Led Zeppelin’s Most Hated Songs, According to Band Members

Despite being widely regarded as one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Led Zeppelin still believed that there were a few hiccups during the course of their career. In the matter of writing songs, Led Zeppelin could easily be rewarded with an excellence award for songwriting. Led Zeppelin’s music was created in the album period of classic rock, hence there weren’t many filler tracks. For many, their records were more than just a compilation of songs; they were cohesive works of art. However, not everyone – and even the band members themselves – could agree that they’ve perfected the craftsmanship of all of Zep’s songs. Below, we’ll delve into these 6 tracks which the band hated more than anything.

“All My Love” – In Through the Out Door (1979)

Throughout their career, Zep wrote several ballads, but none were as straightforwardly sentimental as “All My Love.” When Plant’s son Karac passed away abruptly in 1977, this song was written as a tribute to him. This is a shining moment for the lead singer, but Page didn’t like the song since he thought it was too sentimental.

“Living Loving Maid” – Led Zeppelin II (1969)

Although “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)” is a brief song in the midst of Led Zeppelin II and serves as a smooth transition from the previous track, Jimmy Page despises it. He threw the song together to fill space on the record, but the guitarist was so annoyed by it that Led Zeppelin never performed it live.

“D’yer Mak’er” – Houses of the Holy (1973)

John Bonham and John Paul Jones were not fond of Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy reggae experiment. John Bonham was a proficient drummer with a wide range of experience, but he had no desire to master the nuances of a reggae rhythm. John Paul Jones, the band’s bassist, is not a fan due to Bonham’s lackluster performance.

“Royal Orleans” – Presence (1976)

Robert Plant went a little too playful with his lyrics in “Royal Orleans,” which bothered Jones. The fact that Jones thought Plant had ridiculed him for having a similar experience during one tour stop made the scenario of a guy wrongly going home with a cross-dresser as Plant continuously sings “Whiskers!” and warns that she’d better not talk like Barry White particularly offensive to him.

“Whole Lotta Love” – Led Zeppelin II (1969)

“Whole Lotta Love” from Led Zeppelin II is still a fan favorite. Nonetheless, Page despised the abridged single version, and with good reason. The psychedelic section which was the real deal in the song was cut by the record label. We can’t say we blame him for that, though.

“Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

Plant developed a personal distaste for “Stairway to Heaven,” even though it is widely considered to be the band’s signature song. Plant has always been honest about his mixed feelings with “Stairway to Heaven,” stating that he once saw the song’s lyrics as a sign of hope but now considers them “naive.” Fun fact: Plant even gave a large sum of money to a listener-supported radio station that dared not to play the Led Zep tune if there’s enough funding for them.