Online music services might make it seem like every track that’s ever been recorded is now available for purchase and digital download—with each service claiming to offer millions of music tracks—but the simple fact is that vast collections of music are not available online in any form. Sometimes these are limited-release recordings on obscure labels, where master recordings may not be available, and many others are archival or historic recordings that may never make it online. But there are a few holdouts among popular performers, too: Metallica took a long time to come around to digital sales, and (of course) The Beatles catalog has yet to come online.
Today, one of the last major digital holdouts came around: British super-group Led Zeppelin announced it will be taking its music catalog online on November 13. Digital tracks will be available from all major online music retailers; in addition, an exclusive partnership with Verizon Wireless will enable Verizon mobile users to download full songs and ringtones over the air, as well as alert tones, wallpapers, and ringback tones.
“We are pleased that the complete Led Zeppelin catalog will now be available digitally,” said Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, in a statement. “The addition of the digital option will better enable fans to obtain our music in whichever manner that they prefer.”
The iconic group called it quits after the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, with surviving members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones embarking on successful careers as performers and producers, punctuated by occasional reunions like the original “Live Aid” concerts and an upcoming one-off performance in tribute to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who signed Led Zeppelin in 1968. Led Zeppelin recorded for Atlantic its entire career. The band is also planning to release a 24-track, two-CD set retrospective collection called Mothership on November 13.
Led Zeppelin’s catalog includes well-known songs like “Communication Breakdown,” “Rock and Roll,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Kashmir,” “All of My Love,” and the ubiquitous rock classic “Stairway to Heaven.”
