Ranking Led Zeppelin's eight studio albums tier list style! =================================== Patreon: / theneedledrop Follow your melon: Twitter: / theneedledrop Instagram: @afantano FB: / theneedledrop
@Chaotic Evil Monk What does “not versed enough on Led Zeppelin” mean? He’s clearly listened to their whole catalogue thoroughly based on his thoughts in this video, no? If I like death grips, does that mean I could never, ever, possibly understand Led Zeppelin on the same level you do? Stupid comment.
John Travolta Did you hear the one where the vocalist did a shout in the intro and outro of the song? Had to pull over on the highway to let it process
@@tomschult133 houses of holy is not great. I agree with the majority of what he said. Idk why people like it so much, I mean if they do good for them but I just don't see it.
Houses of the Holy is a 50/50 split. The Rain Song, Over the Hills, No Quarter, and The Ocean are some of Zeppelins best songs, but the other 4 are not so much.
It's my favorite zeppelin album, everything is amazing, every song is so well written, tea for one has jimmy pages tastiest guitar tone in the solo, the creamiest guitar tone ever, my favorite in my opinion
I don’t agree. I’d put Achilles Last Stand at B rating probably. It didn’t feel as successfully progressive and interesting as their other long hit songs like Kashmir and Stairway To Heaven
@@smkxodnwbwkdns8369 Going to California and Thank you are amazing even lyrically. You are the one who needs to learn English. Maybe English is your 2nd language. But don't shit talk Led Zeppelin, cause you are shit. And there's Bron-Y-Aur.
Physical Graffiti is my favorite Led Zeppelin album. It's like the All Eyez On Me or the first RUN-DMC album of classic rock music. BTW, thumbs up if you can't wait until Anthony does a Tier List for 2Pac.
I know this might sound purposefully contrarian but I've been really digging L3 and Presence over the "classics". Lot of underrated gems, as well as an excellent exhibition of Led Zeppelin's strength in dynamics from the almost psychedelic vibes of L3 and the obvious power and raw bluesy tones of Presence.
Absolutely. The Wall - Pink Floyd The White Album - The Beatles Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder Sign o the Times - Prince Exile on Main Street - The Rolling Stones Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin I went off on a tangent sorry lol. So many great ones.
Anthony would you consider doing a Pink Floyd tier list? In the past you haven't had a lot to say about the band and I'd be curious to hear your thoughts in greater detail on the topic of Pink Floyd.
mrkyburzy my friend, I could not agree more. In the Light is soooo good and so overlooked it’s unbelievable.... True story; just before a modern’s band gig was to begin, which I attended the hype music gets louder and it’s ....In The Light! I’m feeling it; just grooving to one of my favourite songs ever, anticipating the show to come. Two separate people tapped my shoulder wondering what band we were listening to. They liked it but had no idea it was Zep!
I have very fond memories of that song in particular. This woman I dated a few years ago, whom I came to love more than anyone I ever met. The first time we made love, that song was playing on my soundbar quietly in the background.
He phoned in this entire video. I doubt he even likes them that much to rank it that low. Houses was such a major turning point in their sound and creativity. For starters they stopped reworking other peoples songs as their own with houses, they never wrote a ballad as good as rain song following this album, and for how experimental the record is, it has a strong cohesive flow unlike any of their other albums. He doesnt know what hes talking about on that one
@William Magee Anthony regularly also gets mad and salty about other people's opinions on his channel. That's basically half of let's argue. We all have opinions, and we all joke about opinions we disagree with. We are not seriously hating on him, we're playing around. So chill the fuck out.
That's their most underrated record to be sure, it features some amazing songs like Nobody's fault but mine, Hots on for nowhere and Achilles last stand, which in my opinion is up there with stairway as one of their greatest songs
Putting that album on a tier list is hard because of that song. Something similar happens with HoH because the crappy songs are so much worse than the rest of the album.
I agree, sometimes I think it may be the best song ever written. The guitar riff, combined with the bass and drums, makes me think of a horse riding through the sands of Troy. The guitar solo makes me imagine the heroic fight between Hector and Achilles. Then there are the lyrics, on one hand they talk of mythology, and on the other there're the clever parallels to their career at the time. "It was an April morning, when they told us we should go", that's the end of the tax year, as the band was in exile due to the high tax percentages in England at the time. However, it was also when Achilles and his Myrmidon set sail to Troy.
fewwiggle I totally agree! I agree that 4 is a more refined, complex and well produced record but 1 brings a level of absolute raw energy. I dig the purity of it.
I mean it’s really repurposed American blues not saying anything about the songs or them as people but it was pretty shitty not to credit the original artists until years later
Could tell he was hardly a Zep fan when he left out Thank You from Zep II, and upraised Immigrant Song far more than songs like Friends and Bron-Y-Aur Stomp in Zep III. He left out Going to California from Zep IV as well.
