Favorite Led Zeppelin Songs - RESULTS !!

Bruce · **Posted:** Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:03 pm

George wrote:

#49 on our list of favorite Led Zeppelin songs is "Bring It On Home" from their second album. It was written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson II in 1963, but released only posthumously in 1966.

The single was 1966, but it was released first on an album in 1965. It's my #3 record of 1965. The Zep version is not a pimple on the ass of Sonny Boy's version IMO.

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:43 pm **Posts:** 5612

Bruce, I can't wait until we reach your #1 "Whole Lotta Love" and you crap all over it :lol:

Bruce · **Posted:** Thu Aug 26, 2021 9:17 pm

George wrote:

Bruce, I can't wait until we reach your #1 "Whole Lotta Love" and you crap all over it :lol:

No, that's the only great record they ever made IMO, much better than the Muddy Waters original. Not a coincidence that it was their only top 10 single.

I was always more of a top 40 fan than a hard rock/album fan.

Tudwell · **Joined:** Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:06 pm **Posts:** 4283

George wrote:

"Hey, Hey What Can I Do" is #55 on the countdown, shockingly voted for by only two people (again, the two Georgis save the day). It is a driving acoustic number featuring JPJ on mandolin.

For me, this and "Traveling Riverside Blues" are two of their greatest songs and would have been highlights on any album.

Yeah… that probably would have made my list somewhere if I’d ever heard it before lol.

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:43 pm **Posts:** 5612

Glad to hear, Tuds...

Song #48 isn't a song per se but a gentle instrumental folk-style piece played on a 6-string steel-string acoustic guitar in open tuning, with some sound effects applied as well. Its title comes from the name of the house in Wales in which Plant and Page stayed at to recuperate after a gruelling tour in 1970. The countryside setting ended up inspiring the two and the stay proved to be very fruitful, as several songs written here would make it to "III" and "Untitled", and in this case, even to "Physical Graffiti".

I am pleasantly surprised it ranked as high as it did!

RANK - SCORE - VOTES - SONG - ALBUM
48 - 110 - 4 - Bron-Yr-Aur - Physical Graffiti
49 - 105 - 3 - Bring It On Home - II
50 - 104 - 2 - In the Evening - In Through the Out Door
51 - 97 - 3 - The Wanton Song - Physical Graffiti
52 - 94 - 3 - Moby Dick - II
53 - 89 - 2 - Tea For One - Presence
54 - 74 - 4 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - III
55 - 74 - 2 - Hey, Hey What Can I Do - The New Age of Atlantic / LZ Box Set
56 - 67 - 2 - I Can't Quite You Baby - I
57 - 58 - 2 - Down by the Seaside - Physical Graffiti
58 - 57 - 2 - Your Time Is Gonna Come - I
59 - 56 - 2 - Travelling Riverside Blues - LZ Box Set / Coda extras
60 - 54 - 2 - Black Mountain Side - I
61 - 53 - 2 - For Your Life - Presence
62 - 50 - 2 - The Crunge - Houses of the Holy
63 - 50 - 1 - Hot Dog - In Through the Out Door
64 - 39 - 1 - Celebration Day - III
65 - 29 - 1 - Wearing and Tearing - Coda
66 - 21 - 1 - Carouselambra - In Through the Out Door
67 - 19 - 1 - Night Flight - Physical Graffiti
68 - 18 - 1 - Royal Orleans - Presence
69 - 15 - 1 - Sick Again - Physical Graffiti

At #47 we have this kickass opener to PG:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVP3g1-Wq_0

AbeVV · **Posted:** Fri Aug 27, 2021 11:38 am

George - Really excellent write-ups! I'm learning a lot about these songs.

Bruce -

Also, if anyone is interested, here is a Spotify playlist of songs that Led Zeppelin "covered". I hope not to steal any of your thunder, George:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50df6 ... a820f34c27

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:43 pm **Posts:** 5612

Not my thunder to steal, Abe! If anything, I am hoping for more people contributing. We should note that it's a list of songs LZ borrowed from, as some of their songs sometimes drew on multiple sources, especially as far as lyrics go... not songs they covered, per se.

#47 on the countdown in the opening track to "Physical Graffiti" - "Custard Pie". To my disappointment, the song is not about dessert, but about something MDs learn in anatomy class... maybe you could fill me in, Abe. nopunintended :-)
It features JPJ on clavinet and Plant on harmonica.

