Studio Album · No. 4
Led Zeppelin IV Songwriting Credits by Led Zeppelin
Produced by Jimmy Page · Engineered by Andy Johns, George Chkiantz
Holds writing credit on 8 of 8 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 8 / 8 documented
Scored across the 8 tracks with documented writers, by whether Led Zeppelin carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 8 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 2
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant lead the writing across the record, with Page composing the music and Plant supplying lyrics on tracks like 'Stairway to Heaven,' 'The Battle of Evermore,' 'Going to California' and 'Four Sticks.' John Paul Jones and John Bonham earn co-writes where their parts shaped the songs: Jones joins Page and Plant on 'Black Dog' and 'Misty Mountain Hop,' while all four are credited on 'Rock and Roll,' which grew out of a Bonham drum jam on Little Richard's 'Keep A-Knockin'.' 'When the Levee Breaks' credits all four members plus Memphis Minnie, since it reworks the 1929 blues she recorded with Kansas Joe McCoy. 'Stairway to Heaven' is credited to Page and Plant alone, and the song was later the target of a Spirit 'Taurus' plagiarism suit that Led Zeppelin won.
Led Zeppelin IV is the 1971 fourth studio album by Led Zeppelin and ranks among the best-selling albums of all time. It was recorded between December 1970 and February 1971, primarily at Headley Grange in Hampshire using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, with additional sessions at Island Studios and Sunset Sound, and was produced by Jimmy Page. The album blends hard rock, blues rock, and folk on tracks including "Stairway to Heaven", "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll", and "When the Levee Breaks", with Robert Plant on vocals, Page on guitar and mandolin, John Paul Jones on bass and keyboards, and John Bonham on drums, plus guest vocals from Sandy Denny on "The Battle of Evermore". It reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, and it has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide, with a 24 times platinum certification in the United States. The album defined the band's commercial dominance and the hard rock aesthetic of the 1970s.