Led Zeppelin - Album Ranking

[@paulkovacs5729]

Such a great band, and nearly every album is jaw-droppingly amazing that I could almost answer the question of what their best album is by saying which one did I most recently listen to. Some ofnthe albums over the years have shifted for me in terms of ranking over the years (Presence and Physical Graffiti went up, I and III went down), but with the exception of Coda, which is perfectly fine everything else to me is essential listening. All that said, here's how I currently rank them and a letter grade for each: 1. Houses Of The Holy - A+ 2. II - A+ 3. Presence - A 4. Physical Graffiti - A 5. IV - A 6. III - A- 7. I - A- 8. In Through The Out Door - B+ 9. Coda - B-

[@bengalgangster]

i will never understand the dissing of presence, every track slaps

[@JJ-ez3tr]

Except for Candy Store Rock, it is an amazing album. Probably my #1 or 2

[@iancocks9408]

To me it sounds like songs that could have been on physical graffiti, a continuation of that album to me.

[@Skycladatdusk78]

​@@JJ-ez3trThat's actually my second favorite on the album after Achilles.

[@JCStorm76]

Absolutely. Its way better than In through the out door

[@redshield3296]

I agree I love that album every track of rocks

[@gilbertvaldez8763]

Houses of the holy has a certain lushness to it that makes it my numbero uno

[@nickvalente7506]

I just bought Led Zeppelin 4 on Vinyl! Absolute Classic!

[@nx01craig]

Fun stuff! Great job! My top 5 are close. My faves... 1. Houses Of The Holy 2. III 3. I 4. IV 5. II 6. In Through The Out Door 7. Presence 8. Physical Graffiti 9. Coda

[@esteeb67]

9. Coda 8. Presence 7. II 6. Houses of the Holy 5. IV 4. In Through the Outdoor 3. I 2. Physical Graffiti 1. III My list is above. It's based on what I listen to most these days.

[@edwardcoit9748]

Good job. Nice analysis. 8. In Through the outdoor 7. presence 6. Houses of the Holy 5. III 4. I 3. IV 2. II 1. physical Graffiti ( favorite album of all time)

[@domielakrabi3276]

I have the lower half ranked like you. "Houses of the Holy" grew on me in the last years, I would put it into my top 3 now. It's an album, where you can find all the styles LZ stands for - heavy rock, folk, mystique, groove and - a traditional blues is missing on it! :) My top albums are - Physical Graffiti, III and Houses. LZ IV is a masterpiece and belongs in every record collection, but it's a bit overplayed so I reach out more often for the other three albums.

[@DV-ty6yc]

Can't argue with the ranking. I find myself going back to Physical Graffiti and Houses of the Holy first when revisiting Led Zeppelin. Can enjoy most of them from beginning to end

[@randytaylor220]

Presence has some of the best bass and drum sound. And Jimmy’s guitar solos on here are outstanding. And how about Robert’s harmonica solo on Nobody’s Fault. It is really an overlooked album.

[@MrChrisStingray]

I agree. It was a raw album but I think it’s a top five album for them.

[@randytaylor220]

@@MrChrisStingray I listen to it a lot. 2 is my favorite followed by Physical then Houses, but I think Zep 1 and Presence has Bonzo’s best drumming.

[@FuturePast2019]

1976…

[@markbunton9919]

Great review. I am about the same age as you and never gravitated towards Zeppelin until recent years. Probably in part from my local classic rock station wearing out the popular tracks so much that it burned me out on the band. I still only have 2 & 4 in my collection but plan to complete the collection in the near future, as I know that there are so many hidden gems in their catalog. Keep on going with these ranking the albums vids. I find them very helpful in discovering bands that I have missed or not paid enough attention to.

[@MarcDurain]

Love Led Zeppelin 3 and Physical Graffiti.

[@benedictdonald4338]

“All My Love” and “I’m Gonna Crawl” combine to equal a perfect close to their recording career. Such beautiful songs.

