Jimmy Page attended the launch of the Royal Mail classic album stamps in London yesterday and praised the inclusion of 'Led Zeppelin IV' in the series.

The collection, aptly dubbed 'Classic Album Covers', showcases defining album covers side by side on ten first class stamps including The Clash's 'London Calling', Pink Floyd's 'The Division Bell' and Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'.

At the Rough Trade West in London yesterday, Jimmy Page said of 'IV': “Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him - that sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time.”

Also in the collection are Blur's 'Parklife', Coldplay's 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head', 'Let It Bleed' by The Rolling Stones, New Order's 'Power Corruption & Lies', Primal Scream's 'Screamadelica' and 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars' by David Bowie.

Julietta Edgar, Head of Special Stamps, Royal Mail said: “For decades the album sleeve has been the canvas for some of the most imaginative graphic artists in the world, and this issue celebrates this unique art form and some of its greatest examples.

“We hope customers will enjoy the opportunity to send or collect these classic album designs in their smallest format yet – as miniature works of art on millions of 1st Class stamps.”

(by Scott Colothan)