Led Zeppelin Albums Ranked: Worst to First 

Years ago I was at my local record store. The store owner myself in a couple other guys were standing around talking music. When this kid comes up and says excuse me I'm trying to get into Led Zeppelin do they have any Greatest Hits albums. We all laughed and the owner said start with Zeppelin 1 the kid asked is that a greatest hits album. The owner told him they're all Greatest Hits albums

99% of bands would trade their souls to make the 'worst' LZ album.

Rick Beato had a great video about Stairway and Taurus and spoiler Zeppelin didn’t steal it from Taurus. Because if they stole it then so did Taurus. There’s plenty of music that predates both songs that uses that Lydian scale. Music is meant to be shared.

Here is my top five Zeppelin records. 1. Physical Graffiti 2. Zeppelin II 3. Houses of the Holy 4.Zeppelin 4 5. In Through the Out door Physical Graffiti is filled with killer songs in my opinion. Zeppelin II wow blues, psychedelic and rock well blended together like a good mixed drink.

Led Zeppelin 2 will always be my favorite bro

When life gives you Lemons......squeeze them till the juice runs down your leg!!!

"I mean Led Zeppelin didn't write tunes everybody liked. They left that to the Bee Gees". wayne to garth 1992.

It’s so hard to rank zep iv high because everyone’s heard them nonstop on the radio for years.

Fool In The Rain Has Some Of John Bonham's Best Drumming!

Achilles Last Stand is my favorite song. Houses of the Holy and LZ2 are my favorite albums.

Probably the most informed ranking of these albums I've ever heard. Agree completely although i'd swap the rankings of Zep 4 and Zep 1. To me original content is greater on Zoso and it goes a step higher.

I can’t even explain how great Physical Graffiti is. It’s a master work. I get chills just by talking about it.

1- Zep II 2-Houses 3-Physical G 4-Zep IV 5-Presence 6-Zep I 7-Zep III 8- IN Thru 9-Coda I have been listening to Zep since 1980, Great list ! You did a great job!

9. Coda 8. In Through the Outdoor 7. Presence (Really solid album! It's just hard for it to climb higher because of how strong the discography is.) 6. I 5. III (Had they swapped Hats off to Harper for Hey Hey What Can I Do...this album would be 2 or 3.) 4. II 3. Houses of the Holy(3 and 4 are interchangeable.) 2. Physical Graffiti (This album has risen the most for me...just a monster record!) 1. IV (This album was my introduction to the band and I believe this is their peak.)

Led Zeppelin my favorite band. Houses of the Holy my favorite Album. Stairway to Heaven my favorite song. Kudos to Thank You played at my wedding

“Good artists borrow, great artists steal” Pablo Picasso

Physical Graffiti is the one I would choose. I'm not much of a Zep fan, but I did appreciate your enthusiasm and I did enjoy the video. Cheers.

I’m already 15, and the songs Tangerine and Thank You make me cry for memories I don’t even have...really goes to show just how diverse and exemplary their catalog is.

Awesome vid man. Your excitement and love are apparent. Really enjoyed watching this.

I love Zeppelin. Have since I was a kid.

I’m not a big Led Zeppelin but I can appreciate a fan going through a catalogue they’re passionate about. That was great.

Led Zeppelin II, absolutely the best🥇

ain't nothing wrong with a Zeppelin Quarantine-a-thon. You can guess my favorite.

Great ranking! In Through The Outdoor has a certain charm to it. I love the proggy feel of some of the songs. My favorite Zep album is Houses of the Holy. I also love IV and Presence! Thanks for sharing🤟🏻

I was 14 when In through the Outdoor was released. I didn't know Led Zep but I bought the album and loved it. For me it was the gateway to the rest of their work so I rank it high. I can listen to it now and feel the same way I did then. It was my Led Zeppelin. So for me it is ITOD followed by II then IV then I.