[@CathyLahn]

LED ZEPPELIN (Atlantic/Swan Song): 1. PHYSICAL GRAFFITI (1975) 2. LED ZEPPELIN IV (1971) 3. LED ZEPPELIN III (1970) 4. HOUSES OF THE HOLY (1973) 5. PRESENCE (1976) 6. LED ZEPPELIN II (1969) 7. LED ZEPPELIN I (1968-9) 8. IN THROUGH THE OUTDOOR (1979) 9. CODA (1982)

[@ronpoklitar5122]

I like the first 6 albums!!

[@cornelius812]

# 1 Physical Graffiti # 1 Led Zeppelin 2 # 1 Led Zeppelin 4 # 4 Led Zeppelin 3 # 5 Led Zeppelin # 6 Houses Of The Holy # 7 In Through The Out Door # 8 Presence # 9 CODA No typo . I believe Led Zeppelin 2; Led Zeppelin 4; and Physical Graffiti. All deserve to be in the number #1 spot: but more so, the other two should never be relegated to second or third.

[@zeppearl]

First nice 10C plate good to see a fellow jammer? 😁. Enjoyed your ranking and give you credit for doing it. As a hardcore ZepHed for me to rank them is so hard to do I can't do though I have tried. I did rank the 2014-15 Deluxe Bonus discs which was a challenge LOL. I like to hear your story and how you got into it and what you liked. All in all you really can't go wrong with any of them. Poor CODA gets no love but it is a album of out takes and always should be included so I am glad you gave it credit. Cheers !!!

[@michaelrogers8126]

Brendon, are those the 2014 Page remasters with the bonus discs ? I think they all sound great, don’t know why everyone hates on the Page remasters. As for my favorite it’s “in through the out door” but for their best I have to saw Led Zeppelin II

[@embryonicsoul]

I got the same 2014 remaster collection, the sound is great, however you can find some noises and recording errors, Jimmy Page refered to this as "Original tape sound". I think with the nowadays technology Page could fix those errors but he prefered to keep them. If you hear the compilation 1990 "Remasters" The sound is clean but is a little cold. The compilation 2007 "Mothership" is closer to this 2014 releases.

[@douglasweston126]

Great review Brendan. I was there from the very beginning, and that first album really was a classic opening the doors for many hard rock bands to come. For me to pick a favourite is going to be difficult. How can I possibly over look the 1st, 2nd, 4th and the rest - all great albums. I guess if I had to make a quick decision maybe their 3rd album would be it. I loved the acoustic Led Zep - saw them live just after Led Zep 4 was released and it was an amazing night. They started with an electric set, had a break and came back to do an acoustic set (which I loved), had another break and then cam back for the final electric set. Brilliant. They were THE BEST !! Cya

[@kimberlywalker3970]