RANK - SCORE - VOTES - SONG - ALBUM
47 - 113 - 3 - Custard Pie - Physical Graffiti
48 - 110 - 4 - Bron-Yr-Aur - Physical Graffiti
49 - 105 - 3 - Bring It On Home - II
50 - 104 - 2 - In the Evening - In Through the Out Door
51 - 97 - 3 - The Wanton Song - Physical Graffiti
52 - 94 - 3 - Moby Dick - II
53 - 89 - 2 - Tea For One - Presence
54 - 74 - 4 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - III
55 - 74 - 2 - Hey, Hey What Can I Do - The New Age of Atlantic / LZ Box Set
56 - 67 - 2 - I Can't Quite You Baby - I
57 - 58 - 2 - Down by the Seaside - Physical Graffiti
58 - 57 - 2 - Your Time Is Gonna Come - I
59 - 56 - 2 - Travelling Riverside Blues - LZ Box Set / Coda extras
60 - 54 - 2 - Black Mountain Side - I
61 - 53 - 2 - For Your Life - Presence
62 - 50 - 2 - The Crunge - Houses of the Holy
63 - 50 - 1 - Hot Dog - In Through the Out Door
64 - 39 - 1 - Celebration Day - III
65 - 29 - 1 - Wearing and Tearing - Coda
66 - 21 - 1 - Carouselambra - In Through the Out Door
67 - 19 - 1 - Night Flight - Physical Graffiti
68 - 18 - 1 - Royal Orleans - Presence
69 - 15 - 1 - Sick Again - Physical Graffiti

Here's what's coming up shortly at 46...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmxaT37yeOs

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:43 pm **Posts:** 5612

Song #46, "Gallows Pole" is about a man imploring his executioner to set him free or at least to postpone the act. It is a traditional song popularized by the great Leadbelly, but Zeppelin's version rather draws from the version by Leadbelly's student, Fred Gerlach. Gerlach was one of the first white folk musicians to adopt the 12-string guitar back in the early 1950s. 12-string guitars were not produced at the time, so Gerlach had learn to make his own and later for other guitarists like Pete Seeger and Leo Kottke. Thus, he was the single biggest popularizer of the 12-string guitar, and made his impression on Jimmy Page. For his part, Page runs the gamut of stringed instruments on this recording, playing the 12-string guitar, banjo, 6-string guitar, and electric guitar. JPJ plays the mandolin.
While in most versions of the song the protagonist manages to escape immediate death by hanging, in Zeppelin's version, he is executed anyway, as the hangman completed the drama by stating "...But now I laugh and poll so hard, and see you swinging on the gallows pole".

RANK - SCORE - VOTES - SONG - ALBUM
46 - 116 - 4 - Gallows Pole - III
47 - 113 - 3 - Custard Pie - Physical Graffiti
48 - 110 - 4 - Bron-Yr-Aur - Physical Graffiti
49 - 105 - 3 - Bring It On Home - II
50 - 104 - 2 - In the Evening - In Through the Out Door
51 - 97 - 3 - The Wanton Song - Physical Graffiti
52 - 94 - 3 - Moby Dick - II
53 - 89 - 2 - Tea For One - Presence
54 - 74 - 4 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - III
55 - 74 - 2 - Hey, Hey What Can I Do - The New Age of Atlantic / LZ Box Set
56 - 67 - 2 - I Can't Quite You Baby - I
57 - 58 - 2 - Down by the Seaside - Physical Graffiti
58 - 57 - 2 - Your Time Is Gonna Come - I
59 - 56 - 2 - Travelling Riverside Blues - LZ Box Set / Coda extras
60 - 54 - 2 - Black Mountain Side - I
61 - 53 - 2 - For Your Life - Presence
62 - 50 - 2 - The Crunge - Houses of the Holy
63 - 50 - 1 - Hot Dog - In Through the Out Door
64 - 39 - 1 - Celebration Day - III
65 - 29 - 1 - Wearing and Tearing - Coda
66 - 21 - 1 - Carouselambra - In Through the Out Door
67 - 19 - 1 - Night Flight - Physical Graffiti
68 - 18 - 1 - Royal Orleans - Presence
69 - 15 - 1 - Sick Again - Physical Graffiti

Bonham hated recording #45 despite being the featured instrumentalist...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJp27QMR2KU

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:43 pm **Posts:** 5612

Tune #45 is "Four Sticks" from the untitled album, the titled referring to the fact that Bonham recorded the song holding two drumsticks in each hand. He found the recording difficult, both physically and musically (the time signature shifts back and forth between 5/8 and 6/8), and out of frustration at one point started playing the drum figure from Little Richard's "Keep A-Knockin", which would be the birth of "Rock and Roll." It was one of the most difficult songs for the band to record and to mix.
The melodic figure is obviously inspired by Indian classical music. Page and Plant produced a recording of the tune with Indian musicians in Bombay in 1972, though apparently they were not happy with the results (though, I happen to think it's excellent, and no less interesting than their own recording!).

