"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, serving as the opening track on their second album, Led Zeppelin II , released in 1969. It was also released as a single in several countries that year, becoming their first hit in the United States and achieving gold certification there

. The song is notable for its powerful guitar riff played by Jimmy Page on a distorted Telecaster, its experimental psychedelic middle section featuring a theremin solo, and its innovative studio production techniques, including reversed echo effects in the outro. The riff is based on just two chords, E major and A major, and the song maintains a steady tempo of 80 bpm

. Lyrically, parts of "Whole Lotta Love" were adapted from Willie Dixon's "You Need Love," originally recorded by Muddy Waters in 1962. After a lawsuit, Dixon was credited and compensated for his contribution

. The band first performed "Whole Lotta Love" live on April 26, 1969. It became a staple of their concerts and was the last song they played live. The song was also performed at various Led Zeppelin reunions, including Live Aid in 1985 and the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in 2007

. Critically, "Whole Lotta Love" has received high acclaim, ranking number 75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and number three on VH1's list of the greatest hard rock songs. BBC Radio 2 listeners voted it as having the greatest guitar riff of all time

. Personnel on the track include Robert Plant (vocals, tambourine), Jimmy Page (guitars, theremin), John Paul Jones (bass guitar, bongos, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums, congas, maracas)

. In summary, "Whole Lotta Love" is a landmark hard rock song by Led Zeppelin, celebrated for its iconic riff, innovative production, and enduring influence in rock music