"THE OCEAN" LED ZEPPELIN (1973)

The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.

Year: 1973

Start strong. End strong. This simple concept worked wonders for Houses Of The Holy – an album that kicked off with one banger, “The Song Remains The Same”, and then closed out with another in “The Ocean”. A bit of nostalgia, this is one of the Zeppelin anthems that made me a fan for life. It was like a loaded shot of testosterone for me as a teen. I remember hearing it for the first time in my friend Scott’s pickup truck. And, boy, was it a pick-me-up. I’ll go as far as to say I think it’s a bit underrated and underappreciated among the band’s heavy hitters.

“The Ocean” takes the rulebook on time signatures and throws it out the window with its iconic two-bar guitar riff from the riffmaster Jimmy Page. It’s also a track of excess – a strength in this case. The lack of restraint serves the song well with a key turning point in the song: a baptism by doo-wop at the 3:17 mark where everything – the drums, guitar and bass – suddenly goes rollicky and the wheels come off. A powerful statement of a closer if I ever heard one.

“SINGING ABOUT GOOD THINGS AND THE SUN THAT LIGHTS THE DAY. I USED TO SING ON THE MOUNTAINS, HAS THE OCEAN LOST ITS WAY?”

"REBEL YELL" BILLY IDOL (1983)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

Time keeps ticking. Years go by. Yet, an eighties hard rock / new wave blend icon like Billy Idol has managed to stay relevant and evolve. Last year, he and longtime collaborator Steve Stevens did a live performance of “Eyes Without A Face” for SiriusXM. The rendition was priceless and has garnered millions of views. Stripped down and reworked with a little flamenco flair, somehow the song was still 100% Billy Idol. Few artists have been able to pull off that level of staying power. Still, Billy’s reign of the eighties is what matters most. And “Rebel Yell” might be the epitome of that era.

The Billy Idol snarl and howl is ever present on this title track. The Billy Idol blend of hard rock and new wave is also ever present – from the monster guitar riffs that turbo-charge the verses and chorus to the synth accents that occupy the treble range. “Rebel Yell” is a clinic on doing it the Billy Idol way. It’s a powerful reminder that he wasn’t just a fixture on the eighties music scene. In many ways, he also helped shape it.

“I live in my own heaven. I collect it to go at the 7-11.”

"IMMIGRANT SONG" LED ZEPPELIN (1970)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: School Of Rock

Jack Black’s love of rock & roll is well-documented. His obsession with rock is felt every time he talks about it — from Rush documentaries to his Kennedy Center honorary speech for Led Zeppelin to the movie School of Rock. It’s like he was just being himself throughout the movie, not simply acting. Jack’s passion is its clearest when he belts Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” in the van scene like every fan wants to — if it weren’t for the fear of permanently damaging our vocal cords.

“Immigrant Song” is Zeppelin in a nutshell. I think that’s why I love this song so much. Mythic-inspired lyrics. Plant’s larger-than-life howl. Page’s epic guitar riff. Bonzo and Jonesy driving the rhythm forward like a wrecking ball. Who else can make Nordic mythology this appealing and infectious? The answer is nobody. Anything else would just feel and sound like a musical parody.

“WE COME FROM THE LAND OF THE ICE AND SNOW FROM THE MIDNIGHT SUN WHERE THE HOT SPRINGS FLOW.”

"THE OCEAN" LED ZEPPELIN (1973)

You can get off to a fast start. You can sustain your opener with the main course, not filler. But can you end on a high note? Sometimes I wonder if recording a strong closer is the most difficult thing to pull off when it comes to album rock. When it comes to the cream of the crop in music, I can think of more strong openers than strong closers. Nonetheless, I still have my favorites which I’ll be featuring on Mental Jukebox all month.