@@ethanielclyne5810 The only weak song is The Crunge (worst Zeppelin song ever) but literally every other song is amazing, especially No Quarter, Rain Song, and Dancing Days.
Houses of the Holy C-tier? How? - The Rain Song - The Song Remains the Same - The Ocean - No Quarter I know it's your opinion and all, but your opinion is simply wrong.
Most underrated thing about Zeppelin is the quality of their ballads. In fact, outside of the Beatles, i can't think of another rock band with a list of quality ballads like Zeppelin. From " what is & should never be", " since I've been loving you", " Stairway to heaven", " the battle of everymore", " the rain song", " over the hills & far away", " no quarter ", " in the light" & my fav Zep ballad " ten years gone". All epic ballads. From 1969 to 1975, Led Zeppelin where the best rock album outfit.
Puppin ost idk but Mario kart Wii is the best game. So double dash fans get the picture: imagine making a turn like it's Tuesday. Wii is double dash but making a turn is like breathing on a Tuesday. If I can die on a turn in double dash, I WILL die on that turn. Inside drift is a gift only real ones get to cherish. Also the item list is so janky and amazing. Funky Kong is in it and he's a top tier too, along with the iconic flame runner. The ultra shortcuts are some of the coolest looking yet, especially in grumble volcano.
I could be wrong, but I think I've seen Anthony say once or twice that he's not a big Pink Floyd fan. I think he said they're a little over-rated, and don't have that many great songs/albums, if I recall correctly. (Which I agree with to an extent - I mean that there's on a couple "great" albums by the band to me.)
@@nickm.5931 Ohhh maybe that is true. Coz he has not rated a single Pink Floyd album on RYM. And tries to avoid them as much as possible. It sucks that he probably won't do worst to best of my favourite band😥
Sothbeachboy 21 the rain song is one of the best composed songs that Jimmy page ever wrote. I’m guessing you don’t like it because you’re a hard rock snob and anything that isn’t heavy is bad. I can’t stand people like ups
Eli Hintz I wasn’t saying it’s bad or anything. I’m just not into that, yeah I like The explosiveness of Led Zeppelin. That’s what Led Zeppelin is known for, its hard rock and blues.
@@sothbeachboy2195 Led Zeppelin is not just known for their hard rock/blues songs. That's hilariously false. Literally one-third of their songs are acoustic/folk-tinged. Every album from Led Zeppelin to Physical Graffiti has a couple of folk/acoustic-tinged songs on it.
I would love to see you do a King Crimson albums tier list. A very varied discography, lots of incarnations. I'm curious to see you compare such detailed and colorful albums Anthony. Keep it real
I feel that The Lemon Song on Led Zeppelin 2 is very underrated. Such a jam. Funky bass line, Robert’s Vocals are phenomenal, Jimmy plays kind of sloppy but it fits so well on this song.
@@lilnerf9269 people seem to hate jimmys solos for some reason. The reality is Jimmys solos sound like that cause that’s what he wanted. If he wanted to put in a perfect solo I promise he could have given it a few more takes, and the reality is page would often take a “grittier” or “rougher” take over a perfect sounding one. It’s all about the feel and page knew that. To summarize what I just said, if page wanted a perfect solo he could have done it.
@@Faffabucco I feel that 2 belongs in the A tier because of the very reason you stated, it was revolutionary. Great songs, still played a tremendous amount, still relevant all these years later. Whole Lotta Love is still one of my favorite songs by zeppelin, the guitar solo is so clean and pure, amazing.
@@DoctorOfTheLazania I don't know why ironically choosing to act blissfully ignorant is part of the comments culture on this channel, but I like your Twin Peaks references anyway.
