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Cover of Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
Cover: Led Zeppelin

Song · Led Zeppelin

“Communication Breakdown” by Led Zeppelin

From the album Led Zeppelin (1969)

“Communication Breakdown” by Led Zeppelin appears on 59 radio countdowns from 23 stations between 1982 and 2026. It was first released in 1969 on the album Led Zeppelin. Its best result is #28 on the 99.1 PLR Led Zeppelin 50. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #479 classic rock song of all time.

59countdowns
23stations
#28best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1982–2026years charted

Watch

Led Zeppelin - Communication Breakdown (Official Audio)

Video from YouTube (Led Zeppelin). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Communication Breakdown" is a shot of pure adrenaline from Led Zeppelin's 1969 debut album, and it's all built on one ferocious, stabbing Jimmy Page riff; the other three filled in the song around that hook, and John Paul Jones later said you could tell it was Page's in an instant. It started life as "Too Good" and was already in the set on the band's 1968 Scandinavian tour.

Page produced, Glyn Johns engineered, and the band plays it at a gallop, John Bonham slamming away, Jones pumping the bass and Robert Plant wailing over the top. It turned up on the B-side of their first American single, "Good Times Bad Times", and a promo clip of the band miming to it later landed on the Led Zeppelin DVD in 2003.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 468 95.5 KLOS KLOS Memorial Day 500 (1982) 499
1990 245 Z-Rock Z-Rock Top 1001 Songs of All-Time (1990) 1000
1991 302 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1994 255 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1994) 1000
1995 368 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1995) 1000
1996 231 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) 1000
1996 353 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 265 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1997 402 104.5 KZEP KZEP Memorial Weekend Top 500 (1997) 500
1998 247 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1999 346 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2002 540 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) 923
2004 539 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) 923
2010 223 97.9 The Loop The Loop USO Rock 'N' Roll 500 (2010) 500
2011 244 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2011 538 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 381 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2012 541 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2012 205 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 488 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Grand Jam 1000 (2013) 1000
2013 259 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2013 379 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2013) 500
2013 28 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Led Zeppelin 50 50
2014 401 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 109 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 400 (2014) 400
2015 353 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2015) 499
2015 488 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2015 314 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2015) 500
2016 440 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2016) 500
2016 280 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2016 413 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2016) 500
2017 481 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2017) 500
2019 952 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2019 222 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2019 334 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2019) 500
2020 345 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2020 400 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2020 353 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2021 297 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2021 360 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2021) 500
2021 149 WCSX WCSX Rock & Roll 500 (2021) 499
2021 321 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 359 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2022 766 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 460 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 353 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 424 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 455 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2023 621 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 536 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 356 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 333 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2024 535 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 350 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 441 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 499
2025 706 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2025 434 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2025) 500
2025 443 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2026 466 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500

Also listed as: Communications Breakdown; Communication Breakdow.

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