I was a huge zeppelin fan when I was 12 13 years old but when I got to be around 20 21 I got a little burned out on them just because I listened to them so much but here recently I’ve started listening again and it’s like I’m 12 all over again failing back in love with the Led

My opinion has changed a bit over the years, but my ranking has been steady for a while... 1. Houses of the Holy 2. Physical Graffiti 3. Zep II 4. Zep III 5. Presence 6. Zep IV 7. Zep I 8. In Through the Out Door

Zepplin III - Since I’ve Been Loving You, my absolute favorite Zeppelin song. Can’t get enough of it.

Many thanks! Have 6, had 6 already on my wants list...now have 8 more!

You rock my friend.The same order i put them in,keep up the brill work.

I couldn't agree more. Very similar taste. I also love III the best with a history. Well done. Carry on...😉😎

Love this video, I really appreciate you putting physical graffiti higher on the list, some of their best work lyrically and musically and people always put it in like 4th or 5th place, glad to see someone finally give it the credit it is due!

“Carouselambra” is a cool song, especially when it slows down about 4 and 1/2 minutes into the song. And there were 6 different album cover perspectives, they’re A through F and came in the mystery brown paper bag.

I never could’ve put that list together, as it changes over time, but I certainly commend you on your efforts. They just did everything they played in such a masterful way. Damn, they’re just so awesome! Excellent vid, m’man! Thanks, Dillon!

Hello from Ireland Dylan! Just a little more info for you to think about - Bert Jansch ( pron Yansch) did not write black water side either! The melody is based on a trad Irish tune called 'she moved through the fair' which Jansch borrowed and modified for his own use. Page did the same thing and most importantly- this was just the done thing back then. Same with a lot of blues licks etc - most was considered to be in the public domain. Of course it doesn't mean you can rip stuff off! But a lot of stuff was being appropriated by a lot of artists- the stones Bob Dylan etc. It was what the old blues masters themselves did back in the day. If you make something completely different as in make it your own - I don't mind at all! Great channel by the way Dylan.

How can you not mention CAROUSELAMBRA from In through the out door? That is an EPIC track

1) Physical Graffiti, 2) IV, 3) Houses, 4) Presence, 5) III, 6) II, 7) I, 8) In Through the Out Door

Loved your passion and explanation of the rankings. Generally agree with your observations too. 👍

Sure.There is no bad Zep album.

Agree with your list. III is my favorite, Im glad you ranked IV on the lower end. Not that its not great , just a little played out

I can't argue with that... I think you're right. Physical Graffiti is my personal favorite, Prescence is wildly underrated, I gotta go get my zeppelin out and revisit 3 and Houses!!

My favorite albums: 1. 4 2. 2 3. PG 4. HOTH 5. 1 6. 3 7. P 8. ITTOD My favorite songs: 1. Stairway (4) 2. Ten years gone (PG) 3. When the levee breaks (4) 4. Dazed & confused (1) 5. Since i've been loving you (3) 6. No quarter (HOTH) 7. Whole lotta love (2) 8. Thank you (2) 9. In the light (PG) 10. Rain song (HOTH)

I enjoyed your video and agree with your ranking. I love LZ 3 for the exact reasons you pointed out. It’s probably my favourite as well.

Love watching your videos, great advice from you, and it has helped me to be a better collector and has turned into a hobby I love! So thanks!

Great video, I would love to see more artist rankings from you in the future!

3 has always been my favorite

My picks would go: 1) Houses of the Holy 2) III 3) Presence 4) Physical Graffiti 5) II 6) IV 7) I 8) In through the out door My favorite Zep songs are all on the first three listed above.

I remember reading years ago that Presence was Zepelin's favorite.

IV has - Black Dog - Misty Mountain Hop - Four Sticks - Battle of Evermore

Love them all, lifelong fan. Enjoying the channel bud. Would like to visit the store some day. From the "land of the ice and snow", up in Toronto, saying get the Led out!!!

