Led Zeppelin ‘Baby’ Songs, Ranked
Led Zeppelin song titles didn’t necessarily convey the massive amount of creativity the band put into their music. “Black Dog” took its name from a stray canine. “Four Stick” was so dubbed because drummer John Bonham played the song with — wait for it — four sticks. Several standout songs had the word song in the title. They named two tunes after the Welsh cottage — Bron-Y-Aur — where they wrote them. Zep eventually released five “baby” songs (tunes with baby or babe in the title). Here they are from worst to best.
5. ‘Ozone Baby’
A potential glimpse of Led Zeppelin’s feature had Bonham not died in 1980? “Ozone Baby,” which Jimmy Page released from the vaults on 1982’s Coda, stepped away from Zep’s forte (heavy blues riffing) to take a stab at something approximating new wave.
The propulsive main riff saw bassist John Paul Jones play a chunky groove under Page’s chordal playing, but Robert Plant’s singing on the chorus was wanting. Page’s solo recalls The Cars, but not well enough to prove this style of music would have been viable had Led Zeppelin stayed together.
“Ozone Baby” was a surprisingly good rendition of new wave for a band that hadn’t attempted the style before. Still, it was hardly one of Coda’s best songs and was Zep’s worst “baby” song.
4. ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby’ (‘Led Zeppelin I’ version)
Led Zeppelin included several covers on their debut album, just like the English classic rock bands (The Beatles and Rolling Stones) that preceded them. Led Zeppelin faithfully recreated Otis Rush’s performance of the Willie Dixon song on its first album.
Bonham’s drumming provided some extra punch compared to the original, and Page flashed a bit more technical guitar skill than Rush. Still, their studio version of “I Can’t Quit You Baby” is a straight-ahead cover done a few years after Rush.
3. ‘Baby Come on Home’
This song stayed buried for years until Page released the Led Zeppelin box set in 1993. (It also appeared on the deluxe Coda reissue in 2015). The only question we have is, why? The guitarist once said the key to Led Zeppelin I (and the rest of the band’s career) was giving each member a chance to shine. Led Zeppelin’s take on soul music, recorded during sessions for the debut album, was a spectacle for each member.
Plant once said he didn’t learn how to sing until making Led Zeppelin III. “Baby Come on Home” proved otherwise. He delivered impassioned vocals and capably handled the quiet verses and powerful choruses. Bonham played several tom-heavy fills and impressive snare rolls, all while managing the delicate pace. Jones played piano and Hammond, and Page’s watery guitar tastefully sat behind it all. We’d say the wait to hear one of Led Zeppelin’s best “baby” songs was more than worth it.
2. ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby’ (‘Coda’ version)
We had to do it. We had to include “I Can’t Quit You Baby” twice, but it’s not all our fault. Blame Led Zeppelin. The Coda version was an entirely different animal than the one from the debut album.
The live cut, recorded at a concert soundcheck in 1970, exploded at every level. Roughly the entire song is one of Page’s best solos; it’s almost four minutes of shredding. Plant displayed vocal tricks (listen around the 1:20 mark for his quivering “You-oo-oo-oo”) the studio version lacked and deftly handled the loud and quiet moments, and Bonham took a thunderous solo to end the song.
Beyond being one of Led Zeppelin’s best songs with “baby” in the title, the live version of “I Can’t Quit You Baby” showed just how much the band developed in less than two years.
1. ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’
Led Zeppelin’s first album was a tone-setter. Page’s plan on Led Zeppelin I was to grab listeners’ attention right away, and opener “Good Times Bad Times” did so in a major way. Track 2, “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” set the light-and-shade approach the band employed throughout their career.
Fans reacted strongly when Zep went “acoustic” on their third album, but “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” already proved the group had control of more delicate playing and weren’t afraid to show it. Page’s picking at the opening and a solo recalling Spanish-style guitar playing highlight his acoustic skill.
The band showcased the might of acoustic playing on the song, which Page called the key track on the debut. When the master gives it such high praise, you can’t help but put it atop the list of Led Zeppelin’s best “baby” songs.
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