The top 20 covers of Led Zeppelin songs

Many have tried, but few have successfully pulled off a Led Zeppelin cover. Seriously, how many vocalists have the range of Robert Plant? How many guitarists possess the chops to do Jimmy Page justice? With that in mind, here are 20 of the better covers of Zeppelin songs.

The 1990s side project of Heart-rocking sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson delivered this gem of a cover of the third cut of Led Zeppelin IV. It appeared on the soundtrack for the Cameron Crowe — Nancy Wilson's husband at the time — movie Singles. The sisters have also played the tune while out on their own and under the Heart name. 

Zeppelin's original version off their first album was hard and fast. Maiden took it to the next level, and Bruce Dickinson did nothing to compromise Robert Plant's soulful vocals, mainly because his range can sometimes rival the Led Zep frontman. Iron Maiden's take was part of a bonus reissue of 1990's No Prayer for the Dying.

The late Scott Weiland and Co. offered a solid take on the Houses of the Holy hit. Stone Temple Pilots didn't veer much from the original but offered a more stripped-down version with some swing mixed in. This version was included on the 1995 compilation Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin.

This cover is also from the Encomium tribute project. Crow contributed a delightful version of another Houses of the Holy favorite. In her customary sultry, beachy way, Crow didn't disappoint on a tune that was actually more of an experimental piece for Led Zeppelin back in the day.

"Four Sticks" is another Encomium effort. The 1995 version was obviously raunchier than what ended up on Led Zeppelin's fourth album but also seemed strangely more polished than the original. Still, Henry Rollins did nothing to hurt the song's legacy, and his rendition was serviceable at the very least.   

No stranger to performing covers, the tortured soul who was Smith often paid homage to Zeppelin during his live shows. This cover of the second cut off the band's third album is the indie folk-rocker at his best. The later bluesier rendition highlights Smith's ability as both a brilliant vocalist and guitarist, who died at age 34 of an apparent suıcide in 2003.

Known for its radio-friendly brand of post-grunge rock, Fuel — and more specifically vocalist Brett Scallions — came through with an above-average take on this Led Zeppelin IV classic. Sure, Scallions doesn't have the range of Plant, but his gravelly voice more than compensated and produced a passionate performance. Fuel's rendition appeared on a bonus version of Fuel's 2000 album Something Like Human.

The Vermont jam band hit one out of the park with this 2013 live version of the opening cut from Zeppelin's debut album. Though Phish's offering goes about three minutes longer than the original, it doesn't feel drawn out like many of its originals and covers played in a live setting.

Nirvana, and especially Dave Grohl, were huge Zeppelin fans. The band honored the British hard rockers with a raw, distorted version of the Led Zeppelin II favorite. Grohl is relentless on the drums, and Kurt Cobain keeps things tight without veering too much into any moments of nonsense. The crowd comments are an added bonus.

Already a jazzy number with plenty of blues riffs and feel, this cover of "How Many More Times" by Brittany Howard and her band comes through with the goods. Howard is just as soulful as Plant. The passion is certainly there for a version that remains unheralded.

From the soundtrack of the 2011 film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Karen O, frontwoman of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, collaborated with Nine Inch Nails leader Trent Reznor and English musician/producer Atticus Ross to cover the powerful opener from Led Zeppelin III. In its own industrial-sounding way, O and friends delivered a version that actually rivals the original in terms of pure, raw aggression. 

It's fitting that a band that features a violinist would cover this Zeppelin masterpiece off Physical Graffiti. Matthews, who covered the song with the versatile Tim Reynolds in years past, actually did an admirable job on vocals during this 2013 performance with his band. Due to its many components, DMB could have muddled this track but managed to pull it off quite well. 

From the first sound of Linda Perry's vocals combined with her band's musical support, it sounds like we're hearing the original version of this popular track off Led Zeppelin IV. As the 4 Non Blondes take goes on, Perry makes it more of her own. It's perhaps the highlight of the 1995 Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin.

Jimmy Page was Buckley's musical idol, and in turn, the Zeppelin guitarist was a huge fan of the late American singer/songwriter. Word is that both came to tears when they first met. Buckley often covered Zep tunes at his live shows, and his version of this Physical Graffiti cut is perhaps the best of the bunch. It showcases Buckley as upbeat, bluesy, and raw enough to make Page cry again. 

Instrumentally, Blind Melon kept things pretty close to the original Led Zeppelin III offering. The late Shannon Hoon's unique voice also fit very well with this rocker. At certain moments, Hoon's range seems to work even better than Plant's. 

Train is not for everyone, especially hardcore Zeppelin fans. But give frontman Pat Monahan credit: He put forth a strong performance that even Plant should be proud of. This is the gem of 2016's Train Does Led Zeppelin II, covering the songs from Zep's second studio album.

The Grammy-winning British singer/songwriter grew up a fan of Led Zeppelin and has incorporated its songs into some of her sets over the years. Her cover of this soulful Led Zeppelin III cut is beyond special. Bailey Rae makes the song her own while still adhering to the grittiness of the original version.

This cover is campy, but it's brilliantly arranged and played. Zappa and his band's 1988 performance of the overplayed Zeppelin classic is likely the most original cover version of the song ever — down to the horn section. Leave it to Zappa to do something completely unique while staying true to the original artist. 

There have been several covers of this Led Zeppelin II ballad, but Cornell — underrated for his own cover performances — growled it out to perfection. The late Soundgarden singer's acoustic take is fresh and sincere. Most of all, his memorable voice added another element that set it apart from other versions of this underrated Zeppelin song. 

Talk about making somebody else's song your own. Amos did that in the early 1990s with her rather short, piano-driven version of the Led Zeppelin II opener. Though she added her take of "Thank You" at the end, the "Whole Lotta Love" portion showed why Amos was one of the most popular artists of the '90s.