Start strong. End strong. This simple concept worked wonders for Houses Of The Holy – an album that kicked off with one banger, “The Song Remains The Same”, and then closed out with another in “The Ocean”. A bit of nostalgia, this is one of the Zeppelin anthems that made me a fan for life. It was like a loaded shot of testosterone for me as a teen. I remember hearing it for the first time in my friend Scott’s pickup truck. And, boy, was it a pick-me-up. I’ll go as far as to say I think it’s a bit underrated and underappreciated among the band’s heavy hitters.

“The Ocean” takes the rulebook on time signatures and throws it out the window with its iconic two-bar guitar riff from the riffmaster Jimmy Page. It’s also a track of excess – but I consider that a strength in this case. The lack of restraint serves the song well with a key turning point in the song: a baptism by doo-wop at the 3:17 mark where everything – the drums, guitar and bass – suddenly go rollicky and the wheels come off. A powerful statement of a closer if I ever heard one.

“Singing about good things and the sun that lights the day. I used to sing on the mountains, has the ocean lost its way?”

"IN THE FLESH?" PINK FLOYD (1979)

Great album openers get the listeners to keep on listening. They can do this in any number of ways. Some openers set the tone by easing us in. Others jump right in and blow our minds from the very beginning. A great album opener isn’t an easy thing to create. More than a great song, it’s all about the sequence. Track 1 has to be the perfect starter. This month, I’m highlighting my favorites. #AlbumOpeningSongs

The Wall was my introduction to the world of Pink Floyd – and today still remains one of my favorite albums of theirs. It made me appreciate the power of a concept album. How all the tracks are strung together by a single idea and a single narrative. The Wall made me appreciate musical storytelling. Eventually this fascination meant getting the poster, watching the movie and diving into other more “accessible” parts of the band’s catalog. None of this would be possible if “In The Flesh?” didn’t reel me in with the deep, tangible conviction that I was going to be missing out if I didn’t keep listening.

I’ve written quite a bit about loud-quiet-loud dynamics on this blog – something mastered by several different bands such as the Pixies, Nirvana and Live. Well, it doesn’t get much better than Pink Floyd’s “In The Flesh?” Gilmour’s opening monster guitar riff gives way to Water’s sinister vocals. The track then revisits Gilmour’s iconic riff only this time accompanied by the sound effect of a plane nosediving in the sky. Never before have I felt like I just heard an entire album after only listening to Track 1.

“So ya thought ya might like to go to the show. To feel the warm thrill of confusion. That space cadet glow.”

"BLACK DOG" LED ZEPPELIN (1971)

Great album openers get the listeners to keep on listening. They can do this in any number of ways. Some openers set the tone by easing us in. Others jump right in and blow our minds from the very beginning. A great album opener isn’t an easy thing to create. More than a great song, it’s all about the sequence. Track 1 has to be the perfect starter. This month, I’m highlighting my favorites. #AlbumOpeningSongs

Zeppelin is such a massive part of my journey as a music fan. I remember listening incessantly to the album simply named after the Roman numerals IV in my early high school years. My mind was blown instantly. I couldn’t believe lead guitar could be so vicious and audacious. And I couldn’t believe someone could sing like that – practically howling like an animal at times. “Black Dog”, as most true music fans already know, is Track 1, and Plant, Page, Bonzo and Jonesy opened things up with a giant-sized can of whupass.

Not sure exactly how blues and hard rock can be so easily intertwined to the point where you can’t tell which element is which? Just listen to “Black Dog”. The song uses space and pregnant pauses as good as any other to make the guitar riff explosions that much more explosive. I really like the fact that Page’s guitar almost feels like it’s lagging because the riff is so friggin’ fast. On to Robert Plant. His vocals on this song, in particular, really brought me into the fold. It didn’t just usher me into IV, it brought me into the entire Zeppelin catalog.

“I gotta roll, can't stand still. Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill. Eyes that shine burning red. Dreams of you all through my head.”

"THE ROVER" LED ZEPPELIN (1975)

For the month of October, I’m taking the #OctAtoZBandChallenge challenge. The premise is simple. Pick a band starting with the day’s assigned alphabet letter and then choose a song from that band.