RANK - SCORE - VOTES - SONG - ALBUM
45 - 126 - 4 - Four Sticks - Untitled
46 - 116 - 4 - Gallows Pole - III
47 - 113 - 3 - Custard Pie - Physical Graffiti
48 - 110 - 4 - Bron-Yr-Aur - Physical Graffiti
49 - 105 - 3 - Bring It On Home - II
50 - 104 - 2 - In the Evening - In Through the Out Door
51 - 97 - 3 - The Wanton Song - Physical Graffiti
52 - 94 - 3 - Moby Dick - II
53 - 89 - 2 - Tea For One - Presence
54 - 74 - 4 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - III
55 - 74 - 2 - Hey, Hey What Can I Do - The New Age of Atlantic / LZ Box Set
56 - 67 - 2 - I Can't Quite You Baby - I
57 - 58 - 2 - Down by the Seaside - Physical Graffiti
58 - 57 - 2 - Your Time Is Gonna Come - I
59 - 56 - 2 - Travelling Riverside Blues - LZ Box Set / Coda extras
60 - 54 - 2 - Black Mountain Side - I
61 - 53 - 2 - For Your Life - Presence
62 - 50 - 2 - The Crunge - Houses of the Holy
63 - 50 - 1 - Hot Dog - In Through the Out Door
64 - 39 - 1 - Celebration Day - III
65 - 29 - 1 - Wearing and Tearing - Coda
66 - 21 - 1 - Carouselambra - In Through the Out Door
67 - 19 - 1 - Night Flight - Physical Graffiti
68 - 18 - 1 - Royal Orleans - Presence
69 - 15 - 1 - Sick Again - Physical Graffiti

Five people voted for #44...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i59gFh-lzc8

Tudwell · **Joined:** Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:06 pm **Posts:** 4283

George wrote:

#47 on the countdown in the opening track to "Physical Graffiti" - "Custard Pie". To my disappointment, the song is not about dessert, but about something MDs learn in anatomy class... maybe you could fill me in, Abe. nopunintended :-)
It features JPJ on clavinet and Plant on harmonica.

I was thinking how different Plant sounds here – the song specifically but also Physical Graffiti as a whole, and on into Presence, etc. I don't know the first thing about singing or the mechanics behind it, but a quick Google search says Plant got vocal fold nodules in 73 and 74 and as a result his voice got rougher. Which is just what it sounds like to me. Raspier, a little less elastic. I think that's one thing keeping me from loving Physical Graffiti as much as some of their earlier stuff. It's tremendous material, and it's not like Plant sounds bad, but it's just not quite the same...

(Incidentally, after Joanna Newsom developed nodules, she actually sounded better as a singer lol. Or at least more conventionally pretty.)

AbeVV · **Posted:** Fri Aug 27, 2021 5:12 pm

George wrote:

To my disappointment, the song is not about dessert, but about something MDs learn in anatomy class... maybe you could fill me in, Abe. nopunintended :-)

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:43 pm **Posts:** 5612

Appearing at #44 is "Out on the Tiles" from the third album.

Eric Schaal wrote:

When speaking about Zep’s third album in a 1993 Guitar World interview, Page described what it was like hanging out with his late drummer. “John used to do a lot of, sort of, rap stuff,” he said. “He would just get drunk and start singing things like what you hear in the beginning of ‘The Ocean.'”

Page said Bonham would accompany himself with some foot-stomping and finger-tapping as he sang. And one of his songs was about being “out on the tiles” (i.e., in the bars). “He originally had some lyrics about drinking pints of bitter, you know: ‘Now I’m feeling better because I’m out on the tiles.'”

Page said the guitar part he played behind Robert Plant’s vocals was based on the song as Bonham originally sang it. When it came time for Plant to add lyrics, he dropped the boozing theme and switched a story about a man and his woman.

Instead of guzzling pints of bitter, Plant paints a picture of “walking a quiet mile” with a lady when he wants to drive away the blues. All in all, the lyrics don’t end up much deeper than a drinking song.

