Led Zeppelin to iTunes in the Fall?

Scan the register of bands on iTunes and you aren't likely to find many famous names unrepresented. From Johnny Cash to Beyonce from B.B. to Bono, from Eric Clapton to Queen, there's a sampling of music across generations and genres.

But if you're of the generation that, when you picked up a guitar, the first song you wanted to learn how to play was Stairway to Heaven? Going to iTunes might leave you calling out "Houston, we've got a problem."

Besides the Beatles, classic rock legends Led Zeppelin have been among the few major holdouts that've refused to go digital and go Apple. It's ironic in a way, the two bands, (along with fellow famous holdout, Radiohead), represent music's British Invasions but so far when it comes to digital, they've been strictly isolationist. That's reportedly soon to change.

Thom Yorke and Radiohead may still holdout to protest breaking albums into singles but the Beatles are coming, it's a just a question of when. And now for Led Zeppelin that question of a date is not an issue either.

According to the UK's Observer, Led Zeppelin has officially picked a date to hitch with digital. In a marketer's dream, it would happen on April 19th, the same day Paul Revere famously rode yelling "The British are Coming." That won't be the case but Led Zeppelin will hit iTunes in time for Thanksgiving. The report is, November 12th is the day.

As was the case with Metallica, and other late entrants, a full back-catalog of Led Zeppelin's music won't be available. Instead, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant will release hand picked tracks to be assembled into an iTunes album called Mothership. Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love and Dazed and Confused are reported among the songs to make the list.