Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin

Like their ancestors, the Yardbirds, it wasn’t just thunderous volume and a mayhem that turned this quartet into the most influential heavy metal pioneers in history. They were virtuosos, artists with a style that drew heavily on the blues and recording techniques that quite simply changed the course of rock sounds. Jimmy Page’s unique understanding of distortion, feedback and reverberation helped to shape Zeppelin’s remarkable sound, like sculptured noise. Robert Plant’s emotional voice and roots in British folk music gave the band’s later albums a distinct baroque-metal leaning and, along with Page, opened the doors for a song like “Stairway To Heaven,” undoubtedly Zeppelin’s most famous hit.

Formed in 1968, Led Zeppelin’s original line-up included Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass, Robert Plant, vocals, and John “Bonzo” Bonham on drums. Embarking on a tour of Scandinavia under the name the New Yardbirds, they subsequently toured the U.S. as Led Zeppelin, watching their first album reach the Top 10 before the tour was over. After Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III, ZoSo, Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffiti, Presence, The Song Remains The Same and In Through The Out Door, personal and family tragedies began to take their toll. Plant and his family were seriously injured in a car crash; Page got deeper and deeper into the occult and drugs; and, in 1980, John Bonham died at Page’s home choking on his own vomit after drinking too much. Although these tragedies spelled the end of Led Zeppelin, the remaining band members have all continued their creative output and each new year brings on still another wave of rumors that Zeppelin will reform and reclaim their throne.