Led Zeppelin

The band formed out of the ashes of the Yardbirds, when Page recruited Plant, Jones, and Bonham to fulfill remaining concert obligations under that name before relaunching as the New Yardbirds and eventually Led Zeppelin. Their self-titled debut album, released in January 1969, was recorded in just 36 hours and announced their arrival with ferocious energy. It reached number ten on the Billboard charts and set the template for what was to come — blues structures pushed to their physical limits, with Page's layered guitar work and Bonham's thunderous drumming providing the foundation for Plant's soaring, primal vocals.

Over the course of nine studio albums between 1969 and 1979, Led Zeppelin produced an extraordinary body of work that ranged from the delicate acoustic folk of Bron-Y-Aur Stomp to the sprawling eight-minute epic Stairway to Heaven, from the funky groove of Trampled Under Foot to the Moroccan-influenced Cashmere. Albums including Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin IV, Houses of the Holy, and Physical Graffiti are considered landmarks of rock music, with Led Zeppelin IV alone having sold over 37 million copies worldwide. The band was notorious for refusing to release singles in the UK, insisting their albums be experienced as complete works.

As a live act, Led Zeppelin were virtually unmatched in their era — their concerts were marathon events featuring extended improvisations, with Bonham's Moby Dick drum solos and Page's violin bow guitar performances becoming legendary. The band dissolved in December 1980 following Bonham's death, with the remaining members issuing a statement that they could not continue without him. They reunited for a celebrated one-off concert at London's O2 Arena in 2007, featuring Bonham's son Jason on drums, which drew over one million ticket requests. Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.