RANK - SCORE - VOTES - SONG - ALBUM
44 - 135 - 5 - Out on the Tiles - III
45 - 126 - 4 - Four Sticks - Untitled
46 - 116 - 4 - Gallows Pole - III
47 - 113 - 3 - Custard Pie - Physical Graffiti
48 - 110 - 4 - Bron-Yr-Aur - Physical Graffiti
49 - 105 - 3 - Bring It On Home - II
50 - 104 - 2 - In the Evening - In Through the Out Door
51 - 97 - 3 - The Wanton Song - Physical Graffiti
52 - 94 - 3 - Moby Dick - II
53 - 89 - 2 - Tea For One - Presence
54 - 74 - 4 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - III
55 - 74 - 2 - Hey, Hey What Can I Do - The New Age of Atlantic / LZ Box Set
56 - 67 - 2 - I Can't Quite You Baby - I
57 - 58 - 2 - Down by the Seaside - Physical Graffiti
58 - 57 - 2 - Your Time Is Gonna Come - I
59 - 56 - 2 - Travelling Riverside Blues - LZ Box Set / Coda extras
60 - 54 - 2 - Black Mountain Side - I
61 - 53 - 2 - For Your Life - Presence
62 - 50 - 2 - The Crunge - Houses of the Holy
63 - 50 - 1 - Hot Dog - In Through the Out Door
64 - 39 - 1 - Celebration Day - III
65 - 29 - 1 - Wearing and Tearing - Coda
66 - 21 - 1 - Carouselambra - In Through the Out Door
67 - 19 - 1 - Night Flight - Physical Graffiti
68 - 18 - 1 - Royal Orleans - Presence
69 - 15 - 1 - Sick Again - Physical Graffiti

Song #43 didn't make it to its namesake album, but did appear on its successor...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohDQ1FUUjPs

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:43 pm **Posts:** 5612

We continue with song #43 as you guys voted, "Houses of the Holy". The title refers to the band's concert venues, which provided them with an artistic outlet and plenty of delicious custard pie. The lyrics are gibberish, unless someone can explain to me what Plant is singing about. As I understand it, it wasn't good enough to make it onto "HotH", but was good enough to pad out "PG".

RANK - SCORE - VOTES - SONG - ALBUM
43 - 158 - 5 - Houses of the Holy - Physical Graffiti
44 - 135 - 5 - Out on the Tiles - III
45 - 126 - 4 - Four Sticks - Untitled
46 - 116 - 4 - Gallows Pole - III
47 - 113 - 3 - Custard Pie - Physical Graffiti
48 - 110 - 4 - Bron-Yr-Aur - Physical Graffiti
49 - 105 - 3 - Bring It On Home - II
50 - 104 - 2 - In the Evening - In Through the Out Door
51 - 97 - 3 - The Wanton Song - Physical Graffiti
52 - 94 - 3 - Moby Dick - II
53 - 89 - 2 - Tea For One - Presence
54 - 74 - 4 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - III
55 - 74 - 2 - Hey, Hey What Can I Do - The New Age of Atlantic / LZ Box Set
56 - 67 - 2 - I Can't Quite You Baby - I
57 - 58 - 2 - Down by the Seaside - Physical Graffiti
58 - 57 - 2 - Your Time Is Gonna Come - I
59 - 56 - 2 - Travelling Riverside Blues - LZ Box Set / Coda extras
60 - 54 - 2 - Black Mountain Side - I
61 - 53 - 2 - For Your Life - Presence
62 - 50 - 2 - The Crunge - Houses of the Holy
63 - 50 - 1 - Hot Dog - In Through the Out Door
64 - 39 - 1 - Celebration Day - III
65 - 29 - 1 - Wearing and Tearing - Coda
66 - 21 - 1 - Carouselambra - In Through the Out Door
67 - 19 - 1 - Night Flight - Physical Graffiti
68 - 18 - 1 - Royal Orleans - Presence
69 - 15 - 1 - Sick Again - Physical Graffiti

Our Negga claims song #42 is severely underrated...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk5lfjNH4cE

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:43 pm **Posts:** 5612

#42 is one of several acoustic tracks on "Led Zeppelin III". Opinion on LZ's acoustic material differs in LedZepdom, ranging from Invertt's that it's garbage to Negative Creep's that it's excellent and the band should have done more. Your humble servant is firmly in the latter camp.

"Friends" is one of a number of songs written while Page & Plant stayed at the Bron-yr-Aur cottage in 1970, and is one several LZ songs inspired by Indian classical music (like with "Four Sticks", Page/Plant participated in recordings of the composition with actual Indian musicians in 1972). Page considers it one of Plant's finer vocal efforts.

