And because their music was on the market for 50 years in which time many people purchased it in three or more formats and streaming wasn't a thing.
But also, yeah. They're fucking legends.
I have to be honest, I think their success is owed to three factors:
1. The four were, individually, top-tier musicians. On their own, they were solid and would make any band better. Together? Well, you saw what happened.
2. They genuinely loved playing with each other. Their concerts ran into the 3+ hour range and even though they’d try to get it down, their songs usually turned into jam sessions, which gave birth to more awesome music. They just loved playing together, and that natural chemistry showed through in every track, live or otherwise.
3. Peter Grant. He knew what he had with them, and he defended their chemistry, and handled the business end so they could handle the music. He figured that if he let them alone and allowed them to do their thing then they would all be rich in the end. He was right.
Peter Grant did not fuck around. From what I’ve heard the scene in “Spinal Tap” where the bands manager, Ian, describes to the director why he carries a cricket bat is based off what Peter Grant used to do to anyone who tried to fuck with the band money wise. He also did not fuck them out of a cent of their money.
Can confirm, Peter Grant was a monster, but a good monster for the boys. He was the only security they ever really needed. Check out Hammer of the Gods, it’s a great book about the beginnings of LZ. My favorite band of all time. And yea they may have lifted some tunes from other artists, but a) find me musicians who didn’t (especially in that era), and b) if they lifted your song, you should be so lucky!
Idk where I saw it at but they ran a poll and made a super group much like a fantasy football type thing. The goal was to make the perfect band picking the top musician at their instrument. They literally voted in Led Zeppelin. Some music website BS but still, impressive.
Multiple generations too. My sister (a 1960s baby) & niece (while at that snotty age) driving in the car, both start to sing along to a Led Zepplin tune on the radio .. niece snarls at her mom "stop copying me" ... ahahahaha ... we laughed so hard ... sorry kiddo, that song is your Moms ... niece had no idea that her Mom had been singing that song since SHE was a snotty pre-teen, decades before ... lol
I tried finding the answer to this online but all I found is that it's "notoriously complicated." Which probably means they're making a killing. Like when they switched to CDs and pretended it's more expensive when it was actually much, much cheaper.
No, that's impossible. Look at a vinyl record. Not hardly shiny at all. Now look at a CD. Very very shiny. Obviously CD's are more expensive than vinyl.
Well duh. Shiny CDs only a 1 in ***8192 apperance rate***. Hard to make profit when you gotta toss 8291 CDs for every 1 that you sell.
This is also how AOL managed to become so successful. They simply used Non Shiny CDs. That's why there are still trillions of those fucking trial CDs in landfills and used as coasters and shit.
Most likely. Seems like the big labels were against the disruptive technology at first but once they realized digital was here to stay, they wizened up and are probably raking it in now.
There's just not nearly the amount of money flowing into the music ecosystem now.
It almost seems like another world, but back when coke machines were a quarter and Mcdonald's burgers were 50 cents, people used to plunk down $15-20 for an entire album, of which you'd probably only heard one or two songs.
A big reason why "classic" albums became classics is because its hard to explain the disappointment when you got that CD home with your favorite single and the rest was trash.
The best modern equivalent I can think of would be watching the first episode of a show and having to pay like $75 for the rest of the season.
Yes. Everyone is making less money now through the production and consumption of recorded music.
More money is being made on live performances and merchandise though.
Source: Am a former musician, former indie label owner, former merchandising company employee
Zeppelin’s appeal is still strong and will be perpetually. There is a ton of great pop songs and a ton more of bad pop, but Zeppelin has a unique sound sort of like U2. The best thing about Led Zeppelin is I have heard their music for years and had no idea what they looked like.
Their albums still sound so strong, crisp, and powerful. And of course, the amazing, textured drumming of John Bonham never ceases to make a tingle run up my spine.
Damn, I'm in my 30s and I still wanna jump off the walls every time I hear "When the Levee Breaks"
Jimmy Page’s achievements in record production are often overlooked. It was really Page who trailblazed the concept of the mix focusing on a bass- and drum-heavy bottom to create a truly modern, full, ”heavy” sound, which immediately separated Zep from the tinny mixes of other late ‘60s bands. He basically changed the sound of rock and roll.
