Led Zeppelin

Don't even mention the Beatles along Zeppelin--growing up in the 60s, I was amazed when my friend's parents bought Rubber Soul--Beatles were creative, LZ were technically perfect!

Keith Moon did NOT come up with the name, due to common belief. It was John Entwistle, the bassist from The Who.

I am not going to be foolish enough to claim that Led Zeppelin was more influential on modern music than the Beatles, but they are certainly second after the Beatles. The difference being that the Beatles influenced EVERYBODY that came after them. Even if you never listened to the Beatles, if you sing pop music today, you learned it and how to craft a song from the Beatles. On the other hand, as rock and roll evolved into multiple genres from folk rock to acid rock to hard rock to heavy metal, there is not a single band that can claim as much direct and indirect influence on hard rock and heavy metal music as Led Zeppelin. The early pioneers of harder rock, i.e. Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, et. al.... all freely admit they were copying Led Zeppelin. Later hard rock and heavy metal bands, especially the "hair bands" of the 80s, might be less willing or able to admit it, but everything they did... EVERYTHING... from the vocals to "the look" to the guitar solos to the lead singer's scream were all lifted directly from Led Zeppelin or directly from a band like Sabbath, who, in turn, took much of what they eventually did and perfected from Led Zeppelin.

My favorite Led Zeppelin tour story occurred (I think) in Seattle. It may well have been at the same hotel as the "Red Snapper" incident if memory serves. In any case, the band, as was typical for the time, had completely trashed their rooms including tossing a TV off their balcony. At checkout, the band's manager Peter Grant compensated the hotel for the all the damages... in cash of course. When the satisfied hotel manager thanked him and confided that he'd always dreamed of tossing a TV off the balcony himself, Grant promptly peeled a few more hundred dollar bills off the wad he always carried and told the manager to toss a TV off the balcony "on Led Zeppelin".

I discovered Led Zeppelin about a year ago, when I was 12. They're now one of my favorite bands. I feel so happy and confident after listening to their music. My favorite song of theirs is "Going to California"

And shes buying the Stairway to Heaven....

Lisa, that's funny you call rappers "retards" (which is sick term to use anyway, but I digress) since that's what they called blues musicians. The very musicians that are the reason for Led Zeppelin's existence. Without Blues music, Plant and Page would not exist.

Suffice to say, you never know what will inspire someone.

Zeppelin is great and better known than Focus but Focus could blow the doors off of Zeppelin

My favourite band. They make you laugh and make you cry. Led Zep 2,3,4,houses of the holy and physical graffiti are some of the most profoundly brilliant pieces of art of the twentieth century.

I haven't looked at these comments in ages but i assume carolyns comments are still here,i would advise all people that are above the IQ of 50 to please ignore them

Mike from Clinton, MA likes to fondle little boys. He also molests beagle puppies. He is generally what I would consider pussy-communist.

Therefore his opinions can be disregarded.

Granted Page did get the INSPIRATION for a lot of his solos from classic blues recordings, but he did make a lot of changes to them and made them his own so you couldn't even tell they were inspired from a previous guitarist. But Jimi Hendrix, Clapton, Robert Johnson, and Beck all of their work was inspired by another guitarist. Yes Vaughn was an awesome kickass guitarist but the majority of the stuff he did was cover songs of Hendrix and Stevie Wonder.

I like both the Beatles and Zeppelin. Zeppelin is my favorite band though, but it's all about preferences really. Led Zeppelin and the Beatles are very different, different genres and honestly, I don't know what genre Led Zeppelin is. Rock, most certainly, but I can't think of a specific type of rock to conclude them in. I think that's why they're so amazing, because they're SO different. But if you like poppy rock more, you're going to like the Beatles more. But I think Led Zeppelin is better, when it comes to talent. You can't compare any member of the Beatles, to that of Led Zeppelin (bassist-bassist, vocals-vocals, DRUMMER-DRUMMER?! haha RIGHT). They just don't come anywhere close. But Page and Harrison are extremely different, I don't know if I can compare them, but I like Page better. Led Zeppelin probably isn't like by people because they're just so different. They've got catchy stuff(hits) and then there is songs that people have trouble listening to because they're so deep and different. I guess I understand it, but I wish more people would give Zep a chance. Anyway, I love Led Zeppelin. They're timeless.

My top three all-time favorite bands are: Led Zeppelin; The Beatles; and Pink Floyd. I think it's meaningless to compare bands. Each band is as unique as each fan. I was forever changed at age 14 when I first heard "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin (or, as I like to call them, LED POOPELIN because they're the s--t!) I love Led Zep for the same reasons all of you do; and the reasons are as unending as the fan base, which continues with each new generation. So which is the greatest band of all time? A better question is (non-sequitur here): Who's better, Kirk or Picard?!

WOW alot of strong opinions' posted thus far.I think Dan from Canada said it the best for my-self personaly.I discovered Led Zeppelin when I was 13,thank God I didn't listen to that teenage crap of 1979,yep showing my age.Led Zeppelin saved my musical Ass.Are they great musician's well hell if they weren'the music wouldn't still be 'round (40 YEARS AND COUNTING).
Do I think they are overrated...absolutely NOT. In my opionion thatsThe Beatles.They were a band for sceaming 12-14 yr old with wet panties.Big deal.
Each memeber of Led Zeppelin were such talented individuals that far exceeded any band that came across there path.
The fact that The Rolling Stones proclaims themselves to be "the greatest Rock and Roll band" is BS.They make complete fools of them all now days on tour.
As far as Jimmy stealing bluses songs or,Led Zeppelin stealing songs hell,bluses artists have been stealing from Each other for goodness knows how long now!?

Eddie Van Halen not so long ago mellowed his comments about Jimmy Page "Sloppy & playing guitar as if he were a child". Just recently he said and I promise I Quote.."He's a Geninus.He's a great player,a songwriter,a producer.When you hear a Page solo,he speaks" Now he could have said that of 'Clapton but he didn't.Is Clapton a "cleaner player" sure I also find Clapton boring as watching the grass grow.
What Clapton lacks is Soul in his playing,emotion,sexuality in the music on stage ,on record.Cleaner playing is a boring as dog s--tBORING.
I know only one band in my almost 43 Yrs that their songs give me chills ,bring tears 2 my eyes,and ooohhh yeh a many fantasy of Mr Jimmy Page........Sorry I drifted off.
I think front man for Smashing Pumpkins said it best to sum up Led Zeppelin power & legacy."Led Zeppelin influence is so severe that most everything that you hear in hard rock today is descended from Led Zeppelin"
Great music will always stand the test of time.If you LOVE LOVE The Beatles...God Bless ya I don't get but,God love ya.
Oh BTW Zeppelin is THE MOST bootlegged band in the world.The Beatles cannot boast that.Why they sucked live who would want to pay money for 13 and 14 sceaming girls and 35 mins of so-so music. Let the music speak for itself.How many contempary Rock stations do u hear playing Zeppelin songs many times through out the day?.They were miles ahead of anyone else and,guess what;they still are.They donn't sound dated. Led Zeppelin will be around for a very long time.Thats alot more than I can say for 85% of the crap played on the radios now.Yes there is good music to be heard but,it is far and few between now sadly.I do belive I heard enough Hip Hop /Rap to last the rest of my life.Of which I do NOT consider music.I belive I've heard Booty,shakin' that thang,Ho and Bitch to last my lifetime. Those retards of that type of so called music can't play an mucical instrument,Hell let one of them try to spell the word instrument.Sorry I got off on a rant.

Bottom line Zeppelins'influence is undeniable whether you like them or hate them.

The greatest thing about Zeppelin is how they were a capitalist band, rather than commercial. Peter Grant managed the band's finances in such a shrewd way that had it not been for his measures, the led balloon wouldn't have flown so high and they'd have to go writing singles and pre-manufactured pasteurized pop hits to keep up. In concerts, for instance, he would threat and bargain with the promoters until he got a 90/10 share. For the band. A real revolution at a time when quite the opposite usually happened, with huge-selling acts figuring relatively low profits comparing to their audience-filling powers. Never did they lose their artistic freedom, contrary to Page's previous band, The Yardbirds (the proper Yardbirds, not the New Yardbirds which would become Led Zeppelin), as he recalls, "When I was still in The Yardbirds, our producer Mickie Most would always try to get us to record all these horrible songs. He would say, "Oh, c'mon, just try it. If the song is bad we won't release it". And, of course it would always get released". Swan Song is the zenith of what Zeppelin really ment to be, succesful enough to own a label based on free artistry principles, though short-lived due to the band's breakup. Whatever legacy Led Zeppelin projects on our days is certainly a consequence of this, not mentioning their musical particularities that could place Physical Graffitti and Led Zeppelin III with Kind of Blue and Sgt. Pepper's in modern culture history's most important chapters.

To John Dylan from "Blah": Have you ever even listened to "In My Time of Dying" all the way through? If so, then you seem to have no concept of what a "note" actually is. How can you say that Page only plays 5 notes in that whole song? It goes through many phases and riffs, many of which containing blistering slide guitar solos. It's one of the most impressive guitar performances I've ever heard, especially with a slide! I'm not even going to argue about who the greatest guitarist of all time is, though.

P.S. Never think that you've heard all the good music in the world. There's always some obscure thing out there that'll blow your mind. I know it's tough not to be influenced by the radio, but it doesn't always play the "best" stuff in history. Some extremely skilled bands never get airplay on mainstream stations. So good luck to all my fellow audiophiles and rock historians in the quest to finding the greatest band/song/musician of all time or whatever it may be that you're looking for.

Along with Pink Floyd and Rush, Led Zeppelin is one of my favorite bands of all-time. Their songs have truly revolutionized the idea of "hard rock," and their fiery, catchy rifts trample most of today's horrible songs.

My mum's cousin, Nick Vaughan, is a mean violin player currently living in france. I know that he went on tour with them and played his electric violin with them. if anyone else has any more information then please get back to me.

Cheers!

Have any of you heard about the guy that is saying that Zep stole a lot of their songs? I remember he was on Howard Stern talking about it.

Yes doug from moline, IL! thank you!

and sorry Allie, I overlooked The Who comment you made :)

Whoa...guys....chill.
Can't you be both a Beatles AND a Zeppelin fan? I wont drag record sales into this becasue that dosn't really prove much. Besides, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin are theoretically different types of rock, so comparing them wouldnt really be legit, right? They were BOTH remarkable, ok?

Also, WHERE did anyone mention The Who here, hmm?!?!? Go look up how Zeppelin started. And who was involved. *cough* keith and john *cough* =)

LENNON, MANILA, Philippines and Matthew, New York, NY you guys cant accept real music. Led Zeppelin and everyone who was in it were/are gods. They were and are the heaviest rock band of all time. The Beatles cant get into a jam like zeppelin can in a live version of a song. So what they arent number one, the only reason that is because they were only around for 12 years, and the beatles realeased more albums than zeppelin.

Led Zep is a great band.I think Jimmy Page is better than Jimi Hendrix.He can hit way more notes at once.I saw some of Zep's earliest vids and he even sounded good with those crappy olden day effects like his wah pedal.I am 11 and I love Zep even though they came out way before I was born.Rock on ZEP!!!!

