Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)

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"Rock and Roll"
German single picture sleeve
Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album Led Zeppelin IV
B-side"Four Sticks"
Released21 February 1972 (1972-02-21) (US)
RecordedJanuary 1971; February 1971[1]
StudioRolling Stones Mobile Studio, Headley Grange, Hampshire; Island Studios, London[1]
Genre
Length3:40
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin singles chronology
"Black Dog"
(1971) 		"Rock and Roll"
(1972) 		"Over the Hills and Far Away"
(1973)

"Rock and Roll" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released as the second track on their fourth studio album in 1971. The song contains a guest performance by original Rolling Stones' pianist and co-founder Ian Stewart. In 1972, American music critic and journalist Robert Christgau called it "simply the most dynamic hard-rock song in the music."[5]

Recording[edit]

According to guitarist Jimmy Page, "Rock and Roll" developed from a spontaneous jam session, while the band were trying to finish recording "Four Sticks", at the Headley Grange mansion they had rented in Hampshire, England.[6] John Bonham began playing the drum intro to the 1957 song "Keep A-Knockin'" by Little Richard, to which Page added a Chuck Berry-style guitar riff.[7][8] The tapes were rolling and fifteen minutes later the basis of the song was completed.[9] The song is performed in the key of A at a relatively fast tempo of 170 beats per minute.[10]

Personnel[edit]

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:[1]

Reception[edit]

Cash Box described it as a "rip-apart performance of one of best r&r revivalist tunes ever."[11] In 2019, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 9 on its list of the 40 greatest Led Zeppelin songs.[12]

Live performance[edit]

"Rock and Roll" was a key component of the band's setlist at Led Zeppelin concerts from 1971 on. Initially, Plant referred to it on stage as "It's Been A Long Time", which is the opening lyric line of the song.[8] In 1972, it was elevated to the opening number of all concert performances and it retained this status until 1975. For the band's 1977 North American tour, it became part of a medley encore with "Whole Lotta Love", and during 1979 and 1980 it became an encore in its own right.[8]

Cadillac advertising[edit]

In 2001, "Rock and Roll" became the first Led Zeppelin song to be licensed for commercial use, when American car maker Cadillac featured it in television advertising.[13] Plant commented:

I think that's appropriate ... I don't know how people view it, but as far as a young generation goes, if you hear that music in as many possible places as you can outside of the normal home for it, then it can only be a good thing.[13]

As well as earning Led Zeppelin a large licensing fee, the advertising campaign increased Cadillac sales by 16 percent in 2002.[13]

Charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance for "Rock and Roll"
Chart (1972) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[14][better source needed] 51
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[15] 38
US Billboard Hot 100[16] 47
US Cash Box[17] 42
US Record World[18] 38
West Germany (Official German Charts)[19] 13

Certifications[edit]

Certifications and sales for "Rock and Roll"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Accolades[edit]

List of accolades
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Dave Marsh US "The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made"[21] 1989 424
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame US "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll"[22] 1994 *
Radio Caroline UK "Top 500 Tracks"[23] 1999 21
VH1 US "The 100 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time"[24] 2000 66
Q UK "The 50 Most Exciting Tunes Ever.."[25] 2002 17
Q UK "The 1001 Best Songs Ever"[26] 2003 201

(*) designates unordered lists

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 250.
  2. ^ Bashe, Philip (1985). Heavy Metal Thunder: The Music, Its History, Its Heroes. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-19797-7. Besides his inspired phrasing and his extemporaneous howls and asides, Plant could convincingly convey slow blues ("You Shook Me"), gutbucket rock & roll ("Rock and Roll"), and even folk ballads ("Going to California"), in a strong, cutting voice
  3. ^ "The 40 Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs of All Time – 'Rock and Roll' (1971)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  4. ^ a b Schuman, Michael A. (2009). Led Zeppelin: Legendary Rock Band. Enslow Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7660-3026-8. The fourth album also has its share of hard rock tracks. Three that received a lot of radio airplay are "Black Dog," "Misty Mountain Hop," and the appropriately named "Rock and Roll."
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (15 June 1972). "A Power Plant". Newsday. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  6. ^ Jackson, James (8 January 2010). "Jimmy Page on Led Zeppelin IV, the band's peak and their reunion". The Times. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011.
  7. ^ Schinder, Scott; Schwartz, Andy (2008). Icons of Rock. Vol. 2. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood. p. 390. ISBN 978-0-31333-845-8.
  8. ^ a b c Lewis, Dave (1994). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
  9. ^ "Triple J Music Specials – Led Zeppelin". Triple J (ABC Online). 7 December 2000. (first broadcast 12 July 2000). Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  10. ^ Led Zeppelin: Mothership – Authentic Guitar Tab Edition. Van Nuys, California: Alfred Publishing. 2008. pp. 103–113. ISBN 978-0-7390-5317-1.
  11. ^ "Singles Reviews > Picks of the Week" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXXIII, no. 37. 4 March 1972. p. 18. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  12. ^ "The 40 Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  13. ^ a b c "Cadillac Sales Soar with Led Zeppelin". Blabbermouth.net. 29 January 2003. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  15. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 100211." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  16. ^ "Led Zeppelin IV – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  17. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending APRIL 22, 1972". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.
  18. ^ "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 22 April 1972. p. 23. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  19. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Led Zeppelin – Rock and Roll" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 21 May 2014. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Led Zeppelin"
  20. ^ "British single certifications – Led Zeppelin – Rock and Roll". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  21. ^ "The Heart of Rock and Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made – 1989". Da Capo Books. Archived from the original on 4 February 2002.
  22. ^ "Experience The Music: One Hit Wonders and the Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  23. ^ "The Chart Room – Radio Caroline Top 500 Tracks 1999". Radio Caroline. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  24. ^ "It's Only a Riff, But We Like It". VH1. Archived from the original on 8 April 2009.
  25. ^ "The 50 Most Exciting Tunes Ever.. – January 2002". Q. Retrieved 10 February 2009 – via Rocklist.net.
  26. ^ "Q – 1001 best songs ever (2003)". Q. Retrieved 10 February 2009 – via Muzieklijstjes.nl.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

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