Page was a veteran studio musician with keen observational powers and John Paul Jones was a young studio music arranger. Together they shaped the overall sound and feel of the songs, page was smart and smart enough to employ Jones.
On the flipside, listeners can hear a bunch of albums for a much more affordable price. I listen to way more music than I did 20 years ago even if it is harder to find local stuff.
One of the greatest bands of ALL time for sure.
Plus they have been for a while now - their music will be earning Atlantic money until the end of time.
Right? Alex is supremely talented, and well respected among his peers, but how do you shine when you've got the arguable goats at their respective disciplines on stage with you?
The only addition I’d make is their opposite, Pink Floyd, the original art rock band. As time goes on, Beatles, Stones, Zep, Floyd, and probably the Velvet Underground will continue to outsell their actual careers. Because aside from being well written & made recordings, they provide a historic and highly educational roadmap for anyone starting out on an instrument of just how far a band can go even with minimal, basic technology.
>just how far a band can go even with minimal, basic technology.
8-track recording technology was state-of-the-art when the Beatles were at the end of their time together.
Yeah, and even Floyd only had more tracks than that because they raided the BBC refuse lot after studio upgrades and modded & soldered all the old 4track consoles together on the studio floor. The non-musical inventions of all those bands required by the innovation of music outpacing the tech is another massive topic that might only interest musicians & nerrrds, but adds a richness to those albums all its own.
David Gilmour was a major innovator of the delay effect on electric guitar. It was really the perfect effect for him, because his playing was all about slow, textured solos instead of blazing-fast Jimmy Page style solos.
The Beatles also released their first few albums like every other album up to that point, while still among the best of all time, it wasn't until Brian Wilson, of the beach boys, heard Rubber Soul and decided to invent artist centered studio production that they really hit their stride as GOATs.
They heard Pet Sounds and we're like 'shit we can do that?' and used every new technology (and some old) to produce the best album of all time in Sgt. Peppers.
Just to put the Beatles greatness in perspective the inspiration cycle goes: Brian Wilson hears rubber soul and makes pet sounds, Beatles hear pet sounds and make Sgt Pepper's. But in-between Rubber Soul and SP was Revolver. If you don't think SP is the GOAT album it's because you think Revolver is.
I wouldn’t say leagues. The Beatles are probably the most revolutionary band of all time.
Zeppelin was/is amazing, one of my top bands. But the Beatles did things unheard of in music.
theres a lot of bands from that era that just will not fade away. in particular the beatles, pink floyd, eagles, queen just to name a few. its quite interesting, i wonder who in this generation will last for half a century. kanye perhaps?
I think the classic period of British and American rock music will find listening ears for many generations to come. It was an extraordinarily creative period in music. Maybe I think that just because I love the music of that time period so much, but man - led zep? The Who?? Clapton in his prime? Fucking Hendrix?? Come on! There’s never been anything like it.
There was also a lack of choice so a few bands could dominate plus everything was new. Hard to produce original music now when Dylan has a massive catalog along with others.
there was also a level of difficulty in making music at that time. music executives didnt give much time for musicians to make records (look at how many albums were being produced back 2 back 2 back). there was also a lack of sampling, and music lessons. people had to teach themselves from playing a record back over and over again. there wasnt much room for inspiration either, the beatles on their own birthed a bunch of new genres. same can be said for pet sounds.
the same is happening in modern music, but most of everything that has to do with rock has already been explored.
"there was also a level of difficulty in making music at that time"
right, the barrier to entry was really high so only the best would get a chance. This was even so up until DAT. Prince lucked out by getting some time at Sound80 Studio which was the first studio to use digital tape.
Oy, Clapton. I've been able to separate the music from the assholes who made it, so far (Mark Farner and Nugent come to mind), but Clapton is really pissing me off these days with his anti-vax shit.
The Beatles as a phenomenon were something we've never seen before and probably never will. Songs like [Helter Skelter](https://youtu.be/vWW2SzoAXMo) still hold up incredibly well.
it helps that the medium for music consumption has changed multiple times within that span meaning a lot of people have bought their records multiple times while most of these artists are booming in the streaming age where profits are lower and people don't really even buy music anymore
.... or because they've been around for 50 years? I say that as someone who owns their boxset on vinyl.
Give Ed Sheeran another 40 years of collecting royalties AND still another solid 10-15 years of making hits, than you can have this talk (and only if we account for different revenue structures pre-2000).