YOU ALL IDIOT WHO COMPARE LED ZEP AND BEATLES SALES? THE BEATLES SALES BILLION RECORDS ACCORDING TO GUINESS RECORDS LED ZEP SALES ONLY MILLIONS. HOW DARE U C0MPARE THAT WAY? LOOK AT THE BILLBOARD CHARTS THE BEATLES DOMINATE EVERYTHING 20 NO.1s and who can surpass during summer of 1964 the beatles held the no.1 spot to no.5 imagine that. HEY JESSIE! ARE U INSANE? If you compare to the album sales then ur in a wrong way! AMERICAN ALBUMS are diff from UK. American ruin the dignity of the UK albums. They chop2x to make a diff composition which is inferior for the actual album. Just think led zep never release any singles because it will ruin the album sales. Imagine stairway to heaven never included in the album or black dog or other few good song. Does their album sells that way? The beatles never do that. So stop comparing. AND LAST The beatles release NO.1s in 2000 and imagine the fastest selling album of all time and mke it no.1 in 37 countries to think this is a re-release album because to know that they already have those song but still outsell those who are new and old artist. THE BEATLES is way ahead of any artist.

and hey! johns voice is techno. the beatles invented everything what music we have now!
Until now rolling stones and led zep still jealous with d beatles.especially stones ahaha! thet gave a top 20 hits i wanna be your man then they give it to ringo which we know have the least vocalist of them. sori stones i think you need 1000 yrs to beat d beatles i mean u really can't.

for those who say that ringo is not a great drummer?i challenge you! Try to listen a day in the life from SPLHCB or dear prudence and rain. its simple but it complements the dramatic way of melody. its not that you have d fast and heavy drumming you are great. its how u send your drums to d music played. ringo never love to do shows on drums even on the end song of abbey road.he never like that!listen to tommorow never knows the single key song that he pioneered! he invented techno drumbeat! he is the most underrated drummer.Same way with george harrison. Anyway paul is the monst innovative and inventive bass player of all time.

HAHAHA! Shame on you Allie! led zep?pioneered rock? A mighty copy cut is the pioneer! Yes! they pioneered copy cut riffs of all time. Whats great with the stairway song? its just an improvised song of the beatles happiness is a warm gun. if you listen carefully d voice of plant he's like a shouting cat with a mouse background. just let your ears try plant sing oh! darling by paul mccartney or helter skelter ! imagine that! plant's voice is for not good singers. just grip your neck then you sounded like page!sori folks i'm just telling you whats the fact!

Doug; i agree with you completely, i know that my favorite bands are LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD, THE WHO, and RUSH!!! i think that Led Zep or Pink Floyd are my top but i love all of them. And with everybody criticizing Jimmy Page for stealing guitar riffs. I DON'T CARE!!!!!! This band pioneered rock music and i love them to death. They are without a doubt one of the greatest musical groups every created. And for everone who dares bash Led Zeppelin. GO TO HELL!!! they are all gods and deserve respect!! OK im done ranting!! What can i say. I need to stick up for what i believe in. Just the fact that they did every style of rock. Stairway to Heaven is a gift from above. They played melodic tunes and just driving guitar jams. What i mean to say is. LED ZEPPELIN ROCKS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!

i find it too funny when people battle over which band is better than the other. i think people get side track from the music in general. i agree you gotta stick up for your favorite band. but when it comes to the music no matter what, the beatles, led zep, the who, jimi, etc. are all great bands that put out awsome music. that music back then is priceless. the crap you hear today on the radio just isnt the same.

Paul, you are so, so wrong. Plant is/was a much better singer than Lennon was or McCartney was/is. His range and tone have no rival aside from Bruce Dickinson, in my opinion. You say Hendrix was the greatest, most likely, due to popular opinion. Don't get me wrong, he was great (not good, great). However, Page is the one who created (and basically creatively managed) the biggest band of all time. He could play a soft folk melody, something I've rarely seen Hendrix do, much less do well. This isn't even taking into consideration his mastery as a producer, which is nearly unparalleled by any other musician.

Secondly, as to Page "ripping off" blues riffs. I suspect he rarely just took an exact riff from a song, and even if he did, how much would it sound like the original coming out of a distorted electric guitar. And for the sake of argument, let's say he did just completely and blatantly play an entire riff or melody from a song written by someone else: Any piece of music is, of course, composed of notes. Notes are sounds at a certain frequency, they're not some object that you can steal (view that in the least literal way possible). Saying that this is stealing is almost ludicrous, something like saying "I played an Am now no one for the rest of history can play it without copying it.(obviously not that stupid, though)" Still assuming these copied riffs, Page still created new songs out of them with lyrics, drum parts, bass parts, and undoubtedly other. guitar parts. He did what any and every other musician does, creates something in the image of what they like.

I've been a big fan since their albums came out. I saw them twice, once when they were making the movie 'Song Remains the Same' - Sunday night, Madison Square Garden. 2nd time when they released Physical Graffiti, which they did not release until the right after the tour. So my first experience of Kashmir and Custard Pie were live and made a better impression than the recording. Black Dog made a much better first impression than hearing it live.

Led Zeppelin changed my life. Hearing Black Dog MADE me want to learn the guitar. The riff and solos were irresistable. I got good enough at one point where I could play most, if not all, of Page's parts, but I never got good enough to do what he did live - play the guitar straight over my head, which by the way is much harder than playing behind the head (like Hendrix).

In evaluating a superstar like Page - he is a star among rockstar guitar players, I think his technique needs to be taking in context of his generation (the 70's) and his artistry can be looked at a bit seperately.

For his time, Page's technique was considered superb - among the very best. He absolutely built on players than came before and took it farther. Players who came since (like Brian May) learned from masters like Page. No one is lessened by learning and being inspired from the greats.

In the post-Page age, players absolutely took guitar technique further then he did, but many of them are primarily athletes. Few are composers and I think that is true of musicians in general.

I see Page as a composer first, athlete second. His best solos are stunning compositional applications of his formidable technical abilities. We can hear it in his productions - not to take anything away from the others.

I am a huge fan of many other guitarists, but this page is about Led Zeppelin. I'll save my raves for Blackmore, Clapton, Akkerman and others for their pages.

As for the charge that they stole riffs or songs from American black bluesmen: Ledbelly, Howlin' Wolf - I have researched them all. Being a fanatic, I bought dozens of albums I would never have bought otherwise. I discovered some great music, but never heard what I would honestly call "stealing". Zeppelins version of "When the Levee Breaks" is so utterly far from Ledbelly's... It is not imitation. It is revelation, the hammer and thunder of the gods.

Thank you, Led Zeppelin, for the cosmic and sublime musical experience.

kick ass,

theres nothin better than zeppelin and a joint

One of the greatest bands of all time no doubt. They were all great musicians who worked together to create some of the greatest songs ever recorded.Also there versatility. There are others that had outstanding guitarists and drummers or what have you but Zeppelin had it all. Its sad that there is no new music that is even comparable.

Led Zeppelin is my favorite band, Pearl Jam is a very close second. I can't believe there's not a lot of people I see these days that listen to them... even if they are over 30 years old. I'm so glad I'm finding all of these great songs by them.

GREAT NEWS LED ZEPPELIN REUNIFIED (I know it`s not the same without bonzo, but jason bohnam is playing, and that is the closest someone form this generation has gotten to actually seeing them live. i mean bonzo taught jason how to play since he was very little, and jason has bonzo blood in his veins). THE CONCERT WILL BE ON NOVEMBER 26 2007

Tom, Trowbridge, England. how can you possibly call rush better than zeppelin, now, that`s just stupid

i hear a lot of people comparing ZEPPELIN to other bands, but you people are missing the point, you should stop breaking down songs, and trying to figure out what the best band is, they are (were) ALL great, and they all deserve credit for what they accomplished, so stop comparing them and just enjoy their music for what it is. I`m a 21 year old guy who loves classic rock, and through it discovered genres like Blues which is also amazing.

JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TO Tom, Trowbridge, England Led Zeppelin DId NOT care for awards, they only cared about the music, that was what it was all about

- John, Lincoln, NE"Led Zeppelin is the best band ever to walk the face of this earth. Anybody who thinks that they are in the slighest way bad, should go strait to hell and burn there for all eternity" COME ON MAN, I DO AGREE WITH YOU ON THE FACT THAT THEY ARE ONE OF THE GREATEST, BUT YOU SHOUL`DN`T GO ON HATING PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE THEY DON`T LIKE THE SAME AS YOU

there seem to a lot of misconceptions here. first of all, on 2003 Zepp released two live albums, one was "how the west was won" which was only audio, and they also released the DVD which contains video from the concerts at the royal albert hall, Earl`s court, Madison square garden and Knebworth. perople tend to confused both albums, and call the dvd how the .., but they two different albums, and the DVD does not have a name, it`s just called LEED ZEPPELIN

Led Zeppelin remain far and away the greatest band in rock history. Nobody even close.

hey jose from south america...AWESOME DUDE!!! thank you.

A few points.
1) Nobody has influenced more musicians in more genres of music than Led Zeppelin. e.g. Deep Purple only started playing hard rock after the release of the first 3 LZ albums and openly admitted that they were following LZ in the genre. Ozzy Osbourne has indicated that after he heard LZ I, that he felt "that I could breathe for the first time". Apart from the LZ influence on the other big acts of the 70's (Aerosmith, Queen, Boston, etc). Joey Ramone has indicated that the inspiration for the Ramones' punk style came directly from Communication Breakdown. The Beastie Boys (rap) started sampling LZ tunes in 1986 as did Run DMC (one of their songs mentions Page by name) and other rap artists in the 90's e.g. Puff Daddy. Kurt Cobain mentioned LZ as the prime influence for Nirvana's grunge sound and Nirvana's Dave Grohl wrote the article on LZ for Rolling Stone magazine's 100 greatest artists of all time edition. Tribute albums to LZ have included contributions as varied as Sheryl Crow and Duran Duran.
2) In terms of albums sales, remember that Zep didn't release singles of their greatest hits while all other big named artists (the Beatles, Elvis, etc) did. Just think how many sales Stairway to Heaven would have achieved if it had been released as a single.
3) The BBC did a recent poll asking who was the best rock guitarist, bass player, drummer,and singer. Amazingly, as respondents could pick any musician, best guitarist went to Page, best drummer to John Bonham and best bass player to John Paul Jones. Zep absolutley dominated the responses despite the fact that any musician could have been chosen e..g. Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, Neil Peart, Keith Moon, Ian Paice, Ginger Baker, Geddy Lee, etc. Only Robert Plant wasn't chosen as best singer (a miscarriage of justice) but on the other hand he was chosen best rock singer in Hit Parader. Page was chosen best guitarist 5 years in a row in the 70's by Creem.
4) The BBC did a poll of the greatest songs in rock history. Stairway to Heaven was #1 and 2 other Zep songs made the top 10 (Rock n' Roll #6 and Whole Lotta Love #8).
5) Despite the Rolling Stones arrogance in describing themselves as the "World's Greatest Rock n' Roll Band", Zeppelin has sold almost twice as many albums in the US despite the fact that Zep only released 8 studio albums and the Stones have released 26. On top of that, Zep's concert attendance blew away that of the stones in the 1970's i.e. LZ were the first band to break the Beatles' attendance record set in 1966 (at Shea stadium), in 1973. LZ, were then the only band to break that record in the 70's breaking it in 1975 and then breaking the 1975 record in 1977 (their last tour of the US).
6) As for the comparison between Page and van Halen, Eddie van Halen is on the record as saying that he developed his two-hand tapping technique after seeing page perform the solo from Heartbreaker in a 1972 LZ concert. Page's influence on guitarists dwarfs that of van Halen.
7) LZ's Boxed Set 2 is the highest selling compilation of all time.
8) The LZ DVD (released in 2003) is not only the highest selling music DVD of all time but remained number 1 in sales of music DVD's for 3 years in a row.
9) Despite not releasing a studio album since 1979, LZ has had a top 10 selling release in every decade since their break up - Coda (#5, 1982), (Page and Plant, Unleaded #4, 1994), How the West Was Won (#1, 2003), LZ DVD (#1, 2003-2006). On top of that, the Page/Plant tours of 1994 and 1998 were the highest grossing tours of those respective years.
10) LZ still sells approximately 1.75 million CDs a year in the US alone.