Led Zeppelin is my is 2nd favorite band. I have all nine of their albums. My rankings are based on which album I reach for the most, which album song for song is the best, and what album am I least likely to skip a song on. My rankings, over time, have switched except for the top two. So, here are my rankings: 1.LED ZEPPELIN IV (10/10, I love When the Levee Breaks. It's my favorite song in their catalog. I always listen to it first. I love Four Sticks, Rock and Roll, Black Dog and Stairway to Heaven. My least favorites, Misty Mountain Hop, Battle of Evermore and Going to California are also great. I can listen to this album all the way through, several times over.) 2. PHYSICAL GRAFITTI (9.5/10, One of the best double albums ever put together. Even though some of the songs are leftovers, they don't sound like it. I love Disc One more than Disc Two, but both are great.) 3. HOTH (9/10, The only reason I don't give it a 10 is The Crunge. I don't hate it as much as I used to but, it brings this album down for me. My favorite song is Over the Hills and Far Away. The Ocean is a very close second. Most of the songs are great, and I agree that it's the most warm and lush album in their catalog.) 4. (TIE) ITTD and LED ZEPPELIN II (8/10, I'll start with ITTD. Hot Dog, in my opinion, is one of the worst songs in their catalog. However, Fool in the Rain is my favorite and the first Led Zeppelin I heard as a kid. In the Evening is a very close second for me. All of My Love and Carouselambra are also good. I'm Going to Crawl and Southbound Saurez are okay, but I like the album overall. Led Zeppelin II I like a lot. It used to be fifth for me but there are too many songs I love on this album, Whole Lotta Love, What Is And What Never Should Be, The Lemon Song, Heartbreaker, Ramble On and Bring It On Home. I'm not a fan of Living Loving Maid but I don't hate it. Moby Dick is okay, but I can take it or leave it. Thank You I'm not a huge fan of at all, sorry.) 6. LED ZEPPELIN I: (7/10, I think it's a good debut album but it's not one I listen to often.) 7. LED ZEPPELIN III: (6/10, I love Immigrant Song and that's it! Hats Off to Roy Harper is just awful, period! I'm not crazy about the rest of this album. Quite frankly it puts me to sleep. But as a whole, I think it's a better album than Presence.) 8. PRESENCE: (5/10, Half of this album I really like. Nobody's Fault but Mine is in my top five of favorite Led Zeppelin songs. Run for Your Life has grown on me over time. Achilles Last Stand is a good song, but I think it's a bit long and overrated. Tea for One is also long but good. OMG, Royal Orleans I can't listen to. Candy Store Rock is lame, but I can sit through it. Hots on for Nowhere I never remember after hearing it. This album was an afterthought, and it sounds like one. However. Led Zeppelin, when they're not so hot, are better than quite a few bands at their best.) 9. CODA: I'm not going to give this album a rating because it's what The Brits would call Odds and Sods. However, I prefer the deluxe version more than the standard. It contains four songs I really like, Wearing and Tearing, We're Gonna Grove, Traveling Riverside Blues and Hey, Hey, What Can I Do?

[@stevendavid5370]

Enjoyed your ranking. No band has endeavored to create music and have their music accepted, acclaimed in so many genres and styles as Led Zeppelin. No other band comes close to them. We are so lucky to still have Plant, Page and Jones around still playing new music in their solo careers. John Bonham's son Jason is carrying the touch and has exceeded his father's greatness. I'm sure John is so proud of Jason when he got to play with his bandmates and crushed the performance playing his father's drum parts. Simply spectacular!

[@Skycladatdusk78]

@@stevendavid5370 Where is this new Page solo music I'm missing out on?

[@JoeMay-wc6nv]

1.Physical Graffiti 2. Led Zeppelin 3 3. In Through the Outdoor 4. Houses of the Holy 5. ll 6.1 7. IV 8. Presence 9. coda Plus the song Travelling Riverside Blues My favorite LZ song

[@kimberlywalker3970]

I have the deluxe edition of Coda. Traveling Riverside Blues is my top five of favorite Led Zeppelin songs. And Hey, Hey, What Can I Do? is also great and in my top fifteen.

[@MrCecilnoise]

great job, this is pretty close to what I might have done, so hard to choose, love all 8 for different reasons and memories. I might have swapped 3 & Houses on your list, but that's a big MIGHT have lol

[@kennethhardbargeriii2798]

Houses of the holy was my first cassette back when I was in Jr high.

[@7BobbyGaylor7]

Nice! Great ranking!

[@RetroMusicTube]

I agree 100%. It seems like my list 😅

[@BrendonSnyder]

Great minds think alike!

[@RobertParks-h7r]

Achiles Last Stand is CLASSIC.NUFF SAID.

[@JCStorm76]

It’s their most underrated album

[@SteveAuger2021]

My all-time favorite band I remember at seven years old going to the record store with my dad and he bought me Led Zeppelin II and it’s been a love affair with music ever since. There have been many bands that have covered Led Zeppelin songs. Some of my favorites are dancing days by Stone Temple Pilots thank you by Tesla. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Great White doing a whole live album of Led Zeppelin tunes and of course heart with the version of stairway to Heaven, so Led Zeppelin has been an influence on a lot of bands and that’s why in my opinion they’re probably maybe the best rock ‘n’ roll band in the history of rock music Just my opinion

[@danielbigna5469]

Great video Brendon. Am totally with you on 'Physical Graffiti'. This could be Led Zeppelin's masterpiece. I've always thought opening song on disc 2 'In the Light' was the band's greatest song with 'Stairway to Heaven' a close second. Jimmy Page was also a big fan of UK folk and folk rock, which filters through 'Led Zeppelin III'. The standout song on the first album 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' was actually a folk tune originally performed by Joan Baez and written by fellow folk singer Anne Bredon who gets a songwriting credit on later reissues. The Zeppelin version hits pretty hard!

