February 7: Led Zeppelin II Is The Band’s First UK No. 1 Album

On February 7, 1970, Led Zeppelin’s album Led Zeppelin II landed at number 1 on the UK album charts. 

The album was released on October 22, 1969. It was produced by Jimmy Paige and features some of their biggest hits like “Whole Lotta Love” and “Ramble On.” 

Zeppelin got into a little bit of legal trouble for “Whole Lotta Love,”  when the group took some lyrics from Willie Dixon’s hit “You Need Love”. The band was charged with plagiarism but the parties were able to settle out of court.

Led Zeppelin II has one of the most Iconic covers of all time … but where did the inspiration come from? Turns out, it was one of Jimmy Paige’s classmates in art school, David Juniper. 

They asked him to come up with something interesting and Juniper delivered. The classic artwork was based on an old photo of a German Air Force division from World War 1. Juniper replaced some of the faces in the photo with the band members. Then added facial hair and sunglasses to the rest. Once he was happy, he added the finishing touch, a silhouette of a zeppelin on a brown background.

Fun Fact: The brown background and Zeppelin led the band to refer to the album as “The Brown Bomber”.

Led Zeppelin II managed to stay on the charts for a whopping 138 weeks. Since its release the iconic album has been called a blueprint for metal bands to follow, ultimately proving as the inspiration for most of the bands you love today.

RELATED: Rock Rewind: The timeless influence of Led Zeppelin …

Other Notable Rock Events From February 7

1959 – Buddy Holly’s body was laid to rest in Texas. He passed away on February 3, 1959, after a plane crash. The tombstone includes pictures of a guitar and the correct spelling of his last name “Holley.”

1959 – Guitar Slim passed away at 32. A blues guitarist, he was known for experimenting with distorted overtones on electric guitar’s long before they became a staple of rock and roll. 

1963 – The Beatles released “Please Please Me” in the US. 

1964 – The Beatles were greeted by more than 5,000 fans at JFK Airport in New York.

1967 – The Monkees announced they would play on their own records going forward. 

1969 – Jim Morrison was arrested for driving without a license and while intoxicated. 

1969 – “Pinball Wizard” was recorded by The Who in London, England. 

1971 – Linda Ronstadt and James Taylore record vocals for “Heart Of Gold” for Neil Young. 

1973 – The Stooges released Raw Power. Kurt Cobain has said that this is his favourite 

1976 – Elvis recorded “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain.”

1976 – Paul Simon’s “Fifity Ways To Leave Your Lover” became his first #1 in the US. 

1979 – Stephen stills recorded on digital equipment at Record Plant Studio in LA. He’s said to be the first rock artist to do it but the album was never released. 

1979 – The Clash played their first US show. It took place at Berkeley Community Theatre in California. 

1980 – AC/DC performed “A Touch Too Much” on Top of the Pops. 

1980 – Pink Floyd perform their first production of The Wall at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The show included the erection of a giant wall on the stage as the band played. 

1980 – Bon Scott attended a UFO concert in London 12 days before he died. 

1981 – John Lennon’s “Woman” went to #1 in the UK. 

1981 – Elvis and Me, a mini-series based on a book of the same name by Priscilla Presley premiered on ABC. 

1993 – While recording a live set for MTV Unplugged, Young was not impressed by his backing band. The album from the session was released later in the year. 

1999 – Blondie’s “Maria” went to #1 in the UK. 

2000 – Dave Peverett of Foghat dies at 56. 

2004 – Music fans voted Queen’s “We Will Rock You” as the greatest rock anthem. 

2021 – Elliot Mazer, a producer who worked with Neil Young, The Band, and more, died at 79. 

2023 – Handwritten lyrics for David Bowie’s “The Jean Genie” sold at auction for £57,000. 

Rock Birthdays

1934 – King Curtis who worked with John Lennon, Buddy Holly, and others (Saxophone)

1934 – Earl King (Guitar) 

1948 – Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night (Organ)

1949 – Alan Lancaster of Status Quo (Bass)

1962 – David Bryan of Bon Jovi (Keyboard)

1968 – Sully Erna of Godsmack (Vocal)

On This Day In History – February 7

February 7th is a huge day for rock history. Records have been broken, albums released, and you’ve said goodbye to some of your favourites. Thank you for taking the trip down memory lane.