Greatest band of all time!

Oh...and BTW....that "shark" episode in Seattle happened, but everyone denies it. Vanilla Fudge said they filmed the entire thing, but yet the film was "lost". Page and Jones deny being in the room. Plant denies just about everything that ever happened in Led Zep...and Richard Cole was present but was hardly the sole participant. Supposedly it was Cole, Bonham, and Peter Grant that "introduced" the young lady to red snapper (it wasn't actually shark) - but since two of those three fellas are no longer with us, I suppose we're left to wonder which story to believe. More Zeppelin mystique to forever ponder....

But the biggest question remains: WHEN will they quit messing around and TOUR again????
My God - every other band has gotten on the reunion bandwagon...and some businessman out there recently offered ABBA $1 billion to reunite and tour and they turned it down! If ABBA is worth a freakin' billion dollars - there might not be enough money in the world to talk Plant, Page, Jones, and Jason Bonham into touring. What a shame, too - because that would be the biggest musical event in the past 20+ years! I never got to see them. I had tix for their Halloween night show in 1980 at a brand-new Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, and Bonham died a month before. That's the closest I've ever come, but DAMN IT! - I still want that opportunity!!!
Come on, Zep....take it out on the road one last time!!!!! You're still in high demand!!!!

Having read many of the comments here, it is obvious that people have different opinions regarding who is the best band. To me, it is, and always will be Zeppelin. There is no other band that could occupy every slot in my car's 6-disc changer at the same time and never become monotonous. Led Zeppelin's music is emotional, radical, overpowering and comforting at the same time. Robert Plant's poetic lyrics are unmatched in todays music, and his voice is a gift unparallel. I'm sure most musicians have someone they admire and try to emulate. This doesn't mean they are stealing from them or intentionally ripping them off, they are simply trying to acheive their perception of that perfection. In his younger years Robert Plant loved Elvis, and if you are an Elvis fan, you can hear the tonal inflections in Plant's voice. With that said, Robert Plant is not an Elvis impersonator, but has developed his "own sound" with qualities similar to Elvis. There are many great guitarists in Rock, and to me Page is THE best,and I will not argue the point. John Bonham was the best and most powerful drummer ever, a tragic loss to music. Last but not least, John Paul Jones is a multi-talented musician, capable of playing many instruments. These 4 men came togther to comprise a group the likes of which will nevre be seen again, it was Karma, it was fate, plain and simple. As for other guitarists, someone I have not seen mentioned here - Carlos Santana, is a master. --- Terri, Houston TX

LED-gends!

It?s long, but it?s worth reading. Do you wanna hear something that is really cool? Well let me tell you that LED ZEPPELIN was bigger than the BEATLES in album sales(I?m not saying better than them I think they?re the two greatest bands ever), let me tell you why this is true. I know that the Beatles have been certified 170 million albums in America #1 on the list by RIAA, and that Zeppelin have only been certified 109,5 million (as if it were just a few albums), and currently holds #4 spot (behind ELVIS, and GARTH BROOKS who IS just another example of how album sales have nothing to do with musical quality because I think he sucks, but I bet he will keep selling albums for decades). With that said, lets see the facts, 1- LED ZEPPELIN released 8 studio albums, 4 of them which went diamond (IV: 23 million, PHISICAL GRAFFITY: 16 million, II: 12million, HOUSES OF THE HOLY: 11 million), and the other 4 are multi platinum (LED ZEPPELIN I: 8 million, IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR: 6 million, III: 6 million, PRESENCE: 3 million). On the other hand, THE BEATLES released like 19(there?s confusion to the amount of albums released) studio album counting those of England and the ones released in the U.S. all of which 3 went DIAMOND: WHITE ALBUM: 19 million, ABBEY ROAD: 12 million, SGT. PEPPER: 11 million. Also, many albums that went platinum and multi platinum: A HARD DAY`S NIGHT: 6 million, MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR: 6 million, RUBBER SOUL: 6 million, MEET THE BEATLES: 5 million, REVOLVER: 5 million, HELP: 4 million, LET IT BE: 4 million, BEATLES `65: 3 million, HEY JUDE: 3 million, SOMETHING NEW: 2million, BEATLES FOR SALE: 1 million, BEATLES IV: 1 million, PLEASE PLEASE ME: 1 million, YELLOW SUBMARINE: 1 million, YESTERDAY? AND TODAY: 1 million, and WITH THE BEATLES: 500,000 copies. With all that, of course that in what I mentioned, I didn`t add any compilation or live albums nor any singles, just STUDIO ALBUMS. You can see that ZEPPELIN has more studio albums that went diamond: ZEPPELIN: 4 DIAMOND whereas BEATLES: 3DIAMOND. Also, zeppelin worst selling album sold 3 million copies, and it was just one album while the BEATLES had many album that only sold 1 million copies. I forgot to say that double albums like PHISICAL GRAFFITI and THE WHITHE ALBUM sold half of what it says there cause RIAA counts them as units, so, PHISICAL sold 8 mill, and WHITE ALBUM sold 9,5 mill. If you do the math it would be Zeppelin:77 million albums sold (with physical graffiti selling only 8 million), and Beatles:82 million albums (with the WHITHE ALBUM selling 9,5 copies), a difference of 5 mill, but you have to take into account that Zeppelin only had 8 albums, and I mentioned 19 Beatles albums, so the Beatles sold 4,3 million per album while zeppelin sold 9,6 mill per album, pretty unbelievable huh? And that?s not it, LED ZEPPELIN IV sold more than any Beatles album, 23 mill, and ABBEY ROAD sold 12 mill (since the white album has sold half of what the actual sales say because is a double). So ZEPPELIN are the biggest rock band ever (at least in the U.S.) cause they have the biggest albums (based on studio albums not compilation or singles). I still think they are both equally good (and BTW zeppelin still sells tons of albums nowadays). Also, see this, ZEPPELIN DID NOT have a publicist in their early years, they rarely gave interviews, they released only a few singles in the US, only one in the UK(they were extremely against releasing singles cuz they believed in albums as a whole), they were pretty private, they didn?t promote their albums nor their singles, they didn?t like to appear on magazine covers (they only appeared on ROLLING STONE once I think I was in 1975 or 76, because of CAMERON CROWE who they liked, but they hated the magazine), their biggest selling album, didn?t even have a name or the name of the band in the cover, the only way fans could know anything about the band was by going to their concerts cause they didn`t appear on TV nor on magazines, and there are many other reasons. Now try to picture this, would the BEATLES have been as successful as they were if they had refused to appear on tv, magazines, also, how big would the beatles be if they hadn`t released singles, nor promoted their albums the way they did. Also, if they had refused the press like ZEPPELIN did. I don`t know about you , but the Beatles wouldn`t have been as big, if they had done the things ZEPPELIN dared to do. What do you think? The only reason I posted this is because I was tired of some people bragging about the BEATLES not having any competition as sales is concerned, and that that made them the greatest. Ps I really don?t care for album sales cuz they don?t prove how great a band is. you gotta give credit to the guys of LED ZEPPELIN.

That "shark incident" thing is BS, Richard Cole (their roadie manager something) was responsible, not the band. He is quoted admitting to it in "Hammer of the Gods"

in response the the first comment on the list by mathew from new york
how can you possibly say that jimmy page is only as good as eddy van halen
he was the second or third greatest guitarist ever, behind hendrix, and, depending on who you ask, clapton but thats it

For Rachel: the inside sleeve of the fourth album shows Gandalf(from Lord of the rings)who look at a village with his lantern(probably the ''bag end'' village from the story)in order to make sure that Frodo''isn't in danger from the dark powers.((led zeppelin were fans of Tolkien's stories-and the whole album has been effected from this admiration)). but many people believe that that old man is probably an eremite of tarot(jimmy page had an interest in astrology-you can understand this from the astrological signs of his formal concert uniform).But i think that for one more time Led Zeppelin achieved to combine them in order to confuse us(as usual).But if you want to have this kind of tattoo you should see first the fallen angel of their own label(swan song) which can be seen on their discs(1975+++).This angel has a triplex meaning!!!...I HOPE I HELPED YOU......I will say this ones again:LED ZEPPELIN HAVE THE UNIQUENESS THAT NO ONE ELSE ACHIEVED!!!!!!!!:)......

Because I read that Jimmy Page is a satanist I would like to solve the frustration. well Jimmy Page has said these:''My interest in the occult started when I was 15. I do not worship the devil but Magick does intrigue me. Magick of all kinds''Jimmy Page was and he probably remains a fan of Aleister Crowley's ideology(occultist of 20th century).Led zeppelin were very influenced by occult and Tolkien's stories(lord of the rings, the hobbit e.t.c.)such songs are ''over the hills and far away'',''the battle of evermore'' and ''misty mountain hop''........LED ZEPPELIN are unique. their songs have the ability to take you in magical journey. they release mystery and they hypnotize you with their fantastic music. And the truth is that Jimmy Page ''stole'' songs only in the first album. but all we know that Jimmy Page turned these songs into masterpieces(fantastic solos and vocals). these stolen songs are most famous from led zeppelin and not from the original artist.and i don't understand why you mentioned it so much. Almost all the songs of this fantastic band were their OWN creations. And we mustn't forget that these stolen songs did not succeed as much as their own masterpieces.

Does anybody know who that guy is holding the lantern on the stairway to heaven poster?? Ive tried to find out on google but haven't had any luck and would like to get him tattooed but will not untill i know who he is.

I believe that the music of today has lost the lyric quality that Zeppelin held. The fantasy, doesn't really make sense on the first hear lyrics. They, along with The Doors, Jethro Tull, and R.E.M were wonderful lyricists. There is no more of this and its saddening. Allthough there is one band who has that wonderful lyrical quality. Wolfmother. Thank God for them.

I have been a huge Led Zeppelin fan ever since I heard Whole Lotta Love on the radio in 1969. I was 10 years old at the time. I'll never forget my reaction to the high energy string bends in the guitar riff at the end of the middle section. It had the exciting quality of sounding completely new and somehow familiar at the same time... "That" I thought "is what the electric guitar was meant to sound like!" I remember when the fourth album was released and people were saying that Stairway to Heaven was the greatest song ever written by a rock band. When I heard Houses of the Holy, I was completely blown away. I knew I had to see them in concert. One year later in February of 1975 my dream came true and I saw Led Zeppelin in Philadelphia. It was about one month before Physical Graffiti would be released and they played four numbers from it; Sick Again, In My Time Of Dying, Kashmir and Trampled Under Foot. The rest of the set was made up of songs from Houses of the Holy; Over the Hills and Far Away, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song and No Quarter, The Fourth Album; Rock and Roll, Black Dog and Stairway to Heaven; Led Zeppelin II; Moby Dick (featuring a 15 minute drum solo in which Bonzo hit the skins so hard it actually sounded like thunder), Whole Lotta Love with an extended middle section, and Heartbreaker (the encore piece). They also did Dazed and Confused from the first album.
In closing I would like to make one point about Led Zeppelin. I read a lot of people here saying that Page was the greatest guitarist ever and Plant was the greatest singer, and so on. Those people are missing the point. Led Zeppelin was not group of four individual super stars, each being the greatest ever in his chosen craft. Sure each member was a gifted and creative musician in his own right, but that's not what made the band so great. It was the chemistry that occurred when these four musicians played together that was the Led Zeppelin we love. It was something very special and magical and rare. It was as if they were meant to play together.

