- Messages
- 2,322
- Reaction score
- 428
- Points
- 83
It feels almost impossible to rank any album other than IV at the top of this list. Just one glance at the track list—"Black Dog," "Rock and Roll," "The Battle of Evermore," "Stairway to Heaven," "When the Levee Breaks," "Misty Mountain Hop," "Four Sticks," "Going to California"—is a collection of the most essential rock tracks in music history. In fact, upon writing that sentence I didn't plan on listing every track on the record, but couldn't decide which songs to leave out.
"Stairway to Heaven" is a cliche in this genre for a reason. There are entire books written about this song. Entire works about Page's solo alone, one that has never been recreated since. But that one song is somehow not enough to overshadow the rest of the record, which in just eight tracks manages to hit the entire scope of Led Zeppelin music, from blues to ballads to hard rock.
What's interesting is that IV became such a stereotype of rock music success that both critics and fans have developed a biased hatred for it, as Steve Hyden explained in his book, Twilight of the Gods. Despite being viewed as a boilerplate rock album in 2019, it's impossible to ignore the lasting influence and success of IV.
Track Listing:
Black Dog
Rock And Roll
The Battle Of Evermore
Stairway To Heaven
Misty Mountain Hop
Four Sticks
Going To California
When The Levee Breaks

Stream Or Download
"Stairway to Heaven" is a cliche in this genre for a reason. There are entire books written about this song. Entire works about Page's solo alone, one that has never been recreated since. But that one song is somehow not enough to overshadow the rest of the record, which in just eight tracks manages to hit the entire scope of Led Zeppelin music, from blues to ballads to hard rock.
What's interesting is that IV became such a stereotype of rock music success that both critics and fans have developed a biased hatred for it, as Steve Hyden explained in his book, Twilight of the Gods. Despite being viewed as a boilerplate rock album in 2019, it's impossible to ignore the lasting influence and success of IV.
Track Listing:
Black Dog
Rock And Roll
The Battle Of Evermore
Stairway To Heaven
Misty Mountain Hop
Four Sticks
Going To California
When The Levee Breaks

Stream Or Download
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