while also finding the time to add moments of flair and nuance to his playing. And he does great work with his secondary instruments, too. It's a real journey of an album, kicking off in fast and furious fashion with a sublime one-two punch of an opener, before letting you catch your breath through the more considered and fantasy folk-inspired Battle Of Evermore. And then they hit you with one of the greatest songs of all time. Yes, it's overplayed, yes, it's a cliche, but it's still phenomenal work, and I don't think I'll ever tire of it. The second half, while not quite up to the obscene standards of the first, brings us bucketloads of swagger, drive and some further development of the vibe and atmosphere, experimenting with some slightly psychedelic twinges, some cool uses of uneven meter and more of that characteristic weight and groove. It's really great stuff that barely lets up at any point. Even the drumless tracks manage to maintain great momentum and rhythm through the staccato elements of the guitar and mandolin work. It's all pretty epic stuff and, while there is great value in the vast majority of Led Zeppelin's catalogue, for me their first three albums are a steady build towards this, an album of great scope, vast quality and beautiful coherence, all wrapped up in a perfect 42 minute, 8 track package. Black Dog - An iconic and exceptional start. the call and response between Plant and the rest of the band is sensational. There's so much drive and swagger to this and it rolls and moves through different sections with such ease and cool. The riffs are heavy and groovy, the vocal is full of attitude and skill, and the rhythm section just deliver everything you could ask for. Pure brilliance. Rock And Roll - What a one two punch. This is much more of a straightforward structure with a more routine rock and roll style, but it absolutely slaps. Heavy, driven and with just the right edge of groove and swagger, it's just so much fun. Everything about the performances and production is exactly the right combination of grit and talent. The Battle Of Evermore - And we're off to fantasy land now. It's a great change of pace after the full-blooded opening duo, and while it is a touch on the long side, there are some lovely pieces of melody and harmony from Plant and Sandy Denny, and the vibe and atmosphere are excellent. It's very rhythmically inclined despite the lack of drums, thanks to the staccato mandolin. And it's great that these rock superstars were just massive nerds too. Stairway To Heaven - It's iconic and overplayed for a reason, with its slow and considered build and gorgeous blend of melody and harmony. It runs on brilliantly from Evermore too in the context of the album. Every part is pretty much perfect, with John Bonham playing with the kind of restraint and nuance that he's not often credited with, and John Paul Jones laying down some excellent bass work. By the end, it's picked up pace and drive and, of course, we get that iconic Jimmy Page solo. What a brilliant song. Misty Mountain Hop - There's a lot of swagger to this. The double-tracked vocals are excellent, in that Plant is so close between the two takes at points that the effect drifts in and out in a really nice way. I really rate the electric piano on this one, too, as it adds an extra dimension to the sound. There's a great groove to the track, and everyone gets their moment to show off. It's perhaps a touch on the long side, but I'm nitpicking slightly really. Four Sticks - A lovely 5/4 riff with rolling drums and a four-bar break into 3/4 before a full section of 3/4. It pulls the ear around beautifully without sounding jarring, which is always a skill when dealing with odd meters. It's got quite a psychedelic, almost proggy edge to it, while also delivering weight and punch at the right moments. Another decent change of pace that still maintains the core tone of the record. Going To California - And now we get something with a bit more melodic focus. It's drifting and pretty and, as with Evermore, does a great job of having good rhythm through the guitar work despite the lack of drums. It's really atmospheric, and the production does a good job of giving the sound depth. Really nice stuff. When The Levee Breaks - And Bonham comes back in with a closer that has such an iconic drum line. Obviously, this one is a cover, but the band really make it their own, and Plant's vocal is superb. The whole thing has such groove and swagger to it. It pulses and soars, and the different lines that sweep around each other are so interesting and have great musical range. It's a long one, but it feels cool, considered, and full of deserved self-confidence that it just drags you along with it for the full 7 minutes. A brilliant ending.

It's alright.

Does anything more need to be said about this album? Every instrument is played masterfully, Zeppelin combine their love of blues, folk and Tolkien and end up with one of the most beloved albums of all time. There's not a wasted second on here and there isn't anything that I would changed. It might get tiring to hear this get mentioned in the greatest album ever conversation along with other records like Dark Side Of The Moon, Abbey Road and Rumours, but it is really that good.

Is there even a question? Easily one of the greatest rock albums of all time. It’s as perfect as it gets. There’s not much more to say.

Tämä levy on ollut jo 80-luvun puolesta välistä omasta levyhyllystä. Zepukoiden tuotanto on läpikotaisin tuttu ja sitä tulee kuunneltua säännöllisin väliajoin. Tälläkään levyllä ei ole yhtään huonoa biisiä. 6/5

Always been a favourite! 1-4 by Zeppelin are all 5 stars in my opinion

easily one of the best albums from them. I have not heard many others, but here are Stairway to Heaven and Black Dog. And beside them, I find it so engaging how each song has something interesting to say musically: the groove, the melody, the concept. I find each of them remarkable in some way

The height of their mastery puts us on the stairway to heaven

Favorite Track: Stairway to Heaven

My dad said it was their best album and I can believe him even without hearing anything else from Led Zeppelin

Knew this would be a 5 before even listening. Incredible how many jams are on here

I’ll be so honest. This album has stairway to heaven on it. If it was that and then 2 hours of fart sounds it would still be 5 stars. The others songs are good too tho, doesn’t go above five tho unfortunately.

You could certainly argue that Led Zep have too many albums in here too but if you asked most people, I think this would be the one that they would choose, as it's generally considered their best. I'm fairly new to the band, other than a few of their hits. It wasn't until 2014-2015, when I started collecting vinyl and very quickly found their first 3 albums on vinyl. It wasn't until 2023 when I bought this and over time, it's slowly becoming one of my faves of their's too. Just 8 great songs, all killer, no filler!

If, by committing to this project and getting this far in your life that you're listening and writing reviews for albums, you have not heard THIS ALBUM yet, you need to reevaluate your life choices. Everyone who is enthusiastic about music will have heard and know at the very minimum the hits from this album, if not every single track. I played this album almost every day one summer as I found it in my dad's record collection, and probably wore the vinyl out. It's that good. It never ages. It's a classic for a reason. My rating: 5/5

Emotional das Beste. Wenn dieses eine Lied nicht wäre. deshalb nur 5/5

Well, I really dont have anything bad to say about this one. At one point I thought it might go a little glam-rocky, but I'm happy that it did not. Solid 5 probably

Ledddddddd Zeppelin!! Fuck yeah. Music worthy of a list, and more importantly music worthy of your mind and soul’s time.

i meannn, perfect, nothing else to say, theres so many lefendary songs on here