Led Zeppelin – Number One on My List

Here’s a quick note to VH1, MTV and every other television network that broadcasts a “countdown” of the greatest bands of all time. Led Zeppelin is the greatest band of all time and should unquestionably be #1 on any list that hopes to garner any credibility whatsoever.

Stop.

Before you scroll down to the bottom of the page and reply to this post with your argument as to why the Beatles, Who, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, etc. should be elevated above them, let me present a few arguments that will inevitably prevent you from humiliating yourself. .

• Musicianship – Man for man, Led Zeppelin arguably had the best musicians ever at their respective positions. Ask any musician alive who the greatest guitarist, drummer, bass player and vocalist is, and Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones and Robert Planet will be in the top five on almost every list provided. Name another band where each and every single player is considered to be the BEST at their respective position. Struggling? Exactly. The Beatles, man for man, were incredible writers of music, but Ringo over John Bonham? Harrison over Page? You can’t be serious. Ever wonder why you don’t hear bands covering Led Zeppelin when you’re out at your favorite watering hole? I know why. They CAN’T!
• Credibility – From The Black Crowes to The White Stripes, the Beatles to Sheryl Crowe, Guns n Roses, Tori Amos, Aerosmith, pretty much anyone that plays music has been influenced by Led Zeppelin and will readily admit it. The Beatles’ John Lennon was quoted as saying, “When it’s all said and done, they (Led Zeppelin) will go down as being one of the most influential bands of all time.”
• Influence – Nice transition, right? As cited above in the aforementioned bullet point, dozens of major bands, if not hundreds, cite Led Zeppelin as a major influence on the development of their music. Some blatant, some subtle, but you can hear Zeppelin’s familiar riffs and undertones in countless tracks from bands that came after them (See Whitesnake).
• Diversity – Have a listen to the album Led Zeppelin I, then compare it to In Through the Out Door, then take a few tracks from Physical Graffitti and tell me you hear the same thing twice. Whether playing rock n roll, hard rock, rockabilly, country, folk songs, psychadelic rock, or blues, they grew with each new offering and created something different each time out of the gate.

Convinced? If not, go ahead and tell me why you think YOUR favorite band is better. But if you come with it, come hard and with some facts, cause I don’t think your dad can beat up my dad (props to you pops), or your band can beat mine!

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