I lost my virginity @ 16 while Whole Lotta Love was playing on the radio in 1969. That was many many years ago. Most comments on this page are from those younger than me. Led Zeppelin were the Gods of Rock then and that hasn't changed. I turn on 3 or 4 rock stations on the radio in the New York tri-state area and LZ is loved by those DJ's. You don't have to wait very long to hear them play a LZ track. I grew up with The Yardbirds, Cream, etc and Jimmy Page is up there as one of the greatest guitar players-period. And whether you like it or not Robert Plant's voice has often tried to be imitated by other rock bands, but no-one has even come close. He is one of a kind-period.

I am 19 and Led Zeppelin has been my favorite band for years. As well as Queen, Pink Floyd, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and The Who. There is one thing that has been said over and over that I disagree with, and that is that today's music sucks. My opinion, MOST of today's music sucks. Tenacious D is an awesome band, probably my favorite band (that still plays). Disturbed is a great band. Most of the other bands today, their songs lack soul. There is really no depth. The most depth you can get nowadays is pretty much "Bush sucks". There are no ties to anything else in our culture. The reason I started listening to Led Zeppelin is because I love J.R.R. Tolkien, and when I heard songs like "Battle of Evermore" and "Ramble On", it just blew my mind.

Just want to say that you haven't heard Led Zeppelin until you've heard them live. haha
Most songs I can't listen to the album after I hear them live. (And as amazing as I thought How the West Was Won and the DVD were... the bootlegs are, on the whole, WAY better)

You all have to agree,in their time,they were one of the greatest bands.Everyone has a right to their own opinion,thats what this site is all about.Right?How about"In my time of dying".
Now,thats what I call a song from teasing foreplay to an orgasmic eruption!

The expression of the "lead balloon" was changed to a "lead zeppelin" because its such a contrast they thought it was funny.

Actually Kazryn, thats wrong, partly at least. The expression actually was "Go down like a lead balloon" which is an old expression used in England. You're right when you say that Page changed it to "Led" because he didn't want confusion. If you don't believe me buy a copy of the book "Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music 1968-1980" by Keith Shadwick.

Yes, Page is a god.

What Keith Moon (who should be equal to John B) ACTUALLY said was "You'll go down like a Lead Zeppelin". That's what gave them the name, but they wanted no confusion so spelt it l-e-d.


- Emma, Mt. Pleasant, SC: In the UK if you want to see Led Zep on TV, there is ONE b/w clip from 1969 floating around that OCCASIONALLY appears on TOTP2. We don't all have the time (or satelite channels) to waste our lives watching MTV. We judge music by what we were raised on, and what we find for ourselves. I'm 24 - I grew up on Fleetwood Mac (pre & post 1975), The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, etc. But I found for myself everything beyond the 'Greatest Hits' of those I just mentioned, and at the same time discovered Led Zep, Jethro Tull, Robert Palmer, Meat Loaf, and many, many others. Most 2000 onwards bands are not that good - they all sound the same. When someone comes up with something new and refreshing, I pay attention!

Jimmy Page was a musical genius. He wrote the most powerful riffs for the greatest band that has ever existed. The producer who worked with Page on the 2003 Zeppelin DVD had also worked with Jimi Hendrix and he stated publicly that as great as Hendrix was, Jimmy Page was even better. Page's gift is playing exactly what the song requires. Some have called it sloppy magical perfection. And now to the blues... Led Zeppelin loved the blues and made no secret of it. Most importantly, they took all their influences, folk, blues , rockabilly, jazz, Celtic ect. and created brilliant music that was totally unique and unprecedented. All music is derivative. All musicians have influences, nobody grows up in a sound proof booth. The critical question for musicians is 'did you take your influences and create something new?'. Zeps four stellar musicians who each had very different musical tastes, created a dazzling body of original music, unlike anything that preceded it. I do agree they could have given a writing credit for a few lyrics off the first album, but that should never detract from the monumentally powerful and original music of Led Zeppelin.

Jimmy Page is a god, hands down.

I don't agree. I won't be too vehement with my response but Jimmy Page innovated much more than he copied and he is one of the most skilled guitarists ever. If you've ever seen him switch scales during the Stairway To Heaven solo when he broke a string you might change your mind. The ability of the entire band was boggling. But Jimmy Page was one of the greatest because combined the rote polish of Clapton with the periodic brilliance of Jeff Beck. He played with both of these guys as well. Therefore he ruled.

Led Zeppelin changed my life. I heard Immigrant Song on the School of Rock soundtrack, and I was in awe. I needed to hear more of this awesome band! So I bought the untitled 4th album (recommended by a friend), and the rest is history. I decided to play guitar because of Jimmy Page. Guys, all I can say is thanks.

Led Zep are the best band of all time. Ne one who ever picked up a les paul guitar looks like an idiot comperd to page. I've liked Zep 4 about 8 years now and i also like ac/dc, hendrix and pink floyd But LZ never get boring or unentertaining. If u see them live its like watching 4 animals being relised from cages, its amazing.

To Matt from Stoke, England, I agree. The solo in Achilles gives me shivers. Though I wouldn't call it the best guitar solo ever. I'll give it #2, with Comfortably Numb (particularly the climax from the Live in Berlin version-OMG. Just for playing that, Snowy White makes my top 10 all time guitarists). Also, Free Brid is way up there. And the Stairway solo is always a classic.

In response to Emma from Mt.Pleasant. I've seen all those bands on popular music channels...how can you claim we base our judgements on mtv crap when all the bands you mentioned have had play on popular music channels. I think modern music does suck for the most part, just like classic rock and jazz and rap all suck FOR THE MOST PART. I have found a few bands that span many genres and some of them are popular, but I think people should be musically selective by nature.

I think that music has taken a bit of a fall. Led Zeppelin was the greatest, in my opinion. It really speaks to the character of these modern bands that they don't play 'Rock and Roll', they just play plain old 'Rock'. If you catch my meaning. I think they definetely know how to rock, but none of them seem capable of rolling with it.
Also I dislike the naysayers of Led Zeppelin who claim that they simply stole other music and replayed it. There was a lot of improvising (especially on the parts of Bonham and Page) in the studio and the live concerts. Besides, these days you take a band like Sublime (who I also like) and they rip off the rockstar roledex of every california stoner, but everybody just says they're genuises.

...And Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were amazing musicians

I think Led Zeppelin are great and I think IV is a really good album. My only problem is, why are people being stereotypical and saying that teenagers probably haven't heard Led Zeppelin and don't know good music. Plenty of teenagers have posted comments on here to disagree with that. And I think it's too general to say that all modern day music is terrible. I doubt anyone has heard every song in the charts. There are some great new bands out at the moment, I like My Chemical Romance for example. I do like I bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor by the Arctic Monkeys but I don't see why they have so much hype surrounding them. Led Zep were incredibly good when they were around and I don't think anyone will be forgetting them in the near future.

Led Zeppelin were the almighty gods of hard rock. Without bands like them and Queen, Van Halen wouldn't even exist. Owned, and you can look up Eddie's influences if you think otherwise.

Dude, how can you say that?!?!? Jimmy Page was AMAZING. So what if he borrowed music from the blues -- the solos are still the greatest ones!! Not many other solos can make you feel such a wide variety of emotions. How dare you put Zep on the same level as Van Halen!!!

How can anyone say that the likes of Van Halen were on the same scale as page? No band will ever be as inventive or original as Zep, its really sad but true. Take the solo to achilles last stand, no other solo provokes emotion as that one does, and the solo of Heartbreaker is monumental. The sales records say it all. Led Zep were the greatest band ever, and there never has been and never will be a musician on the same level as Page. Hail Zepellin!

this is just my opinion.im 14 and a pretty cool person.i love all types of music from all eras (especially led zepp,nirvana,jefferson airplane,pink floyd).but its just not cool when people say that all music today sucks bc it doesnt.it only is if your lazy and watch mtv crap. alot music today is good ex.-artic monkeys,30 seconds to mars,jet,the killers,avenged 7x,alot of others.so please instead of insulting your generation look at other bands not top 40 hits and see that the 2000's does have good music.but i do agree-led zeppelin kicks artic monkeys a**.;)

You know, there must be some kinda trend with all these 13-15 year olds being fans of classic rock. "Rolling Stone" published a story about it.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9257498/teens_save_classic_rock
I used to be a fan of new music but one day, while waking up from a nap, my dad had "Sunshine of your love" playing very loud on speakers, and liked it. It was 2003, and I was 15 at the time. The movie "Wanyes World" is also resposible for me listening to classic rock exclusivly. Remember the gag "No Stairway" in the gutair shop? I was curious on what it sounded like, and ol' dad played it for me. Within a month, I bought "Led Zeppelin IV", or whatever you guys call it. That, and The Beatles "Revolver" quickly became amoung my favorite albums.

No such thing as 'the best band ever' Thats like saying hamburgers are the best food. Its only peoples opinions, opinions aren't facts. Though LedZep is one of the greatest bands; not the greatest.

led zeppelin are gods!

Led Zeppelin was the most talented band to ever pick up an axe and play rock music. Robert Plant, considered by some to have the greatest rock and roll voice ever, and basically invented the rock and roll scream. Jimmy Page, also considered by some, and me, to be the greatest guitarist of all-time, sort of like jimi hendrix, he created some awesome sounds with the guitar. John Bonham, considered to be the greatest drummer of all-time, up there with Neil Peart, and as one of the previous comments said below me, he only used one bass drumm and created the sounds that would take most drummers two or three bass drums. John Paul Jones, not your typical bass player, ever listened to his bass parts? Mostly, they're very fast, and c'mon, the guy was incredibly musically talented. If he wasn't playing the bass he was playing the mandolin (see Going To California) or the keyboard or just about anything that wasn't percussion, or a guitar. Basically, Zeppelin was amazing, and amazingly talented and is one of the legends of rock along with The Beatles, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC, The Who, and anyone I may have forgotten.

I saw Led Zeppelin live in their prime(early 70's). As a foursome, Led Zeppelin were unbeatable, with astonishing power and range they owned audiences in those days. I have seen all of the great bands of the last three decades and believe me, as good as some were, they paled in comparison to Led Zeppelin. Zeppelin posessed a unique quality that is difficult to describe. They were able to shift instantly from the most intense brutal jaw-dropping rock to very subtle soft beautiful and complex material. Their recorded output still sounds great today. This was innovative ground-breaking music that was built to last. It has.

Im 15 and Led Zeppelin is my all time favorite band!!! I definately think that todays music is crap and lacks the feeling that music had back in the 60s, 70s, 80's and even 90's. There are still some good bands out there but their smothered by anoying hip hop, punk rock and pop. I just dont listen to todays music, i wish more people my age could appreicate the wonderful music from back in the day. Led Zeppelin is the greatest rock band ever and i will love them till the day i die. (I am seriously considering being buried in a Zeppelin t-shirt.) I dont think there is such thing as a bad Zepp song and i am proud to say i own them all! Robert plant is the greatest singer of all time and im a big fan of his. John Bonham was a kick ass drummer. Jimmy page is the greatest guitarist of all and JPJ is the best bass guitar! I also am a big fan of the beatles. I love classic rock and i think Robert plant was soooooo sexy, the sexiest ive ever seen!!! there i said it.

