There isn’t much Led Zeppelin-stamped music that doesn’t routinely get played on the radio, isn’t learned by kids in bedrooms around the world, and isn’t immensely famous. Zep’s a rock institution. Still, even the mighty British rockers have their underrated gems, the songs buried deep in the bookcase behind the more popular volumes.

For this list, I’ve looked at songs that made it onto an official release, studio or live. I’ve decided not to include cover live songs even if most are part of famous concert bootlegs.

Here are the best 10 deep cuts by Led Zeppelin.

The Greatest 10 Deep Cuts by Led Zeppelin

10. “The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair” (“BBC Sessions” – 1997)

By the 1990s, diehard fans were ready to spend anything on a Zep reunion or, at least, some leftover, unreleased material. “The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair” is arguably the best that they got.

The “BBC Sessions” was a well-curated document of the band’s early live performances. And while this is not an original track per se, but a reworking of a Sleepy John Estes song, the ferocity of the band’s performances is more than evident.

It must’ve made the diehards wish they hadn’t bought all those bootlegs, eh?

9. “Hats off To (Roy) Harper” (“Led Zeppelin III” – 1970)

Roy holds the distinction of being part of the lore of not one but two of the most famous rock bands of the 1970s, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. But it all happened because both bands greatly appreciated the British folk-rock musician.

“Hats off To (Roy) Harper” is the most experimental track of the acoustic-based “Led Zeppelin III” album. It’s an acquired taste, but has an important space in the Zep story.

8. “Boogie with Stu” (“Physical Graffiti” – 1975)

By “Physical Graffiti,” the British titans of rock couldn’t be constrained within the single album format anymore. This was a double album.If “Led Zeppelin IV” was a sprint, “Physical Graffiti” is the marathon of a well-drilled music unit.

And, it’s where the majority of the bands early B-sides and unreleased material went. If “Led Zeppelin IV” was a sprint, “Physical Graffiti” is the marathon of a well-drilled music unit.

“Boogie with Stu” is one of the most fun, carefree moments on the record. It’s a piano-driven rock n’ roll tune brought to life by The Rolling Stones‘ legendary Ian Stewart.

7.”The Crunge” (“Houses of the Holy” – 1973)

Led Zeppelin was without question the biggest band of the early and mid-1970s. But the band’s songwriters didn’t insulate themselves from the world. They heard, among other things, the reggae and funk against which they were competing in the track.

“The Crunge” takes a queue from James Brown. And while John Bonham plays the groove with excellent precision, Robert Plant’s singing makes this a bit of an oddity. It grows on you, though, and Zep has no other track in its discography that resembles this.

6.”White Summer/Black Mountain Side” (“Led Zeppelin” – 1969 and on “The Complete BBC Sessions” – 2016 )

Jimmy Page has often confessed to wanting complete creative control over early Zeppelin. But this was needed to implement some wild, dangerous tactics.

Technically, I am cheating here. “Black Mountain Side” was a dark piece of music inspired by Indian music. It was featured on the first album. Meanwhile, “White Summer” was a solo Jimmy Page piece performed in early concerts.

Oftentimes, the two would be grouped together. Page is often lauded for his solos or riffs. But in these near-avantgarde instrumental pieces, fans can get a full picture of his creativity.

5. “Travelling Riverside Blues” (“BBC Sessions” – 1997)

What did Led Zeppelin really do if not take the blues and make it louder, grander and somehow even scarier? It feels somehow fitting that the mighty Zep, whose guitarist Jimmy Page was famous for his interest in Aleister Crowley and the occult, would cover a Robert Johnson song.

Whether Johnson did give up his immortal soul in exchange for exceptional musical talent, we cannot say. What we do know, and this version of “Travelling Riverside Blues”, proves it, is that Page and the rest of Zep certainly possessed an improbable amount of musical ability.

4. “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)” (“Led Zeppelin II” – 1969)

It’s tremendous just how much work, live and in the studio, early Led Zeppelin did. And while many songs were complex compositions, some had an almost proto-punk kick to them.

You’re not supposed to take “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)” seriously. The howling Robert Plant doesn’t seem to either. But you’ll find yourself enjoying it, regardless of it being one of the lesser-known tracks off “Led Zeppelin II.”

3. “I’m Gonna Crawl” (“In Through the Out Door” – 1979)

By the late 1970s, Led Zeppelin had used most of the jet engine with which their tank had been filled. It was up to Robert Plant and John Paul Jones to complete the tracks that appeared on “In Through the Out Door.”

It’s an often misunderstood and undervalued record. But Zep’s allure is still there. Nowhere is that more evident than on the final track of this last album. Plant’s singing is a mix of Janis Joplin and pure madness. It’s an underrated gem.

2. “Your Time Is Gonna Come” (“Led Zeppelin” – 1969)

Yes, the “Led Zeppelin” album made the group an instant sensation. It was “Communication Breakdown” and the blues-rock numbers that the band played in its multiple tours.

“Your Time Is Gonna Come” gets overlooked. It brought something different to the mix. It was a well-written, almost pop-rock track. It was hooky. And to those who were listening, it showed Zeppelin had more to so much more to give.

1. “Tea for One” (“Presence” – 1976)

“Tea for One” is the spiritual descendant of the more famous “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” But if Plant and Page sounded like they were only invested in the blues as an intellectual pursuit before, it all looks pretty personal here.

The song was written and delivered amid much inner turmoil, and that tension is reflected in the performance. The result is a manic, emotional blues that’s left unedited at over nine minutes long.

It presents Plant and the rest of Zeppelin as their most emotionally vulnerable. It’s a crime that it’s not more famous. This is Led Zeppelin’s greatest underrated song.