[@Authori_tah]

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

[@Starman2112ofKings]

1. Physical Graffiti (by far) 2. II 3. IV 4. Led Zeppelin 5, Houses of The Holy 6. III 7. Presence 8. In Through The Outdoor 9. Coda

[@KellyRempel-e2k]

That’s my exact list good taste my man

[@Starman2112ofKings]

@@KellyRempel-e2k as do you thanks 😁

[@Skycladatdusk78]

1. Physical Graffiti 2. Zeppelin 2 3. Zeppelin 4 4. Houses Of The Holy 5. Zeppelin 1 6. Presence 7. In Through The Out Door 8. Zeppelin 3 9. Coda

[@kimberlywalker3970]

Your top five is pretty close to mine. Except you're missing ITTD.

[@Skycladatdusk78]

@@kimberlywalker3970 I have ITTOD at 7, my favorite on that one is Carouselarmba.

[@kimberlywalker3970]

@@Skycladatdusk78 Yes, I did see it. I meant ITTD is in my top five and not in yours. The other four are also in my top five but in a different order. I just posted my list if you want to see it.

[@Skycladatdusk78]

@@kimberlywalker3970 Yeah we do have a lot in common, on Zeppelin III I also really like Gallows Pole and Out On The Tiles in addition to Immigrant Song. I also really like Candy Store Rock, I think Jimmy's slide guitar sounds wicked and it's a cool tribute to rockabilly.

[@kimberlywalker3970]

I've seen some Zeppelin shows on KZbin, and I like Gallows Pole and Bon-Y-Aur live. They're just a bit boring on CD. I don't hate either song. I don't particularly care for Out on the Tiles. I thought it was an outtake of Black Dog. I'm not a fan of Candy Store Rock or rockabilly but I don't think it's the worst song on that album by a longshot. I just thought our top five looked pretty similar and that was funny to me 😊

[@luiscardenas930]

9 coda 8. In through the outdoor 7. Pressence 6. Led Zep 3 5 Houses of the holy 4 Led Zep 2 3 Led Zep 1 2 Led Zep 4 1 Physical Graffiti

[@Matias-music-71]

IV , III , II , Physical Grafitti , I , Houses Of The Holy , In Through The Out Door , Coda , Presence ...,

[@joet6434]

Interesting ranking video, Brendon. My personal ranking would differ, Presence would be much closer to the top. It was Jimmy's guitar album, 'Achilles Last Stand'. I would also rank Led Zep 3 higher, 'Since I've Been Loving You'. HOTH has an experimental mistep, but it also has 3 great tunes to start the record & two to end it. ITTOD is ranked over Presence, couldn't bring myself to do that, whilst not a terrible record, redeemed by the opening track 'In the Evening', it is their weakest with 'Hot Dog', though I am partial to 'Fool in the Rain' with Bonzo laying down latin groves on drums. In terms of the Zeppelin light & shade, I find it lacking. Zep 4 or untitled will always be high up in people's rankings with tracks such as 'Black Dog', Battle of Evermore' & 'When the Levee Breaks'. Physical Graffitti is tops for me in terms of styles, old & new songs melding to produce a magnificent double album, songs such as 'Ten Years Gone', 'The Rover', 'Trampled Under Foot' & 'The Wanton Song' amongst others. For me, Physical Graffitti is top followed by 3, HOTH & 4 or Presence, but I love them all. It's hard to rate the records of your favourite band.

