When the Levee Breaks - Definition and Overview

When the Levee Breaks is a blues song by Memphis Minnie, famously covered by Led Zeppelin as the last song on their fourth album.

The Led Zeppelin version features a distinctive and often-sampled pounding drum beat by John Bonham, driving guitars and a wailing harmonica, all presumably meant to symbolize the relentless storm that threatens to break the levee, backing a powerful vocal performance by Robert Plant. The best-known song on the album may be "Stairway to Heaven", but "When the Levee Breaks" makes for a memorable finale.

The famous drum performance was actually recorded by placing the drumkit and drummer at the bottom of a stairwell, and recording it using a microphone at the top, giving the distinctive resonant but slightly muffled sound.