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Which is the best Led Zeppelin album?

View Poll Results: Which is the best Led Zeppelin album?

Led Zeppelin

16 11.19%

Led Zeppelin II

38 26.57%

Led Zeppelin III

12 8.39%

Led Zeppelin IV

44 30.77%

Houses of the Holy

18 12.59%

Physical Graffiti

11 7.69%

Presence

3 2.10%

In Through the Out Door

1 0.70%

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01-29-2012 , 05:13 PM

NoJacket

old hand

Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,282

The consensus greatest classic rock songs of all time thread got me thinking about which Led Zep album is best. I probably listen to Physical Graffiti side one the most but as was noted in the other thread the second disc doesn't measure up very well. Side one contains my favourite Led Zep song...

...but I would probably say their second album is best followed by I, IV, Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti (in no particular order). I'm not such a big fan of III and I hardly ever listen to Presence or In Through the Out Door all the way through, just a few of the songs I like.

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01-29-2012 , 05:19 PM

istewart

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Personal top 3 are probably Physical Graffiti, II, and Houses of the Holy in that order.

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01-29-2012 , 05:23 PM

gambit8888

Lack'n in some direction

Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 45,159

Trick question imo

But if I have to chose, It would be a tie between II and IV

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01-29-2012 , 05:37 PM

Bachman 5

newbie

Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 29

picked #1 but don't really have a favorite

In through the out door is by far my least favorite

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01-29-2012 , 05:38 PM

Aloysius

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Quote:

Originally Posted by istewart

Personal top 3 are probably Physical Graffiti, II, and Houses of the Holy in that order.

Houses of the Holy
II
IV imo

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01-29-2012 , 05:40 PM

atthebottom77

old hand

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 1,487

Big fan of
III
and IV

Spoiler:

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01-29-2012 , 05:43 PM

prohornblower

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IV is their "greatest" but Led Zeppelin (I) might be their best.

Pretty pointless excercise though as arguments can be made for all but Coda/ITTOD/Presense.

Their first 6 albums are all amazing.

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01-29-2012 , 05:45 PM

Aloysius

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Quote:

Originally Posted by prohornblower

IV is their "greatest" but Led Zeppelin (I) might be their best.

Pretty pointless excercise though as arguments can be made for all but Coda/ITTOD/Presense.

Their first 6 albums are all amazing.

I think HoTH is my favorite because it's the first Zeppelin album I really got into. Not sure if that's a big factor for others, but can see how it would help distinguish among a bunch of really awesome albums.

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01-29-2012 , 05:49 PM

prohornblower

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Houses is awesome if you're in the mood for poppy stuff. But don't really see how it's their "best" even if it's your fav.

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01-29-2012 , 05:51 PM

#10

dnh83

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 4,647

For me IV is at the top, I know it's the most popular and all but I still think it's the best. Then all the others besides ITTOD are so closely bunched it juts depends on the day. ITTOD though is waaay below whatever is 7th best. So the gap between 2nd best and 7th best is not nearly as big as the gap between the 7th best album and ITTOD. Not saying that album completely sucks, but it's not anywhere close to the others imo.

If you were to split up Physical Graffiti, I would comfortably put Disc 1 just behind IV, and put disc II in front of ITTOD but well behind the other 7 albums.

Been thinking about my rankings since the other thread

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01-29-2012 , 05:54 PM

#11

art__vandelay

veteran

Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 3,080

II ainec

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01-29-2012 , 05:56 PM

#12

prohornblower

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A concert in France in their first year. So ****ing sick.

Jimmy Page is the coolest mother****er to walk the Earth.

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01-29-2012 , 06:05 PM

#13

Aloysius

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Quote:

Originally Posted by prohornblower

Houses is awesome if you're in the mood for poppy stuff. But don't really see how it's their "best" even if it's your fav.

Hm - I don't see HoTH as "poppy stuff" but more as "the most melodic Zeppelin" album (sue me, I'm a fan of melodic stuff). It's very intricate layered music (less riff-driven), and I like the general sound of the entire album the most. I also give it points for being (imo) the most diverse sounding album track-to-track. So in that sense I'd say it's the "best" for me, but yeah basically I'm just saying "it is my favorite".

IANA rock critic/musician whatever, so don't know how I'd really quantify "best" anyway.

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01-29-2012 , 06:06 PM

#14

gambit8888

Lack'n in some direction

Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 45,159

Quote:

Originally Posted by prohornblower

A concert in France in their first year. So ****ing sick.

Jimmy Page is the coolest mother****er to walk the Earth.

LOL@ French people just sitting there

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01-29-2012 , 06:07 PM

#15

Tiltmonkey2

adept

Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 717

IV is the best. People are kind of tired of it because of Stairway being played all the time but it is their best work. Black Dog, When the Levee Breaks, Rock and Roll, Going to California all on the same album you can't miss. Three songs that were on Physical Graffiti were recorded in those sessions as well.

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01-29-2012 , 06:12 PM

#16

prohornblower

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Aloysius

Hm - I don't see HoTH as "poppy stuff" but more as "the most melodic Zeppelin" album (sue me, I'm a fan of melodic stuff).

I didn't mean poppy in a deragatory sense. It's very good for being on the poppy side of things, but I don't see how it's their best work at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gambit8888

LOL@ French people just sitting there

You have to excuse them, they'd never seen anything like this before and were completely at a loss of words or all human emotion other than stunned silence.

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01-29-2012 , 06:13 PM

#17

kioshk

Nixonian

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 92,830

IV and II are close imo, then Physical Graffiti.

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01-29-2012 , 06:16 PM

#18

gambit8888

Lack'n in some direction

Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 45,159

Quote:

Originally Posted by prohornblower

You have to excuse them, they'd never seen anything like this before and were completely at a loss of words or all human emotion other than stunned silence.

I would have given my left nut to see Zepp live.... And would have gone ape **** in doing so.

Last edited by gambit8888; 01-29-2012 at 06:17 PM. Reason: Ok maybe not my left nut but still

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01-29-2012 , 06:17 PM

#19

JulesDeane

adept

Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 721

It's close, but I'm going with III

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01-29-2012 , 06:22 PM

#20

microbet

Solar Powered

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Quote:

Originally Posted by prohornblower

IV is their "greatest" but Led Zeppelin (I) might be their best.

Pretty pointless excercise though as arguments can be made for all but Coda/ITTOD/Presense.

Their first 6 albums are all amazing.

Presence is definitely not their best album, but Achilles Last Stand and Nobody's Fault But mine are enough to make it an amazing album.

ITTOD has the awesome In the Evening, and very solid Fool in the Rain and All My Love.

----

My preferences definitely changed. When I was a teenager, IV was my favorite and I didn't really like Physical Graffiti too much, but now I put PG over IV. I and II are just super incredible.

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01-29-2012 , 06:23 PM

#21

NoJacket

old hand

Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,282

Quote:

Originally Posted by JulesDeane

It's close, but I'm going with III

I think Since I've Been Loving You, Immigrant Song and Tangerine are great but the rest of the album has never really grabbed me.

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01-29-2012 , 06:27 PM

#22

microbet

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Quote:

Originally Posted by NoJacket

I think Since I've Been Loving You, Immigrant Song and Tangerine are great but the rest of the album has never really grabbed me.

I didn't love a lot of III for a while, but it's all good and in addition to the one's you mentioned Gallow's Pole is really good and That's the Way is pretty good.

Since I've Been Loving you is almost enough for me by itself. One of the best songs ever.