42 years ago today (2/24/75), Led Zeppelin released their sixth studio album Physical Graffiti, one that many consider their finest. These eight songs stretched the total time of the record beyond the typical length of a single LP, so the band decided to make Physical Graffiti a double album by including unreleased tracks from earlier recording sessions: one outtake from Led Zeppelin III, three from Led Zeppelin IV, and three from Houses of the Holy, including the unused title track. Physical Graffiti was commercially and critically successful; the album went 16x platinum in the US in 2006, signifying shipments of eight million copies, and was a number one album in both the US and UK. Watch Zeppelin perform the personal and reflective “Ten Years Gone” off Physical Graffiti live at Knebworth 1979.
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WCMF in Rochester N.Y. played the album in it’s entirety with no commercial interruptions the day it was released and I recorded it. Have bought the album at least 4 more times since then, the latest was last year.
A fantastic album. All their albums were fantastic, but this was their magnum opus.
This Led Zeppelin album Physical Graffiti to me is the Holy Bible of Rock. It does not get higher then this. A Masterpiece.
not to disagree with the many who do consider this zeppelin’s finest hour, but…personally, i think it was one of their weakest…
a double album of alot of leftovers that nowadays, would’ve just been bonus tracks on the given album titles they came from…along with a few new songs not so worthy of being so highly praised…other than ‘kashmir’…
i was one of the few back in the day who loved ‘houses of the holy’ when it was released…the masterpiece of melancholy ‘no quarter’, along with ‘the ocean song’…’rain song’…made that album an instant favorite from day one…when ‘physical graffiti’ came out, with that gorgeous cover from st.mark’s place in new york, i was eager to say the least…then songs like ‘night flight’ crossed my speakers with less than satisfying results…
maybe a good single album would have emerged, but the double just made it impossible to enjoy…thankfully though, they followed it up with ‘presence’, which featured three exceptional tracks, ‘nobody’s fault but mine’, ‘tea for one’ and ‘achilles’s last stand’…
Dude “Presence” as superior?
Your judgment was obviously clouded by that Blonde Lebanese you were hitting!
dude, CUSTARD PIE, THE ROVER, IN MY TIME OF DYING,TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT !!!!! come on. this is my favorite album of ALL time !!
I was an 18 year old kid when this came out…I remember the songs like it was yesterday
Thank you Zeppelin, for all the memories tied to your music.
I am 36 going on 37, obviously Led Zeppelin was around way before I was born. Anyway I grew up listening to these fine masterpiece of songs, I can go on and on how I love their music. Everyday I listen to at least one zeppelin song. But yes. Thank you Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. ( if I spelled any names incorrect sorry) my parents introduced me to the greatest music ever!
16x platinum would indicate that it sold 16 million copies. Copying and pasting from Wikipedia is not very good journalism.
There isn’t a tune on this double album that I don’t at least like, and side 3 played straight through is one of the finest album sides in rock history, can’t believe this is the 41st anniversary.
A great album,but House’s Of The Holy is better.
gotta disagree ! NOTHING TOPS GRAFFITI !!!!!
All led zeppelin albums were top 10, AND 6 were number 1
One (if not ‘the one’) of my favorite albums ever……Zep being my top band ever. Agree ‘Houses’ is also up there along with 3 & 4. Still amazed at the somewriting, arrangements and production to this day.
Led Zeppelin IV was the greatest in my opinion. Stairway, Black Dog, Goin to California, Misty Mountain Hop, When the Levee Breaks…I don’t get why this isn’t considered their greatest by consensus.
If they hadn’t announced that Graffiti had tracks leftover from earlier albums no one would have known, guessed or cared. As for Houses of the Holy, that album’s god awful attempts at funk, reggae and ballads were just embarrassing.
Memerizing album. Zeppelin is the greatest band there ever was – or ever will be. The lyrics, the drums, the guitar riffs, the arrangements, the bass, their look, the mystery and, of course, that heavenly, gorgeous voice. Just absolute Gods. Can you imagine writing music and then in 41 years (!) millions upon millions of people still adoring it? Listening to it like it was recorded yesterday? That is Zepp. What an absolute epic feat. What talent. I haved adored this band and the gorgeous Robert Plant since the day 35 years ago when I heard the very first note of one of their remarkable songs. Thank you Robert, Jimmy, John Paul and Bonzo (RIP) for giving us such fantastic, untouchable music and great memories. Loved you then and love you even more now. Thank you for improving my life and making me happy. All of my love to you.
My brother passed ten years ago this September. I know this is a love song but the line “never thought I’d see your face, the way it used to be”. Always brings tears to my eyes.
Yes, this is all true – 41 years have gone by but it feels as if it were yesterday. PG is the best album by Zep – no doubt about that. On this album great musicians reached the peak of musicanship which became the golden standard for many others. Up to this day all the songs excite and inspire like nothing else. Great riffs, fantastic voice, sophysticated arrangements, solos, drums, keyboards can leave no one cold and indifferent. Gods of Rock!
Man the ledzeppen day long.hair and the good drugs. Where did the times go.