Early Influences
In the late 1960s, the band Led Zeppelin was beginning to take shape and show its undeniable impact on the music scene for the next decades. During the early stages of the band’s career, guitarists Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, drummer John Bonham, and vocalist Robert Plant had already been greatly influenced by a wide variety of musicians, and rock and roll pioneers.
Most notably, Led Zeppelin was heavily inspired by the musical works of blues masters such as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Willie Dixon. Page and Plant frequently utilized variations of their works in their own songwriting, integrating the long standing traditional blues sounds with a progressive and edgy rock feel.
Psychedelic and Progressive Influences
In addition to the wide variety of blues influences, Led Zeppelin also gained inspiration from psychedelic and progressive rock bands, such as the Jeff Beck Group, Cream, The Who, and The Yardbirds. These more experimental groups showed the roots of what Led Zeppelin’s sound could become, and provided the building blocks that the four members of the band needed to expand upon in developing their own style.
As a result, Led Zeppelin began to incorporate various progressive elements into their works, such as prolonged improvisation, odd time signatures, and experimental instrumentation. Also, many of the guitar licks Page provided in some of Led Zeppelin’s most iconic solos, such as “The Ocean” and “Stairway to Heaven”, had strong influences from psychedelic rock’s experimenting with the use of feedback and looping.
Folk Inspired Writing
Led Zeppelin’s incorporation of folk songs into their works is another prominent example of their varied in fluences. Songs like “Gallows Pole”, “The Battle of Evermore”, and “Going to California” all contain subtle folk influences in their melody and chord progressions. Plant and Page were strong fans of folk music, in particular the songs of both American and British singer-songwriters. It is clear that these musicians utilized their deep respect for this genre to broaden their own songwriting styles, blending an array of harmonic and lyrical motifs from their classic influences.
Particularly Plant had a cultural connection to the songs he was inspired by. Plant frequently used the folk idiom of his British heritage in his lyrical writing, as many of his works focused heavily on nature, Royal folklore, and Paganism.
Influences from Far East Music
Along with Western and folk styles, Led Zeppelin also had a strong influence from the sounds of the Far East. Particularly, John Paul Jones was the main melody creator of the band, and he incorporated a wealth of melodic motifs from both Eastern, Middle Eastern, and African musical styles.
The effect of these various musical grooves can be heard in songs such as “Kashmir”, “No Quarter”, and “Ten Years Gone”. In these works, Jones was able to create the tension and suspense of the Middle Eastern styles, while also blending the tribal drums of Africa and the sitar melodies of the East to tie it all together.
The Impact of Gospel and Reggae
Led Zeppelin also drew greatly from the gospel and reggae realms throughout their career. Vocals in many of their works, such as “In the Light” and “When the Levee Breaks”, heavily reflect a combination of various gospel styles. Similarly, aspects of Reggae rhythms, such as in “The Crunge” and “D’yer Mak’er”, add another texture to some of Led Zeppelin’s music.
Moreover, the incorporation of these elements presented the band with yet another unique angle through which to explore their own style of music, as the grooves and vocal melodies provide the listener with an even clearer view of the group’s remarkable influence and its connection to its various musical sources of inspiration.
Recognition of their Influence
Today, Led Zeppelin continues to have an undeniable influence on the music world, and many of their works have been covered and imitated by independent and mainstream artists alike. The way in which the group blended therapeutic guitars, expressive solos, mystic rhythms, and strong melodic components all together created a sound unlike any other.
The many styles Led Zeppelin was united by their vibrancy and raw energy, transcending many cultural boundaries. Led Zeppelin showed the world not only the possibility of creating unique and powerful music, but how to truly work with the sounds of the past and present and create something timeless and unparalleled.
Conclusion
From the beginning, it was clear that Led Zeppelin was heavily influenced by a variety of musical styles. The group was able to take the sounds of the past, mix them with their own creative ideas, and create something that left a permanent imprint on the world of Rock and Roll. Though each member had their own primary influences, the most powerful thing about the quartet was the unique way in which they blended styles together and created a totally original sound. As a collective, Led Zeppelin was more than just the sum of its parts, and their music served as a reminder of the endless possibilities of creativity, inspiration, and collaboration.
