Ranking the 5 Best Led Zeppelin ‘Song’ Songs
What Led Zeppelin lacked in song title creativity, they made up for with impressively played and magically memorable tunes. Zep had four songs with the word love in the title, but one of them, “Whole Lotta Love,” was one of their most pleasantly experimental songs. Led Zeppelin’s five “song” songs reveal a dearth of song-naming talent, but the best are standouts from their catalog.
5. ‘The Lemon Song’
There are two distinct camps when looking at Led Zeppelin’s “song” songs. Two that stand far below the trio of frontrunners jockeying to be the best. “The Lemon Song” sits firmly in the first group.
The Led Zeppelin II track is a relatively straightforward slow-moving blues. It wades through more than six minutes without really accomplishing anything. That includes two minutes smack in the middle of the song that are little more than a muted slow jam with Robert Plant tossing out some of the most juvenile lyrics (“Squeeze me, babe / ‘Till the juice runs down my leg”) of his Led Zeppelin career.
Some fast-moving interludes see Jimmy Page play some solid solos while John Bonham and John Paul Jones lay down a solid rhythm groove. They’re not enough to save the song, which is one that forced Led Zeppelin to give Howlin’ Wolf a songwriting credit after he accused them of ripping off his tune “Killing Floor.”
4. ‘The Wanton Song’
Physical Graffiti’s “The Wanton Song” doesn’t sound like “The Lemon Song,” but they share some similarities.
Just like the uptempo portions of the No. 5 song on our list, Bonham and Jones put down a propulsive groove on “The Wanton Song.” Unlike “The Lemon Song,” it lasts for most of the tune. The detours into Steely Dan-like jazz rock don’t completely mesh with the hard edge of the song, but they don’t mar it either.
Yet Plant’s grating vocals sound strained, overshadowing a tight Page-Bonham guitar-drums groove. Like “The Lemon Song,” his lyrics emanate straight from his libido (“Kissed my nightmares, my loving gun / Left me barely holding on”), and they didn’t age as well as several other of the band’s songs. “The Wanton Song” is one of the worst Physical Graffiti songs and far from Led Zeppelin’s best “song” song.
3. ‘The Rain Song’
The Houses of the Holy ballad came to life after George Harrison said Led Zeppelin didn’t write enough slow songs. His critique was 100% wrong, but Zep made one of their finest tunes with “The Rain Song.”
Page’s delicate strumming starts “The Rain Song” in fine fashion. Jones’ Mellotron playing stands in for a string section, Plant’s restrained singing perfectly fits the song, and Bonham sits out so long that his introduction to the song — with a delicate snare roll and cymbal crash — is fully felt. “The Rain Song” proved Zep had a soft side and was a highlight on Houses of the Holy, yet it sits in the middle of our list.
2. ‘The Song Remains the Same’
Led Zeppelin fans came to expect expert guitar work, pinpoint yet powerful drumming, propulsive bass, and strong vocals from the band. Page, Bonham, Jones, and Plant delivered all of it on “The Song Remains the Same.” The celebratory opener is the best song on Houses of the Holy.
Page’s masterful 12-string playing opens the song, and he later adds satisfying solos that fit perfectly. Bonham’s busiest Houses drumming comes on “The Song Remains the Same,” but he never overpowers his bandmates. Jones’ bass underpins the whole thing, and Plant’s vocals keep up as Zep races through a song that takes the listener on a journey in less than 5:30.
“The Song Remains the Same” is a standout on Houses of the Holy, but it has to settle for runner-up in our ranking of Led Zeppelin’s “song” songs.
1. ‘Immigrant Song’
The chugging riff, propulsive rhythm, Plant’s otherworldly howl, and the timeless lyrics of “Immigrant Song” hit hard with each new generation of music fans. That might be why the Led Zeppelin III opener is one of the band’s most-streamed songs on Spotify at more than 575 million plays.
Led Zeppelin’s primordial punk — tight riff, straightforward pace, no solo, short runtime — was ahead of its time. It’s also one of the hardest-rocking songs in the band’s catalog. “Immigrant Song” immediately evokes a powerfully mystic mood, which is why the band earned a $2 million paycheck for one of its many inclusions in Hollywood movies.
We’re not taking anything away from “The Rain Song” or “The Song Remains the Same.” Both are fine songs, but “Immigrant Song” takes the top spot on our list of Led Zeppelin “song” songs because it’s one song that instantly comes to mind when someone says the band’s name. It’s the song Jones mouth mimicked when David Letterman asked for a description of Zep’s music (via YouTube). That’s why Led Zeppelin III’s lead track takes the top spot on our Led Zeppelin “song” songs list.
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