Led Zeppelin III is the third album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 5 October 1970. It was recorded in three locations. Much of the work was done at Headley Grange, a country house, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Additional sessions were held at Island Studios and Olympic Studios in London. As with the prior album, the band eschewed the use of guest musicians, with all music performed by band members Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitars), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums). The range of instruments played by the band was greatly enhanced on this album, with Jones especially emerging as a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing a wide range of keyboard and stringed instruments, including various synthesizers, mandolin and double bass, in addition to his usual bass guitar. As with prior albums, Page served as producer on the album, with mixing done by Andy Johns and Terry Manning.

Led Zeppelin III
A collage of butterflies, teeth, zeppelins and assorted imagery on a white background, with the artist name and "III" subtitle at center written in bubble text.
Studio album by
Released5 October 1970 (1970-10-05)
RecordedNovember 1969 – August 1970
Studio
GenreFolk rock[1]
Length43:04
LabelAtlantic
ProducerJimmy Page
Led Zeppelin chronology
Led Zeppelin II
(1969)
Led Zeppelin III
(1970)
Untitled
(1971)
Singles from Led Zeppelin III
  1. "Immigrant Song"
    Released: 5 November 1970

The album showed a progression from straightforward rock towards folk and acoustic music. While hard rock influences were still present, such as on "Immigrant Song", acoustic-based songs such as "Gallows Pole" and "That's the Way" showed Led Zeppelin were capable of playing different styles successfully. The band wrote most of the material themselves, but as with prior records, included two songs that were re-interpretations of earlier works: "Gallows Pole", based on a traditional English folk song, by way of American singer Fred Gerlach; and "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper", a reworking of a blues song by Bukka White. The acoustic material developed from a songwriting session between Plant and Page at Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales, which influenced the musical direction.

The album was one of the most anticipated of 1970, and its shipping date was held up by the intricate inner sleeve design based around a volvelle, with numerous images visible through holes in the outer cover. It was an immediate commercial success upon release and topped the UK and US charts. Although many critics were initially confused over the change in musical style and gave the album a mixed response, Led Zeppelin III has since been acknowledged as representing an important milestone in the band's history and a turning point in their music.

Background

 
Three songs on Led Zeppelin III were written by Page and Plant while holidaying in Bron-Yr-Aur cottage.[2]

By 1970, Led Zeppelin had achieved commercial success in both the UK and the US with their first two albums. They were determined to have a proper break, having recorded most of Led Zeppelin II in various locations while on tour, financing the sessions with the album sales and tour receipts.[3] Following an exhausting concert tour of North America that spring, lead singer Robert Plant recommended to guitarist and producer Jimmy Page that they should retreat to Bron-Yr-Aur, an 18th-century cottage in Snowdonia, Wales, on a hilltop overlooking the Dyfi Valley, three miles (4.8 km) north of the market town Machynlleth. Plant had spent holidays there with his family.[3][4]

This remote setting had no running water or electric power, which encouraged a slight change of musical direction for the band towards an emphasis on acoustic arrangements.[3][5] Page later explained that the tranquillity of Bron-Yr-Aur stood in sharp contrast to the continual touring of 1969, affecting the overall tone of the songwriting and dominance of acoustic guitars.[6] His playing was influenced by folk guitarists Davey Graham and Bert Jansch, who regularly used alternative guitar tunings. Plant also recalled the band were "obsessed with change" and enjoyed listening to John Fahey.[7] The band specifically wanted a change in direction, to show they could play any style of music they wanted.[8]

Recording

The first recording sessions for Led Zeppelin III took place at Olympic Studios in November 1969.[9] A press statement from manager Peter Grant said the group were recording a non-album track to be released as a single, but this was ultimately abandoned. Further sessions took place towards the end of the year, in between touring, before the decision was made to stop working and take a break at Bron-Yr-Aur.[9][10] After preparing material for the album there, Page and Plant were joined by drummer John Bonham and bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones at Headley Grange, a mansion in East Hampshire, to rehearse the songs. The rural atmosphere gave a relaxed feel to the sessions, and the band found it to be a more enjoyable environment in which to develop songs than a studio in the city.[3]