Taurus and Stairway are nothing alike in general, apart from a "similar" intro. Even that allegedly stolen phrasing isn't identical. Apart from anything else there is a part in Taurus that is pretty much identical to Blackbird by the Beatles. It's actually more similar than the supposed similarity of the two intros. All musicians are influenced by what they hear from other writers. Otherwise, I agree with most of your choices. However, you have to take into account the importance and influence of such major albums. I would therefore put LZ 1 much nearer to the top of the list, along with LZ II. III, IV, HOtH and Graffitti were great albums but much less important as influential releases. IMO. Enjoyed the video though. Thanks.

Led my fave band back in the day. Still one of my faves along with Rush, Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra, 70s Pink Floyd, 70s Sabbath

Great Ranking I basically agree LZ is my second fav group of all time The Doors is my #1 would love to get your ranking on my Jimbos albums

Led Zep III is their most brilliant album and I've been saying this for a long time now.Everything is a masterpiece and even Hats off to (Roy Harper).Seems to go over a lot of people's head that one ! Such a unique track,masterful !!

What a task you set yourself Dillon. Brave man. Can’t say I completely agree, but I’m not angry :-D I’m not a huge fan of II anymore. Its like Zeppelin for beginners. I’d probably have Physical Graffiti at my top end.

Great review and i agreed,my favourite is 3 but i feel the best is real close between 2 and Physical Graffiti

Very cool to see your ranking!

Just found your channel recently. I really love this rundown of Zep's stuff. I grew up with these guys and their hands down one of my favorite bands. You had some really good comments about the albums. This is the order I would put them in: 9- Coda 8- In Through the Outdoor 7- Houses of the Holy 6- Presence 5- Led Zeppelin I 4- Led Zeppelin 4 3- Led Zeppelin 3 2- Led Zeppelin 2 1- Physical Graffiti Physical Graffiti came out when I was 16 so that probably has something to do with it :). I still listen to that record in its entirety on a regular basis.

You mentioned 3 in another vid so o will once again say bron-yr-aur stomp is amazing, amazing, flipping amazing

I agree with number one, i just love that record

Jake holmes has rightly and lately been added to the credits for D&C.

I like the third album best too, love all the songs, always a pleasure to listen to.

Credit for properly ranking IV.

1. Houses of the Holy 2. I 3. IV 4. II 5. Physical Grafitti 6. In through the out door 7. III 8. Presence 9. Coda Not to forget the Live Albums, especially The BBC Sessions

One of the best things I've done was get all of Zeppelin's studio albums. Listening in order is an amazing experience. As for Coda I think of it like Autumn Equinox for Pink Floyd. It's stuff that didn't really make the cut.

LZ III for me. Starts with an absolute banger too.

I 100% empathise with every decision you made. Zeppelin are my all time favourite band and I can feel your passion in the way you talk about the albums. Great ranking. You should do your favourite tracks. Achilles Last Stand will always hold my number 1.

Man as a fellow Zep fan/nut I hear you when you talk about that powerful breakdown on whole lotta love! The only other song I can think of that has THAT strong of a punch and gives you that euphoric feeling in/after the break down is Money after the frantic guitar/saxophone solo when they convert back into the main riff. Oooof! Absolutely incredible!

Dillon - Great stuff as always. Thank you for putting this out there and I very much respect your well thought out analysis and trying to remain objective. Now, let the discussion occur! Like I said, I think you were trying to be well thought out and now I gotta say, you may have thought too much and psyched yourself out. I gotta disagree with your reasoning and I’m sticking to my guns as Led Zep III is the best. For almost exactly how you describe it, that’s why it would be at the top for me. To me it’s the most enjoyable. I do think you were spot on with the lower rankings. I think I would move Houses The Holy up and move both Physical Graffiti and II down. So, just for more discussion here’s mine without any comments or justification...other than I think this my order of enjoyment and listenability. Again, great stuff! One question that I think I know the answer so I didn’t add it but, why did you choose to leave off Song Remains The Same? It probably would be 6 or 7 for me...possibly even higher if it was included. 1. III 2. Houses Of The Holy 3. II 4. IV 5. I 6. Physical Graffiti 7. Presence 8. In Through The Out Door 9. CODA

