To Celebrate Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin‘s guitarist, whose birthday is today – Happy Birthday BTW – , we have selected twelve female singers who have covered Led Zeppelin’ . most famous songs. .
They are . Amy Lee, Rachel Kaiser, Corinne Bailey Rae, Shubhangi Joshi, Shel, Alice Gold, Grace London, Larkin Poe, Haley Reinhart, Liana Primerano, Miley Cyrus, Mary J. Blige
Here, they are reunited in one glorious playlist. Enjoy!
WATCH IN FULL
Tracklist
1 . Amy Lee . Going To CaliforniaFew covers manage to straddle homage and reinvention as gracefully as Amy Lee’s rendition of “Going to California.” Originally penned by Led Zeppelin, Lee’s acoustic-driven take leans into her signature ethereal vocal style, offering a delicate counterpoint to the rugged spirit of the 1971 classic. What distinguishes this interpretation is how stripped-down and personal it feels—especially for a track born from a rock giant’s pantheon. Released in 2015 on her “Recover, Vol. 1” EP, the arrangement marries rollicking nostalgia with a sense of meditative stillness, as if revisiting a place remembered differently with age. The accompanying black-and-white video, directed by Eric Ryan Anderson, reveals the song’s intimate backdrop, from shots of Lee’s home studio to her garden—settings that feel as grounded as her voice sounds unshackled. Live, Lee heightened this electricity, performing the song with Evanescence starting in late 2015—a choice that tugged at crowds eager to hear her transcend genre once again. What emerges from her interpretation is a peculiar tension: a Led Zeppelin classic grounded in Southern California’s golden haze, rebooted by an artist whose goth rock roots hardly scream sun-kissed nostalgia. The incongruity works surprisingly well, a testament to Lee’s ability to map her vocal vulnerability onto terrain she doesn’t naturally claim as her own. 
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2 . Rachel Kaiser . Going To California (w/ Barsie)Rachel Kaiser’s “Going To California (w/ Barsie)” is a wistful nod to Led Zeppelin’s iconic track of the same title.
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3 . Corinne Bailey Rae . Since I’Ve Been Loving YouCorinne Bailey Rae’s rendition of “Since I’ve Been Loving You” reminds us that homage is a risky business, especially when treading on the hallowed ground of Led Zeppelin’s catalog. Released as part of her debut self-titled album in 2006, Rae’s take leans heavy on jazz textures, softening the brooding blues of the original with honeyed vocals and languid instrumentation. This is no arena-shaking anthem; instead, it’s repurposed as a smoky after-hours lament, polished and restrained in a way that feels both deliberate and a touch too safe. While Led Zeppelin embodied raw, visceral anguish, Rae opts for smoothness, placing heartbreak under a velvet filter that trades the gut punch for a gentle tug. The St Luke’s live rendition uploaded in 2009 showcases Rae’s elegant phrasing and undeniable charm, though it hardly reinvents how we perceive the song. Fast forward to her 2021 performance at “The Black Proms” at the Royal Albert Hall, and Rae injects a bit more edge and gravity—perhaps drawing closer to the original’s spirit without ever truly lighting a fire. Rae’s voice, undeniably luminous, elevates the song’s emotional core, but at times it feels like the arrangement accompanies rather than challenges her artistry.
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4 . Shubhangi Joshi . The Rain Song“The Rain Song” lives somewhere between myth and melody, never quite allowing itself to settle as either. Originally penned by Led Zeppelin in 1973 as a cheeky retort to George Harrison’s quip that they couldn’t write a ballad, it opens with a tender nod to Harrison’s “Something,” as if to say, “Here’s your ballad, Harrison—now watch us drown it in melancholy grandeur.”
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5 . Shel . The Battle Of Evermore“The Battle of Evermore,” originally penned by Led Zeppelin but reimagined by SHEL, doesn’t simply flirt with the mystical; it throws you headfirst into an ethereal fog of both familiarity and surprise. Led Zeppelin’s 1971 original, housed within their untitled fourth album (forever Led Zeppelin IV in spirit), is steeped in Tolkien references and medieval allegories, led by Robert Plant’s bard-like delivery and Sandy Denny’s haunting vocal interplay. SHEL’s later cover, while largely unpublicized, carries a distinct charm—an acoustic delicacy tethered to their modern artistic sensibilities, yet reverential to the source material. Stripped of Page’s thunderous mandolin, the cover leans toward a softer, more atmospheric take, giving the song’s elemental battle of light and dark a dreamlike filter.