The album was recorded between May and June 1970 at Headley Grange (using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio) and at Olympic, with further recording at Island Records' Island Studios in Notting Hill the following month. Mixing took place at Ardent Studios, Memphis, in August 1970, partway through the group's sixth American concert tour.[3][11] The album was produced by Page and engineered by Andy Johns and Terry Manning.[12] Page had first met Manning when the latter's band, Lawson and Four More, had supported Page's old band the Yardbirds in 1966. Manning had been to several Led Zeppelin shows, and this led to Page asking him to engineer the new album.[13]

Songs

Led Zeppelin III marked a change in focus for the band, from late 1960s hard rock to a more acoustic-based sound.[14] These styles had been present to a lesser degree on the band's first two releases, such as "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Ramble On", from the first and second albums, respectively. However, on this album, the group used more acoustic arrangements, and they would remain prominent to various degrees in the group's later releases.[15] With Led Zeppelin III, the group's songwriting dynamic also changed, from Page's domination of the first two albums towards a more democratic situation in which all four group members contributed their own compositions and ideas.[3] Plant wrote all of the lyrics, with the exception of "Tangerine".[16]

Side one

"Immigrant Song" was written about the Viking invasions of England and inspired by a short tour of Iceland in June 1970. It was released as a single in the US and became a top 20 hit. It was the opening song for the band's appearance at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music and at subsequent gigs for the next two years.[14] It was included in the 2003 movie School of Rock, after Jack Black made a short video with fans asking for permission for its use.[17] Page clarified that the song's opening is a combination of a voice and echo feedback.[16]

"Friends" is an acoustic track that uses a C6 tuning on guitar.[18][19] Page explained: "I played a Harmony acoustic tuned to C–A–C–G–C–E on 'Friends' ... It's a C [type] tuning, but not a [typical] C tuning. I made it up."[19] The song includes a string section arranged by Jones, which Page had wanted to achieve an Indian style of sound.[16] The song was re-recorded as an experimental arrangement with the Bombay Orchestra in March 1972, along with "Four Sticks" from the following untitled album.[20] That arrangement appeared on the 2015 reissue of the retrospective album Coda.[21] The song segues into "Celebration Day" via a Moog synthesiser drone.[20]

"Since I've Been Loving You" was one of the first songs to be written for the album, in late 1969.[22] It is a blues song in the key of C minor, featuring Jones on Hammond organ and bass pedals, simultaneously.[16] The song became a live performance staple for the band throughout the rest of their career, replacing "I Can't Quit You Baby" from the first album as the band's slow blues showcase, with Page's guitar solo featured on both the recorded version and in the band's live show.[23]

"Out on the Tiles" was mostly written by Bonham, who came up with the idea for the riffs that run through the track. The introduction was used to open live versions of "Black Dog" (from Led Zeppelin IV) and Bonham's drum solo on the 1977 US tour.[24]

Side two

"Gallows Pole" is an updated arrangement of a traditional folk song called "The Maid Freed from the Gallows", inspired by a version recorded by Fred Gerlach. Page played a variety of acoustic and electric guitars and banjo, while Jones played mandolin as well as bass.[24] It was reworked by Page and Plant for their 1994 album No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded.[25]

"Tangerine" was written by Page in 1968, when the Yardbirds were still together. The track features pedal steel guitar as well as acoustic. It was added to the group's live acoustic set in 1971 and performed regularly into the following year. It was then revived as a four-part harmony arrangement in 1975.[24]

"That's the Way" had the original title of "The Boy Next Door". It was written in Bron-Yr-Aur about the problems two people faced in a relationship and the clashes with their families. The song became a staple of the group's acoustic set throughout the 1970s and was played at the Bath Festival, where Led Zeppelin performed acoustically for the first time in the UK.[24][26] Page thought highly of Plant's lyrics and considered it a breakthrough in their development as a songwriting team.[27] The pair had gone for a walk and, on their return, sat down by a ravine with a tape recorder, where Page started to play the tune, to which Plant improvised a verse.[16]

"Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" was originally called "Jennings Farm Blues" and recorded as an electric arrangement, at the end of 1969. It was subsequently reworked as an acoustic number and featured Bonham playing spoons.

