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  Type Album
  Artist Led Zeppelin
  Cover LedZeppelinFourSymbolsjpg
  Background orange
  Released November 8 , 1971
  Recorded <small>December 1970&ndashMarch 1971 at<br> Headley Grange , Hampshire , with The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio <br> Island Studios , London <br> Sunset Sound , Los Angeles <br>Mixed at Island Studios, London <br> Olympic Studios , London </small>
  Genre Hard Rock
  Length 42:38
  Label Atlantic
  Producer Jimmy Page
  Last Album '' Led Zeppelin III ''<br>(1970)
  This Album <br>(1971)
  Next Album '' Houses Of The Holy <br>(1973)


is the fourth album released by the British Rock band Led Zeppelin . It has no easily expressed official title and is variously referred to as ''Led Zeppelin IV'', '''''Four Symbols''''', '''''Runes''''', '''''Sticks''''', '''''Zoso''''' (after the first character or symbol used in the title), '''''Four''''', or even '''''Untitled'''''. It was recorded at the newly opened studios of Island Records at Basing Street in London , and was recorded around the same time as Jethro Tull was also recording their fourth album, ''Aqualung'' .

After the fairly negative critical reaction '' Led Zeppelin III '' had received in the autumn of 1970, Jimmy Page decided that the next album would not have a proper title in order to see if the music could sell itself. The original pressing did not have a readable title or the name Led Zeppelin anywhere on the exterior jacket, instead featuring four hand-drawn symbols on the inner sleeve and record label, each one chosen (or designed in the case of Jimmy Page) by the band member it represents. (There is actually a fifth, smaller symbol chosen by guest vocalist Sandy Denny representing her contribution to " The Battle Of Evermore " and visible on the LP inner sleeve personnel list only.) These symbols are the official title of the album, and Atlantic Records initially distributed graphics of the symbols in many sizes to the press for inclusion in charts and articles. The album was the first to be produced without conventional identification, and this communicated an anti-commercial stance that was controversial at the time (especially among certain executives at Atlantic).

remains a perennial favorite on Classic Rock radio and features " Stairway To Heaven ", one of the most popular rock songs ever recorded. The track wins many regional 'best song' radio polls annually.

The song " When The Levee Breaks " features very unusual drum sounds, that have been sampled by many hip hop artists including the Beastie Boys .

While reaching #2 in the US—and lasting an amazing 259 weeks on that chart—it was also the band's third consecutive UK chart topper.

is currently fourth on the RIAA 's list of the bestselling albums of all time in the US.

In 2006, the album was rated #1 on Classic Rock Magazine's ''100 Greatest British Albums'' poll.


TRACK LISTING

# " Black Dog " ( Page / Plant / Jones ) - 4:54
# " Rock And Roll " (Page/Plant/Jones/ Bonham ) - 3:40
# " The Battle Of Evermore " (Page/Plant) - 5:51
# " Stairway To Heaven " (Page/Plant) - 8:03
# " Misty Mountain Hop " (Page/Plant/Jones) - 4:38
# " Four Sticks " (Page/Plant) - 4:44
# " Going To California " (Page/Plant) - 3:31
# " When The Levee Breaks " (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham/ Memphis Minnie / Kansas Joe McCoy ) - 7:07


PERSONNEL



CHART POSITIONS

Billboard Music Charts (North America) – album

1971 Led Zeppelin IV The Billboard 200 No. 2

Billboard (North America) – singles

1972 Black Dog Pop Singles No. 15
1972 Rock and Roll Pop Singles No. 47


ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • Despite the immense popularity of " Stairway To Heaven "—which received heavy AOR radio rotation in the early 1970s and remains one of the most popular rock songs of all time—the song was never officially released as a Single and thus it was never seen on the Billboard charts.

  • Side A of the album was made somewhat infamous as make-out music in ''Fast Times At Ridgemont High'', in a scene which Damone says to Ratner, "When it comes to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of ''Led Zeppelin IV''." Ratner later commits a slight gaffe, by playing (''Physical Graffiti'''s) 'Kashmir'.

  • Although the symbols that form its title (and the album itself) are sometimes referred to as " Runes ", none are, in fact, runes.

  • ---The symbol for Robert Plant is Maàt 's feather representing truth, justice, fairness and writing, encapsulated by an unbroken circle representing life.

  • ---Jimmy Page's is a stylized Capricorn ruled by Saturn . Although looking almost like the word "Zoso", it is not intended to be written or pronounced as such. Page's symbol is remarkably similar to other sigils of hermetist J. Cardan and magician Austin Osman Spare found in: Gettings, Fred (1982) ''Dictionary of Occult, Hermetic and Alchemical Sigils'', ISBN 0-7100-0095-2. Another interpretation of the symbol is that it crudely depicts a guitar (the "oSo") and the guitarist's arm (the "Z").

  • ---John Bonham's symbol, the three interlocking rings, looks like the logo for Ballantine Beer - noting the drummer's fondness for alcohol. It could also depict an aerial view of a drum kit. It does in fact represent the occult Man-Wife-Child trilogy, and more commonly is a Christian symbol for the Trinity.

  • ---John Paul Jones' symbol is a single Circle intersecting 3 ''vesica pisces'' (a Triquetra ). Taken from a book of runes, it symbolises a person with confidence and competence.

  • In 1998 ''Q'' Magazine readers voted the 26th greatest album of all time.

  • It is number 66 on the list of '' Rolling Stone '''s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

  • It is number 7 on Pitchfork Media 's Top 100 Albums of The 1970s.

  • A 2005 listener poll conducted by Toronto classic rock station Q107 ( CILQ ) named the #2 best classic rock album of all time.

  • The Battle Of Evermore is supposedly is based on Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". {Link without Title} The band themselves have never mentioned the inspiration for the lyric.

  • The Sheet Music for ''Stairway to Heaven'' is the largest selling piece of sheet music in Rock music history averaging about 15000 copies per year. To date it has sold over 1 million.



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