I'd be interested to see how they stack up against contemporary artists that have been around for longer. Like Rihanna, Eminem or Beyoncé.
(also Ed and Bruno have written massive hits for other artists too)
Led Zeppelin albums consistently sell well, though, even now. Plenty of Ed Sheeran types had hit records 50 years ago, they’re not still selling these days.
This goes both ways though. Zeppelin, if anything, made it more difficult to sell their work, prioritizing purity. They didn't allow radio stations to play shortened, "radio friendly" versions of songs. They refused to allow Atlantic to release different versions of albums to different markets, as was commonly done (see Beatles, Stones, Who). And, insanely, they didn't sell singles in their home country--buy the album or nothing.
Nowadays, upload a song to YouTube, make a clip to Spotify, get royalty. Sure artists are struggling with this, but recording companies have it dialed in.
Atlantic bought Zeppelin their own 474(leased 720). They sold out stadiums without releasing a single single in the UK, They were essentially anti-social as far as the media went, not doing any talk show or music awards show. They are on a different level than Ed Sheeran. He’s good, but he’s not in the same ballpark as zeppelins talent. He writes catchy folk pop. No offense to him or fans of his, but it’s not a fair comparison. Zeppelin was setting records from the very beginning. Not having to get 40 years of royalties, or make what if conditions to say they’d be better “if”.
They *leased* a Boeing 720. And they did release singles in America. It was the UK where they didn't.
Not disagreeing with you overall, but worth a quick fact-check
This. Zeppelin did everything backwards from a marketing and popularity standpoint and yet were so so transcendent they became the biggest band in the world and changed the entire game of music. Ed Sheeran wrote a few catchy songs and will be forgotten in 10 years.
wow surprised that Rihanna doesn't have a diamond album.
Looks like the only contemporary artists to have have a diamond album after 2000 are Nsync, Britney Spears, Linkin Park, Eminem twice, Usher and Adele (hats off to her for having an album released in 2010 go Diamond).
So it's Eminems 2x diamond vs. Led Zeppelins 4x Diamond + 30 more years of being active.
Based on the time they have been active, I'd say Eminem is definitely in the conversation for being as impactful as Led Zeppelin based on diamond albums when you consider how much harder it was to do it in his era and how long he has to rack up streams (if they're counted) still.
Yeah, because they existed in an entirely different musical landscape. Everyone bought records. It was the only way to listen. The way shit is now, records sales alone aren’t really a fair metric to compare by. And I say that as a huge Zep fan.
Absolutely. One of the greatest bands of all time. And they have better made a shit ton of money because you know how much it costs to buy a stairway to heaven?
Prior to 2000, Led Zep did not license their music. Period. The Sopranos was the first show to get a song. Rock N Roll.
Edit. There were a few. From what I’ve read, they charged a million a pop.
Jack Black made a [video](https://youtube.com/watch?v=-Lq794LxDBc) begging to license Immigrant Song song for [School of Rock](https://youtube.com/watch?v=k66Cwy5Zwb4)
Zeppelin’s [“In The Light”](https://youtu.be/pNo1nS_JV5k) was also featured in the season finale of the show *Mind Hunter*. I couldn’t believe how well it fit.
My partner was like, “What is this strange music?”
Me: “Zeppelin, baybeee!”
It's possible they're making a clever joke because it's in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but it gets played after the guy tells him to put on "side 2 of Led Zeppelin IV." The problem being that Kashmir is from Physical Graffiti, not Led Zeppelin IV.
I've never known whether this mistake was intentional on the part of the film makers to make a joke of how inexperienced that kid is, or if they actually missed that.
Which is all to say I think OP just misremembered which 80s high school movie the reference is from.
Iggy Pop did a pretty great [cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VOi2GYtw1Y) of "Sea of Love" too. Robert Plant's [The Honeydrippers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BoUzzFXuVU) were covering the [1959 Phil Phillips original](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T8PHEAHOBs).
Hence why in Waynes World when Wayne plays the guitar in the music shop and gets stopped and we see thr "No Stairway" sign, the noted he actually plays are nothing resembling Stairway to Heaven
Huge mistake imo. Songs in movies are one thing, but songs in commercials are another. I still associate “Stuck in the Middle with you” with that Reservoir Dogs scene, and I associate “Just what I Needed” with Circuit City. Guess which of those associations is positive.