The closing track, "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper", was based on the Bukka White blues song "Shake 'Em On Down" and named as a tribute to their friend and folk singer, Roy Harper. The original LP credited the arrangement to "Charles Obscure", a band in-joke.[24][28] It features Plant's voice fed through a vibrato amplifier.[16]

Unreleased material

Page said that the group had 16 tracks to choose from for release on Led Zeppelin III.[16] Six other songs that were recorded during the Led Zeppelin III sessions were released at a later date: "Poor Tom" was released on Coda; "Bron-Yr-Aur" was included on the 1975 double album Physical Graffiti; "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" was released as the B-side to the 1970 "Immigrant Song" single, and on the 1972 sampler album The New Age of Atlantic,[24] later appearing on the first box set in 1990 and then Coda (Deluxe Edition) in 2015, along with "St. Tristan's Sword"; and both "Jennings Farm Blues" and "Key to the Highway/Trouble in Mind" later appeared on the 2014 deluxe edition of the album.[29]

Packaging and artwork

 
The volvelle used on the front cover

Led Zeppelin III's original vinyl edition was packaged in a gatefold sleeve with an innovative cover, designed by Zacron, a multi-media artist whom Page had met in 1963 whilst Zacron was a student at Kingston College of Art.[13][30] Zacron subsequently graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts and became a lecturer at the University of Leeds. Page asked him if he would help design a sleeve for the album, which he helped arrange in January 1970.[31]

The cover and interior gatefold art consisted of a surreal collection of seemingly random images on a white background, many of them connected thematically with flight or aviation. Behind the front cover was a rotatable laminated card disc, or volvelle, covered with more images, including photos of the band members, which showed through holes in the cover; moving an image into place behind one hole would usually bring one or two others into place behind other holes.[32] The back cover was a composite shot of the best photographs from the photography sessions. Zacron chose the images because he wanted to "show them as the giant force they were in music".[32] In France, this album was released with a different album cover, simply showing a photo of the four band members.[33][34]

Zacron later said that, upon his completion of the artwork, Page telephoned him while he was in New York to express his satisfaction with the results, saying, "I think it is fantastic".[35] However, he later thought the artwork was unsatisfactory because of working to a deadline.[36]

Release and reception

Retrospective professional reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [37]
Christgau's Record GuideB [38]
Classic Rock     [39]
The Daily Telegraph     [40]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [41]
The Great Rock Discography9/10[42]
MusicHound Rock3.5/5[43]
Q     [44]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [45]
Tom Hull – on the WebA[46]

Led Zeppelin III was one of the most anticipated albums of 1970, and advance orders in the US alone were close to the million mark. The volvelle-designed sleeve held up production and caused a two-month delay.[14] In the run-up to release, the group bought a full-page advertisement in Melody Maker magazine at the end of September, which simply said, "Thank you for making us the world's number one band."[14] The album was released in the US on 5 October, then in the UK on 23 October. It immediately topped the British charts.[47]

Although the band's expanding musical boundaries were greeted warmly by some, detractors attacked the heavier tracks as being mindless noise. In a review for Rolling Stone, critic Lester Bangs praised "That's the Way" as "beautiful and genuinely moving", while characterising the band's heavier songs as crude and little differentiated from each other.[48] Others criticised the acoustic material for imitating the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, which Page disputed, as the group had featured a similar style on both of their previous albums.[8][49] Page later said that the negative press given to the third album affected him so much that he did not give press interviews for 18 months after its release, adding that the criticism was one of the reasons why the band's untitled follow-up album contained no written information on it at all.[6] Page later came to believe that journalists had little time to listen to the material and were simply looking for "the new 'Whole Lotta Love'" instead of appreciating the album on its own merits.[50]

A positive review came from Robert Christgau, who originally assigned it an A-minus grade and wrote in his "Consumer Guide" review for The Village Voice: "I have always approved theoretically of Led Zep's concept, and now the group has finally whipped it into shape. It's amazing to realize that Robert Plant's vocals can convey that same overbearing power when Page plays acoustic, as he does to great effect on several cuts here. No drum solos, either. Heavy."[51]

