 Led Zeppelin released their fourth album on 8 November 1971 . In response to the treatment they had received from critics , particularly after Led Zeppelin III , the band decided to release the fourth album with no title , though it is variously referred to as Led Zeppelin IV , Untitled , IV , or , due to the four symbols appearing on the record label , as Four Symbols , Zoso or Runes . In addition to lacking a title , the original cover featured no band name , as the group wished to be anonymous and to avoid easy pigeonholing by the press . With 37 million copies sold , Led Zeppelin IV is one of the best @-@ selling albums in history , and its massive popularity cemented Led Zeppelin 's status as superstars in the 1970s . By 2006 , it had sold 23 million copies in the United States alone . The track " Stairway to Heaven " , never released as a single , is sometimes quoted as being the most requested and most played album @-@ oriented rock ( AOR ) FM radio song . The group followed up the album 's release with tours of the UK , Australasia , North America , Japan , and the UK again from late 1971 through early 1973 . 
