I? III? I? III?.. IV? OK, I.
(Body seems unclear? What does that even mean? Of course this is a complete sentence! I wrote it! What did you expect?!?!!?)
It took me 3 times to see what happened.
That’s a great rendition – thanks.
I was in college when the first album came out. 1969 was a pretty good year for albums. Yeah, that’s understatement. Some of my all-time favorites are from 1969. None was as explosive as Zep I. Every song blasted out of the speakers. The whole album shined.
Is it the best of their albums? Beats me. It’s the one of theirs I always think of.
I love Zeppelin so this was a tough one. But I have to go with Presence, just for the two-punch of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” and “Candy Store Rock”.
I’m another one who could live with never hearing “Stairway” again. But if you haven’t seen Heart perform it at the Kennedy Center Honors, you are in for a treat.
I’m going with II, in no small part because of the magnificent combo of Heartbreaker followed by Living Loving Maid.
I’m old enough to have been very much into the rock and roll when Zeppelin were in their prime. Curiously, I never thought much of them then and only started appreciating the band until just 10-25 years ago or so.
Scrolling through the track lists to refresh my memory before voting made me really, really want to hear some Zeppelin.
mmm
Hehehe, great version, and it was nice to watch them get watery-eyed at it. The number of guitarists it takes to reproduce Page’s “Guitar Army” production by then did make me chuckle a bit, though. 
I had to go with Zeppelin I. IV is iconic but really, Zepp-I is just so raw and such a breakthrough album. There is that one super blues song which is meh but holy cow…that album just rocks.
That said, I love most of their stuff (except Coda…Coda sucks). If someone thinks IV (or whatever) is the best I won’t argue.
Here is a great look into how good Bonham was:
Really enjoyed the Bonham video because I don’t know anything about drumming. Led Zeppelin has been my favorite band as long as I can remember. Kashmir is my favorite song. If I absolutely had to pick an album I think it would have to be their 1st one because it’s so raw
Like it sounds like nothing else in the world
I don’t care that they stole it somehow just just plucks at the pleasure centers of my brain
They say you never forget your first…my first was LZ II and it remains my favorite. Whole Lotta Love was like nothing I’d heard before, especially on headphones…that whole middle section swirling around…then Bonham’s machine-gun drum break leads into BOMP BOMP… and Jimmy fires off that riff…it just blew my mind.
No vote from me. It’s a tie between II and IV. “Houses” in a second place, but “I” and “III” are not far behind.
I can’t imagine what it was like to listen to Zep I with virgin ears, laying down the needle to be introduced to Bonham, Page, Plant and Jones with “Good Times, Bad Times.” That opener is such a statement and a treat.
That’s what the entire 60s were like. Every day you turned on the radio and something amazing came from the speakers. The music world changed annually.
Maybe later groups of teens felt the same way about their music, but the 60s were actually really truly magic.
I believe you
If I had to pick a tiny specific genre of music that I liked the most it would be “psychedelic rock” I guess, even though Zep is my favorite band
I gotta go with the crowd and go IV.
Zoso was magic.
I went with Physical Graffiti over LZ4, mostly because I think Going to California and Battle of Evermore are weird clunky songs that stifle the energy of the album as a whole. Black Dog, Levee, and Rock and Roll sound like they should have been saved for Physical Graffiti anyway to make it a 5th album side (in my own alternate universe fantasy).
That’s interesting. I find them to be quite essential to the flow/pacing of the album. The order is perfect to me and there’s a nice balance of harder songs and softer ones. While I don’t much care for Stairway, I find Battle of Evermore a nice lead-in.
This poll has gotten me listen to Zeppelin again. I had forgotten how good and under-rated Houses of the Holy is. My vote is still for 4, but I think I listen to “Over the Hills and Far Away” more than any other Zep song.
I picked IV, but if we’re talking vinyl only I might have gone with Physical Graffiti, just for its amazing cover. And let’s face it, there’s nothing like the sweep of “Kashmir” on vinyl.
OMG, if you don’t get chills at 2:42, contact your physician immediately.
I guess I’m one of the weirdos, because “Kashmir” just bores the bejesus out of me. I mean, it’s got a great groove – the drums are fantastic with Bonham at his best for those swaggering pocket grooves but the song just does nothing for me. “Levee” on the other hand - that’s my jam. That cover is reasonable, but it ain’t got the power of LZ’s version. Bonham’s drums on that are just BIG.