Mariah, NC

the reason why LZ is the greatest band is because every member of the band was at one time or even is to this day the most talented, they were also the firsst band to actually express or show what rock n' roll is really about. i think that the most talented person in the group was john bonham because he still has the record for the greatest drum solo in history, not mentioning that he is still to this day at least in the top five for drummers around the world that are dead or alive. page could also pull off a great solo even tho he tended to be a little sloppy. but what makes page unique from all of the other guitarists is that most of his chords lets say in "All Of My Love"are backwards compared to any guitarist. another great musician is JPJ wjo is obviously the most underated musician in the band. i think he deserves more credit for his work seeing as he can play so many instruments. and im not gonna even start about plant because everyone knows he has great vocal skills.....so my opinion is basically that they were THAT good.

Most of the good bands that are out currently don't get that much attention unfortunately, but there are some good ones. I have never listened to Slipknot, I can't Lomp Bizkit because of there abominable cover of "Behind Blue Eyes", and the guy in Lincoln Park's voice annoys me. At least there songs are better than Limp Bizkit though, which still isn't saying much.

I don't regard Robert Plant as the best singer technically, but he had a great voice, and in the early days of Zeppelin, it was really something special. The same goes for Jimmy Page then and now, even though he's not my favorite guitarist. Bonham was a great drummer who is missed, and JPJ doesn't get enough credit as a musician.

Personally, I think Robert Plant is the greatest rock n' roll singer ever. Mike from MA obviously hasn't listened to many of Led Zeppelin's songs. Plant has such a great range and he can sound so different. From the epitome of a heavy metal singer to the low and sultry sounds of Zep's blues work, such as "I'm Gonna Crawl","Bring It On Home","Since I've Been Loving You","You Shook Me", and many many more. I suggest actually listening to a band before placing undeserving judgement upon them.

Also, if Led Zeppelin was so over-rated, how come almost EVERY rock band in existence today, has been influenced in some way by them?

Just because they had balls and dared to venture into new types of music, doesn't mean that all of their music after Led Zeppelin III was "wimpy pop music." Once again, I suggest you listen to such things as "Achilles Last Stand","Kashmir","Tea For One", and "I'm Gonna Crawl," amongst other songs. Get a life Mike and stop commenting bands that you supposedly "hate" because some of us actually know what good music is and happen to like/love Led Zeppelin.

I find Led Zeppelin to be the lords of rock they are entirely amazing i love them love them

Allright Mike from Clinton. If Led Zeppelin is SOOOO overrated then explain to me why 5 albums went diamond, all albums after Led Zeppelin 1 went platinum, and all albums went gold? OBVIOUSLY someone likes Led Zeppelin. Like 50 or 60 million people. Thats like 1/5 of the entire U.S (trust me i did the math). Oh and by the by, Led Zeppelin isnt the only band with a singer like Plant. Try Guns N Roses, AC/DC, Rush, to name a few. These bands were all HUGELY popular too. So I think there's something SERIOUSLY wrong with your ears, might wanna go get them checked dude, or at least clean them out every now and then. Led Zeppelin set the tone for heavy rock.

Mike from clinton Ma, you blow goats man, listen to yourself, "I'd rather listen to nails on chalkboards all day than Robert Plants whiney, overexagerated, out of tune and time voice. Besides the whole band sucked after thier third ablum" youve got problems man..

The thing about Neil Peart vs. John Bonham is that Bonham can do all sorts of things with only one bass pedal, while all other drummers (including Peart) need two, that's why I like Bonzo better

Not many Robert Plant fans here. I'll say this, he may not have the greatest voice technically but his range (in the early days, he lost it a little in the end) alone is something to marvel at. Towards the end he may have slacked up a bit, but just because hes not doing his trademark preening wail doesn't mean he's any less amazing as a singer. John Paul Jones is easily one of the greatest bassit to ever walk this earth, hes not a bad mandolin player either. It's quite a shame he never got the credit he deserved. There is nothing to say about Page that hasn't already been said. He may have a nasty habit of sticking his name where it doesn't belong, but his live improvised solos rival that of any other great guitarist (Hendrix, Clapton, Vaughan...). Bonham was a powerhouse drummer, and I wouldn't say hes over rated. In factm every time my friends and I get together and discuss who we think were the best drummers ever all of them say Neil Peart (of Rush). Though I'd have to say that some have reached Bonham's level of skill none of them can demonstrate those skills with as much power and force as he did.

Ok,If i don't say all this soon, I will explode!
LEDZEPPELINWASTHEGREATESTBANDEVER!
Ok.
Now, about music. how the hell do they call al that emo music rock? No solos, endless strumming, o and lets go top it off with cutting our wrists! I am not a personall fan of modern music, but I think some modern bands are good ie: Red hot chili peppers, system of a down, Nirvana. but seriously, all that other crap is horrible. I'm that kinda guy who doesn't care what other people listen too, rap, techno (I mean I still hate it, but stay of my music and ill leave you alone) But emo? That is an insult to rock.

i cant wait until oldies will take over everything. they are art and good riffs, not just good riffs like modern music.Pink floyd, the doors,guns n roses, rolling stones, they will all reign supreme!!!!!!!!!But until that day, us people that like GOOD music should stick together. Wage a war against all emos!!!!!!

Amy I agree with you, I know better bands/performers than Led Zeppelin but they are sure as heck my fave

Fantastic band! Simple as that. I'm 22 but a great fan of older music. I was raised listening to The Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles... with a liking for them I decided when I was about 14 to start listening to other bands of that era, since i've gotten very heavily into The Doors, Free, Jefferson Airplane, The Yardbirds, Cream, Bob Dylan and various others. But no band has ever influenced me more than Led Zeppelin, I think it's unique that this band has no weak links, John Bonham is fantastic on drums, you can really see the change in his style over the years. John Paul Jones is vastly underrated and a tremendous multi talented, I love the fact how he'll one song be playing mandolin, the next bass, the next piano! Jimmy Page is an excellent guitarist and for someone who only recieved a crash course in writing and reading music has unleashed probably 5 of the best riffs of all time. Robert Plant is a fantastic vocalist, although he did lose it near the end, i've luckily had the chance to see both Robert Plant & Terry Reid live, neither were fantastic but the buzz around these guys cemented their claims as some of the best vocalists of the 70's.

I think Led Zeppelin will always go down as one of the best bands ever, I mean the fact they outsold The Rolling Stones 5-1 says enough to me!

Jack

Ok Lemme say it here. Songfacts has been like an angel to me. Its too good!!!! After reading facts and the history of a song its so much fun to listen to it. And there are some people whom I'd like to pay respect to. My fav band is Led Zep, i also like Pink Floyd, Beatles, ACDC, The Who, Black Sabbath, Eric Clapton, Queen, Metallica, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses.. And when i look through songs by these artists in songfacts. I've come across 3 people who have pretty much the same musical taste as me. Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, SC; Jeanette from Irvine, CA; & Tom from Trowbridge, England. You 3 are absolutely amazing! Thanks to the others too for all the posts and comments. Also thanks to the songfacts and artistfacts team for such a wonderful website!(Plz don't remove this post!) I should be leaving now, coz i have my test tomorrow and I've got to study.. wish me luck! ;) Cheers..

I agree with Xavier for the most part. I actually think that all the great guitarist are all equall because some can do things that others can't, and visa versa. Led Zeppelin was the perfect brew of instumental skill, and muscical talent. And no one else would suffice to make Led Zeppelin the great band that it was.

There's some gross misconception, that a only a person with technical proficency is termed as great or greatest. In that case, someone like Joe Satriani or Steve Vai should be the greatest, because they have mastered every possible guitar playing technique. However, let me quote Gary Moore. "His (Joe satriani's) music makes me feel cold and corporeal" Very well said. because the more technical a person is, the more he tends to go away from the actual soul and feel of the music. Thats where someone like a page or a clapton brought in the feel in music, being a virtuoso guitarist doesn't make u great. Also while Robert Plant didn't have the range and prowess of a Freddie Mercury, or John Paul Jones, the flashy brilliance of a John Enstwile. And also John Bonham's skill might be among the greatest. There's no doubt at all, that these 4 musicians gelled together like no one else before or after them. This made them unique. Not getting my point, try to imagine a Hendrix or an Eddie Van Halen in Led Sep, or Freddie replacing Robert plant. It wouldn't sound like the signature Zep sound at all. So they were and are irreplacable. I had to get all of this off my chest, because i noticed a lot of jokers who have probably only heard Stairway to heaven, were speaking crap about the band. I couldn't tolerate it. And Stefanie from rock hill, will u be kind enough to tell me about the good current bands, coz here in India its crap like Linkin Park, Slipknot or that awful Limp Bizkit, all the time. I would appreciate it. Thanks for your time.

How can you say Plant isn't a great vocalist?? He is amazing... he practically made the band who they were! I don't care what anyone says, Robert Plant is definitly one of the greatest singers ever!

I think that led zeppelin has revolutionized rock for ever. They had the best musicians in the world. Jimmy Page was the perfect brred of spped and style, bonham was one of the top 5 drummers in the world, and jones was a great bassist. Robert plant isn't the best singer i agree, but most of led zeppelins songs are very well composed.

The most overrated band ever, for low quality music. If they were instrumentalists it would be fine but I'd rather listen to nails on chalkboards all day than Robert Plants whiney, overexagerated, out of tune and time voice.

Besides the whole band sucked after thier third ablum. The wimpy pop music they threw onto it, and Stairway counts fro when that came out on 4, does not rock and Plant's voice can't handle the ballads. Even worse the musical genious of the real members of the band can't be heard over his female screeches.

Can't forget Jaco was a good bassist, but really, the guys (Percy, Pagey, Jonesy, Bonzo) were all the best at what they were doing at the time and since.

I don't mean in terms of "speed and killer chops" as so many of you children of the eighties will bring up in protest, but in terms of ART? Zeppelin are among the best. Dylan had better words, Jimi had wilder guitar, but only Zeppelin could have written and performed Zeppelin. Best band ever man...just look at the sheer records they set in terms of albums and concert attendance. THEN, if you aren't convinced, listen to their music.

I don't mean most entertaining band ever, I mean best band ever ARTISTICALLY. There's a difference between good music and good entertainment (Mozart= good music and art. Elvis=good entertainment).

The key to understanding what band is good at what is understanding the difference between art and entertainment. In terms of art, Zeppelin win. For those who accept the fact that they are very talented in the "art" field, Zeppelin are also very entertaining. Although you must have art BEFORE entertainment - it can't run the other way around or you wind up being mediocre.

IN SHORT:

Best Band,

Collin, on the state of music in general, I'm going to agree, but there are some pretty good new bands out there. They don't get as much attention though.

led zeppelin is simply the best band ever. you really can't dispute it. plant is the third best vocalist ever (behind mercury and cornell). page is the second best guitar player ever (do i really need to say who's first?), bonham is one of the top 5 drummers ever, and john paul jones is only behind john entwistle and flea. when you have your four members in ranking like that, you're the best. and they are.