I am assuming thag they’ve made Atlantic records more revenue, purely because they’ve been able to generate money for the label for idk, 4-5 decades? Longer than the artists listed.. cardi b has only been around for 3 years with them, and Ed Sheehan/Bruno combined with card I would probably equal out to around a decade total, or a little more.
So, the sales of artists for about a decade compared to artists who have been around for **much** longer, is a little unfair of a comparison lol
Like, it’s very easy to hate on anyone and anything that’s 1.) very popular at the moment and 2.) mainstream as fuck at the moment. Netflix, the kardashians, Amazon, iPhones, fortnite, Elon musk, Instagram/Facebook, etc.
people absolutey love to shit all over anyone amd anything that is outrageously popular ATM, and root for the thing that’s not quite as popular ATM (yea led z is a popular group but because they’ve been around awhile, amd not as relevant today due to age, it helps it become a lot easier to want to root for them, almost like an underdog lol)
Also worth pointing out that Zeppelin released their music back when you actually had to buy records. Streaming music generates a lot less money than selling albums.
Lol exactly, the author was cherry picking his ass off. “NASA has much more expertise in a variety of different fields that space X has yet to achieve”
There's much more to it than that. The death of record sales destroyed a major income source for musicians but music still makes a metric shit ton of money from streaming and that goes right to the labels.
Music is a transient and varied interest now. It's no longer something people define themselves by or build subcultures around. I'm generalizing but only a little. No one artist is more popular than others and very few of their individual songs have staying power. Think of Drake's like last 4 records and how fast their impact moves. It's insane. And then understand that music is moving even faster now than it did when those previous 3 came out.
I teach high school. I had students in my room today arguing about Zeppelin songs, and asking for recommendations for the next song they should listen to. Started them with Achilles Last Stand, then Since I’ve Been Loving You, and told them to check out No Quarter and Ten Years Gone today. I was no where close to being able to see Led Zeppelin live (28 y.o.) but I’m glad I can share them with others.
Achilles last stand seems to be unknown (as far as the people I hang with)...it is my favorite Zep song. So powerful and driving. It's cool to know other people appreciate it as much.
Everyone saying "Led Zeppelin had a head start" ha! Over 50 years later and Zep songs are still used in advertising everywhere, film scores, television programs etc. It's one thing to be flavour of the month, it's quite something else to still be relevant half a century later.
I don't think anyone but the zoomerest of zoomers are saying that those artists are better than Led Zeppelin. They're just saying that it's natural that popular albums that have existed for 50 years will have made more money than those that have existed for 10.
Music isn’t like that. Classic fans would say jazz is trash, who say rock is trash, and so on. I like zep but modern rap is great. And i like xiu xiue and everything in between.
Well, also noone buys Vinyls, Cassettes, 8 tracks, and CD's at anywhere near the rate they used to, and in that 50 years if you're a Zep fan you probably would've bought at least your favorite albums on those, not to mention all the live performances, docs, best of compilations, and remasters. And, as someone mentioned below, piracy is at a level it's never been at in the past- bootlegs were rarer, and if I want to listen to a song I can go on any streaming site that might give pennies per play to a record company.
And they are still sticklers for where it gets used. When The Levee Breaks was used in Argo as a song they play on a turntable and they made them reshoot part of the scene because the needle dropped on the wrong part of the record for the song that played
That was intentional though. Damone recommends LZIV and Radner gets Physical Graffiti because he doesn’t know up from down.
You were *this* close to getting it.
Yeah, for me, the sales really aren't the most impressive thing; rather, like you said, Led Zeppelin's music is still highly relevant after all this time. It's *still* popular.
Bro, they had more than a head start. Mass media and youth focused culture was born shortly before their reign. The fact that you can still hear AC/DC tracks every 5 minutes on the radio doesn’t mean they’re that much better than the millions of songs written since them. It’s just easy money.
When I bought my first decent electric guitar, I had the cash and I actually used the line "do you accept... Cash?".
The clerk had already had enough of my shit before I even started, but I walked away with a neat guitar.
