Kashmir Led Zeppelin: The 8:37 Song, Explained
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin is named for a place the band never visited.
Robert Plant wrote the lyric after a drive through southern Morocco, and the 8:37 track appears on Physical Graffiti, released in 1975.
Its riff sits in a different meter from its vocal, and an orchestra of strings and brass answers the guitar.
This Kashmir Led Zeppelin guide covers the story, the recording, the chart numbers, the rankings and the lawsuit.
Led Zeppelin in a 1971 Atlantic Records promotional photograph, four years before Kashmir came out.
Image credit: Atlantic Records, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Kashmir Led Zeppelin: A Moroccan Drive and a Riff in Two Meters
Where the Lyric Came From
According to Wikipedia, Robert Plant wrote the lyrics in 1973, right after the band's 1973 US tour.
None of the band members had visited Kashmir.
Plant was inspired by a drive through a desert area in southern Morocco.
How the Riff Was Built
Jimmy Page and John Bonham recorded a demo in late 1973.
Plant later added lyrics and a middle section.
In early 1974, John Paul Jones added the orchestration, and session players were brought in for strings and horns.
Jones also added a Mellotron part.
The finished track is on Physical Graffiti, one of the albums covered in our Led Zeppelin songs post.
DADGAD and Two Meters at Once
Page played Kashmir in DADGAD tuning, which he also used on White Summer and Black Mountain Side.
The guitar riff is in triple meter, and the vocal is in quadruple meter.
Wikipedia calls that a polymeter.
Page used a Danelectro, which was unusual for him, because he normally played a Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Telecaster.
The Record at a Glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Writers | Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Bonham |
| Producer | Jimmy Page |
| Album | Physical Graffiti (1975) |
| Released | February 24, 1975 |
| Label | Swan Song |
| Recorded | 1974, Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio at Headley Grange, and Olympic Studios, London |
| Length | 8:37 |
| Tuning | DADGAD |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
Who Played on It
Wikipedia credits these musicians:
- Robert Plant: vocals.
- Jimmy Page: electric guitars, six-string and twelve-string.
- John Paul Jones: bass guitar and Mellotron.
- John Bonham: drums.
- Unidentified musicians: strings and brass.
For more slow-burning tracks from the decade, the Mood Song Matcher sorts songs by feel.
Hear Kashmir
Press play on Kashmir Led Zeppelin and listen for the strings and brass answering the guitar riff.
Jimmy Page performing live with Led Zeppelin, 1977.
Image credit: APA-Agency for the Performing Arts, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Kashmir on the Charts and the Rankings
No 1970s Chart Run to Report
This site's Billboard year-end and weekly Hot 100 data contain no Kashmir Led Zeppelin rows.
Wikipedia's chart table for the song lists only peaks from 2007, when it sold as a digital download.
That makes it an album track on Physical Graffiti first, and a favorite for Music of the 70s listeners second.
Its better-known sibling, Stairway to Heaven, has a similar album-first story.
2007 Digital Chart Peaks
| Chart | Year | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 2007 | No. 80 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 2007 | No. 64 |
| US Hot Digital Tracks | 2007 | No. 49 |
| US Hot Digital Songs | 2007 | No. 42 |
| Canadian Hot Digital Singles | 2007 | No. 33 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
Certifications
Wikipedia lists two sales and streaming certifications:
| Country | Certification | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI) | Gold | 15,000 |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 400,000 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
Where Critics and Lists Put It
Wikipedia lists these rankings:
| Publication | List | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Rock (US) | Top 50 Classic Rock Songs | 1995 | 20 |
| VH1 | Greatest Hard Rock Songs | 2009 | 21 |
| VH1 | 100 Greatest Rock Songs | 2000 | 62 |
| Q | 100 Greatest Songs | 2006 | 74 |
| Rolling Stone | 500 Greatest Songs | 2010 | 141 |
| Rolling Stone | 500 Greatest Songs | 2021 | 148 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
Wikipedia also says all four members of the band have called it among their best musical achievements.
