Summary

• Led Zeppelin’s evolving stance on licensing their songs for movies has led to some iconic cinematic moments.
• Films like “The Big Short” and “Thor: Ragnarok” effectively utilize Zeppelin songs to enhance key scenes and themes.
• From comedies like “School of Rock” to dramas like “Silver Linings Playbook,” Zeppelin’s songs create memorable movie moments.

As one of the most popular and influential rock bands of all time, the use of Led Zeppelin songs in movies always stands out. While there are a lot of great examples of their inclusion in the cinematic experience, there was a time when the English rockers’ music would never be heard on screen. Famously, early in the band’s career as one of the biggest musical acts in the world, Led Zeppelin refused to license out their songs for use in movies. However, as the years went on and the checks got bigger, they relaxed that policy more and more.

Now, Zeppelin tracks can be heard in everything from Almost Famous to Shrek the Third. However, since it’s so expensive to secure a Zeppelin song, filmmakers tend to use the band’s music sparingly. This provides some novelty to hearing these famous songs even after all of these years. From crowd-pleasing comedies to intense dramas to superhero action movies, the most notable uses of Led Zeppelin songs in movies have created some truly memorable cinematic moments.

The Big Short (2015)

“When The Levee Breaks”

Adam McKay’s The Big Short is based on a true story and dives into the details of how the disastrous 2008 housing market crash came to fruition with a star-studded cast that includes Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, and Brad Pitt. With a bit of humor and some memorable celebrity cameos in place, it manages to shed light on greed in a way that proves enjoyable.

The song, playing over stock images of wealth and excess as well as blue-collar people’s struggles, enhances the frustration associated with the story.

The Big Short uses Led Zeppelin’s iconic song “When the Levees Break” over the closing credits of the movie. It is an ideal song to close out the movie with the lyrics of foreboding and inevitable doom feeling like it is speaking directly to the events depicted in the movie. However, after the ending of The Big Short, there is also the feeling that it is speaking to the fact that it could happen again. The song, playing over stock images of wealth and excess as well as blue-collar people’s struggles, enhances the frustration associated with the story.

The Big Short
used the same Led Zeppelin song in its official trailer.

Ocean’s Twelve (2004)

“Kashmir”

Following the rollicking success of the first movie, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his star-studded crew return for a very different sequel. Ocean’s Twelve catches up with the thieves as they have been caught by the man they stole from and forced to pull off a heist in Europe in order to pay him back. While Ocean’s Twelve is not everyone’s favorite entry in the Ocean‘s movie franchise, it is a fun romp with a great sense of humor which is evidenced by the use of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”.

The song is first referenced in a joking manner when Linus (Matt Damon) attempts to keep up with Danny and Rusty (Brad Pitt) speaking in cryptic code which leads to him simply quoting a line from the song. It is a subtle joke that has an even more subtle punchline as the sequence that shows how the team pulled off the elaborate heist is scored to a bouncy instrumental track that suddenly transforms into a cover of “Kashmir”. It is a very fun moment for fans who can catch both references.

Our Friend (2019)

“Ramble On”

In Our Friend, Casey Affleck and Dakota Johnson star as couple Matthew and Nicole Teague. When Nicole is diagnosed with a terminal illness, their friend Dane (Jason Segel) decides to push his own problems aside and move in with them. The Led Zeppelin song “Ramble On” plays during a montage of Nicole checking various experiences off her bucket list. The song’s placement in the movie helps to capture the spirit of Nicole as she faces this heartbreaking situation with energy and happiness.

According to Classic Rock & Culture, producer Ridley Scott and director Gabriela Cowperthwaite sent letters to each of the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin to help get the rights to use the song. Robert Plant watched the film and felt moved by it. He and his bandmates then worked out a special deal so their songs could be used within the modestly budgeted indie.

Small Soldiers (1998)

“Communication Breakdown”

After having so much success with Gremlins, director Joe Dante attempted to repeat a similar formula with the less popular but still fun Small Soldiers. The movie centers around a new collection of GI Joe-like toys that are equipped with state-of-the-art microchips that allow them to talk and operate like no other toy. However, the chips eventually lead to them thinking they are real soldiers and taking aim at their human owners.

In one scene, the soldiers use Gwendy dolls (a parody of Barbie dolls) to bring to life for their war plans. Led Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown” plays when Christy (Kirsten Dunst) is tied to a chair by a group of evil dolls. It’s the perfect fast-paced tune that makes for a fun accompaniment for the wild on-screen action. It highlights the almost surreal experience as Christy tries to comprehend why her harmless dolls are turning on her.