Led Zeppelin III was a trans-Atlantic number one hit. In the UK, it reached No. 1 on 7 November 1970 and remained on the chart for 40 weeks.[52][53] In the US, it entered the chart at No. 3 on 24 October [54] and reached No. 1 the following week.[55] It remained on the chart for 19 weeks and was certified Gold on 8 October 1970.[56] However, following the lukewarm, if not confused and sometimes dismissive reception from critics, sales lagged after this initial peak.[27]

Despite mostly indifferent reviews and lower sales than Led Zeppelin's previous two albums, Led Zeppelin III's reputation has increased over time. The RIAA certified the album 2 times platinum in 1990, and 6 times platinum in 1999.[57] The 2014 reissue of the album helped itself get back into the Billboard Top 10.[58]

Accolades for Led Zeppelin III
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
The Book of Rock Lists US "The Top 40 Albums (1970)"[59] 1981 39
Mojo UK "The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made"[60] 1996 99
Colin Larkin UK All Time Top 1000 Albums[61] 1998 361
Q UK "50 Best British Albums Ever"[62] 2004 9
Robert Dimery US 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die[63] 2005 *
Classic Rock UK "100 Greatest British Rock Album Ever"[64] 2006 31
(*) designates unordered lists.

2014 reissue

2014 reissue ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic98/100[65]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Austin Chronicle     [66]
Consequence of SoundA−[67]
Paste9/10[68]
Pitchfork9.5/10[69]
Q     [70]
Rolling Stone     [71]

Along with the group's self-titled debut album and their second album, Led Zeppelin II, the album was remastered and reissued on 2 June 2014. The reissue comes in six formats: a standard CD edition; a deluxe two-CD edition; a standard LP version; a deluxe two-LP version; a super deluxe two-CD plus two-LP version with a hardback book; and as high-resolution, 24-bit/96k digital downloads. The deluxe and super deluxe editions feature bonus material containing alternative takes, backing tracks and the previously unreleased songs "Bathroom Sound", "Jennings Farm Blues" and "Key to the Highway/Trouble in Mind". The LP versions replicate the original volvelle sleeve design. The reissue was released with an inverted colour version of the original album's artwork as its bonus disc's cover.[72]

The reissue was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 98, based on 10 reviews.[65] The bonus disc was hailed by Pitchfork journalist Mark Richardson as "easily the best" of the three reissues.[69] In Rolling Stone, David Fricke wrote of highlights in the bonus disc: "'Jennings Farm Blues', an electric run at the folk gallop 'Bron-Y-Aur Stomp', shows Zeppelin exploring options, and the medley 'Keys to the Highway/Trouble in Mind', by Page and Plant, feels like a deep-blues breath before the next rush forward."[71]

Track listing

Original release

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Immigrant Song"2:26
2."Friends"
  • Page
  • Plant
3:55
3."Celebration Day"3:29
4."Since I've Been Loving You"
  • Page
  • Plant
  • Jones
7:25
5."Out on the Tiles"
4:04
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Gallows Pole"Traditional (arr. Page and Plant)4:58
2."Tangerine"Page3:12
3."That's the Way"
  • Page
  • Plant
5:38
4."Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"
  • Page
  • Plant
  • Jones
4:20
5."Hats Off to (Roy) Harper"Traditional (arr. Charles Obscure)3:41
Total length:43:04

Deluxe edition (2014)

2014 deluxe edition bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording DateLength
1."The Immigrant Song" (alternative mix)
  • Page
  • Plant
29 May 19702:25
2."Friends" (backing track – no vocal)
  • Page
  • Plant
5 June 19703:43
3."Celebration Day" (alternative mix)
  • Page
  • Plant
  • Jones
3 June 19703:18
4."Since I've Been Loving You" (rough mix of first recording)
  • Page
  • Plant
  • Jones
5 June 19707:16
5."Bathroom Sound" ("Out on the Tiles" backing track – no vocal)
  • Page
  • Plant
  • Bonham
3 June 19704:00
6."Gallows Pole" (rough mix)Traditional (arr. Page and Plant)5 July 19705:17
7."That's the Way" (rough mix with dulcimer and backwards echo) 30 May 19705:22
8."Jennings Farm Blues" ("Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" rough mix of all guitar overdubs that day)
  • Page
  • Plant
  • Jones
13 December 19705:54
9."Key to the Highway" / "Trouble in Mind" (rough mix)10 June 19704:05
Total length:41:29

