Written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, "Immigrant Song" is one of Led Zeppelin's most instantly recognisable songs. 

The song has seen a huge spike in popularity recently due to it's two significant inclusions in the new blockbuster film Thor: Ragnarok. Here's the trailer, featuring the song, to absolute perfection;

So, what is it about this song that is so perfectly suited to high-action, high-adrenaline visuals? And why after nearly 50 years since it's release (it was released on November 5th 1970 - yes, that's 47 years ago this week!) is it suddenly hugely popular on streaming services such as Spotify and Youtube again - and not just to us old folk, to a much younger demographic. We are thrilled by this! The kids are cottoning on to what's great!

"Immigrant Song" has clocked up in excess of 60 million streams on Spotify alone, and is Led Zeppelin's 4th most streamed song behind "Stairway To Heaven", "Whole Lotta Love" and "Ramble On". Listen to those tracks and more on Spotify's 'I Like: Led Zeppelin' playlist...

The success of the film has surely contributed! Thanks, Marvel! The lyrics "Hammer of the Gods" is a perfect match for Thor. 

The lyrics reference Norse Mythology and given that the hugely popular Netflix series Vikings is now in its 5th season, that could too, have sparked some interest in the song. Especially with Robert Plant's howling vocals mentioning the movement from Scandinavia to the "western shore" and Valhalla - the Viking equivalent to Heaven. 

In a 1970 radio interview, Plant jokingly recalled, "We went to Iceland, and it made you think of Vikings and big ships ... and John Bonham's stomach ... and bang, there it was – Immigrant Song!".

Whether it's his wailing vocals or the repetitive staccato feel of the guitar and drums that draws us in, one thing's for sure - this is a monster rock song that MUST be played at high volume. 

Lyrics