The frontman of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, has been a fan of The Rolling Stones since he was a teenager and went to see them live. Plant did not see the Stones as the cultural phenomenon that they would eventually become, even though they were an exciting young band at the time that had managed to grab the public’s attention.
Robert Plant was a perfect age when The Rolling Stones debuted in 1963. When I was fifteen years old, I was excited about the group’s first single, which was a rendition of Chuck Berry’s song “Come On.” The rock singer’s obsession with the Delta blues was already well-established, and discovering a British band sharing his enthusiasm for the music provided the motivation he required to pursue his career goals.
Robert Plant had not yet moved to London, so he had not seen The Rolling Stones perform live at the legendary early London gigs at places like Richmond’s Crawdaddy Club. But Plant was present for the Stones’ first Midlands show when they eventually toured other parts of the nation.
Plant was unwilling to pass up the exciting opportunity to see The Rolling Stones open for big-name acts Bo Diddley and Little Richard during the package tour. The lead singer of Led Zeppelin reflected on the 2020 concert with Ken Bruce on BBC Radio 2, saying, “We were all leaning towards that music.” However, no one really understood it. The Stones were, in my opinion, carrying the stone down the mountain back then. That was quite unique, so.
His obsession with the band and the caliber of The Rolling Stones’ music only grew stronger after that. Another pivotal moment for Plant came with the release of “Street Fighting Man” in 1968. The song revealed a political side to the Stones and mirrored protests happening all over the West.
In 1995, Mick Jagger said to Rolling Stone, “It was a very strange time in France.” However, because of the Vietnam War and these constant disruptions, not only in France but also in America… At the time, I considered it to be very beneficial. There was a lot of violence occurring. They almost overthrew the French government, after all. De Gaulle, as he had done before, went into a total meltdown and kind of holed himself up in his country home. Therefore, the government was essentially dormant. Additionally, the French riot police were outstanding.
Plant impressed BBC 6 Music in 2021 with his praise for The Stones’ shift into political music. He said, “There is so much to be said about this band.” Regarding the late 1960s and early 1970s political climate, Jagger and Richards of The Rolling Stones were fantastic. They wrote songs that were extremely important and, in many ways, timeless.
“This track ‘Street Fighting Man’ from Beggars Banquet is just incredible,” he went on. Numerous stations banned the record because they perceived it to be radical. The band made a very insightful observation when they stated, “Of course it’s subversive.” I wish you could, but it’s foolish to think that a record can spark a revolution.
The Rolling Stones showed the value of rock ‘n’ roll to society with ‘Street Fighting Man.’
Instead of releasing just another love song, they used their platform to spread a message much bigger than themselves.
