How did one of the most important bands in rock history forge its distinctive sound? Discover the blues and folk influences that helped Led Zeppelin create heavy rock and hard rock. Here are the keys to understanding their music impact:
Led Zeppelin was a pioneering band in the development of heavy rock that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The band consisted of Robert Plant on vocals, Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass and keyboards, and the legendary John Bonham on drums.
Rooted in blues, folk, and early classic rock ’n’ roll, Led Zeppelin’s influence continues to be felt, particularly among artists associated with heavy, guitar-driven rock.
Among Led Zeppelin’s best-known and most influential songs are Kashmir, Communication Breakdown, Immigrant Song, and, of course, Stairway to Heaven.
Who Influenced Led Zeppelin?
Emerging in 1968, Led Zeppelin’s influences were primarily rooted in blues, folk, and the early rock music of the 1940s and 1950s. The band brought these traditions together into a distinctive musical blend: technically accomplished, eclectic, and undeniably heavy.
Here are some of the key influences on Led Zeppelin:
Howlin’ Wolf
Howlin’ Wolf was a blues musician whose performances were charged with emotion and dynamism. His raw, highly expressive vocal style was admired by both the singer and guitarist of Led Zeppelin. In fact, Jimmy Page once said that Led Zeppelin were heavily influenced by Howlin’ Wolf, to the point of considering themselves his musical children.
Memphis Minnie
Blues guitarist Memphis Minnie was a pioneer of electric slide guitar. Her skill and technical ability had a direct influence on Jimmy Page’s musical aesthetic. One of Led Zeppelin’s most notable tributes to Memphis Minnie was their version of When the Levee Breaks, a song that fuses traditional blues with the power of rock.
Little Richard
Pianist and singer Little Richard was one of the most influential figures in early rock ’n’ roll during the 1950s. With his electrifying stage presence and theatrical performances, Richard was admired by every member of Led Zeppelin.
Robert Plant has said that without this eccentric singer, he might never have considered becoming a vocalist himself. Meanwhile, drummer John Bonham practiced his iconic grooves while listening to Richard’s songs, and bassist John Paul Jones even acquired instruments that had been used by Richard’s band.
Betty Harris
Soul and rhythm-and-blues singer Betty Harris was particularly influential on Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant. As if he were an expert on her career, Plant has described Harris as “incredible”.
Harris’s remarkable ability to convey emotion through her performances helped inspire the vocalist of Led Zeppelin as he developed his own iconic style.
Stevie Wonder
Who inspired the distinctive “groove” found in so many Led Zeppelin songs? Motown artists—and Stevie Wonder in particular—were important influences when it came to arrangements, rhythm, and bass sounds in rock music, including Led Zeppelin.
In an interview with Pitchfork, Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones discussed his admiration for Wonder’s use of synthesizers and his ability to create new sounds. Among Wonder’s songs that Jones particularly admired were Was Made to Love Her and the classic Superstition.
Jones’s admiration for Wonder’s sonic experimentation can also be heard in Led Zeppelin’s music. The use of the clavinet on Trampled Under Foot is often attributed to this influence.
Bert Jansch
One of the great influences on Led Zeppelin’s guitar-driven sound was Bert Jansch, a member of the English folk band Pentangle during the 1960s. Jansch’s technique and intricate arpeggios were a major inspiration for Jimmy Page.
As has been noted on numerous occasions, the Zeppelin guitarist drew inspiration from Jansch when writing several songs, including Black Mountain Side and Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Several artists and critics have gone as far as to describe some of these similarities as plagiarism.
Speaking of the plagiarism allegations surrounding Jimmy Page, one of the most famous controversies involves Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. The song was accused of borrowing elements from Taurus, a song by the American band Spirit. However, that’s another story…
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Returning to the influences behind Led Zeppelin’s music, other names worth mentioning include Muddy Waters, Janis Joplin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson, Bo Diddley, and the legendary Elvis Presley.
Which Artists Were Influenced by Led Zeppelin?
Now let’s look at some of the bands and artists who have been influenced by Led Zeppelin. While the group formed by Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham was fundamental to the development of heavy rock and hard rock, its influence extends far beyond those genres.
Pearl Jam
If there is one 1990s grunge band that was strongly influenced by Led Zeppelin, it is Pearl Jam. All of the members of the Seattle band are admirers of Zeppelin, something that can also be heard in their sound, which often recalls the rock of the 1970s.
Pearl Jam’s powerful sound—including its guitar riffs and drumming—is part of the band’s musical connection to the group led by Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham.
We also included Led Zeppelin in our diagram of Pearl Jam’s influences.
Heart
Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, the leaders of Heart, have openly expressed their admiration for Led Zeppelin and the influence the band had on their own musical approach.
Heart has covered several Led Zeppelin classics, including Stairway to Heaven, The Battle of Evermore, Rock and Roll, and Going to California. It is also known that Ann Wilson prefers Led Zeppelin to The Beatles, citing Led Zeppelin IV as her favorite album.
Jeff Buckley
According to legend, the last song Jeff Buckley sang before his death was Whole Lotta Love, the Led Zeppelin classic.
Recognized as one of the finest singers and guitarists of his generation, Buckley regularly included other songs by Page and Plant’s band in his sets, including Kashmir and Night Flight.
We have explored how Led Zeppelin’s sound inspired the rockier guitar riffs of this artist in our article about Jeff Buckley’s influences (published in Spanish, for now).
The White Stripes
The leading garage-rock band of the 2000s, The White Stripes drew heavily from classic blues rock and folk. Naturally, Jack White has cited Led Zeppelin as one of his major influences.
It’s all there: the screaming vocals, the bluesy guitar. According to White, Led Zeppelin are an “immovable force in music,” and he has even said that he doesn’t trust people who don’t like the band.
Queen
As we explained in our graphic about Queen’s influences, guitarist Brian May greatly admires his Led Zeppelin counterpart, Jimmy Page.
Particularly during Queen’s early years, the band’s sound was strongly shaped by emerging heavy metal and powerful guitar-driven music. In fact, Queen II is considered one of the most influential albums in the development of heavy rock.
Let’s note also that iconic Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was a huge fan of Zeppelin’s vocalist Robert Plant.
Deep Purple
Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Deep Purple is considered one of the three foundational bands of heavy rock and heavy metal.
But Led Zeppelin I was released first, establishing the Zeppelin sound at the beginning of this musical revolution. Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has explained that Led Zeppelin defined the sound they aspired to achieve as a band.
Without a doubt, Page and Plant’s band was an inspiration to their contemporaries during the 1970s. It is also worth mentioning that Led Zeppelin were regarded as “competition” by The Who, another hugely influential band of the era.
Soundgarden
There are two heavy-metal bands that were major influences on Soundgarden: one was Black Sabbath, and the other was, of course, Led Zeppelin.
Music critics and specialists have repeatedly pointed out that the band led by Chris Cornell drew inspiration from the pioneers of hard rock. Kim Thayil himself has recalled that Soundgarden would listen to classic albums such as Led Zeppelin IV and Houses of the Holy while writing and recording.
Other bands and artists influenced by Led Zeppelin include Foo Fighters, Tool, St. Vincent, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, and Halestorm.
Other Artists Related to Led Zeppelin
- Lean all about hard rock giant’s Kiss, their complete history timeline with all their albums, members, and mask explanations.
- More about heavy metal? Check out our Black Sabbath Influence diagram. After all, they are the ones who really defined the genre.