Photo: Press
Led Zeppelin's 1970 classic, 'Immigrant Song', has entered the US charts after appearing in the trailer for the upcoming third movie in Marvel Studios' Thor franchise, Thor: Ragnarok.
Billboard reported the only single released from the Led Zeppelin III album debuted on the Hot Rock Songs chart at No. 16 with 7,000 downloads sold in the week ending 13 April 2017.
It is also said to have re-entered the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart at number one.
Worldwide sales will more than likely see the song reach even higher heights, as the Thor trailer goes viral.
'Immigrant Song' originally peaked at No. 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1970, while the album went on to reach US sales of more than 6 million copies
In theatres in the US on November 3 (UK dates and elsewhere will be likely around the same date), the Taika Waititi directed film, "Thor: Ragnarok" sees Thor held captive on the planet Sakaar without his hammer while he must win a gladiatorial duel against old friend the Hulk, in order to return to Asgard in time to stop Hela and the impending Ragnarök from ending civilization there.
Led Zeppelin join the long list of classic rock bands who have contributed songs old and new to the movie world. In recent years Journey have been the most successful perhaps with ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ being the stand-out track from the Tom Cruise starring Rock of Ages. Athough David Coverdale’s Whitesnake, Def Leppard and Guns ‘n’ Roses all did very well from that album, movie release and subsequent stage show.
Australian rockers AC/DC went one better with their musical score tie-in with Marvel’s Iron Man 2 soundtrack. The Robert Downey Jr. hit featured an album’s worth of their trademark heavy rock hits.
This Led Zep addition to the Marvel and comic book movie universe is yet another great example of how the rock genre and its bands transcend the music word and can enhance a feature films action set-pieces.
As these films continue to be released and top the charts, more and more classic bands will surely see their work find its way on screen.
Elsewhere, Jimmy Page has told Gigwise in September last year that he intends to return to the stage in 2017 "in some shape or form."
This comment comes after Page finished the reissue series. Page and John Davis remastered all the studio albums and gave them companion disks that gave more information and a more "panoramic picture" of Zeppelin in the studio. We eagerly await Page's tour news.
