On September 7th, 1968, an unassuming crowd at the Gladsaxe Teen Club in Copenhagen was expecting a night of Yardbirds nostalgia. Instead, they were met with a sign announcing “The New Yardbirds”—a name that instantly sparked disappointment. Who were these unknowns trying to carry on the legacy of one of Britain’s most revered bands?
At that point, they weren’t even called Led Zeppelin. The only familiar face on stage was Jimmy Page, while John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and Robert Plant were still unknowns. Yet, within a few short years, that very lineup would be heralded as one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
The Birth of a New Sound
Even in their early days, Led Zeppelin defied expectations. They took blues and rock to unprecedented heights, blending wailing guitars, thunderous drums, and extended song structures that shattered the constraints of pop music. Unlike the psychedelic flower power scene thriving in Laurel Canyon, Zeppelin’s sound was born from the industrial grit of Birmingham, a city shaped by war and working-class struggle.
Page and his peers—alongside bands like Black Sabbath—rejected the West Coast’s idealism. Instead, they honed a heavier, more aggressive take on the blues, rooted in the harsh realities of post-war Britain. This was raw, unfiltered music, not the polished spectacle that would later define the heavy metal scene.
Robert Plant’s Disgust with Heavy Metal
Though Zeppelin’s sound laid the foundation for what would become heavy metal, Robert Plant wanted nothing to do with the genre. As the years passed, bands like Judas Priest and Kiss adopted the theatrics of heavy rock, leaning into devilish imagery, elaborate costumes, and over-the-top performances. To Plant, this was everything Zeppelin was not about.
During an interview, Plant once spotted a Judas Priest poster nearby and sarcastically remarked:
“If I’m responsible for this in any way, then I am really, really embarrassed.”
He went even further, openly mocking the commercialization of heavy metal:
“Hard rock, heavy metal these days is just saying, ‘Come and buy me. I’m in league with the Devil — but only in this picture because after that I’m going to be quite nice, and one day I’m going to grow up and be the manager of a pop group.’”
Even Jimmy Page seemed to share Plant’s sentiment. When invited to appear on Eddie Trunk’s That Metal Show, Page refused—simply because of the word “metal” in the title.
Led Zeppelin’s True Inspirations
Despite inspiring an entire genre, Zeppelin never saw themselves as the forefathers of heavy metal. They weren’t interested in the glam theatrics or the Satanic gimmickry that defined many later acts. Instead, their influences came from Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and even Beethoven, rather than bands like Judas Priest or Kiss who tried to follow in their wake.
Plant’s disdain for what became of hard rock only solidified over time, proving that Zeppelin’s legacy was never meant to be tied to leather pants, fire-breathing performances, or devil-horn salutes. Instead, their music spoke for itself—no theatrics required.
