‘Timeless’ is a word often used to describe the discography of any band before 1979 whose music has happened to endure until the present day. It’s a tricky term to define. Sure, you can look up its meaning in the dictionary, but that meaning gets nixed by overuse.
That said, if ever a band was worthy of the word, Led Zeppelin is it. The band was recently thrust back into the forefront of pop culture thanks to a lawsuit over the origins of their signature tune, ‘Stairway to Heaven’, but for millions around the world, they never went anywhere.
For many they’re a band whose flame never quite extinguishes once it sparks in their minds. For others, they’re this mystical entity that you see on T-shirts, in your parents’ record collection, or in films like Almost Famous, waiting to be fully uncovered.
But the question of why Led Zeppelin continue to be one of the world’s most loved bands is not an easy one to answer. One could argue it’s because they were one of the biggest bands of the 1970s and put it down to a matter of mere success and exposure.
But that doesn’t answer why there’s so many hugely successful 1970s and 60s bands who are today struggling to pack an RSL, as Zeppelin remain a staple of rock radio around the world. According to one urban legend, ‘Stairway to Heaven’ is played somewhere in the world every few minutes.
That puts it on par with iconic brands like Coca Cola, who supposedly sell a can every few seconds. Not bad for a deeply esoteric, eight-minute rock song inspired by the work of JRR Tolkien.
So if it’s not simply popularity, then what is it? Influence is one potential answer. As Dave Grohl once put it, “Heavy metal would not exist without Led Zeppelin, and if it did, it would suck.”
Grohl famously has Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s band member sigil tattooed on his arm, credits the band with changing the course of his life, and in a piece for Rolling Stone, called them “the greatest rock & roll band of all time”.
It’s frankly ironic that Grohl penned such a piece for Rolling Stone. After all, as Grohl himself notes in the editorial, “[Led Zeppelin] were never critically acclaimed in their day, because they were too experimental and they were too fringe.”
Whether or not Led Zeppelin’s boundary-pushing tendencies are the reason they were loathed by the rock critics of the era, including those at Rolling Stone, is up for debate, but they were famously cited by legendary rock critic Lester Bangs as everything that was wrong with rock and roll.
Still, Led Zeppelin’s influence is everywhere. Indeed, they are held up alongside bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple as having defined what we now know as heavy metal, but a band like The Velvet Underground is one of the most influential of all time and their fan base is still comparatively niche.
Perhaps it’s simply that Led Zeppelin’s music is so inarguably good that they remain one of the world’s most loved bands. After all, who doesn’t rock out to classics like ‘Immigrant Song’ and ‘Whole Lotta Love’ or weep to a song like ‘Tangerine’?
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But is it really fair to imply that the reason other artists from the era haven’t endured the way Led Zeppelin have is because their music simply wasn’t good enough? The idea is laughable and ignores reality.
Ultimately, its a combination of all these variables. It’s the power of their music, their unwavering influence, their status as one of the biggest rock band of all time.
But it’s also Jimmy Page, it’s Robert Plant, it’s John Bonham, and it’s John Paul Jones, who together make up something bigger than the sum of their parts. Simply put, it’s just Zeppelin.
If you really want to understand why Led Zeppelin remain one of the world’s most loved bands, you have to see WHOLE LOTTA LOVE, which goes on tour this August – check below for all dates and details!
WHOLE LOTTA LOVE
Simon Meli (The Widowbirds)
Dallas Frasca
Tim Meaco (The Lockhearts)
Jimmy Cupples
and featuring a nine-piece band, with string section
and big screen visuals
Saturday 20th August 2016
Laycock Street Theatre, North Gosford NSW
Tickets: Laycock Street Theatre
Friday, 26th August 2016
Laycock Street Theatre, North Gosford NSW
Tickets: Laycock Street Theatre
Saturday, 27th August 2016
State Theatre, Sydney
Tickets: Ticketmaster