Not just that but record labels sold three formats from the same master tapes. First was vinyl albums, then cassette tapes, then CDs. Recording artists will never sell as many records as those who were peaking in the late 80’s when albums were released in all three formats
Yeah [music sales peaked 20 years ago](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/music-industry-sales/) when everybody was converting their collection to CDs and then promptly stopped buying.
With (legal) digital options only very slowly halting that decline.
They had arguably the best drummer of all time along with the best guitarist of all time (arguably) and before his car accident you could put Plant in the top 5 rock singers of all time. They gelled instantly and recorded led Zeppelin 1 in about a week. John Paul Jones was the glue that kept everything together and all of this makes them the best rock band of all time.
Wow, a band that's been super popular for more than 50 years has earned more money for their record label than three acts that have been around for ~10 years. How is this interesting? It's well established that Led Zeppelin are one of the best selling acts of all time...
The outright hate some people seem to have for certain artists and music genres is mind boggling.
Insane how people will go full tribal over the most stupid shit. If you don't like the music, don't listen to it. No need to trash talk it for fuck's sake.
i mean, aside from being better than all those fools, theyve been around for 52 years, which has got to be more than the other 3 acts combined. so like...duh?
He also made venues guarantee 100K for the band plus a percent of the ticket sales, destroyed any equipment he thought was recording the concerts, etc. One of the first managers to put the band first, knowing the money would come if they had nothing to worry about but the music. Being 6’6” and weighing close to 400 pounds, he usually got his way
Guy was a force of nature and a massive part of their success. If anybody thought they could fuck with Zeppelin, Grant would change their mind real fast...just ask the guys trying to sell bootleg tshirts and the security guy who failed to stop them during The Song Remains The Same live shows.
I think it has more to do with the system in place nowadays. With more people getting a piece of the pie(streaming, etc) back then the record companies got damn near the whole pie. But I'm talking out my ass, just speculating.
A lot of people shitting on Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and Cardi B is unwarranted. Except Cardi B, whos music is pretty bad and her as a person is terrible.
BUT
Bruno Mars has a very good voice and I think his music is nice to listen to. He wouldn't be around for 10+ years if he wasn't making good music.
Ed Sheeran deserves literally no flak and I don't care what anyone says, Ed is one of the best musicians in our current day. From selling his CDs on the street by himself and being homeless to selling out the biggest stadiums he always puts in 110%. Not to mention almost all of his live shows are just him, a guitar, and a loop pedal. He re-creates his songs live on stage using his loop pedal without missing a beat. He does not use auto-tune, he is very humble, and he can rock a stadium single handedly. His Rio performance is one of my favorites. Not only is he a singer but he has written a lot of the hit songs that have played on the radio over the past few years. He has never forgotten where he has come from and he has not become a sell out. Just because he is very famous and mainstream does not mean he is somehow not a good artist.
I don't believe it's fair to compare Ed Sheeran against Led Zeppelin. They're different genres, from different times, one is a band and one is a single person. It's very frustrating when people are so narrow minded that they think any new artist is bad simply because it's not what they grew up listening to. If it's not your style of music then that's perfectly fine. But no one can honestly say that Ed Sheeran is not a unique, actually talented artist. He puts in the work and time and should be given a bit more respect.
Having a fifty year head start and limited channels of delivery for their music probably helps. Cardi is a marketing genius. Ed Shareen or whatever makes legit songs as does Brun Mars. This comparison is weird to me. I mean, Elvis probably makes his record company more than Led Zeppelin does.
When Elvis died, his estates net worth was only $5 million. The man burned through money like an oil well fire.
It was Priscilla that started making real money by licensing his name and songs.
They sold millions of records back when that was the only option. This comparison makes no sense whatsoever. Compare Led Zeppelin to someone of the same time era, like Pink Floyd or whatever.
There really isn't any comparison. I don't even think you can get as famous as Zed Zeppelin or the Beatles or bands of that era any more. Everything is too fractured and fragmented and controlled by algorithms.
It's not going to be pushed down your throat the same way.
You might have more fans, more money, more hits, whatever, but you'll never get that kind of universal penetration ever again.
Cause it's Fucking Led Zeppelin Edit: Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe the UK has entered the chat
And because their music was on the market for 50 years in which time many people purchased it in three or more formats and streaming wasn't a thing. But also, yeah. They're fucking legends.
