Early Years
Formed in 1968, Led Zeppelin were a British rock band most famously known for their iconic song “Stairway to Heaven”. The band was composed of four members; guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. Working together for over a decade, Led Zeppelin sold more than 200 million records worldwide, making them one of the most recognizable bands of the 1970’s. But how did this supergroup come to be?
It all began in 1968, when guitarist Jimmy Page was left searching for a new band after The Yardbirds split up. Page rounded up session musicians John Paul Jones and John Bonham to create “The New Yardbirds” with himself on lead guitar. Page hoped to find a new vocalist who could put his musical ideas into motion and initially turned to singer Terry Reid who declined the offer.
After the rejection, a suggestion was made and sent to Jimmy Page about a vocalist named Robert Plant. Plant, previously one of the front men of band, Band of Joy, had been gathering momentum with his phenomenal voice. Intrigued by the suggestion, Page invited Plant to audition, and the two quickly connected. In the first recording session, the trio combined with Plant was auditioned and the new band Led Zeppelin was born!
Early Achievements
With Jimmy Page orchestrating the band, decisions were made to name each song with a working title and most often had lead guitar parts. Lyrics didn’t supersede until further down the line, but with incredible musicians at hand, and the ad hoc approach to composition, new exciting songs were produced.
The band spent the following months recording their first album, which was released on the 12th of January 1969, simply titled Led Zeppelin. The album comprised of blues and rock songs that spoke to both young and old audiences alike. Through their incomparable live performances, the band immediately garnered attention from the media. One of the highlights of this period was their performance of “Whole Lotta Love” at the Bath Festival in June 1969, which was one of their many legendary live performances.
Furthermore, their second album titled Led Zeppelin II was released in October 1969. It was a bigger success than their first album, with more tour dates and airplay. The album contained two of their most iconic songs, ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Ramble On’. Achieving such success early on in their career, this evolution in their sound and composition set a precedence for the upcoming albums.
International Acclaim
The success of Led Zeppelin’s first two albums moved the band to tour outside of the UK. Live concerts became larger and larger as the band achieved international acclaim for their ultimate sound. Performing in both North America and Europe, the band’s third and fourth albums, ‘Led Zeppelin III’ and ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ cemented them in to the rock ‘n roll hall of fame.
The ‘fourth album’, released in 1971, consisted of one of their most beloved songs, ‘Stairway to Heaven’. This song became one of the most iconic songs ever created, having lasting power from the generations that heard it, often now being referred to as a ‘classic’. The song doesn’t follow the typical 4 minutes structure but rather a 8 minutes one, proving to be difficult to replicate by other bands and performers. From its orchestral introduction, to the soft acoustic melodies, there is an evident change of sound and emotions throughout the song.
Led Zeppelin’s fourth album pushed them to the absolute top of the music industry, with their unique style of folk, blues, country, and rock enthralling audiences from all corners of the world. Two albums later they released ‘Houses of the Holy’, an album that received critical acclaim for blending different genres. The album even had a reggae encore of their own version of the old reggae classic ‘D’yer Mak’er’.
Decline
Unfortunately, the success of Led Zeppelin could not last forever and in 1980 the band came to an end when their drummer John Bojham passed away unexpectedly. Despite Bonham’s departure, the band managed to continue and produced their last album titled ‘In Through the Out Door’.
However, their popularity began to decline as they failed to achieve the same commercial success they had obtained with their earlier albums. Without Bonham, the band’s future was unclear and they disbanded in 1980, ceasing all activity after Berhm’s death.
In their 12 year span, Led Zeppelin certainly made their mark in the rock music industry. From the bluesy solos to the timeless melodies, their sound was a phenomenon that couldn’t be replicated, and their influence is still heard amongst modern rock bands today.
Legacy
Led Zeppelin were easily one of the biggest rock bands of the 70’s and to this day they remain as one of the most influential bands ever. They combined elements of folk, blues, jazz, and regular rock music in a way that had never been done before. As a result, they have become one of the most acclaimed and successful bands to ever exist.
The band has been praised countless times for their contributions to music and have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Led Zeppelin’s estimation of album sales is an estimated 190 million worldwide, they are the third best-selling band of all time. The legacy of Led Zeppelin continues to live on in through their albums, singles, and live performances.
Cover Bands
These days, Led Zeppelin’s songs are still being heard through the many cover bands who perform their songs live. Countless tribute bands have developed with the purpose of keeping their songs alive, this way even generations after the real band are exposed to their legacy. Having sold out shows all over the world, Led Zeppelin’s songs still resonate with people of any age.
Led Zeppelin had the ability to craft acoustic and electric sounds to captivate and connect with their audience, whether it had been from their albums and radio plays, or from their live shows. This led them to become a band that could speak across generations, being able to captivate listeners from the latterparts of the sixties till now.
Rare Releases
In order to commemorate the height of their career, Led Zeppelin turned to producing deluxe re-packaged versions of their original albums. Their very first re-release was a double vinyl compilation titled ‘The Song Remains the Same’ that includes a full archive of their most famous live recordings until then. Furthermore, Led Zeppelin have been releasing new live albums from time to time.
Their most famous compilation album titled ‘Mothership’ was created with 24 of their most popular songs. Each of the vinyl album releases come with a reprinted booklet, including lyrics of the songs and rare pictures with the band members.
Following the success of ‘Mothership’, Led Zeppelin expanded their career by releasing another retrospective collection in the form of an audiophile box set. This set was designed with a specific aim: to bring one of the world’s greatest rock bands back to life.
Conclusion
Led Zeppelin have been one of the most influential bands to ever exist. From their musical creations to their rare re-releases and live event performances, the legacy of Led Zeppelin goes on.