Dave Lewis calls it "unquestionably" the most startling track on Physical Graffiti, and PopMatters calls it the album's "quintessential track."
Kashmir Live, in Film and in Court
Kashmir Led Zeppelin on Stage
Led Zeppelin played Kashmir at almost every concert after its 1975 debut.
Wikipedia lists these notable live versions:
- Knebworth, 1979: the version on the Led Zeppelin DVD from 2003.
- Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert, 1988.
- Page and Plant with an Egyptian and Moroccan orchestra, on No Quarter in 1994, and with an orchestra on their 1995 tour.
- The O2, London, December 10, 2007, with Jason Bonham on drums, released on Celebration Day in 2012.
The O2 performance earned a 2014 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance.
Signifying Rapper and the 1994 Lawsuit
The 1988 Schoolly D song Signifying Rapper sampled Kashmir.
It was then used in the 1992 film Bad Lieutenant.
In 1994, Page and Plant successfully sued HBO to remove the song from televised showings of the film.
A copyright ruling also ordered Live Home Video and Aries Film Releasing to destroy unsold copies of the film.
On Screen
The song plays briefly in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and in the 1981 book the film was based on.
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page playing an acoustic set in Hamburg, Germany, 1973, the year Plant wrote the Kashmir lyric.
Image credit: Photo by Heinrich Klaffs, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Random 70s Song Generator draws from the songs that did chart, if you want a contrast to an album track like this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kashmir by Led Zeppelin about?
Kashmir was inspired by a drive, not by the region, according to Wikipedia.
Robert Plant wrote the lyrics in 1973, right after the band's 1973 US tour, inspired by a drive through a desert area in southern Morocco.
None of the band members had visited Kashmir.
Who wrote Kashmir?
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Bonham wrote Kashmir, according to Wikipedia.
Page and Bonham recorded a demo in late 1973, Plant added lyrics and a middle section, and John Paul Jones added orchestration in early 1974, with session players on strings and horns.
What guitar tuning does Kashmir use?
Kashmir uses DADGAD tuning, according to Wikipedia.
Jimmy Page also used it on White Summer and Black Mountain Side.
He played the song on a Danelectro, which was unusual for him, since he normally played a Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Telecaster.
Was Kashmir a hit single?
Wikipedia's chart table for Kashmir Led Zeppelin lists only 2007 digital download peaks, including number 80 on the UK Singles Chart and number 42 on the US Hot Digital Songs chart.
It is known as an album track from Physical Graffiti, released on February 24, 1975.
Why did Page and Plant sue over Kashmir?
The 1988 Schoolly D song Signifying Rapper sampled Kashmir, and it was used in the 1992 film Bad Lieutenant.
According to Wikipedia, Page and Plant successfully sued HBO in 1994 to remove the song from televised showings of the film.
Sources
- Kashmir (song), Wikipedia, for the writing credits, the recording history, the tuning and meter, personnel, 2007 chart peaks, certifications, rankings, live performances, the Signifying Rapper lawsuit and the film appearance.
- Physical Graffiti, Wikipedia, for the album the song appears on.
- Led Zeppelin, Wikipedia, for background on the artist.
- This site's Billboard year-end and weekly Hot 100 data, which do not list the song, so no site chart number is claimed for Kashmir Led Zeppelin.
Related Posts
Led Zeppelin Songs: Play 15 Essentials and Their Stories
Eight Hot 100 entries, five number one albums, and every essential song playable in one list.
Read post
Stairway to Heaven: Every Section of the 8:02 Explained
The Welsh cottage, the studios, the Belfast debut, the radio record and the Taurus case.
Read post
Bohemian Rhapsody: The Song Nobody Wanted to Release
The label that refused it, the DJ who leaked it, and the four hours that made the video.
Read post