Rocktorado

56 years ago today, on October 31, 1970, Led Zeppelin III hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, taking over from Santana's Abraxas. It held the top spot for four straight weeks before Abraxas returned to No. 1. Atlantic released the album in the US on October 5, 1970, and it entered the chart at No. 3 a few weeks later before climbing to the top. It was one of the most anticipated records of the year, and the band had just taken out a full-page Melody Maker ad that simply said, "Thank you for making us the world's number one band." The music surprised a lot of fans. Alongside the thunder of "Immigrant Song" and the slow blues of "Since I've Been Loving You," much of the record was acoustic, with "Gallows Pole," "Tangerine" and "That's the Way." 🎈 Advance orders in the US alone were close to a million copies. What's your favorite track on Led Zeppelin III? 🎈

Led Zeppelin on stage in 1970 and 1971, around the time of Led Zeppelin III. 56 years ago today, on October 31, 1970, the album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for four weeks. A week later, on November 7, it was No. 1 in the UK too. The songs came out of a rare break. After a draining spring tour of North America, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page retreated to Bron-Yr-Aur, a remote cottage in Wales with no running water or electricity, and several of the new songs were written there. The band then cut the album at Headley Grange using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, and mixed it in Memphis in August 1970 in the middle of another American tour. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" started life as an electric jam called "Jennings Farm Blues" before it became an acoustic number, with John Bonham playing spoons. The sleeve was designed by Zacron, an artist Page had first met as an art student in 1963. 🎈 The cover hid a spinning card wheel that changed the pictures showing through its holes. Did you own an original copy with the wheel? 🎈