[@JCStorm76]

Presence is underrated

[@redshield3296]

I completely agree, but I would put presents ahead of through the outdoor

[@irishflink7324]

My favorite album with Led Zeppelin is Led Zeppelin 2

[@KellyRempel-e2k]

Great list agree thanks

[@kennethhardbargeriii2798]

I remember waiting on the radio to hear the song black dog

[@ericmiller1881]

I got into these albums when I was younger. You forget how awesome they are cause we've heard them so many times. My ranking would be quite similar. Maybe Houses higher up, nice ranking 👍

[@douglasstruthers8307]

Back in my early 20s I bought II, IV, and IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR. I have always liked Led Zeppelin but have not found any album that I have liked all of the songs throughout an entire album. I have purchased individual songs from iTunes to make an extended playlist but finally, recently broke down and bought PHYSICAL GRAFITTI (vinyl, of course!) which I am waiting for the right time to start playing. I have found myself enjoying their more acoustic songs and less of the straight ahead heavy rock approach. Thanks for your thoughts about the Led Zeppelin catalogue of albums today.

[@RobertParks-h7r]

Have you ever scene GET THE LED OUT? Absolutely amazing.Been to 10 shows in 14 yrs all at Hampton Beach.3hr show always,acoustic set with Tangerine and Over The Hills etc.Always play deep cuts,Ive only heard Calasombra,Black mountain side,Hey Hey What Can I Do ,and Trampled Under Foot only once.

[@MrChrisStingray]

9. Coda 8. In Through the Outdoor 7. II 6. Houses of the Holy 5. III 4. Presence 3. IV 2. Physical Graffiti 1. I

[@SteveAuger2021]

Hey Brendan, I have my own KZbin channel now and I might try ranking the Led Zeppelin albums although it’s gonna be so difficult because I love them all

[@rickrobb6546]

Led Zeppelin .................................. Rules

[@TebiCr]

My list would be like this, my top has changed over the years and probably will change in other years😅: 1 Physical Graffiti 2 In Through the Out Door 3 IV 4 III 5 II 6 Prescense 7 I 8 Coda

[@kimberlywalker3970]

Where's HOTH?!

[@TebiCr]

@@kimberlywalker3970 shit I miss that one 😅, number 5 for me

[@kimberlywalker3970]

@@TebiCr 😂😂No problem, I've done it before. Thanks for adding it now!

[@TebiCr]

@@kimberlywalker3970 😅✌🏻🤝🏻

[@luiscardenas930]

How many live Led Zeppelin cds do you have? Do you have any Led Zeppelin bootlegs?

[@BrendonSnyder]

I have the 2 official live albums released by the band. No bootlegs…not into them.

[@stanferraro4130]

I have watched many "album ranking vids" from many of you KZbin music guys. And I agree and disagree sometimes. It would be less subjective and more objective to "grade" and comment about each album, rather than assigning a number based on your taste. Some albums could be considered to be an A, or a C , and possibly a F. Otherwise, it is good to see that you own and have listened to so much great music. This band along with Jethro Tull and Black Sabbath, as you know started as blues-based rock, but evolved into some very interesting, unique music.

[@tapanim6576]

😎👍

[@ivostoyanov4850]

The one and only Led Zeppelin all albums is great , never ranking all is number 1 for me !!!

[@jeffschielka7845]

What time is it? Time to get The Led out!!!👍🎵🎼🎶😎

[@tracypresler4644]

Physical Graffiti Presence 2 4 Houses Of The Holy 3 In Through The Out Door 1 Coda

[@TomJarmusz-bb5yy]

1. 4. 2

[@davidkornblatt851]

Led Zep to me is their first six albums/projects only. At least for me. The same could be said for Black Sabbath

[@BrendonSnyder]

What makes the last 2 albums not worthy of being consider Led Zeppelin albums? It’s not like they changed members the way Black Sabbath did.

[@vincentst.george9035]

LZ2, LZ1, HOTH, LZ4, PG, LZ3, ITTOD, P, C 😊

[@sergefernandez3395]

Hello from France brendon 😊. Robert didn't like stairs way to heaven, for him it's a wedding song😂. Jimmy page told through the outdoor was the worst led zeppelin album 😂. At your next vidéo brendon 😊 S

[@BrendonSnyder]

Artist often don’t like their biggest hits. It’s always interesting to find out that some songs might never have been released if it was up to one member of the band.