Day 26

There are so many things to respect about Led Zeppelin’s artistry and musicianship. But the one thing that was always the most appealing aspect to me is Jimmy Page’s seemingly infinite well of guitar lines. This is the strength of the album Physical Graffiti which, in my opinion, contains the greatest collection of guitar riffs in one album, including quite a few on “The Rover” alone.

“The Rover” is one of Zeppelin’s most underrated songs. It’s never mentioned in the same breath as “Kashmir”, “Immigrant Song” or “Black Dog”, but it’s not far behind that upper echelon of the Zeppelin catalog. There are four memorable riffs that define “The Rover”: the intro, the chorus, the bridge and the epilogue, making it one of Page’s single greatest masterpieces. Bonzo’s percussion attack was nothing to sneeze at either, not to mention a sound that seemed to inform and inspire the hard rock Aussie outfit AC/DC.

“And our time is flying, see the candle burning low. Is the new world rising, from the shambles of the old.”

"NO ONE KNOWS" QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (2002)

For the month of October, I’m taking the #OctAtoZBandChallenge challenge. The premise is simple. Pick a band starting with the day’s assigned alphabet letter and then choose a song from that band.

Day 17

Had to dig a little deeper here. Everyone will pick a Queen song for the 17th day of this challenge, and I wanted to do something different. That said, I’m not a fan of either Queensryche or Quicksilver Messenger Service. Couldn’t even name one song from either of those bands. I’ve always liked the name Queens of the Stone Age. So I found myself flipping through some of their more well-known tracks on Spotify. Full disclosure: I’ve never heard a single song from Queens of the Stone Age until today. “No One Knows” stood out immediately.

Having no idea what the band’s sound is characterized by, I was welcomed by this almost Spoon-esque rhythm created by short, frenetic guitar riffs. It made me feel a bit at home and less out of my element even though this is typically not my kind of music. “No One Knows” also makes great use of quiet-loud-quiet dynamcis, which my ears always love. Looking further into it, I also found out that Dave Grohl plays drums on this track, in addition to most of the songs on the album Songs For The Deaf. My verdict: I may not keep listening to this band, but I thoroughly appreciated the pit stop.

“Heaven smiles above me. What a gift here below. But no one knows. A gift that you give to me. No one knows.”

"THE HAND THAT FEEDS" NINE INCH NAILS (2005)

For the month of October, I’m taking the #OctAtoZBandChallenge challenge. The premise is simple. Pick a band starting with the day’s assigned alphabet letter and then choose a song from that band.

Day 14

Well after the hey dey of Nine Inch Nails, particularly the Pretty Hate Machine and Downward Spiral years, this song and album were off my radar. If anything, “The Hand That Feeds” is a reminder not to give up on a great band and assume they’ve done their best work already and can’t get back to form. In recent years, we’ve seen that can be a mistake. Bands like Pearl Jam and the Chili Peppers continue to be relevant – and this track proves Nine Inch Nails was able to accomplish the same feat more than a decade after it exploded on the scene.

“The Hand That Feeds” still captures the same angsty essence of NIN. The tempo-driven, percussion-barraged, distortion-soaked instrumentation is all there. But something feels different. While the seminal songs from Pretty Hate Machine and Downward Spiral seemed to reveal Reznor’s wallow in self-pity and self-destruction, this newer version of NIN flips the switch. The song comes across as a warning from a protagonist that is largely in control. It’s a band reinvented, but one that never lost its musical identity.

“Just how deep do you believe? Will you bite the hand that feeds?”

"WHAT IS AND WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE" LED ZEPPELIN (1969)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 25

That magical blend of blues and hard rock, as if the two genres are slowly making love. That’s what I love most about Led Zeppelin. Plant’s presence is powerful in every song in their extensive catalog – from the ballads to the bangers. I also tend to lean toward the tracks where Page was ripping mind-blowing guitar riffs while Bonzo pounded away on the drums like lightning. But “What Is And What Should Never Be” roped me in with Jonesy’s melodic bass line, paired with such magnificent words.