"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is NOT a traditional song. It was written by a folk singer in the 1950's named Anne Bredon. Jimmy Page assumed it was a traditional song because he could not find song writing info about it. Years later Bredon became aware of Zeppelin's recording of the song and was paid a large sum of back royalties. Since then, Zeppelin altered the song writing credits from "traditional" to Bredon on copies of Led Zeppelin I.

Man, you are such a great storyteller! Now I'm going to have as you put it a "Zep-a-thon". Thanks for the entertainment and the frequent educational content. You've turned me onto some great music that I missed many years ago, just got a re-issue of Townes Van Zandt. What a great record! Thanks, Bill

In through the out door was probably my favorite. He didnt mention Im gonna crawl. This album kicks ass.

CAROUSELAMBRA is an epic track and very ambitious

Defo agree with your top slot. Bought it in 1973, my first ever album. Still have it. I’m lucky enough to have the Mobile Fidelity pressing which is amazing. Also Houses of the Holy is very underrated. Very enjoyable vid.

1. LZ2 2. LZ4 3. LZ1 4. LZ3 5. Presence 6. Physical Graffiti 7. Houses of the Holy 8. In through the outdoor

You sure as hell got #1 correct! The obvious #2 is the first album but it's so good I'd totally understand how some people would argue it being #1. My #3 is their 4th album. My #4 is LZ III. These personal rankings will vary a lot depending on how old a person is. I'm 66 so I lived through the Zeppelin years, saw em 5-times :)

My Updated Led Zeppelin album rankings 9. Coda 8. Presence 7. In Through The Out Door 6. Led Zeppelin III 5. Houses Of The Holy 4. Untitled 3. Led Zeppelin II 2. Led Zeppelin 1. Physical Graffiti

I don’t hate you, actually I love you for being a great Zep appreciator. My number one today is lLed II.

9: Coda 8: Led Zeppelin II 7: Presence 6: In Through the Out Door 5: Led Zeppelin I 4: Led Zeppelin IV 3: Led Zeppelin III 2: Houses of the Holy 1: Physical Graffiti

I think it’s safe to say that Coda will always be at the bottom of any list! Brave man tho for putting IV so low. It has the hits but I totally see what you mean. III is perhaps my favorite Zeppelin album and I have a lot of time for Presence. Enjoyable video! May have to tackle this topic myself! Cheers and stay safe.

Great list 🤘 its funny the older I get how these great, wonderful albums flip flop from when I was younger ! Great video!

My rankings which may surprise you: 9. In Through The Outdoor 8. Houses of The Holy 7. Prescence 6. Coda 5. Physical Graffiti 4. Led Zeppelin IV 3. Led Zeppelin I 2. Led Zeppelin III 1. Led Zeppelin II

For me (Today) : 1 Presence 2. Houses of the Holy 3 Coda (Love it Today) 4 IV 5 Physical Graffiti 6 In throug the Out Door 7 III 8 II 9 I

This is great! I Love your enthusiasm. And I love Zep too. I also had Two as my Number one, pt IV higher than you and Three also at my # 3. Great job, my friend! Will be checking out your other videos. Keep up the great work!!!

Agreed. Great ranking! Have you heard Osaka '71? I am looking for a good copy. Thanks again.

Great video Dylan.. I love LZ as well. My ranking would be.. LZ1, Physical Graffiti, LZII, LZIII, LZIV, Presence, Houses Of The Holy.. I was the first guy on my block to buy LZ1 when it came out and there literally was a lineup outside my door to come in and hear it so it has special meaning to me. I saw LZ at a relatively small venue in Toronto in 1969 just when LZII was coming out so it also has a high personal ranking. Over the years, Physical Graffiti has become my most go to LZ album... thanks for doing this...Glen Kellaway

Finally someone likes Physical Graffiti as much as I do! I've seen it get a lot of hate for having a lot of filler but I only dislike one song.

