ON THIS DAY IN 1971, ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BANDS RELEASED THEIR MOST POPULAR ALBUM

Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin IV was a comeback of sorts, after critics gave their previous album a lukewarm response. After this critical reception, Zeppelin decided their fourth album would be officially untitled and instead be represented by four symbols, one chosen by each band member, which is now commonly used as the band’s logo.

The album was produced entirely by guitarist Jimmy Page, and was recorded in late 1970 and early 1971 at a country house called Hadley Grange. This informal setup allowed the band more creative freedom in terms of arrangements and musical styles. It also led to the writing of the groups most famous song, “Stairway to Heaven”.

Zeppelin’s enigmatic approach seemed to pay off well, as Led Zeppelin IV fared much better critically than it’s predecessor, becoming the group’s best selling album, moving over 37 million copies worldwide. As of 2018, it remains tied for the third-highest-certified album in the US, as well as reaching number 69 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, where it was called “the peak of Seventies hard rock”.