Editing Led Zeppelin (section)

=== "The Biggest Band in the World": 1970–1975 ===
During the 1970s, Led Zeppelin reached new heights of commercial and critical success that made them one of the most influential groups of the era, eclipsing their earlier achievements.{{sfn|Waksman|2001|p=238}}{{sfn|Wall|2008}} The band's image also changed as the members began to wear elaborate, flamboyant clothing, with Page taking the lead on the flamboyant appearance by wearing a glittering moon-and-stars outfit. Led Zeppelin changed their show by using things such as lasers, professional light shows and mirror balls.{{sfn|Wall|2008|pp=281}} They began travelling in a private jet airliner, a [[Boeing 720]] (nicknamed ''[[the Starship]]''), rented out entire sections of hotels (including the [[Andaz West Hollywood|Continental Hyatt House]] in Los Angeles, known colloquially as the "Riot House"), and became the subject of frequently repeated stories of debauchery. One involved John Bonham riding a motorcycle through a rented floor of the Riot House,{{sfn|Wall|2008a}} while another involved the destruction of a room in the Tokyo [[Hilton Hotels & Resorts|Hilton]], leading to the group being banned from that establishment for life.{{sfn|Williamson|2005|p=68}} Although Led Zeppelin developed a reputation for trashing their hotel suites and throwing television sets out of the windows, some suggest that these tales have been exaggerated. According to music journalist [[Chris Welch]], "[Led Zeppelin's] travels spawned many stories, but it was a myth that [they] were constantly engaged in acts of wanton destruction and lewd behaviour".{{sfn|Welch|1994|p=47}}

[[File:Zoso.svg|thumb|Led Zeppelin's Four Symbols]]
Led Zeppelin released their [[Led Zeppelin IV|fourth album]] on 8 November 1971. The album is officially untitled but variously referred to as ''Led Zeppelin IV'', ''Untitled'', ''IV'', or, due to the four symbols appearing on the record label, as ''Four Symbols'', ''Zoso'' or ''Runes''.{{sfn|Davis|2005|p=25}} The band had wanted to release the fourth album with no title or information, in response to the music press "going on about Zeppelin being a hype", but the record company wanted something on the cover, so in discussions, it was agreed to have four symbols to represent both the four members of the band and that it was the fourth album.{{sfn|Wall|2008|p=269–270}} With 37&nbsp;million copies sold, ''Led Zeppelin IV'' is one of the [[List of best-selling albums|best-selling albums]] in history, and its massive popularity cemented Led Zeppelin's status as superstars in the 1970s.{{sfn|Bukszpan|2003|p=128}}{{sfn|Brown|2001|p=480}} By 2021, it had sold 24&nbsp;million copies in the United States alone.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Led+Zeppelin&ti=Led+Zeppelin+iv&lab=&genre=&format=&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH#search_section |title=Gold & Platinum – RIAA<!-- Bot generated title --> |website=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |access-date=10 November 2021 |archive-date=10 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110211204/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Led+Zeppelin&ti=Led+Zeppelin+iv&lab=&genre=&format=&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH#search_section |url-status=live }}</ref> The track "[[Stairway to Heaven]]", never released as a single, was the most requested and most played song on American rock radio in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Monitor |magazine=Broadcasting |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Broadcasting Publications Inc. |date=12 November 1979 }}</ref> The group followed up the album's release with [[Led Zeppelin United Kingdom Tour Winter 1971|tours of the UK]], [[Led Zeppelin Australasian Tour 1972|Australasia]], [[Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1972|North America]], [[Led Zeppelin Japanese Tour 1972|Japan]], and [[Led Zeppelin United Kingdom Tour 1972–1973|the UK again]] from late 1971 through early 1973.
[[File:Led Zeppelin acoustic 1973.jpg|thumb|Plant and Page during an acoustic performance in [[Hamburg]] in March 1973, just before the release of the band's fifth album, ''[[Houses of the Holy]]''.|alt=A black and white photograph of Robert Plant with a tambourine and Jimmy Page with an acoustic guitar seated and performing.]]

