I'm a Traveler of Both Time and Space: Jimmy Page's Biggest Hits with Led Zeppelin

 Photo of Jimmy PAGE and LED ZEPPELIN, Jimmy Page performing live onstage during the 1977 US tour (either New York or Los Angeles), playing Gibson Les Paul guitar (Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)
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(Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)

While Led Zeppelin is among the biggest bands in the history of rock and roll, they were never much of a singles band. It wasn't for a lack of trying--the group decided early on that things like singles and TV appearances would just dilute the music. That stance was compounded when the group heard single edits of their songs, which would cut out vital instrumental passages to fit into a much shorter time frame.

Still, the band's label would often release Led Zeppelin singles, particularly in America, much to the band's chagrin. In credit to the label, those singles often did impressive business, helping drive sales of the albums they came from (not that Zeppelin needed any help moving units).

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Looking back over the group's chart history on the Hot 100 reveals how the general public responded to Led Zeppelin when confronted with the band's music in a pop radio context: favorably, for the most part. Here's a rundown of the six biggest chart hits in the history of Led Zeppelin.

1. "Whole Lotta Love"
This Zeppelin staple comes from the legendary II album, which was so popular at time of release that radio programmers raced to find a track that could be played on-air. "Whole Lotta Love" was one most of them chose, despite the sprawling instrumental break that extended the song to more than five and a half minutes. When the Atlantic label heard the rough radio edits those programmers were hacking out on their own, they quickly issued a promo single that trimmed the instrumental break and the song down to just over three minutes. The edit flew up the charts to #4, making it Led Zeppelin's highest-charting song in America.

2. "Black Dog"
The opening track of Led Zeppelin's fourth album was officially released as a single in America December 1971, peaking at #15 in February 1972.

3. "Immigrant Song"
Led Zeppelin III's incendiary first song burned up freeform radio, leading Atlantic to release it as a single in November 1970. At it's peak, it sat at #16 on the Hot 100.

4. "D'yer Mak'er 
Led Zeppein's much-maligned attempt at reggae tongue-tied many a DJ and fan, not realizing that it was a phonetic take on the country Jamaica. "I didn't expect people not to get it. I thought it was pretty obvious," Page told Trouser Press in 1977. "The song itself was a cross between reggae and a '50s number, 'Poor Little Fool,' Ben E. King's things, stuff like that." The tune peaked at #20 just after Christmas 1973.

5. "Fool in the Rain"
This storming John Bonham showcase from In Through the Out Door would be the last single Led Zeppelin would ever release before the the drummer's untimely death in 1980. Sadly, the band would never even get a chance to perform it live. It almost made the top 20, peaking at #21 February 15, 1980.

6. "Trampled Under Foot."
Found deep on Side 2 of Physical Graffiti, this surprisingly funky groove jammed all the way into the Top 40, reaching #38 in May 1975.

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