Led Zeppelin IV (Deluxe Edition)

By 1971’s *IV*, Led Zeppelin had mastered thumping blues, gentle acoustical folk, hard rock, and even pop. Producer/guitarist Jimmy Page had a real ear for sonic textures (like the soaring orchestral crescendo here on “When the Levee Breaks\") that changed forever how hard rock would be heard and recorded. Loose-limbed anthems like “Rock ’n’ Roll” dovetail with lilting epics like “Stairway to Heaven,\" revealing a band at the height of their musical and rock-mystical powers.

The three most recent Led Zeppelin reissues, comprising Led Zeppelin IV, Houses of the Holy, and Physical Graffiti, find the band at the height of their imperial phase.

The scene: Rock legend Jimmy Page, fresh off announcing a series of revelatory Led Zeppelin reissue campaigns, sits flummoxed behind a vintage mixing console. "Is this really all there is?" he asks an anonymous studio gopher. "Yes, Mr. Page," the young man responds, averting eye contact. "Welp," Page says with a gulp. "On with the show!"

Check out our album review of Artist's Led Zeppelin IV (Deluxe Edition) on Rolling Stone.com.