Led Zeppelin's next album, ''[[Houses of the Holy]]'', was released in March 1973. It featured further experimentation by the band, who expanded their use of synthesisers and [[mellotron]] orchestration. The predominantly orange album cover, designed by the London-based design group [[Hipgnosis]], depicts images of nude children climbing the [[Giant's Causeway]] in Northern Ireland. Although the children are not shown from the front, the cover was controversial at the time of the album's release. As with the band's fourth album, neither their name nor the album title was printed on the sleeve.{{sfn|Wall|2008|pp=290–291}}

''Houses of the Holy'' topped charts worldwide,{{sfn|Wall|2008|p=294}} and the band's subsequent [[Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1973|concert tour of North America in 1973]] broke records for attendance, as they consistently filled large auditoriums and stadiums. At [[Tampa Stadium]] in Florida, they played to 56,800 fans, breaking the record set by [[The Beatles' 1965 US tour|the Beatles' 1965 Shea Stadium concert]] and grossing $309,000.{{sfn|Davis|1985|p=194}} Three sold-out shows at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York City were filmed for a motion picture, but the theatrical release of this project (''[[The Song Remains the Same (film)|The Song Remains the Same]]'') was delayed until 1976. Before the final night's performance, $180,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|180000|1973|r=-3}}}} today) of the band's money from gate receipts was stolen from a safe deposit box at the [[Drake Hotel (New York City)|Drake Hotel]].{{sfn|Yorke|1993|pp=186–187}}
[[File:LedZeppelinChicago75 2.jpg|thumb|left|Led Zeppelin perform at [[Chicago Stadium]] in January 1975, a few weeks before the release of ''[[Physical Graffiti]]''.|alt=A colour photograph of the four members of Led Zeppelin performing onstage, with some other figures visible in the background.]]

In 1974, Led Zeppelin took a break from touring and launched their own record label, [[Swan Song Records|Swan Song]], named after an unreleased song. The record label's logo is based on a drawing called ''Evening: Fall of Day'' (1869) by [[William Rimmer]]. The drawing features a figure of a winged human-like being interpreted as either [[Apollo]] or [[Icarus]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=<!--Not stated--> |title=William Rimmer Evening (The Fall of Day) |url=http://www.mfashop.org/wiriitfaofda.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926230017/http://www.mfashop.org/wiriitfaofda.html |archive-date=26 September 2019 |access-date=26 September 2019 |website=www.mfashop.org |publisher=Museum of Fine Arts, Boston}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=<!--Not stated--> |title=A History of the Led Zeppelin Icarus Logo |url=http://www.band-shirt.com/2013/03/09/history-of-the-led-zeppelin-icarus-logo/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926224856/http://www.band-shirt.com/2013/03/09/history-of-the-led-zeppelin-icarus-logo/ |archive-date=26 September 2019 |access-date=26 September 2019 |website=www.band-shirt.com}}</ref>{{sfn|Williamson|2007|p=107}} The logo can be found on Led Zeppelin memorabilia, especially T-shirts. In addition to using Swan Song as a vehicle to promote their own albums, the band expanded the label's roster, signing artists such as [[Bad Company]], [[the Pretty Things]] and [[Maggie Bell]].{{sfn|Yorke|1993|p=191}} The label was successful while Led Zeppelin existed, but folded less than three years after they disbanded.{{sfn|Davis|1985|p=312}}

In 1975, Led Zeppelin's double album ''[[Physical Graffiti]]'' was their first release on the Swan Song label. It consisted of fifteen songs, of which eight had been recorded at [[Headley Grange]] in 1974 and seven had been recorded earlier. A review in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine referred to ''Physical Graffiti'' as Led Zeppelin's "bid for artistic respectability", adding that the only bands Led Zeppelin had to compete with for the title "The World's Best Rock Band" were [[the Rolling Stones]] and the Who.{{sfn|Miller|1975}} The album was a massive commercial and critical success. Shortly after the release of ''Physical Graffiti'', all previous Led Zeppelin albums simultaneously re-entered the top-200 album chart,{{sfn|Davis|1985|pp=225, 277}} and the band embarked on another [[Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1975|North American tour]],{{sfn|Wall|2008|p=359}} now employing sophisticated sound and lighting systems.{{sfn|Yorke|1993|p=197}} In May 1975, Led Zeppelin played five sold-out nights at the [[Earls Court Arena]] in London, at the time the largest arena in Britain.{{sfn|Wall|2008|p=359}}