Why Jimmy Page Think Led Zeppelin Songs Are Hard To Review

From the moment they formed in 1968, Led Zeppelin set themselves apart—not just in sound, but in how they wanted their music to be heard. While other bands released singles to promote albums, Zeppelin took a bold stance: no singles. For them, an album was a complete journey. Picking one song out felt like breaking apart a whole story.

Their manager, Peter Grant, strongly supported this no-single policy, aiming to protect the integrity of their albums. Still, that didn’t stop a few of their tracks from being chopped up and released without the band’s approval.

Against Their Wishes, Hits Were Born

Despite their efforts, some Zeppelin songs did make it into the singles market. In 1969, an edited version of “Whole Lotta Love” was released in the U.S. as a single—much to the band’s dismay. Still, it became a massive hit, selling over a million copies and pushing the band further into the spotlight.

A year later, Led Zeppelin III dropped in 1970 with a very different sound. Its acoustic vibe surprised fans and critics alike. Soon after, “Immigrant Song,” the album’s opener, was released as a single, again against their wishes.

Jimmy Page on Confused Critics and Constant Criticism

During a 2021 interview with Sophie K, Jimmy Page explained why Led Zeppelin’s anti-single stance made life difficult with music reviewers. At the time, critics were used to evaluating albums based on singles. But Zeppelin refused to play by those rules, and it confused people.

“The reviewers of the time could only have a point of reference,” Page said. “They were so used to bands that did singles. And there was a conduit between one album and the current album that they might have to review. The singles made it a comfort zone to be able to review stuff.”

Every Album Sounded Different—and That Was the Point

Led Zeppelin didn’t follow a formula. Each album offered something new, which made it even harder for critics to categorize their work.

“People found it very difficult to review Led Zeppelin albums at the time,” Page explained. “So, [they] couldn’t really work out what it was all about, and why each album was sounding so different from the next. And there would be criticism no matter what.”

He added, “Because they didn’t have this point of reference of singles, well, that was just too bad because for us it was right from the beginning.”

Albums, Not Singles, Were the Vision

For Page and the rest of Led Zeppelin, the refusal to release singles was intentional and empowering. “I didn’t want to get caught up in the singles market,” Page said. “And that gives you the license to be able to just expand what you’re doing, and keep expanding without having to have it drawn back into ‘Oh, but where’s the single?’ There isn’t a single, it’s an album.”

And with that, Zeppelin stayed true to their vision—full albums, no shortcuts.