Although Zep’s “Immigrant Song” arrived some time after the aforementioned tunes (1970), it’s still a worthy entry, as it was one of the first-ever rock songs to feature a vocalist singing from the perspective of a bloody Viking! 03. “Ah-aaah, ah!, Ah-aaah, ah!” Certain songs can be pinpointed to as the birth of heavy metal (Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild”, Blue Cheer’s version of “Summertime Blues”, and Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath” immediately come to mind). His simply sublime vocal performance on this 1975 live version of the song is a must-hear (and see). Plant is no doubt one of rock’s greatest “screamers,” but “Going to California” displays the singer’s equally impressive softer side. Want proof that Plant was always an outstanding singer? How about this classic footage of the vocalist as a young lad of 20 years old - complete with the famous Plant/Page call-and-response section in the middle (that would eventually stretch to much longer durations in concert, a la the near 30-minute version on The Song Remains the Same). Plant may have been at the peak of his vocal powers around Zep’s heady Houses of the Holy era, and “Over the Hills and Far Away” is a fine vocal showcase - especially when he crisply hits his upper register as he kicks into the song’s series of “Many” lines. But the band couldn’t remain quiet for long, and when the volume gets turned up, Plant most certainly delivers vocally. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”Īlthough Zeppelin’s self-titled debut was chock full of raw, rockin’ blues, there were a few moments when the then-up-and-comers showed their sensitive side - especially on this cover of a tune that Joan Baez made famous (originally penned by Anne Bredon). And as heard throughout this performance of “Kashmir”, Plant remained in fine vocal form nearly 40 years after Zep’s debut album. “Kashmir”Īs part of the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at London’s O2 Arena on December 10th, 2007, Plant reunited with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin - guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones - along with John Bonham’s son, Jason, for a full set. But all kidding aside, Plant’s vocals shift into another gear towards the end of the tune (beginning at the 8:20 mark, to be precise), when he begins offering vocal improv around the repeated phrase, “Oh my Jesus.” 09. With all this sudden talk of Plant’s mortality, it probably makes the most sense to kick things off with this little ditty (actually, make that long ditty) off of Physical Graffiti. So, with Plant announcing this very generous offering of his unreleased material to his fans in the future (and we hope it’s very far into the future), it’s a fine moment to compile a list of 10 Led Zeppelin songs that display his vocal awesomeness.
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