Soldier (1998)

“Immigrant Song”

While Soldier may not be one of Kurt Russell’s best action movies, it has its charms. Technically a spinoff/sequel to Blade Runner (the battles of Tannhauser Gate and Shoulder of Orion are mentioned in both films), the film features Russell as the near-silent Sergeant Todd 3465, a machine-like soldier bred from birth to be a remorseless killing machine. When he is deemed obsolete in the face of a new generation of soldiers, Todd is discarded on a planet where he becomes the savior of a group of colonists.

A brief sound bite from Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” is heard while the film’s villain, Caine (Jason Scott Lee), is preparing to go head to head with Todd. With it featured so quickly, it serves as a great reminder of how effective that song is. Its propulsive and electrifying sound is wonderfully used amid the two emotionless characters in this scene.

Shrek The Third (2007)

“Immigrant Song”

Despite taking place in a fairy tale world, the Shrek movies have always used pop and rock songs to add to their animated adventures. In fact, Smash Mouth’s “All Star” has become so associated with the first movie that it is hard to imagine anything else when hearing the song. However, it is the third Shrek movie’s use of a famous Led Zeppelin song that provides perhaps the best Shrek musical moment of the whole franchise.

The scene comes when the princesses are getting ready to lead an attack on a castle. Snow White steps out and begins singing a lovely tune that brings all her animal critter friends to her. However, “Immigrant Song” suddenly kicks in with Snow White’s song suddenly turning into the iconic scream from Led Zeppelin’s tune. It is a cheer-worthy moment of the fun action sequence kicking off with Snow White’s animal friends attacking the guards.

Oblivion (2013)

“Ramble On”

Long before they broke records with their team-up on Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise and Joseph Kosinski collaborated on the underseen and somewhat forgettable sci-fi movie Oblivion. The movie is set in the future when the Earth has become ravaged by war with aliens, with Cruise playing Jack, the last remaining drone repairman on the planet.

Jack is obsessed with Earth culture and life, which is where the use of Led Zeppelin’s music comes in. As he is preparing to be shipped off the planet and reassigned, Jack returns to the small cabin he has which is filled with Earth-centric items he has collected throughout his work. This includes a record collection that allows him to play “Ramble On” as he confronts the reality of leaving Earth. The song’s lyrics about moving on fit well with Jack’s struggles to do the same and his inability to let go of his former home.

The Fighter (2010)

“Good Times Bad Times”

The Fighter is based on the true story of boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), a former boxer in his own right who has been consumed by drug addiction. The movie deals with the tense and complicated relationship between the two men with Micky loving his brother and the training he gives him while also knowing that his behavior is often destructive to Micky’s own goals.

Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” plays at a crucial point in their relationship that highlights this fact. The song intercuts between Micky celebrating with his family and Dicky on the run from the police after stealing a car. When Micky witnesses his brother getting arrested, he steps in to help only for the police to break his hand, threatening his boxing career. The song, about the good and the bad, speaks to the dynamic of the two brothers as well as the role Dicky plays in Micky’s life.

School Of Rock (2003)

“Immigrant Song”

Though Jack Black has a number of great roles throughout his career, playing Dewey Finn in School of Rock feels like the part the actor was born to play. Dewey is a wannabe rock star who is out of work and he lies his way into substitute teaching at a private school. Upon discovering the musical talents of the students, Dewey decides to form the youngsters into the band he has always wanted. The movie is a celebration of rock music with the use of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” being particularly memorable.

The song plays in the van on the way back to school after his class lands a spot at the Battle of the Bands by pretending to be terminally ill. Black’s energetic and passionate rendition of the song is funny but also further excites the students about this new kind of music they are playing. The DVD extras for School of Rock include a video that Black made to send to Led Zeppelin begging them to let director Richard Linklater use “Immigrant Song” in the movie.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

“What Is And What Should Never Be”

Along with The Fighter, Silver Lining’s Playbook is another movie that highlights filmmaker David O. Russell’s love of Led Zeppelin. Silver Linings Playbook is a unique rom-com starring Bradley Cooper as Pat, a man trying to get his life back together following a stint at a psychiatric facility after his wife cheated on him. While the romance aspects between Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are charming, the movie represents mental health effectively as well with Pat’s battle with bipolar disorder.

