Robert Plant is arguably the best rock singer ever to roam the earth (my personal fave is Freddie Mercury), and as such Led Zeppelin’s discography is chock full of incredible karaoke songs to choose from.
I grew up listening to classic rock, so naturally Zeppelin is one of the groups that shaped my love of music.
But there’s a difference between a great song and a great song for karaoke. I’m here to help you differentiate between the two.
Quick Word of Advice
Before I get into the list, I’d like to start with a word of advice to anyone considering singing one of these songs for karaoke night. Robert Plant is not a pop singer. He doesn’t always sing in super predictable ways. It’s usually not easy to replicate what he does, so my recommendation is to sing your chosen song before you actually try to perform it on stage.
Something that has happened to me a few times is I’ll pick out a song that I think I know, but when I get into it I realize that I only know about half the song. Trust me, you feel pretty dumb when you suddenly realize you don’t know the melody for the entire second verse.
Many of these songs are trickier to sing than your average song.
My List of Best Led Zeppelin Karaoke Songs
1. “Black Dog”
I think of “Black Dog” as an ideal fit for karaoke. The entire band keeps their silence while the vocals slice through. The band and the singer go back and forth, trading blows. If you have stage fright, this song is not for you, but if you want everyone to hear your voice, this song is perfect.
2. “Going to California”
There are a few small vocal flourishes that hit some high notes, but if you choose not to attempt those or drop the octave you could pull this song off as a baritone (a novelty for Zeppelin songs). And it’s just a beautiful song.
Related Article: Best Karaoke Songs for Baritone
3. “Heartbreaker”
“Heartbreaker” may not be a top 3 Led Zeppelin song (though it’s still a great song), but it is a top 3 song for karaoke. The vocal melodies throughout the song are clear and repetitive making them easy to replicate on stage. The song is relatively short, and the instrumental break isn’t unbearably long (like so many of their other songs).
4. “Stairway to Heaven”
No Zeppelin song list can be complete without their ageless classic “Stairway to Heaven.”
Related List: The Best Beatles Karaoke Songs
5. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”
I was one of those annoying acoustic guitar playing guys in college, and my girlfriend (now wife) used to HATE it when I would practice “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You.” So perhaps not the best song to sing with your significant other in the audience, but an otherwise wonderful tune.
6. “Rock and Roll”
This is a great song to just forget all the beauty and flair of Robert Plant’s typical vocals and just rock out while you scream-sing. There’s so much artistry in this band’s music, but this song is just good old fashioned classic rock.
7. “Ramble On”
“Ramble On” is actually my favorite Led Zeppelin song. It’s one of the few songs they ever recorded that perfectly fits the radio template (4-ish minutes, verse/chorus/bridge/chorus, etc.). In fact, the song was never actually performed live by the band in its entirety.
Related List: Best Classic Rock Karaoke Songs
8. “Since I’ve Been Loving You”
This song is a back and forth between incredible guitar solos and equally amazing vocals. If you’ve had one too many drinks then head on up to the stage, pull out your air guitar and break that crowd’s heart with your singing. One thing I love about this song is how laid back and almost sloppy the vocals are. You can really have some fun with this one.
9. “D’yer Mak’er”
In high school my best friend and I used to have some pretty good laughs singing the “oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh” from “D’yer Mak’er.” We thought we were really being dirty, haha. Anyways, here’s another song like “Ramble On” that follows the radio formula. It works well if you want to sing Zeppelin but you don’t want to try and match all the noodling vocals that Plant sings in so many of their songs.
10. “Over the Hills and Far Away”
The most standout parts of this song are the guitar intro and the vocals in the chorus. If you’re singing Led Zeppelin then you’d better be a tenor, but the chorus in this song has particularly high vocals.
Related List: The 35 Best Karaoke Songs for Tenors
11. “Dazed and Confused”
As is true for most Zeppelin songs, there is absolutely no hiding as the vocalist in this song. But that also means that if you have the pipes to pull it off you’ll be hailed as a karaoke hero.
12. “Communication Breakdown”
“Communication Breakdown” is an example of a great song that works well for the radio, but can actually be very tricky for karaoke. The chorus is easy, but Plant is all over the place in the verses. It won’t be easy to replicate his melodies in the verses, so make sure you try this one out at home before you try it on stage.
Related List: Best Journey Karaoke Songs
13. “Immigrant Song”
If you need a little inspiration for singing “Immigrant Song” on karaoke night, you need only to watch Jack Black perform this masterpiece in a way only he can do:
14. “Whole Lotta Love”
“Whole Lotta Love” has a lot of characteristics of a great karaoke song. Catchy vocal melody that stands out from the rest of the band, well known song, not a lot of opportunities to screw up, and enough opportunities to impress. However, it does have one potential downfall, a huge instrument interlude in the middle of the song. If you don’t think you can make that work, then avoid this song, but if you can then this is one of Led Zeppelin’s best karaoke songs.
Related List: My Song List for Punk Rock Karaoke
15. “Kashmir”
The best thing about “Kashmir” is the recognizable marching chord progression. I threw this one towards the bottom of the list because it’s not a breathtaking vocal performance, but there’s no denying the influence of this song. The crowd will certainly recognize the song, and with the underwhelming vocals, this is one of your rare opportunities (among Led Zeppelin songs) to somewhat hide behind the music.
16. “All My Love”
Another in a long list of classics, “All My Love” has a rare trait among their songs: it’s relatively easy to hide the vocals behind the music in this song. If you are set on performing a Zeppelin song, but you don’t have the capabilities of Robert Plant, this could be the song for you.
Related List: 30 of the Best Love Karaoke Songs
17. “When the Levee Breaks”
It’s hard to leave this song off the list, because it’s so iconic. But if I’m honest, it’s not among the better songs for karaoke. The heart of this song is the music, not the vocals, but as such it offers a one more good option for singers who would rather keep the spotlight at arms length.
Conclusion
There’s no question that Led Zeppelin has some great songs. However, the inventive vocal melodies of Robert Plant and the long instrumental breaks of Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham can make many of these songs difficult to pull of on the karaoke stage.
If you’ve got the voice to support those melodies, and the stage presence to withstand those instrumental interludes, then this band has some of the most fun karaoke songs out there.
