Being in one of the biggest bands on the planet has its perks—but it can also trap you. For Robert Plant, the legacy of Led Zeppelin looms large, and while he’s proud of it, he’s also spent years carving out his own identity. As he puts it, things could have been a lot worse.
Led Zeppelin may have only lasted just over a decade, but their impact hasn’t faded. Their first four albums are still required listening for anyone serious about rock, with even hip-hop producers mining their riffs for samples. But for Plant, Zeppelin was just one chapter—his voice could do much more.
The band thrived on mixing genres, blending blues, folk, and rock into something explosive. Fans still can’t get enough of tracks like “Rock and Roll” and “Black Dog,” but Plant has spent most of his solo career moving in the opposite direction. Whether it’s reviving The Band of Joy or teaming up with bluegrass icon Alison Krauss for Raising Sand, he’s constantly pushing boundaries.
His musical heart still beats to the rhythm of blues and roots, but he was always wary of getting boxed in. Watching bands like Yes and King Crimson stretch into ten-minute sonic odysseys, only to be quickly shoved into the “prog rock” corner, left a mark on him.
And then there was Genesis.
Under Peter Gabriel, Genesis was theatrical and complex. But when Phil Collins stepped in, they transformed into a pop powerhouse, churning out hits like “That’s All” and conquering the MTV era with slick synth-driven songs.
Plant never went that route. Looking back, he’s thankful for that creative freedom. “So Led Zep—the miscalculations and misinterpretations are quite vivid and very funny,” he once said. “But thank God I wasn’t in Genesis, or I’d be called ‘prog rock’ now. And that’s something you can never get round!”
He’s not wrong. While prog rock isn’t a dirty word, it comes with baggage—epic song lengths, concept albums, and a certain theatrical excess. Once fans expected that from Collins, it was hard to see him pivot to pop stardom with In the Air Tonight, or scoring Disney’s Tarzan soundtrack.
Sure, Plant didn’t rack up the same chart-topping solo success as Collins did with Invisible Touch, but he also didn’t have to chase his own shadow. Zeppelin had its moment, and Plant’s more than happy not trying to recreate “Whole Lotta Love.” These days, he just wants to make music on his own terms—and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