In the "How the West Was Won" DVD, if you go to the knebworth proformance of "Rock and Roll" at the end when it's time for Bonzo's drum solo, he is waiting for plant to "lonely time" while plant is waiting for Bonzo to start the solo. There is an awkward silence for about 3 seconds and plant turns around to see whats up. It's not that huge, but still fun to watch

I'm going to agree with Sean on the matter of greatest this and that etc. (by the way Sean, your town rocks). I believe Led Zeppelin is the best because I love what they gave to rock music. Some of these other bands like The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who (you know what kind of bands I'm talking about) Have one or two stand out members. Ask an average classic rock fan to name every member of one of these bands... I betcha they couldn't. I am not trying to discredit these bands, because they too were great. But ask an average classic rock fan to name every member of Zeppelin and they'll probably rattle of Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham fairly easily. Heck, they probably even know the nicknames, Pagey, Jonesy and Bonzo. They were ALL (to quote Robert Plant, I believe,) "captain of the ship at one time or another". They all made amazing contributions to the music that is rock.

On the matter of "all music today is crap". I'm going to agree in part. There are still bands out there that are making fabulous music, U2, the Rolling Stones (kinda. Gosh, they're as old as my grandfather!), and Rush (who toured for a little while recently), among others. I hope that some new bands will come back who play music similar to these great old bands and they will revive the music of the Rolling Stones, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and the like, just like these guys did with the blues of the 30's.

No one will probably give a care about my rambling mess above, but heck, it's a vent for my emotions...

Excuse me James?....If anything Keith Moon (still and excellent drummer) is third on the list of the greatest rock drummers: 1.) John Bonham 2.) Neil Peart (who is the best drummer ALIVE) 3.) Keith Moon, so there you have it

There's always loads of falsehoods on these posts. I don't have time to go through and read all this crap and correct the mistakes but I did notice one. "Whole Lotta Love" was released as a single in 1970 and it reached #4. The statement says it wasn't released until 1997, 18 years after it was written. Assuming the 1997 part is correct (which it isn't), the math would still be wrong.

I don't care what anyone says, Led Zeppelin were great, but John Bonham is really quite overrated. He's a great drummer, but Keith Moon eclipses him in every respect. Bonham's best performance was on "Moby Dick" on "The Song Remains The Same".

Led Zeppelin is so much better live because of their improvisions and what not...everyone should get the dvd "how the west was one" and i think it was John Eltwiser (bass player to the who) who said the lead ballon remark...i could be wrong though

There's nothing I can say that hasnt already been said. As individuals, they may have not been the best at what they did, or they may have.. thats not for me to say, its purely opinion and conjecture. I could say 'Bonzo was the greatest,' and there would be a million people to support me, and a million people to refute that by saying things like, 'oh no.. Moon was better.. Buddy Rich was faster.. blah was blah,' but I dont care about that. Only Bonzo was Bonzo, and only HE could give the contributions that he DID give to drumming, only HE could have made the Led Zeppelin drum sound work.. and only HE could have revolutionized rock and roll drumming forever. I could easily say that about JPJ, Plant, and Page as well. Plant may not have been the most beautiful singer, or the most awe inspiring, or the best writer of original lyrics, but his contributions to the greatest band known to man are easily visible. They worked as a band, ingenuity, skill, and teamwork fused to create the monster that they became. Live performances blew fans and even non-fans off of their feet, and this was during/after the era of Hendrix, The Beatles, the Elvis craze... etc! If they were overrated, it was certainly not by the press, who hated the band, and did everything they could to stop its progression.. and I dont care who you are, or what kind of music you enjoy, Led Zeppelin has it for you. Heavy metal? please... Immigrant Song will knock you senseless. Blues? Gimme the whole damn catalogue. Reggae? D'yer Maker. Pop-ish? Album: Houses of the Holy. Country/folk? Tolkein references abound. Love ballads, catchy riffs, and heavy pounding action. Its all Led Zeppelin, and its supposed to be fun. Things are getting waaaay too serious if we're arguing about the merits of one guitarist, drummer, bassist, or singer over another. Analyzing this and that, arguing... its overbearing, annoying BS. Greatest this, greatest that.. who gives a $hit? I enjoy other bands, but I LOVE Led Zeppelin.. because of this, nothing anyone can say will ever change my mind. Including studio cuts, and live releases.. a few prized bootlegs.. ive got 142 songs by this band, thats every single one folks.. and other fans out there like me wont be persuaded to believe that the greatest band in the world is anything less.. and mature fans wont bother arguing their personal opinion with others who have personal opinions.

That said, they WERE the greatest band of all time.. for various reasons that I wont get into now. The sum of all their parts equals a seat on any throne in the world, and even casual fans recognize their greatness.. even if you dont like the band, perhaps you should sit back and realize what the fuss is all about, maybe listen to a few recommended records, but at least respect that the band has a horde of fans to back up their opinions. We're a family.

Yea about page stealing parts of songs

He took one measure of a song by the band Spirit. On their first american tour they toured together and left and impression.

Alex, who do u think you are? Bonzo was(and sill is) the best drummer the world has ever known. The day the music truley died was the day that he did. ( it was September 25 1980 )no one can tuch his playing. He RULES!!!.

whats the deal here, in my school everyone like " ac/dc and guns and roses are the best" but they copied alot of Led Zeppelins Stlye, i wish they could hear the source, not the repeatition

Whatever MAt, i think Jimmy Page IS the greatest guitarist ever. Jimi Hendrix and Clapton just use Pedal and band string to make there music sound so complicated, if you listen closely Jimmy like does a vibrato on every note he playes, and he's very fast, Eddy Van Halen and Jimmy Page are the best i think

Wow, there has been a lot of bashing of Pages guitar playing. I was reading some comments about how he sounded so much better in the studio because the lack of overdubs. So true, but when you hear a live solo from him, it's spectacular. Absolutely amazing. So much feeling. He's not afraid to play easy solos. It's all about what it sounds and feels like. If you hear a solo that you had heard on an album, it probably doesn't sound near as good because of the overdubs that you are used to. Jimmy Page revolutionized overdubs. Zeppelin is the first band to do so many overdubs and stuff on one song. It's amazing. As for the stealing of riffs;BAD Page bad. I hate that and I'm very angry at Zeppelin for that but notice that all the hugely loved and famous songs, except Stairway, are 100% pure Led Zeppelin. All, well most, lead by the magically riffs that Jimmy could make.

Led Zeppelin the best band ever the best song is "In The Light" i dont know about you Zeppelin fans you guys tell me that u guys are really Zepp fans well thats great that you people are they are the best and always be the best

No Quarter and Ramble on yes, but have you ever heard "The Battle of Evermore" ? that song is like the definitive Lord of the Rings Song!!

here's someti=hing sick: A Bonham and Peart duet. or him and moon! Keith Moon is just as good as bonham anyway

yeah robert was a huge fan of lord of the rings. Ramble on is based on lord of the rings and so is no quarter

Jimmy Page is one of the greatest guitarists who have ever lived and he is by far my favorite one. Led Zeppelin is my favorite band so that my explain why I like him so much. Anyway Robert Plant was a huge fan J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings. It may just be me but i found that if you have a copy of the Fellowship Of The Ring and you look at the way the letters of the title are shaped and then look at the the way the letters of the band are shaped they look
quite similar.

Actually referring to the comment earlier about the grammy, Led Zeppelin recived a lifetime achevement award. It was recived by PAGE AND JOHN PAUL JONES the night before at the smaller ceremony. But if you go online and download the Video Tribute to janis Joplin by Joss Stone and Melissa Ethridge the first camera shows page and Jones sitting in 2 seats right next to each other

alex,

john bonham was an amazing drummer. but hes not one of your more proficient drummers like neil peart, danny cary, phil collins. when you really think about it john bonham wasnt known for how complicated his playing was. he was known for how he played his songs. he played with so much power and solidness. he knew when to play simple and when to through in crazy fills. like kashmir, no quarter, since ive been loving you. ive listend to many moby dicks and i have been a zeppelin fan for years and years,i am not putting down bonham in anyway. im just stating what so many people deny. john bonham played with more power then mostly any other drummer, its defenatley how he played is what made him so memorable

It seems John Bonham is underrated here. Kind of pissses me off. I mean, he was nuts. going on stage and playing for a half an hour straight even with bloody hands and going nude it heavy. And no one can touch how much heaviness this guy can dish out. Lars ulrich may sound heavier, but his beats are beatles beats with a heavy fill. Heavy my ass!

Jimmy Page is one of the best guitarist/composer.
We are not talking sports here is rite!!!
If you listen to the composing and the feeling created by this band you will clearly see that
Zep along with many other greats stand out in thier own way.
The band was complete magic with their own feel that
no one no matter how much they try can duplicate.
That's what I define as a great guitarist and other instrumnets the same as well. You don't hear Zeppelin......you feel Zeppelin.

Led Zeppelin is the greatest band of all time. Period.

the song remains the same in my opinion is a way better concert. but the 2 disc is more material which is also genius. has the good songs that song remanis the same doestn have. so get both they play off each other really well

Oh yeah about the Keith Moon thing. The story I know is that their original name was going to be "The New YardBirds" and Keith Moon said "That name would go down like a lead balloon" So they used the name Led Zeppelin and the reason they used "Led" instead of "Lead" was so americans wouldn't confuse it for "Leed Zeppelin".

Best DVD of them in my opinion is the 2003 double disc one (I guess it was 'How the west was won' though it never said on the DVD case). Has their best performences with 5 + hours of footage. Though I personally liked Dazed and Confused more on 'The Song Remains the Same' DVD.

I am seeing alot of peaple saying that there are no good bands out today and this is entirely untrue. though Zeppelin is my favorite band of all time. Some bands everyone here should check out are "string cheese
incident" "Galactic" "Michael Franti and Spearhead" "Keller Williams" "Wide Spread Panic" and "Umphreys Mcghee" (not sure about that spelling) anyway these are all great bands and all fairly new so check em out and hear some great new music even though the old will remain classic

Mike that sounds right. It had already had been planned though that Plant and Page would accept the grammy beforehand. I didn't watch the ceremony, but I heard about it.

Riche: I also heard it was Keith Moon as well, but this was when Jeff Beck and John Entwistle, and Keith were in the band, and it wasn't refering to the band either. He was saying it would sink like a led zeppelin if the who's management found out. At least, that's the version of the story I remember hearing.

AH, DAMNIT.
My friend said that a critic said they'd sink like a led zeppelin for their name. But it was KEITH MOON!? No, I said he's probibly in hell now, but The Who's drummer!

thats fine that they screw up doesnt matter to me. i screw up when i play gigs, its just something i noticed because i was bored out of my mind

I have the "How The West Was Won" DVD, but for some reason I never noticed it. I haven't watched in a while though. I tried to get it to play on my laptop, and obviously that didn't work!!! Hahaha!

its okay mike! everyones gotta mess up SOMETIME.

no problem stefanie.
today i found a concert where zeppelin screwed up! i thought i never see the day. its very devestating for me but its true. if you own the how the west won dvd then go to the danish tv clips. the last song "how many more times" right around the last 1 @ a half or so bonzo does a fill to bring them into the last chorus and no one plays with him when he finishes. its not that cool but i dont have the car today so im stuck in the house

Thanks Mike. I knew it was Jimmy Page's symbol, but that was the extent of my knowledge on it.

Called "Zoso" because it resembles a word, this glyph is one of four enigmatic symbols appearing on the cover of rock group Led Zeppelin's album Four. Each member of the band chose a personal emblem for the cover; this symbol was chosen by guitarist Jimmy Page as a personal emblem.

The symbol is probably derived from a sixteenth century treatise by mathemetician and occultist Girolamo Cardano, where it is used to represent the planet Saturn for purposes of magick. (Page is a Capricorn, a sign ruled by Saturn.) A similar device

What it means personally to Page is unknown, as he has never publically revealed its meaning, but his interest in magick and Crowleyanna is well known. (He even operated an occult bookshop called "Equinox" for a time.)

