Receiving praise from John Lennon carried a weight far beyond industry accolades like Grammys or chart-topping hits. As one of The Beatles’ driving forces, Lennon rarely gave out compliments without merit, making his admiration a rare and treasured honor. Known for his cutting honesty, Lennon’s sharp tongue could unsettle peers, but his unflinching honesty also worked both ways. When he did praise an artist, it was unfiltered and sincere, carrying immense influence.
During the post-Beatles era, Lennon witnessed a transformed musical landscape shaped in part by The Beatles themselves. Their success had inspired countless bands to pick up instruments, creating a flood of talent in the late 1960s. Among these emerging acts, one guitarist stood out to Lennon: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.
Lennon, speaking to Hit Parader, gave Page and his band an early endorsement. “I like heavy music. I call it rock. I like Zeppelin,” he shared. Though he admitted to only hearing a few tracks, Lennon didn’t hesitate to highlight the guitarist’s talent: “One thing’s for sure, Jimmy Page is a bloody good guitarist.”
This approval came during a pivotal time for Led Zeppelin, a band poised to carry the torch in the wake of The Beatles’ departure from the touring circuit in 1966. Before achieving worldwide fame, Page had already earned a stellar reputation as a session musician and a member of The Yardbirds. His talent helped secure Led Zeppelin a deal with Atlantic Records and laid the foundation for their rise.
Page himself acknowledged the debt owed to The Beatles, noting their role in paving the way for his generation of musicians. Reflecting in a 1976 interview, Page remarked, “The Beatles posed social questions with the long hair and sandals—it had a lot of impact. They broke down class barriers even though it may have been resented afterwards. They helped make rock music part of the mainstream.”
He further praised the group’s evolution: “Over the years that they were musically prominent, they showed so much development and maturity within their music.” However, Page critiqued their early output, claiming it wasn’t until Magical Mystery Tour that The Beatles produced an album “worthy to write home about”—a sentiment The Beatles themselves might have acknowledged.
For Lennon, backing Page and Led Zeppelin was no minor gesture. At the time, the band was still finding its footing. While their potential might seem obvious in hindsight, Lennon’s early endorsement spoke to his keen ability to spot talent. Page’s skill and vision eventually earned him recognition as one of the greatest guitarists in history.
Though their musical styles differed, Led Zeppelin inherited The Beatles’ role as the face of British rock on the global stage. Lennon’s acknowledgment of Jimmy Page wasn’t just a fleeting compliment; it was a sign of respect from one pioneer to another, marking Page as a figure worthy of carrying rock’s mantle into a new era.
