# Led Zeppelin IV favorite song & rank 'em **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 15, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775 "2011-08-15T13:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775/41 "2011-08-17T14:15:12Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > I am rather surprised at the weird orderings of the songs you people have. If I rank an album with my friends or siblings, or compare to the critics, we mostly more or less agree. The lists here are pretty much all over the place. I’m not even entirely sure what the consensus Led Zep IV ranking of the songs should be. However, the current state of the poll seems to be close to what I’d guess it to be: When the Levee Breaks Stairway to Heaven Black Dog (tied) Rock & Roll (tied) Misty Mountain Hop Going to California Battle of Evermore Four Sticks I know that voting for #1s only isn’t necessarily going to produce the same results as taking into account full ordered lists, but I can’t actually argue with the way the poll is shaking out so far when interpreted in that manner. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775/42 "2011-08-17T14:16:12Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > 1. Black Dog > 2. When the Levee Breaks > 3. Going to California > 4. Rock and Roll > 5. Stairway to Heaven > 6. The Battle of Evermore > 7. Misty Mountain Hop > 8. Four Sticks > > It was a tie between Black Dog and Levee, so I flipped a coin. Copy cat. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775/43 "2011-08-17T17:34:40Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That comment deserves rolleyes exactly, why? Because it’s silly. You just handwaved away the specific points I made about the actual musical content of the two performances with a vague reference to the “general melodic arc” that holds no water. Look at the first line of the song, for example: [Memphis Minnie’s version](http://i52.tinypic.com/2qstnpv.png) [Zep’s version (transposed into the same key for comparison purposes)](http://i55.tinypic.com/2hplquh.png) Completely different arc. Minnie approaches the first downbeat on the level; Plant approaches with a leap of a fourth. Minnie breaks the line into two descending phrases; Plant drones mainly on a single note until the end. Minnie places a blue note (flatted third) on her downbeats; Plant sings the keynote–very different effect. Only _one word_ is sung on the same degree of the scale–“rainin’”–and even then Plant throws in a melisma (making only glancing use of the blue note that is so strongly emphasized in Minnie’s version). As for the phrasing being similar, that’s only natural, since they’re singing the same lyrics. > [@AndyPolley](#): > > Maybe **Biffy** is a Bonzo fan Hardly. > [@AndyPolley](#): > > That there’s the same song, folks. Who said it wasn’t the same _song_? > [@Smapti](#): > > [And Fleetwood Mac borrowed the concept from Mose Allison,](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpTSVy3yzts) but who’s keeping score? Good point. The Who’s adaptation of _that_ song already sounds an awful lot like where Zep took the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775/44 "2011-08-22T18:00:29Z")
When the Levee Breaks is definitely my favorite, but Stairway to Heaven is right behind it. Really I like all of the songs on the album, even Four Sticks, but obviously I like some more than others. 1. When the Levee Breaks 2. Stairway to Heaven 3. Black Dog 4. Rock and Roll 5. Misty Mountain Hop 6-7. Battle of Evermore 6-7. Going to California 6. Four Sticks edit - funny, my list is almost the same as **pulykamell’s.** ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775/45 "2011-08-22T18:35:12Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Who said it wasn’t the same _song_? No one did. I was commenting on “Black Dog” bearing more or less resemblance to “Oh Well” than the 2 versions of “Levee.” My point stands. Or did you not read the rest of my post? I’ll summarize. A casual listener (me) realizes that the 2 versions of Levee are more similar musically than BD & OW. I share **pulykamell** ’s confusion over your roll-eyes over what seemed to be a reasonable & friendly conversation. Not only do I think he’s not ‘handwaving’ points you made, but I happen to agree with him. Or are you going to write out melodies to “Black Dog” & “Oh Well” to show how they are much more similar than the 2 versions of “Levee” to further your point? And what’s wrong with Bonzo?? 😉 And since I didn’t play the thread’s game with my last post, here’s my list as of today. It’s probably changed a bit since my younger days, and perhaps it’ll change more in the future… 1. Stairway (overplayed? Yep. Epic? Yep.) 2. When The Levee Breaks 3. Four Sticks (that riff rocks!) 4. The Battle of Evermore (It’s moved up since I’ve learned how to play it on the mandolin) 5. Misty Mountain Hop 6. Going to California 7. Black Dog 8. Rock & Roll ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775/46 "2011-08-22T19:10:39Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Because it’s silly. You just handwaved away the specific points I made about the actual musical content of the two performances with a vague reference to the “general melodic arc” that holds no water. Listen, I’m not interested in arguing about this. I just disagree. And Bonzo is the greatest rock groove drummer ever. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775/47 "2011-08-22T19:50:17Z")
They’re all great songs! ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775/48 "2011-08-24T22:49:29Z")
_Misty Mountain Hop_ gets my vote, simply by virtue of being the soundtrack for my first kiss 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeppelin-iv-favorite-song-rank-em/592775.md?page=2)