Whole Lotta Love (5:33)

“Whole Lotta Love” is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is featured as the opening track on the band’s second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the US (and Japan) as a single. The US release became their first hit single, it was certified Gold on 13 April 1970, when it sold one million copies. As with other Led Zeppelin songs, no single was released in the UK, but singles were released in Germany (where it reached number one), the Netherlands (where it reached number four), Belgium and France.

In 2004, the song was ranked number 75 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed “Whole Lotta Love” at number three in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. It was placed 11 on a similar list by Rolling Stone. In 2009 it was named the third greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1. The guitar solo is ranked number 38. on Guitar World’s “100 Greatest Guitar Solos”.

“Whole Lotta Love” was recorded at various studios in New York and Los Angeles during the band’s second concert tour of the United States and assembled by Jimmy Page at Olympic Studios in London. Already part of their live repertoire, it saw its first official release on the LP Led Zeppelin II on 22 October 1969 (Atlantic LP #8236).

The song has been widely covered by many artists. It was famous in the United Kingdom for having been the theme music for the long-running television programme Top of the Pops during the 1970s and 1980s.