"Thank You" is a song by the English rock band

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

from their second studio album ''

Led Zeppelin II ''Led Zeppelin II'' is the second studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 22 October 1969 in the United States and on 31 October 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place ...

'' (1969). It was written by

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...

and

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...

, and produced by Page.

Composition and recording

"Thank You" is notated in the key of

D major D major is a major scale based on D (musical note), D, consisting of the pitches D, E (musical note), E, F♯ (musical note), F, G (musical note), G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, and C♯ (musical note), C. Its key signature has two S ...

common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...

with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

of 76 beats per minute. The song features a

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

, played by

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

, which fades into a

false ending A false ending is a device in film and music that can be used to trick the audience into thinking that the work has ended, before it continues. The presence of a false ending can be anticipated through a number of ways. The medium itself might bet ...

before concluding with a

crescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece are the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings require interpretation by the performer depending ...

roughly ten seconds later. For the recording of this track, Page played on a Vox Phantom XII 12-string guitar.

Personnel

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin: *

– vocals *

– electric and acoustic guitars, vocal harmonies *

– bass, organ *

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, John Bonh ...

– drums

Reception

In a retrospective review of '' Led Zeppelin II (Deluxe Edition)'' (2014), Michael Madden of ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...

'' praised the remastering of "Thank You", believing the track now sounds "mellow and well-balanced". Madden further praised the remastering, writing the track "breathes easy during the verses and ascends elsewhere in the song", along with "illuminating Page's touch and Bonham's haymakers". When reviewing the added bonus tracks of the ''Deluxe Edition'', Madden further praised the new version of "Thank You", titled "Thank You (Backing Track)", writing the track "magnifies the song's tasteful sheen, popping with Bonham’s drums and Jones' organ, which seems to have a mind of its own." Record producer

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...

remarked on the song's structure: "The delicacy of the vocals is incredible; the acoustic guitar and the organ work together to create an otherworldly presence." Mark Richardson of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' found "Thank You" to be "musically brilliant", and that it "mix sfolk with proto-metal" via "chiming acoustic guitars" which "provide the contrast to the crunch in a whole new way".

Recognition and legacy

In November 2010, "Thank You" was featured on Gibson's list of "10 Great Songs that Give Thanks". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' ranked it number 29 on "The 40 Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs of All Time" in November 2012. In November 2017, "the song was ranked number 28 on Fuse's list of "35 Thank You Songs".

Page and Plant Page and Plant (also known as Jimmy Page & Robert Plant) were an English rock band active between 1994 and 1998. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant (both formerly of English rock band Led Zeppelin), accompanie ...

recorded it for the '' No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded'' album (1994).

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

* {{Authority control Led Zeppelin songs 1969 songs Songs written by Jimmy Page Songs written by Robert Plant Song recordings produced by Jimmy Page