Many of Led Zeppelin’s songs, even those not released as singles, have gone on to be legendary pieces of work. “Black Dog” may not be as big as “Stairway To Heaven”, but it is one of the most powerful hard rock tunes the band ever released. And it was also one of their biggest hits, one of few released as an actual single.
On this very day, February 11, 1972, Led Zeppelin scored their third Top 20 hit song in the United States with “Black Dog” (B-side “Misty Mountain Hop”). The song peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track came straight from their very successful fourth untitled studio album. Let’s dive into this iconic track’s legacy, shall we?
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The Legacy of “Black Dog”
Led Zeppelin dropped Led Zeppelin IV in 1971. The band was well-known for never really releasing singles. However, they did make exceptions through the years. “Black Dog” was released as a single from that album. And today, it remains one of the rock band’s most instantly recognizable songs.
The themes found within “Black Dog” go far beyond its initial inspiration, which was a black Labrador Retriever that the band used to see around the Headley Grange studio. There are a ton of bluesy themes found in this song, from lust to betrayal. Robert Plant noted that, because the dog would disappear at night, it was spending the twilight hours with its “old lady.”
The lyrics reflect that, creating a narrative of a man who is borderline obsessed with a woman in his life. She ends up being a bit of a letdown, stealing his car and spending all of his money.
Speaking of Robert Plant, here’s an interesting fact about his vocal track on the song. Despite having one of the best vocal deliveries on the album, Plant’s “Black Dog” vocal track didn’t take long to complete. In fact, he nailed it in only two takes. Now that’s talent, if you ask me.
After the success of “Black Dog” on the charts, Led Zeppelin would continue to play the song at their live concerts for years. Today, the song makes it to countless lists of the greatest songs of all time. And it’s difficult to disagree with that.
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