I don't know what he looks like, but he would play a pipe, and the first time he played all of the rats followed him out of the city. I think it was Hamburg Germany. Anyway, the second time the pied piper played his pipe the children followed him out of the city. I'm not sure the city was Hamburg, but the story is German, and the line "Your head is humming and it won't go in case you don't know..." is definitely a reference to him.

cool! anyway uh...does anyone know what the "in my thoughts i have seen rings of smoke through the trees" part mean? i love that part for some reason. its my favorite lyrics of stairway. anyone get it??

I think Zoso was one of the band members' symbols. Apparently there's a picture of it on Led Zep Iv. I think it's something from Satan or something, and I think it's Jimmy Page's symbol. I'm really not sure though, and all of this could be a figment of my imagination. I've been blind since birth so I wouldn't know what all of it means or what it looks like anyway. Sorry guys if I'm rambling.

i know that! i had to go to sunday school for 5 years! i just don't get what you mean by bleeding!

an enblum of jesus being crucified is called a crusifix

o yeah and mike- what do you mean crucifixes that bleed?

satanism could be a real thing just among very few people. i still stand by that satan is a mythical character. then again i don't believe in God so i'm kinda biased.

i dont really have any hard facts on page as a satanist and thats not what i wanted to do. but i know theres a lot of stuff out there that i think you need to see. my uncles freind has crusifix statues that bleed and virgin mary's that cry. ive woken up in the middle of the night and seen my drawer open. ive also woken up and seen a figure in my mirror. i really dont doubt that there more out there. im not religious but im pretty sure satanism is a real thing

yeah mike thats the whole is stairway satanic messages backwards thing. i think maybe page was interested in satanism, not necessarily satanist though. i mean i don't necessarily think anyone is satanist. when people get bored or whatever they just try to convince themselves and possibly others that they're satanists or other weird cults. except maybe that guy that wrote the black bible i doubt anyone is actually a satanist. i mean believers in god admit that satan is a mythical character. so maybe page bought that house and put all that stuff out but it doesn't necessarily mean he was actually evil. not that it would make a difference if he was i mean i worship zeppelin's music not their religion!

Hi everyone, if you want to get a feel for Zep when they were raw ( with very few effects )and get an idea of how astonishing they were live
( in the early days )lay your hands on the BBC Sessions. After all the years of devotion to the albums it's great to hear how complete they were right from the word go. Oh yeah, and lets hear it for the brilliant acoustic set on 'How the West was Won'.

hey mike i saw that quote and liked it too! its in the cover of my brothers boxed set or something... anyway i liked this other one by robert plant but i forgot it right now! o well i'll try to find it!

When people talk about how good other guitarists are, they're talking about how they play within the accepted structures of contemporary guitar plating, which Pagey plays miles outside of. He plays from somewhere else. I like to think of it as...a little left of heaven."

-robert plant

just i quote that i thought was pretty good

well go to tower records or something. there easy to find go to amazon.com or some place like that.


I was talking to my freind and he said that the guy(forgot his name) that wrote the black bible ( satanic bible) when he died jimmy paige bought his castle and now owns all his writing and stuff. we were thinking that might be a sign that zeppelin or at least paige is satanic. there kinda wierd people if you think about it. I have a t shirt with that man in the robe holding the lantern and plus that man with wings that seems like hes reaching for something, and plus robert plant said in an interview that he didnt write stairway he just kind of happend and it wasnt him. and plus for the song remains the same dvd. all those really wierd movies. there could be more to these guys.



im not saying they are just a better topic than where to get the zeppelin dvd.

I love Zeppelin so much...it hurts.

i find that if someone likes lord of the rings it helps get into led zeppelin a ton! at least after i read lord of the rings i appreciated no quarter so much it went to my top five. none of my friends (except ONE) even like lord of the rings, and most of them don't like stairway either shows their attention span! o well i converted one friend already... well kind of. i gave her led zeppelin 4 and the only songs she likes off it are black dog, misty mountain hop, and rock n' roll, but she ALMOST likes stairway i know that cuz she put it on her iPod and she preciously conserves space on her iPod! so i'm working on it...

"What are some immeadiately likeable zep songs?"

Here are my top 6:

If they good taste in music:
"Over the Hills and Far Away" 4:49 -Similar to Stairway, but shorter and more energetic
"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" 6:42 -Another song that starts slow and kicks your ass at the end. Perfect drums, guitar, vocals.

If they listen to crap, but love music:
"Whole Lotta Love" 5:34 -Great riff, creepy giutar solo, and when the guitar comes in at 3:05 I almost jizz every time I hear it
"Good Times Bad Times" 2:46 - Short, energetic, cool solo

If they have ADD and hate music:
"Immigrant Song" 2:25 - Who doesn't like Immigrant Song?
"The Ocean" 4:31 - This spot used to be reserved for "Rock & Roll." Now everybosy says "Hey, that's the Cadillac song"

jeanette


the best way to convet someone is to show them the dvds its hard to get someone to completey sit down and listen to music and get into a song. like if you were to show them the audio of no quarter they would most likley zone out before the one minute piano intro is up, but if you show them the preformance on the song remanins the same album then they would appricieate it more. so go for dvds thats how i converted my gf

hey jeanette...a number of songs come to mind...in the light...trampled underfoot...for the drum fanatics...bonzos montreaux and moby dick...for the guitar guroos...heartbreaker...bass...the lemon song no quarter...i mean the list goes on an on an on...

i think its possible that it will come back while zeppelin is alive, just pretty unlikely. i agree that it might come back when one of the members passes away but i think it might be a little while later than that. i think music is going downhill now so unless some great artists (like led zeppelin or the beatles) created some worldwide obsession like they did, (which doesn't seem like its gonna happen with the stuff they're producing now) i think music will just get worse and worse until people realize that hey this old stuff is really good! if enough people do that it might come back. at least i hope thats what will happen...
oh well whatever this website shows that we have enough fans that led zeppelin will live forever even if it doesn't have quite the same fanbase as before!
hey stephanie my brother gave me led zeppelin 4 and since then i have been a fan! it probably helped that he listened to it constantly in his room though.

jeanette,

i get your post now. i replied to that at like 4 in the morning, probley not the best time to reply to things. I also hope zeppelin will come back in that sense. as brilliant as they are there not going to make a comeback like that unless they do something with themselves to promote themselves, but sadly enough people dont appricate anything till its all gone. So i dont think anything really is going to happen unless one of the members pass away god forbid. its kind of how it is. like when the space craft went down a couple years ago. they wernt anything besides astronauts. then when they crashed they were suddenly heros. thats just my opinion. sadly thats how our society works. i dont think there is going to be a sudden zeppelin craving all of the sudden.

mike from san pedro, i didn't mean actually come back. like not to do concerts or something because i agree that you can't replace bonham (see my last post) all i meant was that it will come back as in people will start listening to them a lot more soon. they still have tons of fans, but not nearly as many and all i meant is that suddenly people are gonna figure out that they're listening to crap and start listening to led zeppelin again. i hope it happens during the remaining members lifetime!

Even if zeppelin came back. it wouldnt be the same. i dont know if i would want to see them. I watched the performance for the 1985 live aid and it was just a couple years after the broke up and they were not the same. Zeppelin will never be the same without bonham and plus times are changing they would never be in the same mind frame ever again. they coulndt put out an album like they use too. That band is one of the very few bands who no one can be replaced. no matter who the replacment is

I agree that they had an awesome chemistry. I mean, most bands today are always making crappy music videos and wearing excessive eyeliner or whatever they can do to get attention. Led Zeppelin spoke for themselves with their music, and someday I bet they'll come back. They'll be a point when everyone will realize they're listening to complete crap, and then bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, even The Beatles will come back.

Led Zeppelin is the greatest band of all time! To Don and Tom: I think the reason no one has replaced Bonham, even Paice, is that then it's no longer Led Zeppelin. It just wouldn't be the same anymore.
I just became a Led Zeppelin fan, and Ana from Sydney I agree that it's ANNOYING when people tell me I can't be a Zep fan because I'm too young. Awesome that you got that tattoo. Wish I could do that, but since I'm 13, my parents would KILL me.
Zep is the best band of all time!

Robert plant, john bonham, john paul jones, jimmy paige. The members of one of the most innovative bands that ever existed. They changed rock and roll and really pushed out the boundries. We can talk all day about who is better at gutair paige or hendrix, keith moon and bonham, etc. IT DOENST MATTER WHOS BETTER. Those 4 people had a chemitry together that is unmatchable compared to 95% of music today or back in the day. Jimmy paige is an amazing riff maker and soloist. I cant even even put in words how talented he his. Ten years gone, rain song, etc. Some people say hes sloppy! so what it was all part of the style. He can be clean and perfect if he wants to. Listen to the dvd preformance of since ive been loving you and no quarter. MIND BLOWING!. Jimmy did not just play one style he mastered many styles which you dont see to much today. John paul jones composed some of zeppelins best songs not to mention is an awsome bass gutairist and pianst. John bonham played with soooo much power. Who cares if some other drummer is more techical or faster. You look at a song like ten years gone and listen to it. He drives to music like no other. A somewhat expierienced drummer can come in and play ten years gone or since ive been loving you. but how complicated the drum parts are doesnt matter. Nothing will sound better ever. Its all how you play it. no will ever be able to duplicate his style. He is a huge infulence on a lot of drummers. Not to say anything bad about bonham. He had fast doubles and triplets. His technique was so amazing. The danish tv clips in 69 in the how the west won dvd he was a really young guy. Metal drummers today need two bass drums to do what he did with one. not to mention he was just plain out amazing. Robert plant is an awsoooome vocalist. I dont care if some other guy can reach a higher pitch. Plant put so much feeling into songs. His voice was so smooth and he was the perfect guy for the job. The rain song, going to california, ten years gone, no quarter, etc. you cant match those preformances. These guys all improvised songs that were sometimes 25 minutes in length. There is not many bands that can pull of medleys like that and make it sound llike it was all planned ahead. In my opintion Zeppelin is the most amazing band that ever ever exsisted. These four men where all sent down with godly talents and a destiny too play Music and be damn good at it.

I have no idea how people can like this stuff you just mass produce. All sounds the same!! theres no feeling theres no musicianship. These douches just go to a ryhming dictionary and put in sex, vodka and hoes. Im really disapionted about how music is going today. The killers, frans fernidad, good charolette, simple plan. All this poser punk stupid 90 secound songs. My gf liked rap before and then i showed her zeppelin. i showed her the dvds and the songs. now she wont even listen to that crap anymore. Sadly enough if zeppelin where to come out today as a band they most likley wouldnt make it. That style is not in POPLULAR DEMAND. I dont think any poppy teenage grls or some poser punk guys can really sit down and appriciate there genius.



Zeppelin is something you get into if you really listen. People can just listen to stairway, kashmir, etc and say "ooo led zeppelin is awsome rock on" but when you reallyy start listening to all the songs no matter if there folk, country, blues, hard rock. Thats only when you can truly apprieciate Led zeppelin and there versitility. No other band will ever match them.


If you dont like them and have some conspiericy theory really dont belong in this forum jus
go away

Giancarlo. I couldn't agree with you more. I think that the Beatles and Led Zeppelin are the greatest bands of all time,Beatles number 1, and Led Zep number 2.

