Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)

"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
StudioRolling Stones Mobile Studio, Headley Grange, Hampshire; Island Studios, London
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."

Recording

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. 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. The tapes were rolling and fifteen minutes later the basis of the song was completed. The song is performed in the key of A at a relatively fast tempo of 170 beats per minute.

Personnel

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:

Reception

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

Live performance

"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. 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.

Cadillac advertising

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. 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.

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

Charts

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

Certifications

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

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

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

(*) designates unordered lists

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-02-27 13:30 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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