The songs John Bonham wrote for Led Zeppelin

As one of the greatest bands of all time, Led Zeppelin left a truly amazing legacy. The band never released a bad album in their twelve years together, and they never stopped pushing themselves, even as punk rock took over and the world moved on from the classic rock era. What’s fascinating about their story is that each member contributed something essential to the group, so Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones realised it was game over when drummer John Bonham passed away in 1980.

Shortly after Bonham’s death, frontman Plant said, “When we lost John, we agreed unanimously that that was that.” “I had to go figure out my motivation for doing this”. Was it something I wanted to do, or was it just something I wanted to rake in while sitting back like a croupier at a gambling establishment? Or, did I really want to carry on with this kind of work of figuring out my future? I had lost my best friend, so I wanted to remove all the trappings.”

Plant had lost his best friend, with whom he had gone on many roadside skirmishes before the days of Led Zeppelin, but they had also lost a crucial component of the puzzle. The fact that none of the other members of Led Zep would still be around today if they had suffered the same fate as their rhythmic leader says everything about the group’s character. Without each of them, it simply would not have functioned or been the same.

Naturally, the fact that each member was an expert in their own field helped, especially for Bonham. The most influential person to have ever picked up a stick is none other than the late Led Zeppelin maestro, aside from early big band pioneers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, the former of whom Bonham called “God”; and Ginger Baker, the man who first combined scintillating jazz technique with rock ‘n’ roll. His talent is obvious, whether it be in “Moby Dick,” “Bonzo’s Montreux,” “Black Dog,” or “Four Sticks.” Even though these recordings were made many years ago in a very different era from our own, their enduring quality speaks to Bonham’s unique, elemental power.

In addition to his contributions to the band’s dynamism and ever-more-expansive sound, John Bonham was also an integral part of the songwriting process, despite popular belief. Although Jimmy Page may have overseen most of the group’s creative direction, the bearded Bonham was listed as a songwriter on 24 tracks by the quartet, including hits that were beloved by fans and pop culture classics.

Reversing the conventional notion of a drummer, Bonham went a step further and collaborated with Led Zeppelin on a lengthy list of their greatest songs. This includes the standby songs “Communication Breakdown” and “Kashmir,” as well as his flourishes “Bonzo’s Montreux” and “Moby Dick”. Known for being a solo composition, “Bonzo’s Montreux” originally appeared on the 1982 compilation Coda. He could obviously do it all.

John Bonham composed these songs for Led Zeppelin:

Bonzo’s Montreux

Boogie With Stu

Communication Breakdown

The Crunge

D’yer Mak’er

Darlene

The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair

Good Times Bad Time

Heartbreaker

Hey Hey What Can I Do

How Many More Time

In My Time of Dying

Kashmir

The Lemon Song

Moby Dick

The Ocean

Out on the Tiles

Rock and Roll

Sunshine Woman

When the Levee Breaks

Whole Lotta Love