Misty Mountain Blog: Led Zeppelin IV Turns Forty

​Today one of the greatest rock albums of all-time, Led Zeppelin IV, turns 40 years old, and it's still a vital, nasty, stanky, and heavy LP. Released on November 8, 1971, it cemented the Zeppelin legacy with cuts like, well, the whole damned thing. It's all good, and no doubt you can hear at least one song from it each hour on your radio dial.

Go ahead and flip on that old radio in your home, car, or office, we'll wait. It was probably "Stairway To Heaven," huh?

As far as Zep albums go, it's the first that most young rock fans latch onto, the second being 1973's Houses Of The Holy, or 1975's Physical Graffiti if they are lucky to have an aunt with a cool record collection hanging around them, like Rocks Off did. We got heavily into IV around senior year in high school, when these things are supposed to happen. It betrayed our punk-rock ears but we took to it instantly.

We collected the whole album in live form from the band's somewhat brief touring career and recreated the album here for you on the blog. The last cut is a version of "When The Levee Breaks" with Neil Young on guitar and frontman Robert Plant taking a stab on the axe. This was from their 1995 Rock & Roll Hall Fame induction ceremony.

"Black Dog"

"Rock N' Roll"

"The Battle Of Evermore"

"Stairway To Heaven"

OK, time to turn over the album, after you finish making out of course...