RANK - SCORE - VOTES - SONG - ALBUM
42 - 159 - 4 - Friends - III
43 - 158 - 5 - Houses of the Holy - Physical Graffiti
44 - 135 - 5 - Out on the Tiles - III
45 - 126 - 4 - Four Sticks - Untitled
46 - 116 - 4 - Gallows Pole - III
47 - 113 - 3 - Custard Pie - Physical Graffiti
48 - 110 - 4 - Bron-Yr-Aur - Physical Graffiti
49 - 105 - 3 - Bring It On Home - II
50 - 104 - 2 - In the Evening - In Through the Out Door
51 - 97 - 3 - The Wanton Song - Physical Graffiti
52 - 94 - 3 - Moby Dick - II
53 - 89 - 2 - Tea For One - Presence
54 - 74 - 4 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - III
55 - 74 - 2 - Hey, Hey What Can I Do - The New Age of Atlantic / LZ Box Set
56 - 67 - 2 - I Can't Quite You Baby - I
57 - 58 - 2 - Down by the Seaside - Physical Graffiti
58 - 57 - 2 - Your Time Is Gonna Come - I
59 - 56 - 2 - Travelling Riverside Blues - LZ Box Set / Coda extras
60 - 54 - 2 - Black Mountain Side - I
61 - 53 - 2 - For Your Life - Presence
62 - 50 - 2 - The Crunge - Houses of the Holy
63 - 50 - 1 - Hot Dog - In Through the Out Door
64 - 39 - 1 - Celebration Day - III
65 - 29 - 1 - Wearing and Tearing - Coda
66 - 21 - 1 - Carouselambra - In Through the Out Door
67 - 19 - 1 - Night Flight - Physical Graffiti
68 - 18 - 1 - Royal Orleans - Presence
69 - 15 - 1 - Sick Again - Physical Graffiti

#41 on the countdown is this monstrosity...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWPM47aPNUM

George · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:43 pm **Posts:** 5612

Do you like your blues slow and heavy?

Well, if you do, you're in luck!!! Because "You Shook Me" is #41 in our countdown of favorite songs by Iron Butterfly... or was it Led Zeppelin? I don't understand much about these things, but it seems the song is about another woman shaking the married protagonist to the point of him not letting him get any sleep... this repeated "shaking", as it were, apparently destroys the protagonist's family... I'd be darned if I knew why...

The song was born out of a jam session the great blues slide guitarist Earl Hooker was part of in 1961, and the original recording was known as "Blue Guitar". But it was first made a moderate hit in 1962 by Muddy Waters, who dubbed his vocals over Earl Hooker's recording, using lyrics that Willie Dixon wrote for it. It was further made popular among white audiences when Jeff Beck Group covered it in 1968, with Rod Stewart on vocals, and Led Zeppelin followed with their cover the following year.

RANK - SCORE - VOTES - SONG - ALBUM
41 - 167 - 5 - You Shook Me - I
42 - 159 - 4 - Friends - III
43 - 158 - 5 - Houses of the Holy - Physical Graffiti
44 - 135 - 5 - Out on the Tiles - III
45 - 126 - 4 - Four Sticks - Untitled
46 - 116 - 4 - Gallows Pole - III
47 - 113 - 3 - Custard Pie - Physical Graffiti
48 - 110 - 4 - Bron-Yr-Aur - Physical Graffiti
49 - 105 - 3 - Bring It On Home - II
50 - 104 - 2 - In the Evening - In Through the Out Door
51 - 97 - 3 - The Wanton Song - Physical Graffiti
52 - 94 - 3 - Moby Dick - II
53 - 89 - 2 - Tea For One - Presence
54 - 74 - 4 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - III
55 - 74 - 2 - Hey, Hey What Can I Do - The New Age of Atlantic / LZ Box Set
56 - 67 - 2 - I Can't Quite You Baby - I
57 - 58 - 2 - Down by the Seaside - Physical Graffiti
58 - 57 - 2 - Your Time Is Gonna Come - I
59 - 56 - 2 - Travelling Riverside Blues - LZ Box Set / Coda extras
60 - 54 - 2 - Black Mountain Side - I
61 - 53 - 2 - For Your Life - Presence
62 - 50 - 2 - The Crunge - Houses of the Holy
63 - 50 - 1 - Hot Dog - In Through the Out Door
64 - 39 - 1 - Celebration Day - III
65 - 29 - 1 - Wearing and Tearing - Coda
66 - 21 - 1 - Carouselambra - In Through the Out Door
67 - 19 - 1 - Night Flight - Physical Graffiti
68 - 18 - 1 - Royal Orleans - Presence
69 - 15 - 1 - Sick Again - Physical Graffiti

#40 is yet another fun Hindustani-inspired tune...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qztKD75J2BM

Favorite Led Zeppelin Songs - RESULTS !!

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