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6 . Alice Gold . Your Time Is Gonna ComeSometimes a cover song evokes more of a cultural snapshot than the original it seeks to honor. Case in point: the 2011 live rendition of “Your Time Is Gonna Come” performed by Alice Gold during Paul Simon’s Meltdown Festival at London’s Southbank Centre. Stripped of Led Zeppelin’s vintage bombast, this take leans into the grit and perseverance embedded in the song’s marrow, trading soaring organ chords for raw honesty on a needle-thin wire between homage and reinvention. Alice Gold’s approach carries the ghostly echoes of 1968’s Olympic Studios, where Zeppelin fleshed out their debut with legendary urgency, completing the album in just 36 feverish studio hours. Yet Gold pivots away from duplicating their larger-than-life ethos, offering a lean, blues-inflected framework that frames karma as a slow burn rather than instant payback.
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7 . Grace London . Bron-Y-Aur Stomp“Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” is the kind of Led Zeppelin track that feels less like a stadium-shaking classic and more like an intimate campfire jam session. Plucked from their 1970 album *Led Zeppelin III*, this folk-rock detour sees the band shedding the thunderous veneer of their usual sound for something touchingly homespun. The song’s rustic charm owes much to its setting—Bron-Yr-Aur, a remote Welsh cottage that lent its name to the track and misfired its spelling on the album cover. This wasn’t the typical arena fodder; it was an ode to simpler pleasures, epitomized by Robert Plant’s wholesome tribute to his dog, Strider, who doubled as his woodland companion and walking muse. Musically, it’s an earthy swirl of John Paul Jones’ upright bass, Jimmy Page’s sprightly acoustic strumming, and John Bonham’s percussion—a curious mix of spoons and castanets that somehow works splendidly. The jaunty rhythm calls back to traditional hoedowns, while its breezy, toe-tapping energy imbues the track with a warmth that feels comfortably out of step with the band’s towering rock epics. Inspiration came not just from Welsh isolation but also from Bert Jansch’s “Waggoner’s Lad,” a fitting reference point for a band unafraid to mix the time-honored with their own adventurous imprint. Zeppelin premiered it live during their 1971 UK tour, tweaking the arrangement here and there in subsequent performances—never losing its unpolished, heartfelt spirit.
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8 . Larkin Poe . Dazed And ConfusedLarkin Poe’s cover of “Dazed and Confused” walks a fine line between homage and reinvention, stripping down the Led Zeppelin classic to a raw blues-rock centerpiece brimming with urgency. Anchored by their signature slide guitar pyrotechnics, Rebecca and Megan Lovell inject the track with a gritty, unvarnished edge that feels both reverent and boldly contemporary. Released as part of their 2020 album “Kindred Spirits,” the duo reinterprets the iconic track with an intensity that underscores the song’s perennial allure while sidestepping outright mimicry. Trading Jimmy Page’s sprawling, improvisational digressions for a leaner, roots-inflected approach, the sisters recast its brooding mystique through a distinctly Southern lens. Their 2023 single and accompanying video amplify this aesthetic, showcasing a focused, live energy that strips away pretense, leaving behind a feral, almost primal rendition. What makes their version stand out isn’t merely their musicianship—though it’s in top form—but the way they connect the past and present. With snarling guitars and a minimalist arrangement, the cover pulses with the kind of immediacy Zeppelin might have aimed for, had they emerged in the digital wilderness of the 21st century. What sticks with you is the texture. Their approach feels tactile, even dirty, as if the notes themselves were clawed out from the Mississippi mud, a fitting nod to the blues roots both bands dig deep into. At times, their interpretation may feel overly disciplined compared to the chaotic grandeur that characterized Zeppelin’s, but this restraint is also its strength—it’s the sound of an artist owning the material rather than being overwhelmed by it. Perhaps what emerges most clearly here is Larkin Poe’s ability to mine an endlessly covered classic for something fresh without sounding derivative.
