By Sasha Geffen
Last night, Miley Cyrus dropped a surprise cover of “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” a tune by folk songwriter Anne Bredon that Led Zeppelin made famous by including on their first self-titled album in 1969. That’s a long time before the Disney star was even born, but Miley still owned the song, shredding her powerful voice in a way that’s seriously reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s iconic singer Robert Plant.
In case you’re scratching your head a little at her song choice, we’ve thrown together a few more Zeppelin tracks to get you familiar. They have a huge catalog of great rock songs from the ’60s and ’70s, and we don’t think Miley should stop at just one. Here are five tracks that she should take on next.
5. ‘Immigrant Song’
This high energy rocker already got the Karen O treatment during the opening credits of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” but we want to hear Miley take on those screams, too!
4. ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’
This tune fakes you out with a quick acoustic riff from guitarist Jimmy Page, but erupts into a full-blown rock song right after the first verse. We’ve heard Miley do the same thing in her dance-pop track “Someone Else,” so this classic would make a perfect fit.
3. ‘Heartbreaker’
Miley obviously knows how to soundtrack a party, but she might be at her best when she’s tackling pain and heartbreak, like on her ballad “Wrecking Ball.” With a catchy riff and a crazy guitar solo, “Heartbreaker” rocks away the hurt like nothing else.
2. ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’
This slinky standout from Led Zeppelin’s second record boasts tons of vocal twists and turns that we know Miley would just own. Like Plant, she can snap from low-key croon to full-on scream in a second, and “What Is and What Should Never Be” would be a great way for her to show off her range.
1. ‘When the Levee Breaks’
Originally a blues song written and performed by the married couple Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929, “When the Levee Breaks” got positively apocalyptic as the last track to Led Zeppelin’s fourth album. It would sound great updated for the 21st century, and we can’t think of anyone who could do it better than Miley.
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