They changed the face of rock and roll to something decidedly heavier when they hit the scene in the late 60s. Of course, I wasn't anywhere to be found back then, but 50 years later their music is still playing loudly from my speakers.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Here's 7 of my favorites from Led Zeppelin.
Week 6: LED ZEPPELIN
#036/420 - Led Zeppelin, “Night Flight”
I didn’t realize until this morning, three of my favorite tracks on Physical Graffiti were outtakes meant for Led Zeppelin IV, “Down by the Seaside”, “Boogie with Stu”, and this gem. Makes sense that even the leftovers from that album are great.
“Someone pushed a gun into my hand” is one of my favorite lines Robert Plant ever sang, very striking. John Bonham is probably the greatest backbone in rock and roll and flips between the delicate and the heavy as well as always here. It’s a bit buried in their catalog on I believe side 4 of Physical Graffiti, but like with any all time great band, it’s worth digging to find.
After all, let us not forget the best dying words ever from Otto the bus driver: 
“Zeppelin ruuuules!”
#037/420 - Led Zeppelin, “Rock and Roll”
I have a major pet peeve when it comes to rock and roll songs that are literally about rock and roll and repeat the words “rock and roll” over and over. Man, it’s like, shut-up, can’t you think of anything better than that?
No, I am not one of those people getting excited when Bob Seger or Billy Haley & His Comets come on. I will not be rock rock rocking around the clock or taking those old records off the shelf now or ever. I hate you all!
So why can’t I put this song in that category when it is literally just called “rock and roll” and barely has anything to its lyrics whatsoever? Because.
“Zeppelin ruuuules!”
#038/420 - Led Zeppelin, “The Rain Song”
My favorite of the Zeppelin ballads. Nice and peaceful jam, great for the rain.
Maybe even great if the riptide gets ya.
“Zeppelin ruuuules!”
#039/420 - Led Zeppelin, “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do”
This was I think the song that first got me into Led Zeppelin. I recall thinking to myself, this is a fine song, a fine song indeed, and I think I shall make whatever Led Zeppelin album that contains this song be my first Led Zeppelin album!
It is one of their only songs to my knowledge that was only released as a single.
So, I started at I. And I-IV were all fantastic and this fittingly fell right in the middle chronologically. It wasn’t long before I was swept up, not unlike a bus driver in a current.
“Zeppelin ruuuules!”
#040/420 - Led Zeppelin, “Friends”
Love this song.
I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone even mention this song around me, let alone give it praise, but really, this is a damn cool song with a damn cool string arrangement and damn cool vibes. To put it into as few words as possible and articulate it the best I can, “damn cool”.
Also some of my favorite all time vocals from Robert Plant. And I really like how it just doesn’t let up at the end and keeps meandering and spiraling away. It’s easy to get carried away but simply put,
“Zeppelin ruuuules!”
#041/420 - Led Zeppelin, “Going to California”
I think this song qualifies as “hauntingly beautiful”. Is “seems that the wrath of the gods got a punch on the nose and it started to flow; I think I might be sinking. Throw me a line if I reach it in time. I’ll meet you up there where the path runs straight and high” not one of the greatest moments in the Led Zeppelin canon? (I think so anyway)
When I first heard Led Zeppelin IV I was already well-convinced it was a phenomenal album before I even got to this song. So when I did get to this song I thought, what?? They’re even capable of this??
I’m not sure this is the type of song people get into Led Zeppelin over, I tend to think of songs like “Black Dog” or “Ramble On” or “Whole Lotta Love” as more iconic to Led Zeppelin’s greatest strengths or well-known sound, but I think it’s songs like these on top of those that made them one of the greatest rock has seen.
“Zeppelin ruuuules!”
#042/420 - Led Zeppelin, “When the Levee Breaks”
Best Led Zeppelin song? For my money, yes. And it’s a cover of a song from the 1920s. Who'da thought?
This song is one of John Bonham’s greatest moments as a drummer. I seriously think this dude’s drumming could have knocked a whole levee out just on its own. Add in Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones and this song is twice knocking down the walls of Jericho and knocking down Joshua and his trumpeters on their punk asses too.
2:25 in, Led Zeppelin is suddenly like, “form Voltron!” and Jimmy Page is all “brrrrrng dee-doo, brrrrrng dee-doo, brrrrrng dee-doop-doop-doop-doo” and then John Bonham just crashes in and suddenly Page is all “brrrrdeetdoo, brrrrdeetdoo, brrrrdeetdoo-doo-doo-doo” and a little “BAP-BAP” from Bonham and Plant just leaps in over them to presumably form the head and starts screaming “don't it make you feel bad (something something something something) CHICAGO!!!” It gets real in that moment.
It's a great ending to what’s hard not to argue is the best Led Zeppelin album. And since Led Zeppelin released 8 studio albums together, that makes this song fall dead center, forming a nice peak in a full marathon. True, the way down is rougher than the way up, but with a group this talented, even their “worst” is quite exceptional. I mean, I even enjoy that corny synthesizer solo in “All My Love”. Led Zeppelin is a great band, Led Zeppelin IV is a great album, and “When the Levee Breaks” is a great song.
And if and when that levee does break, consider me Otto the bus driver.
“Zeppelin ruuuules!”
(I mean, really, how I could I have picked any other song as my favorite after posting that Simpsons clip every day.)
Next week, it’s back to the 90s for someone who I consider among the most interesting people of the 20th century. He only lived to 25, but his accomplishments exceed those of many who live three or four times as long. Still regarded as the greatest ever by many, a flawed but brilliant artist, 2Pac.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Week 2: The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
Week 3: A Tribe Called Quest
Week 4: Weezer
Week 5: Bob Dylan
View the full list of "420 Songs" here: https://tinyurl.com/y8fboudu (Google spreadsheet link)