Led Zeppelin’s legacy as an album-focused band makes their final single, “Fool in the Rain,” a fascinating chapter in their history. Released in December 1979, the song followed the enthusiastic reception of their In Through the Out Door album, marking just the 10th and last single from their eight studio albums before drummer John Bonham’s untimely death in 1980 and the band’s subsequent breakup.
Singer Robert Plant reflected on the band’s preference for albums over singles: “I always thought of the Stones as a pop group who made singles,” he said in 2005. “What we did wasn’t about competing in that space. For us, the album was the statement of the band.”
In Through the Out Door represented a shift in the band’s creative dynamic. Plant and bassist John Paul Jones took a larger role in songwriting, driven in part by Jones’s new Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer. “Jonesy didn’t contribute much to [1976’s] Presence, and that created tension,” guitarist Jimmy Page explained in Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page. “But the new synthesizer inspired him, and he started working closely with Robert, which hadn’t happened before.”
One standout track, “Fool in the Rain,” was inspired by the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Its samba-influenced rhythm, complete with whistles and a timpani break, added a fresh flavor to the band’s sound. “It’s not an attempt to be Carlos Santana or anything like that,” Plant explained in a 1979 interview. “It’s just a bit diversified and straightforward.”
Despite reaching No. 21 on the charts in early 1980, the band remained indifferent to chart success. “We just wanted to write music that would hold up on its own,” Page remarked.
Yet, In Through the Out Door wasn’t without its critics, even within the band. “Bonzo and I had already started planning a hard-driving rock album,” Page revealed. “We felt In Through the Out Door was a little soft. It was fine in its place, but we wouldn’t have pursued that direction further.”
Led Zeppelin’s final single serves as both a testament to their evolving artistry and a bittersweet farewell to a band that left an indelible mark on rock history.
