Led Zeppelin is a legendary rock band who, in the late 1960s, redefined the entire concept of rock music. Formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham, the English band formed the unique sound that is now known as hard rock or heavy metal.
Led Zeppelin has always been a musical grey area, neither strictly classified as one genre or the other. There have been continuous debates as to what musical genre Led Zeppelin should be labeled: rock or metal?
Many music analysts have attempted to break down Led Zeppelin’s songs to find out if they fit the characteristics of rock or metal music. To understand the debate, it is important to delve into the definitions of both genres.
Rock is an umbrella term that can include several subgenres of music. Rock tends to place emphasis on a guitar or another instrument as the lead rather than relying heavily on percussion as music in the metal genre does. As well, lyrics form an integral part of the rock performance and the lyrics themselves often reflect common themes of freedom and anti-establishment.
Metal on the other hand, often referred to as heavy metal, is a much harder sound than traditional rock. It builds on classic rock elements but pushes the boundaries of rock music and brings in elements of heavy metal like distortion and electric guitars, and constant drumming.
As a result, Led Zeppelin’s sound fits into the rock category but it also straddles the line between rock and metal. The heavy usage of electric guitar with a sharp distorted tone along with a very audience-engaging performance that often dangerously revolved around Plant’s screaming vocals has a tendency of blurring the line between what is rock and what is metal.
Led Zeppelin had a powerful impact on the shape metal had taken. It must be noted that they are one of the bands that took the idea of jamming on stage and turned it into an art form, as they incorporated a wide range of elements from different genres, from blues to jazz, folk, hard rock and metal. They also introduced a unique and powerful way of playing guitars that is still seen today by metal bands.
For this reason, many argue that the term ‘metal’ should be expanded to include Led Zeppelin in the metal genre. They often display a sound that is distinct from rock with heavier guitars, faster drums, and higher-pitched vocals that were different from the style of rock vocalists.
The arguments of Led Zeppelin being rock or metal may vary greatly depending on one’s musical preferences and how one wishes to classify it. While the debate continues, it is undeniable that Led Zeppelin and its influence changed the world of rock forever.
Musical Structure
The defining feature of Led Zeppelin’s songs were its structure and innovative technique which displayed elements of both rock and metal in its sound. Unlike other bands of the era, Led Zeppelin’s long songs had interesting, sometimes unpredictable structures. Instead of adopting a typical verse-refrain structure, Led Zeppelin often featured longer more complex songs.
Featuring extended solo spots, intricate drumming techniques, and the constant interplay between all members, Led Zeppelin’s lengthy songs bridged the gap between rock and metal. The balance of hard and softer elements found in their songs often coincided with speed management as the band was apt for transitioning between tempos throughout their songs.
Epics such as ‘Stairway to Heaven’ have been cited as a fine balancing act between both the hard rock and the metal genres. Songs like ‘Immigrant Song’ for example, portray heavy guitar riffing from guitarist Jimmy Page and drummer John Bonham executing steady drumming. This in turn, could also be labelled as an upbeat heavy metal or hard rock piece.
In a nutshell, Led Zeppelin’s songs often blur the line between both genres, as the band excelled in taking the experimentation of the metal genre and using it to create a powerful sound that was renowned even during their young days.
Cultural Impact
In addition to the signature Led Zeppelin blurring the line between rock and metal, the band’s influence on the overall culture of this era has been immensely powerful. Drawing on a number of rock, blues, folk, and Celtic sources, Led Zeppelin defined a new type of power music that appealed to a generation of youth.
Lyrically, Led Zeppelin made use of heavy rock themes such as individual freedom and social critique. They believed strong emotion and drama was the backbone to any rock song. As a result, they crafted songs in a powerful fashion, drawing on themes such as death, sex, and a lifelong journey in search for immortality, which was an anthem that resonated with the youth.
In fact, musicologist, Vicente Asencio believes that Led Zeppelin redefined the essential definition of rock in the process of creating such anthems. He views the band as one that incorporated various motifs from folk rock, blues-rooted hard rock, occasional jazz influences and Celtic stylings and created a whole new identity in the process.
With their riveting live shows and engaging personality, Led Zeppelin attracted a much bigger fan base in comparison to their immediate peers. Their influence stretched a lot further than just music as they introduced an entirely new lifestyle for the 1970s, influencing the rise of heavy metal or hard rock.
Innovations
Led Zeppelin have long been renowned for their progressiveness. In a sense, they were ahead by often delving into completely different sounds. For instance, their famous debut album blends electric blues and folk rock with their own innovations. Meanwhile, later albums pushed the boundaries even further, replicating everything from Celtic folk to the simple blues and rock ballads.
Another example is their heavy use of stage equipment – advanced for the eras standards. Utilising new technologies for guitar amplifiers and distortion effects, and the introduction of string-bending with guitars could be classified as their own unique sound. Thus, Led Zeppelin created an added advantage of their pioneering and remarkable use of equipment to allow them to bridge the gap between hard rock and metal.
The innovations even extend to the recordings. Through the use of backwards masking, multi-track recording techniques, and other studio trickery, Led Zeppelin made use of some of the newest recording technology. This, in turn, allowed the band to record songs with a range of effects and sound textures that pushed their sound out of the traditional rock boundaries.
Perhaps one of the main reasons why Led Zeppelin generally confused the public is its incredible opus of creative works – they were creating new sounds that no one had heard before. As a result, they are seen as a bridge between both rock and metal, which is why metal elitist often draw lines at Led Zeppelin.
Conclusion
The debate of Led Zeppelin being rock or metal will never come to an end. Depending on who you ask, your answer will be different as they often fall in between rock and metal. Even among the members of Led Zeppelin, there is disagreement about what genre of music they should be labeled.
No one can deny Led Zeppelin’s monumental influence on the 1970s generation and fans of classic rock and metal in the current era. Their use of electric guitar and expansion of rock to include metal has inspired generations of artists, but their creativity and technology has pushed the boundaries of both the rock and metal genres.
