‘Immigrant Song’: Jack Black’s favourite Led Zeppelin track
Few actors in Hollywood can boast a record collection as impressive as Jack Black’s. A passionate fan of iconic artists ranging from Nirvana to Led Zeppelin, he defies the stereotype that actors only favour mainstream, mellow sounds like The Lighthouse Family or Savage Garden. Furthermore, Black’s filmography frequently intersects with the music world, showcased in projects such as School of Rock, High Fidelity, and his own band, Tenacious D. This cements his status as Hollywood’s foremost music aficionado—a title he proudly embraces.
While Black’s role as the frontman of the comedy duo Tenacious D and his portrayal of the quirky record store hipster Barry Judd in High Fidelity are among his most celebrated music-centric performances, it was his star turn in 2003’s School of Rock that truly solidified his status as the acting world’s foremost music enthusiast. This role stands as his defining moment.
Written by future White Lotus mastermind Mike White, directed by Dazed and Confused auteur Richard Linklater, and starring Black as the down-on-his-luck musician Dewey Finn, who impersonates his substitute teacher friend Ned Schneebly and gets his students into a Battle of the Bands, it was a global success. It was the highest-grossing music-themed film of all time until 2015’s Pitch Perfect 2, which surprisingly knocked it off its perch.
Not only did the flick make Black a household name, but it introduced an entire new generation to classic rock. It was an instrumental influence in the early years of many musicians who are now coming to the fore with their own original sounds. Without mentioning many notable artists and including an array of classic songs, it’s more than likely that this generation wouldn’t have become so obsessed with music.
Whether it be AC/DC, The Who, Ramones, The Modern Lovers, or Stevie Nicks, the School of Rock soundtrack is a mammoth one. It features an extensive list of pivotal artists with whom many start their musical journeys, forming the bedrock of their tastes and proclivities.
For many, the finest moment in School of Rock is when Finn and his students are in the van and the otherworldy groove of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’ bursts through the speakers. Black’s character undertakes his crazed impression of Robert Plant’s falsetto and the bobblehead on the side rocks in tandem. For many longtime fans of the British band, the inclusion of the Led Zeppelin III staple was surprising, as they were notorious for not allowing their song’s use in cinema.
However, as the band had previously turned down Linklater to use their music in his 1970s-based 1993 coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused, he had another trick up his sleeve to get them to relent. It was later revealed in a behind-the-scenes clip that Linklater and Black filmed a clip wherein the latter begged the group to let them use the song, shot in a theatre stuffed with extras who chanted their name along with the movie’s lead.
In the clip, Black calls them “the greatest rock band of all time” and maintains that the movie would not be the same without the track. “Your song would be the hard-rocking cherry on the top of the mountain,” he says. It worked. Black secured his favourite Led Zeppelin song for School of Rock. He recalled: “The moral of the story is, don’t be too proud to beg. For something you really need, you might need to get on your knees, with a thousand people behind you screaming.”
Linklater and Black were right, ‘Immigrant Song’ tipped off a stellar soundtrack, and a film about the story of rock music simply wouldn’t have been the same without the British band’s inclusion. It also proved significant in tying Black to one of his favourite groups forever. In 2012, he was on hand to introduce them for their Kennedy Center Honours and called them the best band of all time once more, maintaining they were better than The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Tenacious D.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Led Zeppelin Newsletter
All the latest stories about Led Zeppelin from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.