4 of the Least Popular Led Zeppelin Songs Ever

They can’t all be winners. Led Zeppelin has released tons of incredible music through the years, but a few tracks just didn’t live up to the hype. Let’s look at four songs by Led Zeppelin that are often considered their worst releases!

It’s worth noting that obviously, not every fan of Led Zeppelin will consider these tracks to be their most hated songs. It’s all a matter of opinion; we’ve just noted a pattern of dislike online among fans for these very few songs in the band’s discography.

1. “Carouselambra”

By the late 1970s, Led Zeppelin was going through some serious changes and turmoil. Several members of the band were battling addictions. So, John Paul Jones contributed more songwriting work than he had previously. It’s worth noting that he’s a proven excellent songwriter with tracks like “Black Dog” and “In The Light”.

Unfortunately, “Carouselambra” was not his best contribution. It’s one of Led Zeppelin’s most hated songs because of its length, its old-school keyboard elements, and the fact that it just sounds a bit dusty and outdated for its time.

2. “Walter’s Walk”

Coda is an incredible album, but one can’t deny that at least a couple of songs on the outtake-packed album just didn’t hit right. “Walter’s Walk” is one such track that had previously not made it to Led Zeppelin’s albums. Originally scrapped from Houses Of The Holy, “Walter’s Walk” had elements of old and new Zeppelin, but they clashed rather than blended.

3. “Ozone Baby”

The whole of the music world was radically changing in the late 1970s. Punk, new wave, and other genres started popping up as natural responses to classic rock music. Led Zeppelin was (and still is) known for being pillars of riff-focused hard rock, so standing out in this new era wasn’t exactly easy for them. 

“Ozone Baby” was clearly an attempt to smooth out their sound and jump on the bandwagon, so to speak. However, the roughness of Zeppelin is what made them so powerful. Adding a glossiness to this song took away what made Led Zeppelin so great, and it just didn’t really work.

4. “Royal Orleans”

The melody and rhythm of “Royal Orleans” is solid and enjoyable. However, the lyrics miss the mark and aren’t so popular with younger Zeppelin fans. It didn’t age well at all, though it’s far from the only Led Zeppelin song to be a little problematic. 

Robert Plant penned the song about John Paul Jones allegedly having relations with a drag queen, lighting his hotel room on fire, etc. Jones even said that the song was the result of Plant being “in his usual homophobic manner.”

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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