Led Zeppelin was a rock band established in 1968 in London. The group members consisted of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham.
The band has been named one of the forebears of heavy metal and ascribed to remarkably influencing the music industry during their active years.
History:
In 1966, Jimmy Page became part of a rock band known as The Yardbirds in replacement of bassist Paul Samwell-Smith.
After being worn out from frequent tours in that same year, the Yardbirds began to tail off in performance, creating a desire in Page to create a Supergroup.
In 1968, Page put together a group composed of Robert Plant as lead vocalist, John Bonham as the drummer, and John Paul Jones as bass guitarist.
For the first time in 1968, the group performed together in a room at Gerrard Street, London. The band went on to complete the Scandinavian tour that had earlier begun with the Yardbirds.
The act would be their first performance before a live audience at Gladsaxe Teen Clubs in Gladsaxe, Denmark.
In the same month, they began recording their first album. After completing the album, the band was compelled to convert the band’s name from the New Yardbirds and named the group ‘Led Zeppelin.’
On October 4, 1968, the group went on their first tour in the UK. Their first performance as Led Zeppelin took place on October 25 at the University of Surrey, Battersea.
In the same year, Led Zeppelin had their first North American tour organized by Richard Cole, the band’s tour manager. During the tour, their debut album titled “Led Zeppelin” was released in the US on January 12, 1969.
The album Led Zeppelin appeared at number ten on the Billboard Charts and number six in the UK on March 31. Within a year, Led Zeppelin finished off four US and UK tours, respectively, releasing a second album, “Led Zeppelin II.
Led Zeppelin II reached tremendous success than the first, peaking at number ten on the chart position in the US and the UK.
After releasing their second album, the band went on more tours. In 1970, Page and Plant retired to a distant cottage in Wales to begin working on the third album, “Led Zeppelin III,” with the opening song “Immigrant Song,” released in November 1970.
On November 8, 1971, their fourth album, “Led Zeppelin IV,” was released. The album sold 31 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums ever.
The release and success of the album were followed by a concert tour from 1971 to 1973 in the UK, North America, Japan, and Australasia before ending in the UK again.
On June 27, 1980, during a show in Nuremberg, Germany, John Bonham collapsed on stage, causing the show to come to a swift end. Bonham was later found dead and was buried on October 12, 1980.
A proposed North American tour was canceled, and in December 1980, the rest of the band released a press statement announcing the dissolving of Led Zeppelin.
Accolades:
Throughout their career, Led Zeppelin received numerous awards and recognitions. In 1995, they were added to the Rock and Roll of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
Among other numerous awards, the band received an American Music Award in 2005 and the Polar Music Prize in 2006. They have also received five Diamond Albums Awards, fourteen Multi-Platinum, four Platinum, and one Gold Album.
In 2004, Led Zeppelin was named the 14th greatest artist of all time by Rolling Stone, and in 2005, Jimmy Page was ordained an Officer of the British Empire in appreciation of his charity work.
Page was also appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2009.
BBC Radio 2 named Led Zeppelin the best Rock Band in a poll. For “Outstanding Contribution to British Music,” the band received an Ivor Novello Award in 1977.
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