Led Zeppelin was one of the most popular British bands in rock music history. The group became a leader in heavy metal rock music during the 1970’s. The band’s music became known for its powerful beat, for its thunderous volume, and for the screaming and dramatic vocals by lead singer Robert Plant. The other members of the band were guitarist Jimmy Page, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones.
Page formed Led Zeppelin in 1968. He was the lead guitarist with the Yardbirds until that band broke up in 1968. Page formed the new group to fulfill the Yardbirds’ concert dates, calling the group the New Yardbirds. The band supposedly was named Led Zeppelin after a comment suggesting that the band would go over like a lead zeppelin. A zeppelin was a kind of aircraft that used lighter-than-air gas to keep aloft. A lead zeppelin would be too heavy to fly and thus be doomed to failure.
Led Zeppelin became popular, especially in the United States, with its first two albums, Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II, both released in 1969. The first album included the hit singles “Dazed and Confused” and “Communication Breakdown.” The second album featured the hit “Whole Lotta Love.” The album Led Zeppelin III (1970) included the popular “Immigrant Song.” The songs “Black Dog,” “Stairway to Heaven,” and “Rock and Roll” were among those on the group’s untitled fourth album, often called Led Zeppelin IV (1971).
In 1980, drummer John Bonham died. The remaining group members disbanded shortly after his death. Page and Plant went on to enjoy significant solo careers and sometimes performed together. The three surviving band members reunited for a benefit concert in London in 2007. In 1995, the band was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The members of the group became Kennedy Center Honorees in 2012.