“And if I say to you tomorrow, ‘Take my hand, child come with me. It's to a castle I will take you. Where what's to be, they say will be.’”

"NEARLY LOST YOU" SCREAMING TREES (1992)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: Singles

Grunge was one of the few genres that seemed to come out of nowhere to take over the world. It was a strain of alternative rock that was practically unavoidable by the masses. Just how influential was the period? Well, as anyone who owned a flannel shirt in the early 90s can tell you, it impacted pretty much everything. Even non-grunge acts became more grunge-like during that era. Depeche Mode, Suzanne Vega and other artists all released albums that borrowed elements of the grunge sound into their recordings during the period. But the real stuff was where it was at. And right up there near the top was Screaming Trees’ “Nearly Lost You”.

Singles was one of those rare creative expressions that managed to define a new generation while also encapsulating an important musical era. It didn’t just use actors to achieve those ends. The film took place in Seattle – and actual members of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains appear in it. When “Nearly Lost You” came out, it could be heard constantly in my dorm hall. It got into your head, and then just stayed there. Mark Lanegan’s vocals were nearly Tom Waits-like, and the guitar riff swirled around like a siren. “Nearly Lost You” was just as important as any track off Nevermind, Dirt, BadMotorFinger and Ten – and it should come as no surprise that it became one of the most memorable songs from the Singles soundtrack.

“Did you hear the distant lie calling me back to my sin.”

"STILL OF THE NIGHT" WHITESNAKE (1987)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

In high. school, a friend lent me his Whitesnake cassette. Glam metal generally isn’t my cup of tea, but let’s just say, when Poison, Def Leppard or Whitesnake was playing on the radio, I didn’t necessarily switch the dial. Still, that Whitesnake album exceeded my expectations. So much so that I bought my own cassette and a t-shirt to match. Everyone from that era probably remembers “Here I Go Again” and the power ballad “Is This Love?”. But the song to know is an epic banger called “Still of the Night”.

If you’re going to listen to one Whitesnake song in your lifetime, make sure it’s this one. The tendency with glam metal songs is to assume a certain simplicity of the output, that the songs are all running at one single speed: hard and fast. But “Still of the Night” has three distinct movements. The hard & fast formula still applies. But there’s a great epic mid-tempo section outro starting at the 3:55 mark. And the magnus opus within a magnus opus starts at the 2:10 mark where the song downshifts into a mesmerizing performance led by John Syke’s electric guitar played with a violin bow. Coverdale wrote an exceptional song, and proved he’s far more than just a stereotypical glam metal frontman. Hands down, “Still of the Night” breaks stereotypes and is one of the greatest hard rockers of the 80’s.

“In the shadow of night I see the full moon rise telling me what's in store.”

"WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS" LED ZEPPELIN (1971)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

My Led Zeppelin IV cassette in 9th grade was a defining album for my budding interest in classic rock. I assumed I was in for just the hard stuff and would be comfortably flanked by Robert Plant’s howl and Jimmy Page’s hard-edged riffs. But IV took me my ears on a bender from the opening verse to “Black Dog” to the final guitar riff in “When The Levee Breaks”. The album fuses folk elements, straight ahead rock, early heavy metal elements and a heavy dose of blues. And it’s the blues that makes “When The Levee Breaks” one of the greatest tracks on the album.

Plant’s harmonica and Page’s guitar riff seemed attached at the hip, playing along the same octave. “When The Levee Breaks”, by name, was overshadowed by monster Zeppelin hits like “Stairway to Heaven”, “Black Dog”, “Rock and Roll” and “Going to California”. But I think it surpassed all the aforementioned classics. Those songs mastered epic riffs. They really relied on Page and Plant mostly. But “When The Levee Breaks” mastered hard rock blues more than any other Zeppelin song I can think of. It took the whole band to give it their all – and I count the song as one of Bonzo’s best and biggest barrages on the drum set.

“Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan.”

"RAMBLE ON" LED ZEPPELIN (1969)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

By the time I reached the exciting, yet incredibly awkward ninth grade, I was knee deep into Zeppelin. Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin IV and Houses of the Holy were on heavy rotation on my Sony cassette player. In my mind, no other band had figured out such a natural and powerful way of bringing together hard rock and blues as well as Zeppelin. Killer vocals. Killer riffs. Killer lyrics. It wasn’t unusual to be a Zeppelin fan in my high school. In fact, “Ramble On” went on to become our graduation song.

John Paul Jones has always been the least talked about and the least celebrated member of the band. He was an exceptional bass player surrounded by rock giants: Plant, Page and Bonzo. But his bass line on “Ramble On” is truly iconic. Some call it the best bass line ever written. It’s both highly melodic and rhythmic — and in a rare moment Jonesy steals the spotlight from Jimmy Page. But the most irresistible thing about “Ramble On” is Plant’s soulful cry. It quite possibly doesn’t get any more rock ‘n roll than his monster vocals in the chorus.

“I ain't tellin' no lie. Mine's a tale that can't be told.”

"THE STAND" THE ALARM (1983)

For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs

A band somewhat easily forgotten, The Alarm would sound off every couple of years during the 80s with a killer track in between a few long snoozes. They weren’t constantly on my radar, but occasionally they would put out these incredible rock songs that would floor me. They reminded me that hard rock and new wave could indeed coexist. They did it with songs like “Sold Me Down the River”, “Rescue Me” and “Rain in the Summertime”. But it all started with “The Stand”, a confident track that appeared on the band’s debut EP and got some fair airplay on MTV.

Throughout rock history, the harmonica has reared its head for better and for worse. Dylan. Petty. Neil Young. Zeppelin. Springsteen. Cash, The Doors. The list goes on. Even still, The Alarm kept it fresh. Their harmonica interludes were aggressive, playing the role normally handed off to the lead guitar without a thought. On “The Stand”, the harmonica was also a catalyst. Listen in on the 1:50 mark to see how it revved up everything else, including the stormy guitar riff, the drum barrage and the chorus reprise. Like The Clash, Waterboys and a pub band on a beautiful collision course.

“Come on down and meet your maker. Come on down and make the stand.”

"THE DEAD HEART" MIDNIGHT OIL (1986)

For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs

Midnight Oil may not be the quintessential 80s band, but when it came to using music as a social and political voice, there was none better. The message was always loud and clear. Peter Garrett’s vocals were powerful and distinct. And the hooks were always on point — from “Beds are Burning” to the most obscure songs in their catalog. Somewhere in the middle was the album rocker “The Dead Heart”.

I think “Beds are Burning” is certainly more anthemic and representative of the decade’s music. But I always thought “The Dead Heart” was an underrated Midnight Oil song. It dealt with the mistreatment of indigenous Australians and took the message to the country’s mainstream airwaves. Peter Garrett rocked it as usual. But the backing vocals are what make the song. The “doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo” refrain is among modern rock’s most memorable interludes. And the chorus is sung by three of the band members in the same notes rather than in a three-part melody, symbolizing the unified conviction of the message.

“We carry in our hearts the true country and that cannot be stolen. We follow in the footsteps of our ancestry and that cannot be broken.”

"ALWAYS ON THE RUN" LENNY KRAVITZ (1991)

For the second half of September, I’m putting my Mental Jukebox into a time machine, featuring the best songs on the best albums from the very best years of music. #70sThrough90sBestAlbum

Mama Said was my introduction to the Lenny Kravitz catalog. It was a fine entry point because it highlighted all the facets of Kravitz’s musicality. Every genre itch. Every tempo shift. He certainly wasn’t the first to combine guitar rock with soul, but he did it as well as anybody. Kravitz’s own personal musical interests were his influences — from James Brown and Curtis Mayfield to Zeppelin and Aerosmith. You can hear all of those influences colliding in “Always on the Run”.