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9 . Haley Reinhart . What Is And What Should Never BeHaley Reinhart’s take on Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be” is equal parts homage and reinvention, wrapped in the high-stakes drama of *American Idol* Season 10. Performed during a Top 3 round that doubled as a litmus test of artistry, Reinhart pushed boundaries as she tackled a song few would dare touch. Her choice, while bold, showcased her ability to blend rock’s raw edges with pop sensibilities, all while maintaining the song’s original bluesy mystique. Backed by her father, Harry Reinhart, on lead guitar, the familial chemistry lent a personal touch to what was otherwise an intensely public moment. It wasn’t without its hiccups—her much-discussed stumble on the stairs during the performance would have derailed someone less seasoned. Instead, she turned it into a footnote in a widely praised rendition that even the judges couldn’t resist applauding. Reinhart’s smoky tone and emotional delivery brought a fresh angle to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant’s ode to longing and duality, offering just enough of a contemporary spin for *Idol* audiences without alienating Zeppelin purists. Thematically, the song’s lyrical dance between what could be and what is mirrored her *Idol* journey—an uphill battle laden with risks and rewards. While Haley ultimately didn’t take home the *American Idol* crown, performances like this made enduring impressions.
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10 . Liana Primerano . Kashmir (w/ The Groove Babies,The Star Princess Orchestra And The Crystal String Quintet)“Kashmir” by Liana Primerano alongside The Groove Babies, The Star Princess Orchestra, and The Crystal String Quintet is a nod to Led Zeppelin’s sprawling epic.
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11 . Miley Cyrus . Babe I’m Gonna Leave YouCovering Led Zeppelin’s 1969 classic “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” might seem like a curious choice for Miley Cyrus, a pop provocateur often associated with twerking and foam fingers. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that the song’s raw emotion and tumultuous themes fit neatly within Cyrus’ repertoire of reinvention and reckless vulnerability. Performed live during her Bangerz Tour in Puerto Rico in 2018, this rendition wasn’t part of a studio album or carefully marketed release. Instead, it felt more like a deliberate flex—a nod to her rock influences and a defiant reminder that, yes, she has the vocal chops to tackle one of the most towering names in music history. The grain in her voice brought a weathered sincerity that shifted the song’s seismic heartbreak into fresh terrain, unpolished, yet captivating. Her distinctive rasp added a new kind of ache to Robert Plant’s anguished pleas, bridging the gap between Led Zeppelin’s folk rock pedigree and her own penchant for sonic and emotional unpredictability. The song’s timeless story of an inevitable, messy farewell felt like a peek behind her public persona—a fitting metaphor for an artist perpetually in flux, always teetering between burning bridges and building new ones. Was it perfect? Absolutely not.It was messy, flawed, and completely her, bringing an emotional sincerity that few could have predicted—perhaps a reminder that under all the shock value, Cyrus is still wrestling with the kind of heady, universal vulnerability that pushed Led Zeppelin’s original into rock canon all those years ago.
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12 . Mary J. Blige . Stairway To HeavenMary J. Blige’s take on “Stairway To Heaven” isn’t merely a cover; it’s a bold R&B reimagining of a rock classic that some might call audacious and others might label reverential. Released in 2010 as a bonus track on *Stronger with Each Tear*, this rendition boasts an ensemble of musical heavyweights including Randy Jackson on bass, Travis Barker on drums, and guitar virtuosos Steve Vai and Orianthi, making it as much a “who’s-who” of session players as it is a showcase for Blige’s powerhouse vocals. Blige infuses the famously cryptic lyrics with her own gospel-tinged intensity, leaning into themes of materialism and spiritual resolve with a sound that blends her signature emotive style with the gravity of Led Zeppelin’s original composition. The track was recorded in the iconic Capitol Records building, a detail that lends an additional layer of gravitas to the project, though it likely leaves purists conflicted about its faithful departure from the rock template. Despite mixed reactions, ranging from awe over Blige’s vocal dynamism to skepticism about melding Zeppelin’s anthem with soulful undertones, the effort itself feels less like a replication and more like a testament to Blige’s deeply personal connection to the song’s message.
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