Whats the big deal with In My Time of Dying. The same 5 notes over and over again while Plant
"sings" a Dylan version of a traditional song.

I think Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin are comparable. I think I like Led Zeppelin a LITTLE more than Pink Floyd, but you have to be trying to get into Floyd. You can't just listen to one of their songs and then one of Zep's songs and then say Zep is better because it definitely will be. You have to be listening to a whole Floyd album and reading between the lines to enjoy it. Can't shuffle it on an iPod or anything. Still, Zep would win between the two I think.

I used to go to a school where I was the only Zep fan. Then I moved and half the school was wearing Zep t-shirts. Most of the new friends I made listened to them all the time which proved one thing. Led Zeppelin is the best band ever and even in places where there's no fans nearby, you're definitely not alone!

There is only one problem with Led Zeppelin.. its not the music, that has remained flawless.. the only problem is any 14 year old boy can pick up a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and hum the intro to stairway and seem like they are fans. without appreciating the music itself.

To Matthew, Downers Grove, IL, I am 13, and almost everyone in my grade through high school's favorite band is Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin is still popular today among teenagers who really know good music.

Hey Kerry from Kentucky, What is the big deal about Pink Floyd? I listen to dark side on vinyl ocassionally, but they can't compare to Zeppelin by a long shot.

I agree with Brendan from NJ, Clapton Hendrix, and Page are equally great in their own way (Duane Allman was amazing too). But don't forget who influenced them... Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and many more. They may have taken the lyrics from these guys, but compare "You need love" by Willie Dixon to "Whole Lotta Love" they are completely different.

YES, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd ... BEST bands of ALL Time .. period. Way ahead of their time .. and better than anything before or since! YES gets the slight edge.

Man, I love Zeppelin, and they are my favourite band along with AC/DC... Those two are the GREATEST. I don't see how anyone with proper taste can like the musical crap they mass-produce nowadays.

If anyone is in the seattle area I recommend stopping by the Science Center, By the space needle, And seeing the Zeppelin Laser Show...It's one of the best laser domes in the US!!! Sunday Nights @ 8pm!

I don't see how anyone can say Led Zeppelin is not the greatest band ever...With one of the best vocalists of all time, One of the best guitarists of all time, Best drummer, Most played song on the radio of all time (Stairway To Heaven), Only band to have all of their albums on the charts at the same time...Where does it end? I can't thing of any band better then Zeppelin and don't think there ever will be!

Jimmy Page the best guitarist of all time easily and his tenure with Led Zeppelin cemented his status and Led Zeppelin's as the best band ever to walk the earth!

Led Zeppelin are the greatest band on the earth and always will be. I'm 14 and im sick of all the punk/emo posers is our school so me and my friends bring in our records and play them during study hall to piss them off. Jimmy P
age kicks Hendrixs a** hands down. And our band is on trying to learn how to play all they're songs. Anyway see ya.
Kickin' It Old School,
Seth

In my opinion Led Zeppelin were one of the greatest bands ever and even though I never had the chance to see them in concerts their music never ceased to amaze me. For one, Robert Plant had one of the greatest voices in the history of rock and roll, and Jimmy Page had such amazing technique with the guitar it just took my breath away at times. For those who find Led Zeppelin bad or overrated, you most likely only know the songs like "Black Dog", "Heartbreaker", or "Kashmir" which are songs that everyone knows because Zepppelin were more than that. Each album was unique and, in my opinion excellent in its own way. The thing is you can't judge a band by listening to a few of their songs but it also depends on your taste in music so if you don't like Zeppelin's style than don't comment on how bad they were.

My favorite Led Zeppelin song is Fool in the Rain. No Quarter is my second favorite. AJ from Cleveland- I don't think Led Zeppelin was overrated at all. If anything, they did not get the recognition they deserve- no grammy, and as Tom from Trowbridge said, Led Zeppelin is not well respected or liked in his town. I'm sure that many teenagers have not heard L Z. Although I don't think Led Zeppelin cared that they didn't get a grammy.

In 1971 I've bought my first long play (not a CD). What was it?
Obviously: Led Zepellin IV
The biggest rock and roll band ever!

Oh my goodness, all of you Hendrix fanboys have obviously never heard "Since I'VE Benn Lovin You" live, watch the damn DVD, if you're still a Hendrix fanboy afterwards then there is no hope for you. Hendrix was good but he wasnt Page good. I mean come on compare "Purple Haze" to "In My Time Of Dying." Simply no comparison, hands down Page wins. I think the main reason why Page is so good, is his proficiency in a variety of different guitar styles. The blues, hard rock, eastern styles, (Kashmir anyone?) and folk music. Hendrix just plays blues and thast it. You know what, Kirk Hammet from Metallica is better than Hendrix, yep I said it. Anyways, Eddie Van Halen is an awesome player too, even better than Page in some aspects. The thing about LZ is there powerful presence, listen to Traveling Riverside Blues loudly in a decent pair of headphones, just awesome. Its a shame that people these days enjoy crap music like Nirvana and My Chemical Romance. Oh and whats even worse than punk and emo kids (but not by alot) are the posers that claim to like the mighty Zep but fail to name any other song other than Stairway to Heaven.

its one of the only bands that the guitarist overshadowed the lead singer

led zeppelin will always be in my heart....even tho im only 12. i love led zep(fav son is heartbreaker)

Led Zeppelin is the only band good enough for Otto (bart and lisa's bus driver) to praise as he dies. "Led Zeppelin rulessss!"

bonzo was an amazing timekeeper! it's like all 4 limbs played seperately. listen to any song, and u can picture, in your mind's eye, each limb playing a different beat.
i can't even do that sitting at a desk 'playing' drums on my table!
amazing!

'noise moving fast' - interesting analogy i guess you would feel the same about chopin or rachmaninov - most people cannot get these composers' work either - i can accept people that do not enjoy the van halen sound or get with the speed and energy of it but i cannot accept people that take away the legacy that he has produced through his work - the guitarists in my 'list' have all been great songsmiths etc but what really seperates them from the others out there is that they have taken the received wisdom of previous works and reinterpreted it into something else, something new - they have raised the bar and made countless others follow suit and try to achieve something themselves - the same as great painters have done for centuries - okay page brought a violin bow, some early bluesy legato fingering and interesting tuning techniques into the electric guitar field - eddie has brought extreme legato, two-fingered and two-handed fret-board tapping, tapped harmonics, extreme whammy-bar techniques, experimental pickup sounds(intro to poundcake involves him using an electric drill right next to the pickup but it will work with a variety of electromagnetic devices - guitarists try it out), experimental volume control sounds(if youve never heard 'cathedral' on 'diver down' album i suggest you take the time - eddie uses a technique where he fingers a note on the neck without playing it and uses the volume control to sound it - its quite extraordinary and outdoes most experimental guitar techniques in its own right, all i ask is that credit is given where credit is due... cheers

I am a big fan of Led Zeppelin, Robert plant has a great voice that is distinct, John Paul Jones is an exceptional bassist, and John Bonham's drumming pretty much made Led Zeppelin, without him they arent Led Zeppelin, there has never been a drummer like him and there hasn't since. When he died Led Zeppelin went down with him because he was thier true sound. And to all you Jimmy Paige fans, the truth is he isn't that a great guitarist, alot of the zep songs are so simple, but what's special about his playing is that it's his own style of playing that is unmatchable, and he controls that guitar, the guitar belongs to him.

I'm an 18 yr old boy from bangladesh, and i think Led Zeppelin absolutely rocks! i started listening to them recently and i after hearing them, i realized just how mediocre most modern music is in comparison to them. Unfortunately, here in bangladesh, while 80's metal bands are very popular, not that many ppl actually listen to Led Zeppelin, and i consider that a shame as they were one of the inventors of metal.

I think its strange that so many people are shocked at young fans. After all, werent our parents and aunts/uncles the original fans when they were anywhere from approx 12 and above? the target market at the time surely included 14 and 15 year olds, and I dont see why our generation wouldnt lap it up too, ecspecially when new music is so hollow and fake. Anyone who disregards old music simply because of its age, "So five minutes ago" crap ought to be removed from our planet. I think listening to zep, beatles, floyd and other greats ought to be cumpolsory at school!

You know, when Bonham died, Led Zeppelin could have easily gotten Deep Purple's Ian Paice. Ian Paice's style is similar to Bonham, and Ian Paice is a pretty good drummer! What do you guys think?

I just realized that most episodes of that 70s show are named after Zeppelin songs. The one im watching now is called "When the Levee breaks."
not a particularily good show, but meh.

You Americans probably didn't believe me when I said Led Zeppelin are virtually unknown in England. Well, we have a stereo in the common room at my school. A few days ago, I stuck on 'Led Zeppelin' but someone changed CDs after only one song 'Good times, Bad times'! Also, one of my friends said I was 'sad' because I liked Zeppelin! And that's not all! Later the same day, I stuck on 'Led Zeppelin IV' and some girl had the nerve to say that 'Stairway to Heaven' was crap! You see what I'm talking about now! The amount of hassle I have to put up with, for liking Led Zeppelin!

Page's greatest skill was as a producer. He knew how to make songs sound tremendously powerful. His guitar work was good, but when out of the studio (and lacking the multiple overdubs) it was much weaker than many of his contemporaries.

"Zoso" is a symbol that page made using(most likely) the zodiak sign from some celestial body (i don't remember which one. there is information about it on the web but i don't know the validity of it. i would bet it is probably just fun to have everybody guessing. page seems to be a weird character.

Led Zeppelin is the greatest band ever due to the simple fact that no one has ever covered such a wide variety of music and done it so well. in addition they easily had the best chemistry of any band ever.

Speaking of RIP OFFS! From Rolling Stone Magazine: "Back when Whitesnake was riding high on Zeppola singles like "Still of the Night," Robert Plant snickeringly referred to the band's frontman as David Coverversion. So when the word came down that Jimmy Page, despairing over getting Plant aboard a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, was forming a band with Whitesnake's David Coverdale, you could almost hear the critics sharpening their insults in anticipation."

Jimmy refers to himself as - or admits that he was sloppy in his work, and others share in that opinon. I call him UNIQUE. So what if he wasn't perfect; he was exerimental. LZ really is an experience and a half - not just a band. I'm 35 - LZ was MY generation, and I can remember being a teenager at parties, riding in fast cars, hanging out - LZ was there, as was Lynard Skynard. Not Hendrix or Clapton - not Vaughn - it was PAGE! From teens to thirties, I love the band. They are timeless! And it is said Page ripped off blue music geniuses. Well, how many bands since LZ have "tried" to emulate what Page has mastered? Same principle. And Eddie Van Halen is talented but an arrogant jerk! Over rated!

What makes Led Zeppelin great is that they really make you enjoy their songs. Their songs are so good that you seem to lose all sense of reality while listening to them. You don't seem to notice how long "Achilles' Last Stand", "Kashmir" and "Stairway to Heaven" are or how short "Communication Breakdown" and "Immigrant Song" are.

Jimmy Page was a great guitarist. However, he was sloppy--even he will admit to that. Plus, most of his riffs were stolen from classic blues recordings. Those people were the true geniuses (Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, etc.). Unlike groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones who made of point of publicizing what they took from the Blues greats, Zeppelin often tried to hide it. Anyway, Jimmy Page was a great guitarist. One of the greatEST? Nah. There are too many out there who have been better than him. Personally, no one touches Jimi. Clapton, Vaughn, Robert Johnson, and Jeff Beck were all better. I place Page with Eddie Van Halen as guys who were excellent guitarists, but were not THAT good.