Personnel

Led Zeppelin

Production

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Led Zeppelin III
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[102] Platinum 60,000^
Australia (ARIA)[103] 3× Platinum 210,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[104] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[105] Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[106] Gold 250,000^
Italy (FIMI)[107]
sales since 2009
Platinum 50,000
Norway (IFPI Norway)[108] Silver 20,000[109]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[110] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[111] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[112] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[113] 6× Platinum 6,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

Citations

  1. ^ Raftery, Brian (5 October 2016). "How Led Zeppelin Embraced Trippy Folk Side on 'III'". Rolling Stone. But listeners needed at least a decade to fully absorb the stylistic change-ups on Led Zeppelin III. The elephant-balled blues rock that had defined Zeppelin's sound was now tempered down, replaced by a heady strain of wispy, mystic folk rock.
  2. ^ Phil Sutcliffe (2003). "Back to Nature". Q Magazine Special Led Zeppelin Edition. p. 34.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Lewis 1990, p. 16.
  4. ^ McParland 2018, p. 29.
  5. ^ Welch 1994, pp. 52, 55.
  6. ^ a b Schulps, Dave (October 1977). "Interview with Jimmy Page". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  7. ^ Williamson, Nigel (May 2005). "Good Times...Bad Times". Uncut. p. 56.
  8. ^ a b Lewis 2012, p. 96.
  9. ^ a b Lewis 1990, p. 88.
  10. ^ Lewis 2012, p. 74.
  11. ^ Lewis 2012, p. 76.
  12. ^ Led Zeppelin III (Media notes). Atlantic Records. 1970. K50002.
  13. ^ a b Lewis 2012, p. 77.
  14. ^ a b c d Lewis 1990, p. 49.
  15. ^ Lewis 2012, pp. 73, 75.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Welch, Chris (24 October 1970). "Led Zeppelin: Page on Zeppelin III". Melody Maker. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019 – via Rock's Backpages.
  17. ^ "LED ZEPPELIN Allow Song To Be Used In 'School Of Rock' Movie". Blabbermouth. 8 September 2003. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  18. ^ Brown, Jimmy (9 January 2015). "The 50 Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs". Guitar World. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  19. ^ a b Alfred 2010, p. 3.
  20. ^ a b c Lewis 1990, pp. 49–50.
  21. ^ "Led Zeppelin in India: the true story behind the secret Bombay sessions". Louder. 23 July 2015. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  22. ^ Lewis 1990, p. 51.
  23. ^ Lewis 1990, pp. 47, 50.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis 1990, p. 50.
  25. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded – Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  26. ^ Lewis 2012, p. 72.
  27. ^ a b Gilmore, Mikal (10 August 2006). "The Long Shadow of Led Zeppelin". Rolling Stone. No. 1006. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  28. ^ Lewis 2012, p. 92.
  29. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Led Zeppelin III [Deluxe Edition] – Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  30. ^ "Zacron – Led Zeppelin III Rock album cover, strictly limited world edition plus 50 a/p's signed by Zacron Gallery". Archived from the original on 17 January 2008.
  31. ^ Lewis 2012, pp. 77–78.
  32. ^ a b Lewis 2012, p. 78.
  33. ^ Led Zeppelin III (Media notes). Atlantic Records. 1970. 940 051.
  34. ^ "LED ZEPPELIN III Rare French Cover". Flickr.com. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  35. ^ "Hats Off to Zacron", Classic Rock, December 2007
  36. ^ Tolinski, Brad; Di Bendetto, Greg (January 1998). "Light and Shade". Guitar World.
  37. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Led Zeppelin III – Led Zeppelin". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  38. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin III". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 0-89919-025-1. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018 – via robertchristgau.com.
  39. ^ Rock, Classic (25 November 2019). "Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin III – Album Of The Week Club review". Loudersound. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  40. ^ McCormick, Neil (23 April 2014). "Led Zeppelin's albums ranked from worst to best". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  41. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  42. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Canongate Books. p. 870. ISBN 1-84195-615-5 – via Internet Archive.
  43. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 662. ISBN 978-1-57859-061-2.
  44. ^ "Q Review". Cduniverse.com. 16 August 1994. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  45. ^ "Led Zeppelin: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  46. ^ Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Grade List: Led Zeppelin". Tom Hull – on the Web. Archived from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  47. ^ Lewis 2012, p. 79.
  48. ^ Bangs, Lester (26 November 1970). "Records: Led Zeppelin III". Rolling Stone. No. 71. p. 34.
  49. ^ "Cameron Crowe interview Led Zeppelin". 18 March 1975. Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2007.
  50. ^ Williamson, Nigel (May 2005). "Forget the Myths". Uncut. p. 70..
  51. ^ Christgau, Robert (7 January 1971). "Consumer Guide (15)". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  52. ^ "Led Zeppelin III". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  53. ^ Lewis 1990, p. 94.
  54. ^ "Top LPs". Billboard. 24 October 1970. p. 74. Retrieved 27 August 2018. led zeppelin III.