[@mutant_blues]

"IV" is my least favourite but "When the Levee Breaks" is probably the greatest song they've ever written!!!

[@javier8218]

"written" I agree on that one being one of their greatest songs, but written sounded too funny for me.

[@FuturePast2019]

@@javier8218 Memphis Minnie?

[@JCStorm76]

Least favourite of what? It’s a masterpiece

[@kimberlywalker3970]

The only reason I gave you a thumbs up is because When the Levee Breaks is my favorite song in their catalog. However, it was written by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy. But you're so wrong about Led Zeppelin IV. That album is an F***ing masterpiece!!

[@MerryHoneyBee-xc4tl]

Why isn't the live album included?

[@BrendonSnyder]

Because I only ranked the “studio” albums. A “live” album is not a studio album. It would be like ranking a Greatest Hits album….it makes no sense.

[@MerryHoneyBee-xc4tl]

@@BrendonSnyder okay I must have missed that. Thanks.

[@nilshenrikteigen9215]

Zeppelin can’t be ranked. Everything they released is a #1.

[@BrendonSnyder]

Surprise…surprise…I found a way! 🤣

[@zeppearl]

I agree :)

[@TomJarmusz-bb5yy]

Led zep 1 has to be higher!!

[@benedictdonald4338]

1) Graffiti 2) Zoso 3) III 4) I 5) Houses 6) II 7) Presence 8) Out Door 9) Coda Greatest catalog ever.

[@markfrain4129]

O

[@treff9226]

Yessir! Every album and really, every single song has something to offer - Zep will forever be my ultimate rock band. The chemistry among the four is the magic ingredient for me......Jimmy's genius in arranging songs and his studio acumen doesnt hurt, either! Cheers!

[@paulweaver]

Physical graffiti all the way for me 👍🤟

[@TomJarmusz-bb5yy]

Wow 3 in front of 1 take another listen!

[@jameswilson7084]

One of the few music artists where I like just about everything they recorded. Like The Beatles and The Police. I agree about "Coda". I don't consider it a "real" Led Zeppelin studio album. The expanded "Coda" from 2015 is much better. My favorite is also "Led Zeppelin IV". My #3 album of all time.

[@stevedaughertyjr1184]

I like all the LED Zeppelin albums but to be honest my favorite one is LED Zeppelin 3. Since I've been loving you is such a great song!

[@Plextortion]

If "In Through The Outdoor" was any indication, it's a good thing they called it quits when they did.

[@grahamdawson-lg5mq]

Zepp 3 for me. It was bought for me in 1972 when I was 14. My Grandma bought it for me. So it's a sentimental album to me. But I love all Zepp albums.

[@johnbain5747]

Love zep led zep no 3 the best

[@MyMusicCorner]

Not including Coda, my ranking is: 8. In Through the Out Door 7. Physical Graffiti 6. Houses of the Holy 5. Presence 4. 3 3. Debut 2. I I 1. I V

[@ronpoklitar5122]

Where would you rank Coda?

[@MyMusicCorner]

@@ronpoklitar5122 honestly? Probably in between In Through… and Physical Graffiti.

[@kimberlywalker3970]

I agree with you on Led Zeppelin IV. But not on the rest.

[@dang75790]

I don't think anyone has ranked led Zeppelin albums before? This maybe the first time on the Internet.

[@BrendonSnyder]

Why the sarcasm?

[@dang75790]

@@BrendonSnyder it's been done a million times already.

[@iancocks9408]

@@dang75790not by Brendan. I can’t get enough of album rankings by different people. I have watched countless black sabbath rankings.

[@BrendonSnyder]

Duh….but not by me 👍

[@javier8218]

​@@dang75790 You can record a banana shaped candle melting on a Stephen King book with Def Leppard music playing at the background and upload it anytime you want it, I bet no one has done that before..