On this day in 1979, Led Zeppelin’s final album hits #1 in the United States

Two years after the release of their seventh studio album, Presence, the band decided it was time to record again.  Deciding on a change of scenery, the band headed to ABBA’s Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden to record through November and December 1978.

The album they recorded, In Through The Out Door, is notable for its increased focus on keyboard instruments, with John Paul Jones and vocalist Robert Plant showing greater influence than drummer John Bonham and guitarist Jimmy Page. Both Bonham and Page were struggling with health issues at the time which likely contributed to the shift in focus. 

The band held on to the recordings and continued working on the album until its release on the 15th August 1979. It found immediate success, climbing rapidly to the number one spot. The success seemed to be infectious, as the release pulled the rest of the band’s catalogue into the Top 200 alongside it.  

Sadly, In Through the Out Door would be the final release from the band. In late 1980, John Bonham would tragically be found dead from alcohol-induced asphyxiation, which in turn pushed the band to call it quits, claiming the band would not have been the same without one of its members.