The tense and relentless song makes it feel like the audience is trapped inside Pat’s own overwhelming mind

Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be” is used in a particularly harrowing scene that depicts one of Pat’s manic episodes. The tense and relentless song makes it feel like the audience is trapped inside Pat’s own overwhelming mind as he tries to calm himself down but cannot. It is a perfect song to highlight the anxiety of the moment.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

“Kashmir”

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a teen comedy following various characters during their time at the titular high school. Part of the reason the movie remains so beloved is the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack which includes a lot of songs that perfectly capture the period. Led Zeppelin’s inclusion on that soundtrack also allows for a well-timed joke.

When Mark Ratner is asking his friend Mike Damone for dating advice, Damone tells him, “When it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV.” The scene immediately cuts to Mark driving in a car with his date, Stacy Hamilton, while playing Kashmir. Of course, the joke is even funnier for die-hard fans of the band as they will recognize that Mark got the advice wrong since “Kashmir” is actually taken from the album Physical Graffiti.

The Fast Times at Ridgemont High
soundtrack also features songs by The Go-Go’s, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Stevie Nicks.

Argo (2012)

“When The Levee Breaks”

Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning gem Argo is a tense political thriller chronicling the 1979-1981 Iran hostage crisis, in which a CIA agent managed to rescue six U.S. diplomats from Tehran by pretending to scout locations for a sci-fi movie. Along with detailing the wild plan to rescue them, the movie continuously cuts back to the diplomats themselves as they deal with the constant threat of being discovered.

During one of the scenes, the diplomats are hiding out in a house and begin playing Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks” on a record player to pass the time. However, the song actually further helps to highlight the tension of the moment as the song feels like a building pressure that is not going to hold forever. That adds to the ticking-clock element of the movie that Argo so entertaining even if it is not the most accurate “true story” movie.

Almost Famous (2000)

“Tangerine”

Almost Famous is another movie that is a love letter to music of a certain era as it follows William Miller (Patrick Fugit), a young aspiring rock journalist who joins the up-and-coming band Stillwater on their tour. There are five Led Zeppelin tracks in Almost Famous — “The Rain Song,” “That’s the Way,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “Bron Yr Aur,” and “Tangerine” — but the latter is the most memorable.

It plays over the montage that closes the movie, with Russell making amends with William, Penny jetting off to Morocco, Mrs. Miller finally lightening up, and Stillwater’s star power continuing to rise. With Led Zeppelin’s music being used to highlight various parts of William’s coming-of-age journey, it is fitting that it is the song that ties the whole story together. The song going from somber to energetic also shows the happy ending that things are going to turn out alright.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

“Immigrant Song”

After two tepid solo movies, Taika Waititi came in the bring a new spring on the Thor movies within the MCU. The third movie in the franchise found Thor (Chris Hemsworth) stranded on a strange alien planet and having to make his way back to Asgard in order to save it from his evil sister Hela (Cate Blanchett). While Waititi infused a lot of humor into the movie, he also made it a lot more fun than the previous movies, including with the song choices.

The Norse mythology-themed lyrics of “Immigrant Song” made it a perfect fit for the Thor franchise. The track is used twice in the final movie: first, when Thor battles Surtur’s minions before taking on the demon himself in the opening scene, and second when the God of Thunder triumphantly arrives on the Bifrost to destroy Hela’s armies. Even if the lyrics are a bit on the nose, the thrilling song accompanied by the amazing image of Thor descending onto the battlefield is one of the best moments in any Thor movie.

Taika Waititi used “Immigrant Song” in his pitch to Marvel for
Thor 3
.

Wayne’s World (1992)

“Stairway To Heaven”

Based on the Saturday Night Live skit that became a huge hit, Wayne’s World is a silly yet endearing comedy that follows Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey), two best friends who host their own public access show where they celebrate their juvenile lifestyle and rocker mentalities. Their love of music permeates throughout the movie with some fun cameos from real musicians, like Alice Cooper and Meat Loaf.

Music also seeps into the movie’s irreverent humor and Wayne’s fourth-wall-breaking antics. In one memorable scene, Wayne goes to a music store to try out a guitar. However, as he plays the opening notes of “Stairway to Heaven,” a clerk directs him to a sign that reads: “NO STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN.” It is a hilarious moment that speaks to the long-lasting legacy of that song, especially among aspiring guitar players.