It Was 40 Years Ago Today: ‘Led Zeppelin III’ Released

After touring North America in the spring of 1970, guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Robert Plant spent some time at an 18th-century cottage in Wales called Bron-Yr-Aur, and they began composing and practicing material for a new record. While it is not one of the better-selling albums in the band’s history, Led Zeppelin III marked a turn-of-the-decade transition from hard rock to more acoustic-inspired music for the group.

The leadoff track, “Immigrant Song,” became a trademark of Led Zeppelin’s live performances in the years to come, as did the classic blues number “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” The album, which was released on Monday, Oct. 5, 1970, also contained rock-heavy songs like “Celebration Day” and “Out on the Tiles,” as well as the folk-influenced “Gallows Pole.”

Within a few weeks of its release, Led Zeppelin III had reached No. 1 in the charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

It Was 40 Years Ago Today: ‘Led Zeppelin II’ Released

The breakthrough group released its second album (self-titled, as was the first) on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 1969, and Led Zeppelin II was the band’s first record to reach No. 1 in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The album also hit the top of the charts in Canada, Austrailia, Germany, Spain and The Netherlands.

The leadoff track on Led Zeppelin II, “Whole Lotta Love,” emerged from an early ’60s number by Willie Dixon (“You Need Love”), and here Dixon shares songwriting credit with all four members of the group — Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones.