The 5 Most Overrated Led Zeppelin Songs
Led Zeppelin had a different approach to music than The Beatles, but they had one thing in common. Both bands burned brightly in their relatively short careers and left very little filler along the way. Singer Robert Plant knew Zep might mean something when they blew away crowds at some of their first shows. Most of their songs had some redeeming qualities if one listened closely, but these overrated Led Zeppelin songs leave something to be desired (presented in chronological order).
1. ‘Bring It on Home’
Led Zeppelin II featured some of Zep’s best songs, “Whole Lotta Love,” “Heartbreaker,” and “Ramble On” among them. Album closer “Bring It on Home” isn’t one of them. The Willie Dixon cover includes some solid harmonica playing by Plant and Page’s hard-hitting guitar riff, but it can’t hold a candle to Led Zeppelin’s other blues covers.
“You Shook Me” and “I Can’t Quit You Baby” from the debut album, “The Lemon Song” (based on Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor”) from LZII, and “When the Levee Breaks” are all finer examples of Led Zeppelin morphing blues tunes into something new. Next to those, “Bring It on Home” is mundane at best. Is that why they buried it at the end of Side 2?
2. ‘Out on The Tiles’
It’s cool that drummer John Bonham receives a songwriting credit since his favorite drinking song inspired the tune. It would be a lot cooler if it were as memorable as Bonzo’s drumming skills, which he showcased throughout Led Zeppelin’s career.
Sadly, “Out on the Tiles” is one of Led Zeppelin’s most overrated songs. Page and bassists John Paul Jones find a nice groove, but the song never really goes anywhere during its four-plus minutes. It features a wholly unmemorable chorus, and the last minute of the song is just wasted riffing with a few Bonham fills.
3. ‘D’yer Mak’er’
Led Zeppelin wasn’t a singles band in the traditional sense. They preferred fans buy the albums and concert tickets to get the best Zep experience, but Atlantic Records released a few singles in the United States. “D’yer Mak’er” was the song that spent the most time (16 weeks) on the Billboard singles chart, but it’s an incredibly overrated Led Zeppelin song.
Zep’s take on reggae misses the mark. The guitar, though restrained by Page standards, is too busy for reggae. Jones’ bass line is nearly imperceptible. There’s a solid piano riff, but it’s buried so far in the mix it might as well not be there at all.
The fact that half the band hated it speaks volumes. Jones hated it because of Bonham’s playing; Bonzo did too. It might have been one of the band’s most successful songs as a single, but it’s one of the most overhyped Led Zeppelin songs from their catalog.
4. ‘The Wanton Song’
A band’s live sets often reveal what they think of their album songs. A tune that rarely makes it to the stage typically isn’t one of the favorites. “The Wanton Song” rarely made it into Led Zeppelin’s live sets, according to the Music Spotlight Collector’s Edition: Led Zeppelin. It’s not that the song would be hard to play on stage. It’s just a lackluster song that doesn’t come close to matching the greatness found elsewhere on Physical Graffiti.
Page and Bonham play in lockstep, which was Bonham’s vision for his drumming all along, but there’s not much more to hang your hat on as a listener. The excursions into jazz-lite territory don’t really fit the song. Plant’s singing is strained and almost painful to listen to (his pedestrian lyrics don’t help).
The band buried “The Wanton Song” deep on Side 4 of Physical Graffiti. Fans who made it that far were greeted with one of Led Zeppelin’s most overrated tracks.
5. ‘Achilles Last Stand’
Bonham’s inhuman drumming provides a highlight on the Presence opener. The sustained chug of Jones’ bass is worth hearing, too, but “Achilles Last Stand” ultimately takes more than 10 minutes to go around in circles and not really end up anywhere.
Page’s layered guitar parts required a lot of work. That includes the solos, but they come off as a bit flaccid; they’re hardly highlights. Plant’s lyrics — a jumble of Greek mythology mixed with words that hint of a domestic relationship — are so convoluted they detract from the song rather than add to it.
Aside from a couple of highlights, “Achilles Last Stand” is one of Led Zeppelin’s most overrated songs. Presence includes two of Led Zeppelin’s most underrated songs. You just have to wade past the overlong and overrated opener to get to them.
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