Biggest Band In The World: Led Zeppelin

Heaviest band of all time. The biggest band of the 70s.

Just two sentences couldn't sum up Led Zeppelin better. Ranked No.1 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists Of Hard Rock, Led Zeppelin are a hugely significant milestone in the rock n' roll timeline.

But who couldn't resist such a band? Robert Plant's voice hits notes that any other male singer would have extreme difficulty doing, along with lead guitarist Jimmy Page forcing the fans to look at him while he whipped out solo after solo, with bassist John Paul Jones at the back, a long curtain of hair hard at work. And nobody can forget the now deceased drummer John Bonham, either bashing away at his drumkit or lightly tapping the cymbals waiting for Jimmy Page's cue to start another solo.

Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands, but their music transcends genres. They have blended their music with rockabilly, reggae, soul, funk, classical, Indian, pop, Arabic and country.

Beginnings

Jimmy Page joined The Yardbirds in 1966 to play bass guitar after the original bassist left the band. Soon, Jimmy switched from bass to lead.

Jeff Beck, the original lead guitarist, soon left the group. After touring and recording, they soon became tired of it. Jimmy wanted to create a supergroup with members of The Who and other bands. The group never formed but Keith Moon, Jeff Beck and Jimmy recorded a song together. The bassist, John Paul Jones, told Jimmy he would like to work with him in other projects.

The Yardbirds eventually received a new line-up. Jimmy suggested Robert Plant, who accepted and suggested John Bonham as the drummer. John Paul Jones contacted Jimmy about the vacant position, and Jimmy finally accepted Jones to be the bassist.

One account of the band's naming, which has become almost legendary, is that Keith Moon suggested that a supergroup containing themselves, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck would go down like a lead zeppelin, a term used to describe a bad gig. The band dropped the "a" from "lead" to stop people mispronouncing the name.

Early Days

Led Zeppelin made their debut at the University of Surrey on October 25 1968. Led Zeppelin toured Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities. Their first album was released during the U.S. tour and with its mix of blues and folk, it was a massive hit. Robert Plant commented that it was unfair for people to call them heavy metal as most of their music was acoustic.

Following their second album's release, Led Zeppelin did more tours of the United States. They played a lot, starting in clubs and ballrooms, then in larger auditoriums and eventually stadiums as their popularity grew. Led Zeppelin concerts could last more than three hours, with expanded, improvised live versions of their songs.

"The biggest band in the world"

Led Zeppelin reached the top of musical success when they released their best-selling albums, and their image changed as they wore more outrageous clothes. Led Zeppelin began traveling in a private jet airliner, and rented out big sections of hotels. One scenario involved John Bonham riding a motorbike through a rented floor of a hotel. The band were known for trashing their hotel rooms, and throwing TVs out of the windows. Another example of Led Zeppelin's more violent side was the infamous shark incident, which happened in Seattle, Washington, on July 28 1969.

The track "Stairway to Heaven", although never released as a single, is sometimes quoted as being the most requested rock FM radio song.

Brought to an end

By 1976, Led Zeppelin were very famous worldwide, having outsold most bands of the time, including the Rolling Stones. Their live shows increased, featuring larger stage areas and impressive light shows. However, while there were still massive musical successes for the band during this time, problems such as the death of Robert Plant's son in 1977 and ultimately John Bonham's death in 1980 finally brought an end to Led Zeppelin.

On 24 September 1980, John Bonham was picked up by Led Zeppelin's assistant Rex King to attend rehearsals at the studio for the upcoming tour of the US, the band's first since 1977. During the journey Bonham had asked to stop for breakfast, where he downed four quadruple vodkas. He continued to drink when he got to at the studio. The band, later that night, went to Page's house — The Old Mill House in Windsor. After midnight, Bonham had fallen asleep and was taken to bed and placed on his side. John Paul Jones found him dead the next morning.

Bonham was 32 years old.

It is believed that the cause of his death was asphyxiation from vomit.

"We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend, and the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were."

Many wish Led Zeppelin would reunite as they did in 2007, but without John Bonham, they would never be the same again. But they will be immortalized in the timeline of rock n' roll. They were extremely unique and are often imitated, but can never be copied.

Led Zeppelin.

Can you forget them?