Led Zeppelin Poised To Dominate Billboard Top 10
Rock giants Led Zeppelin are poised to conquer the charts once again, following the high-profile re-release of their first three albums.
Billboard reports that the legendary band, which broke up in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham, is likely to see the reissues all chart within the top 10, a feat unrivaled since Whitney Houston’s death in 2012. The albums, Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, and Led Zeppelin III, have all been remastered and released with bonus discs of unreleased demos, live cuts, and early versions by guitarist Jimmy Page. Each album is expected to sell around 25,000 copies in the first week of availability, placing them within the top 15 or the top 10, according to industry forecasters. The sales figures are based on three-day reports, Blabbermouth reports, stating that the charts will be available Wednesday, June 11.
The news will hardly surprise Zeppelin fans, coming amid a whirlwind week that has seen not only the three albums released, but also a lawsuit alleging that Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page stole part of their classic song “Stairway to Heaven” from an instrumental track by Spirit guitarist Randy California. The Inquisitr previously reported that, after threatening legal action, California’s estate filed the suit last week, going so far as to write the document in a font matching Led Zeppelin’s unnamed fourth album.
Despite their nearly unassailable pedigree and the possibility of massive chart success, critical reaction to the Led Zeppelin reissues has been mixed. Darryl Sterdan, writing for the Toronto Sun, questioned the sound quality of the remasters, as well as the need for new editions of the Led Zeppelin catalog. Chris Talbott of The Salt Lake Tribune voiced concerns common to those critics who felt negatively toward the release, arguing that the Zeppelin reissues offer “meager fare” by way of the unreleased tracks.
The promotional campaign for the Zeppelin reissues has been extensive, and has inevitably resulted in old questions being raised, most prominently rumors that Led Zeppelin might tour again. That question has become quite a bit more interesting for fans, with recent reports that the founder of Britain’s Glastonbury festival is “sure” that the band will reform to play there, if not immediately. The campaign has also witnessed a public spat between Zeppelin bandmates Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, who traded barbs in the press after Page voiced his frustration with Plant as the only hold-out preventing a tour. According to Rolling Stone, the singer responded by saying the Led Zeppelin guitarist needs to “have a good rest.”