Lenny was prolific and versatile as a musician — and may not necessarily have the greatest reputation as a collaborator. But on “Always on the Run”, he teamed up with his high school classmate Slash. This was almost a Guns ‘n Roses song, but it ended up getting shelved for Mama Said. At the 1:58 mark, Lenny exclaims “Slash”, so there’s no confusion that the kickass guitar solo was his GnR buddy, not himself. About one minute later, dualing saxophones and a trumpet usher us out with bravado.

“And my mama said, ‘Go get all that you're after’. And my mama said that love's all that matters.”

"THE ROVER" LED ZEPPELIN (1975)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

There are so many things to respect about Led Zeppelin’s artistry and musicianship. But the one thing that was always the most appealing aspect to me is Jimmy Page’s seemingly infinite well of guitar lines. This is the strength of the album Physical Graffiti which, in my opinion, contains the greatest collection of guitar riffs in one album, including quite a few on “The Rover” alone.

“The Rover” is one of Zeppelin’s most underrated songs. It’s never mentioned in the same breath as “Kashmir”, “Immigrant Song” or “Black Dog”, but it’s not far behind that upper echelon of the Zeppelin catalog. There are four memorable riffs that define “The Rover”: the intro, the chorus, the bridge and the epilogue, making it one of Page’s single greatest masterpieces. Bonzo’s percussion attack was nothing to sneeze at either, not to mention a sound that seemed to inform and inspire the hard rock Aussie outfit AC/DC.

“And our time is flying, see the candle burning low. Is the new world rising, from the shambles of the old.”

"DANCING DAYS" LED ZEPPELIN (1973)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Back in high school, a friend of mine and fellow track runner introduced me to Houses of the Holy. He told me it was better than all the other Zeppelin albums. Better than II, IV and Physical Graffiti. I approached the album with some trepidation. The album cover made me feel like if I gave in to it, I would perhaps be swayed into some kind of evil cult. But there’s nothing evil about Houses of the Holy. It really is one of the band’s strongest albums, and “Dancing Days” created a bright, euphoric middle for the album.

Houses of the Holy was bookended by two tour de forces: “The Song Remains the Same” and “The Ocean”. But right smack in the middle, “Dancing Days” — together with “D’yer Mak’er” — formed a bit of an odd anomaly. As the lesser known song of the duo, “Dancing Days” is that underappreciated, feel-good rocker where Zeppelin entered a rare moment of nostalgia, both thematically and musically. It proved that no matter what genre the band explored, Page’s muscular riffs would always find a way to drive the song forward.

“Crazy ways are evident by the way you wearin' your clothes. Sippin' booze is precedent as the evening starts to glow.”

"WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS" LED ZEPPELIN (1971)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

The blues can bring you down. Rock can bring you up. That’s the wild dynamic at play throughout a good portion of Led Zeppelin’s storied catalog. Their songs take your soul in both directions. It can feel like your innards are being torn apart. But it can feel so good. Zeppelin is far more than hard, headbangin’ rock. It’s why they’re still one of my all-time favorite bands. Led Zeppelin IV was an epic recording with an epic ending: “When the Levee Breaks”.

Not as celebrated as the monster tracks on Side 1, “When the Levee Breaks” is largely remembered because it came out in an era of album oriented rock. Back in 1971, the majority of people listened to albums from beginning to end. In this format, “When the Levee Breaks” was a powerful, mind-numbing finale. It was one of the most bluesy songs ever recorded by the band, but it also brought immense power thanks to Bonzo’s thunderous beats and Page’s electric interpretation of the blues.

“When the levee breaks, I'll have no place to stay.”