“Whole Lotta Love” #4 1/31/1970

Much like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin wasn’t primarily known as a singles act. This was by far the band’s biggest 45 in America. Zep sort of lifted the song from the Small Faces’ 1966 track “You Need Loving.” That one in turn was taken from a Muddy Waters ditty called “You Need Love” with lyrics by Willie Dixon. A lawsuit ensued and in the 80’s Zep had to finally credit Dixon as a co-writer. The album version (preferred today) has a wild passage in the middle featuring Jimmy Page playing a theremin, a la the Beach Boys on “Good Vibrations.” One of the best headphone records ever made.