LED ZEPPELIN Scored Their First No. 1 Album In The UK 55 Years Ago With Their 2nd One
Back in time
8 February 2025
On 8 February 1970, 55 years ago today iconic rock titans
LED ZEPPELIN (1968–1980) scored their first #1 album in the
UK with their sophomore one, simply titled Led Zeppelin II.
It also topped (for 7 weeks) the US Charts. The record sold more than
12 million copies worldwide. The album’s cover designer David Juniper was
nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
Their blues rock sound got heavier and rawer. Six of the nine songs were written
by the band, while the other three were reinterpretations of Chicago blues songs by
Willie Dixon (‘Whole Lotta Love‘ and ‘Bring It On Home‘) and Howlin’ Wolf (‘The Lemon Song’).
As usual, no song off the LP was released as a single in the UK (never was during their whole career, just to sell more albums). But outside the UK the band released Whole Lotta Love on 7″. Still a mammoth classic.
AllMusic said: “While Led Zeppelin II doesn’t have the eclecticism of the group’s debut, it’s arguably more influential. After all, nearly every one of the hundreds of Zeppelin imitators used this record, with its lack of dynamics and its pummeling riffs, as a blueprint.” Full review here. Score: 5/5.
– WHOLE LOTTA LOVE –
– ALBUM –