My takes from a random nobody who loves him some LZ: -The Zep III take is spot-on. I feel like III is kind of a slept-on album, especially when it comes to the band's first four classic albums. It even took me awhile to come around to listening to this album because of this perceived stigma III has that it's the "weirdest" of Zeppelin's early albums, and it seemed like it never really got the same kind of shine that 1, 2, and 4 have. Looking back on it now, it's one of the band's best and imo the first album where they become truly distinct and expressive in their sound, and even when it gets "weird," it does so in the best way possible, like on "Celebration Day." Which actually sounds more like it's just the band having fun than anything else. Definitely an A, possibly even A+ or hovering close to the S tier. -Zeppelin II is S tier. Without question. The only thing that's even debatable imo is whether or not it's actually the band's best album, which I think you could make a STRONG case for. Yes, I do agree with Melon that you do have some traces of the band shedding the last bits of their "blues bar band" skin on this album, but it's a process that still gives us some of the best blues-rock songs ever written. Absolutely classic album. -Zeppelin IV is where it gets a little tricky. I can certainly see why some people consider this the best Zeppelin album, and at times I can tend to agree with them. The thing is (and I feel like even Melon's aware of this a little since he doesn't give them a mention at all when discussing songs) I can never make up my mind how I ultimately feel about "Four Sticks" and "Misty Mountain Hop." Depending on my mood that day, I will either consider them two otherwise excellent songs that just don't quite match up to the par of the other songs on the album, or straight-up filler. Because of that, IV is an album that is always hovering around S tier for me, but never entirely cements it's place there. Hell, there are times where I honestly feel like III might be a better album than IV because there's no song on III that feels as plodding as "Misty Mountain Hop." -Melon was imo way too harsh to Houses of the Holy, but I can let that slide. He even mentions how he can see how some people rank that album amongst the best. Probably Zep's most diverse album, I consider it probably right alongside their debut in overall quality, hovering around B+ or A tier. I also think he was a liiiiiiittle too lenient on Physical Graffiti. Personally, I can't stand "Kashmir;" rough take I know, but for me it's soooo repetitive and droning. I also consider "In the Light" kind of ehh. I'd put Graffiti in B tier personally, but for obviously very subjective reasons. I know I'm kind of on an island alone when I say I hate Kashmir, so I definitely understand why people can love that album if that song doesn't bother you. -There's my Zep takes, if anyone even reads this I hope you enjoyed 'em. If not, I just felt like randomly ranting about Zeppelin albums today anyway so at least I entertained myself :)
It may just be because jimmy was a big influence on me picking up guitar as a young lad, but after listening to this review and relistening to II (which I used to consider a top ten album) the guitar and production are pretty sloppy at points. Still such excellent song writing and still A imo but a critical listen knocked it down a peg. I shared this take with my buddy and he said he wished I hadn’t because it tarnished one of his favorite records and that’s how I felt melon did me on this one.
Coda has "Darlene" on it... That groove is straight up, the shit. "In Through The Out Door" is amazing. The fact that it was the last Led Zeppelin album makes it mysterious and more superior to the third record to me. It's approach to messy guitar work and drum groove were miles ahead of it's time. I love it. That's my opinion. But my criteria for greatness always elevates innovation and "new moves" above perfection and production quality.
In Through the Out Door is great. They grew and were doing something different. To me, they showed how a band doesn't have to do the same thing over and over again while at the same time keeping the essence of what made them great. Their sound became lush, and I think that's what threw a lot of fans off. Blues rock is great but so is something like Fool In the Rain.
forgot about this song until my dad and I were listening to physical graffiti on a road trip and once I remembered it, I remembered just how amazing the song is.
Fucking Right.I am sorry but this guy is an idiot and BORING! FFS Black Dog, Rock and Roll Standouts?? Really while I , II, III get shat on as does V. This dude babbles on about the early LP's being too raw?? As someone who grew up with and SAW THEM LIVE, this guy seems to NOT GET IT! He has BORING commercial reasoning!
Vlad Drakul What are you talking about. Every album got positive scores. He praised them endlessly. He placed 2 albums in S. Are you seriously mad that he didn’t love them **enough**? Calm the fuck down old man
@@notevenironicallyfunny204 Yet another insecure loser who cannot handle another view point. He is very wrong period. He is objectively wrong about their status in music history relative to the others. It was those two that changed everything; see Comments by the Doors, Sabbath, Priest, Deep Purple etc. Hey do we know we were only THERE! Boy!
You should have mentioned Sandy Dennys' contribution/vocal duet with Plant on "The battle of Evermore". I'm pretty sure she's the only person to ever guest on a Zepplin album which is pretty significant & it gives the song such an amazing haunting atmosphere.
loading/screen. It isn’t that bad but I think it’s just because of how un-led zeppelin it is. Like you just wouldn’t think a band who made songs like stairway to heaven, Achilles last stand and dazed and confused would make that type of that. If that makes sense
Huffle Puff - Listen, BBC can get sloppy real fast. It’s usually fast and loose with very little lubrication on the instruments. You’ve just got to take it as it comes.
They also lost some live energy in their later records that makes them less exciting to me. Try saying that to someone who has Physical Graffiti in S their though.
@@randomgamerdude98 yellow submarine isn't a studio album and magical mystery tour has some amazing classics on it like Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields Forever, I Am The Walrus and more, dunno what you're on about with that one
His hate for The Crunge must be strong. I can't say I agree with his placement of the album, but I can understand his dislike of that song; it's not very good
@William Magee Its tough. I hear what you're saying. I still want to debate it. The achievement sonically I think is underrated overall. I DO have my reserves though some of which you've mentioned. I also think the order of the tracks on the album could've been way better.
