That Time Madonna Played "Whole Lotta Love" on Guitar (and Covered Pantera)
Someone recently reminded me of this odd event—so now I'll remind you.
On June 19, 2015, Madonna uploaded a brief video of herself playing the iconic Jimmy Page guitar riff from Led Zeppelin's “Whole Lotta Love." In the video, which originally appeared on the singer's Instagram, she’s dressed in black and stands in a room with at least five other guitars in the background (not to mention the Orange cabinet she's playing through).
When she posted it, she included the caption, “Channeling Led Zeppelin. Whole Lotta Love. #rebelheart.” Rebel Heart is the name of her 2015 album.
Not surprisingly, the video garnered multiple views, "likes" and of comments. Um, care to add to that?
“Whole Lotta Love,” the opening track from 1969's Led Zeppelin II, was Led Zep's only Top 10 single, reaching Number 4 on the charts. It seems that when people want to mess with a Led Zeppelin song, they choose this one. For instance:
• "Whole Lotta Love" on a Dulcimer: Check Out This Crazy Led Zeppelin Cover
• Whole Lotta Sound Effects: Michael Winslow Covers Led Zeppelin
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• Whole Lotta Editing: Five Awesome Led Zeppelin Mashups
• "One Man Zepp" Covers Led Zeppelin's "The Song Remains the Same," "Whole Lotta Love" and More.
By the way, this also reminds me of the time Madonna covered Pantera's "A New Level" in 2008. You can watch her play a few seconds of "Whole Lotta Love" in the top video and most of "A New Level" in the bottom clip. Enjoy!
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

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