Ahmet and Nasuhi Ertegun, founders of Atlantic Records, were extremely knowledgable about the history of American music. It was their passion, as much as it was to British Invasion bands like The Rolling Stones, the Animals, the Yardbirds (LZ was originally "The New Yardbirds), John Mayall... I always wondered why they let LZ slap their names on songs that anybody who knew the blues would instantly recognize. There was a time when folk/blues musicians freely "borrowed" and adapted from traditional songs and from one another -- but those days were long gone by the 1960s when the recording industry had became a major international corporate concern! Did they think it was still just common practice -- or did they just think they could get away with it, the way early samplers tried to claim "fair use" of looped drum breaks and fragments of older recordings? Even if the young white English blues fans didn't know any better, surely the Erteguns did.

I do agree with your listing, Bert Jansch yep, a superb guitarist. one album that you don't have listed her because it is a live bootleg, Live in Melbourne Australia from 1073. I hate bootlegs but this one was zep live in a small local pub playing like a local band having a great time. but as for the official albums, totally agree with your list and comments.

Hahah love this vid man. Agree with so much u said and zeppelins my favorite as well

My list : 9. Coca 8. In Through The Out Door 7. Led Zeppelin II 6. Presence 5. Led Zeppelin 4. Houses Of The Holy 3. Led Zeppelin III 2. Physical Graffiti 1. Led Zeppelin IV

Ever consider doing your best album side top 10? Zep 2 Side 2 would be in the running for me.

My top 5 1: Led Zeppelin 2 (Favorite Song: The Lemon Song. Least Favorite: Bring It On Home) 2: Led Zeppelin 1 (Favorite Song: You Shook Me. Least Favorite: Communication Breakdown) 3: Led Zeppelin 4 (Favorite Song: Black Dog. Least Favorite: Battle Of Evermore) 4: Houses Of The Holy (Favorite Song: The Ocean. Least Favorite: The Crunge) 5: Led Zeppelin 3 (Favorite Song: Immagrant Song. Least Favorite: Gallows Pole)

Why didn't they release Hey Hey what can I do on III? I believe they released it as a B side to Immigrant Song on a 45. It always bugged me they didnt have it on the back side of III, where it would of fit perfectly.

If I was to pick the best LZ album, II is the one which has always resonated with me too. They take the blues based rock of I to a totally different level here and with Ramble On, for the first time we see that trademark fusion of folk/rock, acoustic/electric which was to become like a signature for their sound over the next decade. It's raw, it's powerful and 50 years on still sounds relevant. Excellent choice.

Best song- ‘No Quarter’ hands down. Moved me in a strange way and transports me to the first time I heard it every time. Blew my mind. I would agree.....ZEP III was higher up on my list when I was younger, but then I totally agree on your ranking of the last two. I imagine I spent a good year flipping through that double disc. ZEPPELIN II Defines the band. Best riffs. What floors me more than anything and wish I had it-Live in Denmark TV performance. Those kids are like deer in the headlights. I know and loved the band but it threw me how good they were live after decade after decade of loving them.

With respect, Blackwaterside is a traditional Irish folk song that was popularized by Bert Jansch, who was every bit the great guitarist you state, but he did nor write it. Best version of that song IMHO is Sandy Denny's on The North Star Grassman and The Ravens album.

My list is 1. Physical Grafitti 2. Zep II 3. Presence 4. Zep III 5. Zep I 6. Zep IV 7. ITTOD

LZII Is my favorite, first one I ever listened to.

Have you heard the deluxe version of 3? Only came across it on Spotify! It's album cover is the inverted colours of the original album