With bands like Zeppelin, Floyd, Radiohead, etc. there’s really no wrong answer when it comes to “What is their best album?” When you’re dealing with that high of a level of greatness it’s all just personal preference.
It is even more unbelievable to see Presence on C tier. "The Rain Song" is one of my three favorite Zeppelin songs, No Quarter and The Song Remains the Same are unique and amazing songs, The Ocean rocks best. D'yer Mak'er is better reggae song than most of Bob Marley classics. The Crunge . I hate that song but now I have started to appreciate its insane vocals. Next to Presence...the damn trophy on the artwork has hypnotized Melon.
@@Rekko82 It was a long time before I found out people don't like The Crunge, I've always liked that song. It's no James Brown, but I always took it as a fairly light hearted tribute.
Fool in the Rain is one of my favorite Zeppelin songs so they definitely were still doing some good stuff in the back end, but IV is the obvious choice for their best.
I love late era Zeppelin. They seem to be wanting to tighten things up and introduce new sounds which almost remind me of krautrock (and some remaining prog influences that they obviously had). Presence is a personal favorite as to me it has this undeniable vibe, coming from both Plant being injured and Jimmy Page's heroin addiction hitting a peak. They were in a weird headspace and it shows. Also one minor correction, you stated that there is a string section in Kashmir, but it's actually a mellotron. I hate for it to go unnoticed as John Paul Jones was kind of an underrated player of the instrument.
Leonard Bernardone they played blues standards from the public domain and made them their own. that’s very common for blues bands of the time. people just call it plagiarism if they’re ignorant of how the industry worked. or just like being edgy.
I really love in through the out door. Yes, it wasn't what most fans were used to them sounding like, but as you mentioned this was the blueprint for a lot of 80's stuff before the 80's. They were always ahead of the curve, and ITTOD was clearly another example. And they still did it better than almost everybody in the 80's.
My tier list S - Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV, Physical Graffiti A - Led Zeppelin II, Houses Of The Holy B - Led Zeppelin, Presence C - In Through The Out Door, Coda
I mostly agree. I would personally swap 1 and 2 with 3. They're some of my favourite ever albums, but 4 and Physical Graffiti definitely take the top spot. I'd also move In Through The Out Door to the D category. I don't completely dislike it, there's some good tracks on there and I definitely agree that it's ahead of it's time, but I don't really like the time that it's ahead of in the first place. 80's style synth rock has never done it for me. It doesn't really count as an album, but I'd create an extra S+ category and put in How the West Was Won. It's a compilation of live performances of essentially the greatest hits of the first five albums, but everything's so much more raw and powerful. Definitely my most listened to album of all time
When someone talks about their fourth album, nobody ever mentions "The Battle of Evermore", which, for me, it's just behind "Stairway To Heaven" as the best songs from that album.
When you have to decide between 'The Battle of Evermore', 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Going to California' (along with 'Friends', main influence for me to buy an acoustic guitar), and 'When the Levee Breaks', without evening mentioning the opener 'Black Dog', you're in the presence of greatness with Led Zep IV
Led Zeppelin III, even though it wasn't as critically acclaimed as some of the others, is probably my favorite album, period, of all time. Tangerine... Immigrant Song... Hats Off to (Roy) Harper... Bron-Y-Aur Stomp... That's the Way... Out on the Tiles might have one of the best riffs ever towards the end... and last but not least, Gallows Pole. I've had dreams with Gallows Pole playing in the background. It's a fantastic, magical album and easily my favorite.
My ranking 1. Pysical Graffiti 2. Led Zeppelin 2 3. Led Zeppelin 4 4. Led Zeppelin 3 5. Led Zeppelin 6. House of the holy 7. Presence 8. In through out the door 9. Coda
S: Physical Graffiti, IV, III, A: II B: Houses Of The Holy (Those 2 songs aren't great but they are likeable and fun, but this record is one of their more inconsistent. It has my 2 favorite songs from them however, No Quarter and The Rain Song), Presence, I C: In Through The Out Door
Plant did a pretty great job in Presence I’d argue. Some of the PG tracks were recorded pre-surgery, so he still had really high notes. And by the time of ITTOD, Plant had more range again.
A hard-rockers humble opinion: S: Led Zeppelin IV A: Led Zeppelin I, Led Zeppelin II, Physical Graffiti B: Led Zeppelin III, Houses of the Holy C: Presence D: In Through The Out Door
I think you made a very fair analysis of their catalog. I would place Houses in the B catagory though. Presence had some epics as well as ITTOD. Carouselambra!!!
