From classical instrumental music invented thousands of years ago to modern pop on the radio today, music has drastically changed overtime. In the 1950s, Rock and Roll began to emerge. This genre is one of the longest-lasting, ranging from the classic sounds of the Beatles to the new age pop-rock of Panic at the Disco. It seems like every decade, a new style takes over. 

But no matter what, one era of rock will go down in history as what truly developed the genre: in 1968, Jimmy Page formed a band in a small basement in London. He joined bassist John Paul Jones, drummer John Bonham and, of course, vocalist Robert Plant. They became the legendary Led Zeppelin. 

A year after their formation, they released their first studio album, Led Zeppelin. While this album was regarded highly by rock fans, they truly hit their peak two years later when they released their fourth album, Led Zeppelin IV. Led Zeppelin IV is not only the band’s greatest album. It’s the greatest album of all time. 

When listening to the album start to finish, every single song is fantastic. There are no filler songs or songs that make you say, “meh.” Since there are only eight songs, the album would feel incomplete if you took out even one of them. This album does everything right, from the loud and long shredding guitar solos to the absolutely perfect vocals from Plant. It goes hard in songs like “Rock and Roll” and it takes it slow in the opening verses of the most famous song on the album, “Stairway to Heaven,” an eight-minute ballad that starts soft then slowly builds up to its epic climax. 

The most intriguing part of Led Zeppelin IV is that it may be classified as a “rock” album, but it’s really more than that. It’s able to successfully mix so many genres into just eight songs. There’s blues, there’s metal, and there’s everything in between. 

Not only is Led Zeppelin IV the best album of all time, but it also raised the bar for Rock and Roll. After this album, it was clear that anything was possible. It paved the way for all the types of music that everyone knows and loves today.