INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Why Led Zeppelin?

Why this Special Edition?

Good questions both. This Special Edition fully investigates the Led Zeppelin phenomenon, and make no mistake: Led Zeppelin is a phenomenon, one very worthy of investigation. Detailed here for you is the history of the band, from its initial inception as the “New Yardbirds” of 1968, through its first American tour, to its present status as the premier touring band of the world. That’s a history that’s lasted over a decade—approaching 12 years, in fact —and a history that shows no signs of slowing down.

There’s another reason why this Special exists. Year after year, CREEM’s annual reader polls show that Led Zeppelin really is “the most popular band in the world” out there. Last year’s voting was especially significant; not only winning top honors for the year, Led Zeppelin was also voted Best Group Of The 70’s, Led Zeppelin IV the Best Album Of The 70’s and “Stairway To Heaven” the Best Song Of The 70’s.

Yet there’s no denying that popularity polls really aren’t the whole shebang, that this year’s Numero Uno may be next year’s biggest bore. It’s happened before—look at Peter Frampton and Kiss, these days. Yet there’s something at work within Led Zeppelin, something that’s somehow managed to give the band respectability on two different levels: as a contemporary phenomenon, a band that manages to sell 20 billion copies of In Through The Out Door and cause panic in any city where mere whispers of a Zep concert are heard; and also, more importantly, as a band with very vital, very respected roots. There really aren’t very many bands that go back as far as the Yardbirds did—and that Jimmy Page could be a part of that phenomenon and a part of the current one is all the more remarkable.

And while, after all this time, Led Zeppelin may have its detractors, those who stick their noses in the air and say it’s old, it’s boring, it all sounds the same—well, that may be. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But there’s no one who can successfully argue that Led Zeppelin isn’t a very relevant part of the contemporary music scene, at least not for the millions upon millions of people who have—one time in their life—listened to a Led Zeppelin record.

Here at CREEM, there’s also a special interested in Led Zeppelin. Both of us—CREEM and Led Zep, that is—have been in business since early 1969. As a result, we’ve been managing to keep track of each other for 10 years. Included in this special is everything significant we’ve had to say about the band: from their first American tour, a review and small interview taken from the very first CREEM; the reviews of the Led Zeppelin albums, all the way from 1969’s Led Zeppelin II to In Through The Out Door; and much, very much, more.

Interest in Led Zeppelin has never been higher. It was there then, back in 1969, and it’s here today. And who was it that said the song remains the same?