#40 Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

40

2011 Album Rank

30

Total Points

1353

Year Released

1971

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

2

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

24,000,000 (Multi-Platinum)

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Led Zeppelin IV Album Details

Released on November 8, 1971, the untitled fourth album by Led Zeppelin, commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV, is one of the most iconic and influential rock albums in history. Deliberately issued without a title, artist name, or track list on the cover, the album was a statement of artistic independence. The music, however, spoke louder than any branding could. A seamless blend of hard rock, folk, blues, and mysticism, the record expanded Led Zeppelin's sonic palette and became an enduring cultural touchstone.

From the thunderous opener Black Dog to the Celtic folk reverie of The Battle of Evermore, and the bombastic groove of When the Levee Breaks, the album is remarkably diverse yet cohesive. Its centerpiece, Stairway to Heaven, evolved into one of the most revered, and most debated\, rock songs ever recorded. With intricate arrangements, spiritual lyrics, and sonic innovation, Led Zeppelin IV helped define the limits of what rock music could achieve.

Other Led Zeppelin albums on the chart: Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II and Physical Graffiti

Interesting Facts about Led Zeppelin IV

• The album has no official title. The band used four rune-like symbols to represent each member, prompting fans and critics to refer to it as Led Zeppelin IV, Four Symbols, or ZoSo.
• Robert Plant wrote the lyrics to Stairway to Heaven in a single burst of inspiration while Jimmy Page strummed chords by the fire at Headley Grange, a country house the band used as a recording retreat.
• When the Levee Breaks features one of the most famous drum sounds in rock, recorded by placing John Bonham's kit at the bottom of a stone staircase and using two microphones from the landing above.
• The Battle of Evermore is Led Zeppelin's only duet, with Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention singing opposite Robert Plant. Each represents opposing sides in a mythic battle.
• The lyrics of Misty Mountain Hop reference Tolkien's work and the counterculture's tensions with police in 1960s London.
• The reverse echo used on When the Levee Breaks was an early example of studio manipulation that would later influence hip-hop producers and electronic artists.
• Jimmy Page's symbol, often referred to as "ZoSo", has never been definitively explained. It may be a sigil derived from occult alchemical texts, but Page has refused to clarify its meaning.
• Going to California was inspired by Joni Mitchell, a favorite of both Page and Plant, and reflects the band's fascination with acoustic textures and introspective lyricism.
• The album spent over 300 weeks on the Billboard charts and has sold over 37 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums in history.
• Stairway to Heaven was never released as a single, yet it became one of the most played tracks on FM radio in the 1970s and remains a staple of classic rock.
• The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for its cultural and historical significance.

Led Zeppelin IV Track List

1. Black Dog
2. Rock and Roll - Reached #15 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
3. The Battle of Evermore
4. Stairway to Heaven
5. Misty Mountain Hop
6. Four Sticks
7. Going to California
8. When the Levee Breaks

• Next Album: #39. Hotel California by The Eagles
• Previous Album: #41. Horses by Patti Smith