Why Led Zeppelin HAVE to be the greatest Artist of 20th Century

If one tries to jot down the artists who have had the greatest impact over the last century, few names that would crop up in your mind may be Beatles, Elvis, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder etc. All these created exceptional music for their audience over the years and enchanted the fans with their delightful concerts. However, if we seek to pin-point one single artist which had the maximum impact in world of music, it HAS to be Led Zeppelin.

Loved by fans, hated by critics, they were an enigma during the 60's and 70's and polarized the world in two. They managed to sellout whole stadium during their concerts and produced classic albums revered by rock fans. A quartet founded in 1968, it consisted of vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, drummer John Bonham and the versatile multi-instrumentalist John Paul Johns. Their signature style which is derived from various sources, has Blues as its foundation and simply cannot be confined to a single genre. Not only did they shape the Hard-Rock and Metal genres, they have inspired a host of brilliant performers from Prog-Rock bands like Rush, Dream Theatre to Metal bands like Megadeth and Contemporary Performers like the ageless Madonna to the quirky Lady Gaga.

To seek to justify my stance, I have analysed them on the following criteria:-

1. Talent

2. Originality

3. Creativity

4. Passion

5. Ability to withstand the vagaries of time

6. Ability to change the Face of Music

Talent. As far as Talent is concerned, the quartet were brimming with it. Page's enigmatic guitar riffs, Plant's powerful voice and ingenious lyrics, Bonham's energetic drumming to Jones'es mellow performances were the best you could get in a band. If one browses through their discography, the songs are inspired from different genres like Blues, Rock, Samba, Rock&Roll, Classical etc, proving their versatility too.

Originality. One might question Led Zeppelin's worth on this criteria, given that few of their songs were borrowed from fellow blues musicians, but what the band did was lend these songs their own trademark sound and make them their own. If one wishes to search for truly original guitar riffs, impacting lyrics, powerful drumming and mellow bass-lines, they need to get hold of their albums.

Creativity. There are innumerable instances of pure genius littered around in their discography. Who could have imagined using a violin bow to a guitar to produce to wild sounds in "Whole Lotta Love"? They invented the technique of "reverse echo" which can be heard on "Dazed and Confused". They considered recording as a science and were responsible for their own creative sounds.

Passion. See any concert of LedZep. Period.

The band performed epic expanded elaborate live versions of their album recording with some extending to over 40 minutes! They shared a unique musical chemistry, which allowed then to experiment On-Stage. They raw passion and energy with which they performed made them a crowd favorite during the 60's and 70's, till their break-up in 1980.

Standing the test of time. When the remaining members decided to reunite in 2007 in memory of former Atlantic Records Chairman Ahmet Ertegun, due to limited seats and huge demand, the organizers had to sell tickets by ballots. This single event is evidence enough the fact that their popularity if not strengthened, has definitely not waned over the years.

Changing the face of music. The progenitors of Metal and Hard-Rock. Invented innumerable recording and playing techniques. Inspiring the future generation of musicians. Bringing "Album oriented Rock" back in fashion. Reinventing concerts in sold-out stadiums. Need I say more??

They may not be the most technically gifted and may not have access to the best equipments. They also may not be technically the most gifted, or for that matter dedicated and passionate (given their history in substance abuse and other excesses).

However, the exceptional musical chemistry shared amongst them, and the raw genius displayed by them not only enthralled fans but also made a significant impact on the music scene and society as such. With albums like Led Zeppelin II laying down the blueprint for Metal, Led Zeppelin IV on how to produce album oriented music and their bootlegs winning over music critics and fans even today, they have influenced everyone past, present and hopefully the future. And given how their methods of performance and recording were quickly embraced by contemporary artists and producers, I would love to end this post with a quote-

"Imitation is the best form of compliment"