  55. ^ "Top LPs". Billboard. 31 October 1970. p. 50. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  56. ^ Lewis 1990, p. 95.
  57. ^ "LED ZEPPELIN III search results". RIAA official website. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  58. ^ Caulfield, Keith (6 August 2015). "Led Zeppelin Heading Back to the Top 10, Again". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  59. ^ "The Top 40 Albums 1970". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  60. ^ "The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made – January 1996". Mojo. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  61. ^ "Virgin All-Time Album Top 1000 List – 1998". Virgin. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  62. ^ "50 Best British Albums Ever – July 2004". Q. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  63. ^ Dimery, Robert – 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die; page 156
  64. ^ "Classic Rock – 100 Greatest British Rock Album Ever – April 2006". Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  65. ^ a b "Reviews for Led Zeppelin III [Remastered] by Led Zeppelin". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  66. ^ Hernandez, Raoul (18 July 2014). "Review: Led Zeppelin". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  67. ^ Lenz, Kristofer (6 June 2014). "Led Zeppelin III Reissue". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  68. ^ Reed, Ryan (19 June 2014). "Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin, II, III Reissues". Paste. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  69. ^ a b Richardson, Mark (12 June 2014). "Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2014.
  70. ^ Anon. (July 2014). "Review". Q. p. 120.
  71. ^ a b Fricke, David (3 June 2014). "Led Zeppelin III (Reissue)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  72. ^ "Led Zeppelin Remasters Arrive At Last". Mojo. 13 March 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  73. ^ Schaal, Eric (13 November 2020). "The Classic 'Led Zeppelin III' track Jimmy Page Played Bass on". Showbiz CheatSheet. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  74. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  75. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3713". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  76. ^ "Led Zeppelin III". Danskehitlister. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  77. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  78. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  79. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  80. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 8 July 2023. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Led Zeppelin".
  81. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  82. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  83. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  84. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  85. ^ "Led Zeppelin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  86. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  87. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  88. ^ "Ultratop.be – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  89. ^ "Ultratop.be – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  90. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  91. ^ "Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin III" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  92. ^ "Lescharts.com – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  93. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2014. 32. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  94. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  95. ^ "Charts.nz – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  96. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  97. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  98. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  99. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  100. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  101. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1971. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  102. ^ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  103. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  104. ^ "Warner /Elektra /Atlantic Sets Canada's AII- Time,12 -Month Sales Record – 44 Gold and Platinum Albums:Platinum-Album" (PDF). Billboard. 2 October 1976. p. 63. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  105. ^ "French album certifications – Led Zeppelin – Volume 3" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  106. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Led Zeppelin; 'III')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  107. ^ "Italian album certifications – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin 3" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2021" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Led Zeppelin 3" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  108. ^ "WEA's International's…" (PDF). Cash Box. 16 September 1972. p. 42.
  109. ^ "Gold/Silver Record Chart". Billboard. 26 December 1974. Archived from the original on 14 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  110. ^ Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.
  111. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('3')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  112. ^ "British album certifications – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  113. ^ "American album certifications – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III". Recording Industry Association of America.

General sources