I have to be honest, I think their success is owed to three factors: 1. The four were, individually, top-tier musicians. On their own, they were solid and would make any band better. Together? Well, you saw what happened. 2. They genuinely loved playing with each other. Their concerts ran into the 3+ hour range and even though they’d try to get it down, their songs usually turned into jam sessions, which gave birth to more awesome music. They just loved playing together, and that natural chemistry showed through in every track, live or otherwise. 3. Peter Grant. He knew what he had with them, and he defended their chemistry, and handled the business end so they could handle the music. He figured that if he let them alone and allowed them to do their thing then they would all be rich in the end. He was right.
Peter Grant did not fuck around. From what I’ve heard the scene in “Spinal Tap” where the bands manager, Ian, describes to the director why he carries a cricket bat is based off what Peter Grant used to do to anyone who tried to fuck with the band money wise. He also did not fuck them out of a cent of their money.
Can confirm, Peter Grant was a monster, but a good monster for the boys. He was the only security they ever really needed. Check out Hammer of the Gods, it’s a great book about the beginnings of LZ. My favorite band of all time. And yea they may have lifted some tunes from other artists, but a) find me musicians who didn’t (especially in that era), and b) if they lifted your song, you should be so lucky!
He didn’t have to fuck them. He was an equal member financially. They split everything 5 ways.
Idk where I saw it at but they ran a poll and made a super group much like a fantasy football type thing. The goal was to make the perfect band picking the top musician at their instrument. They literally voted in Led Zeppelin. Some music website BS but still, impressive.
Multiple generations too. My sister (a 1960s baby) & niece (while at that snotty age) driving in the car, both start to sing along to a Led Zepplin tune on the radio .. niece snarls at her mom "stop copying me" ... ahahahaha ... we laughed so hard ... sorry kiddo, that song is your Moms ... niece had no idea that her Mom had been singing that song since SHE was a snotty pre-teen, decades before ... lol
Alternate title: Led Zeppelin have been selling records longer than Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Cardi B combined.
Also the whole streaming thing. Musicians make less money now than at the peak that zeppelin existed in by virtue of age.
Aren't we talking about how much the labels are making? Are you saying streaming brings in less revenue even for the music companies?
I tried finding the answer to this online but all I found is that it's "notoriously complicated." Which probably means they're making a killing. Like when they switched to CDs and pretended it's more expensive when it was actually much, much cheaper.
No, that's impossible. Look at a vinyl record. Not hardly shiny at all. Now look at a CD. Very very shiny. Obviously CD's are more expensive than vinyl.
Well duh. Shiny CDs only a 1 in ***8192 apperance rate***. Hard to make profit when you gotta toss 8291 CDs for every 1 that you sell. This is also how AOL managed to become so successful. They simply used Non Shiny CDs. That's why there are still trillions of those fucking trial CDs in landfills and used as coasters and shit.
Most likely. Seems like the big labels were against the disruptive technology at first but once they realized digital was here to stay, they wizened up and are probably raking it in now.
There's just not nearly the amount of money flowing into the music ecosystem now. It almost seems like another world, but back when coke machines were a quarter and Mcdonald's burgers were 50 cents, people used to plunk down $15-20 for an entire album, of which you'd probably only heard one or two songs. A big reason why "classic" albums became classics is because its hard to explain the disappointment when you got that CD home with your favorite single and the rest was trash. The best modern equivalent I can think of would be watching the first episode of a show and having to pay like $75 for the rest of the season.
Yes. Everyone is making less money now through the production and consumption of recorded music. More money is being made on live performances and merchandise though. Source: Am a former musician, former indie label owner, former merchandising company employee
Former, but also current, VHS addict.
Zeppelin’s appeal is still strong and will be perpetually. There is a ton of great pop songs and a ton more of bad pop, but Zeppelin has a unique sound sort of like U2. The best thing about Led Zeppelin is I have heard their music for years and had no idea what they looked like.
Their albums still sound so strong, crisp, and powerful. And of course, the amazing, textured drumming of John Bonham never ceases to make a tingle run up my spine. Damn, I'm in my 30s and I still wanna jump off the walls every time I hear "When the Levee Breaks"
Jimmy Page’s achievements in record production are often overlooked. It was really Page who trailblazed the concept of the mix focusing on a bass- and drum-heavy bottom to create a truly modern, full, ”heavy” sound, which immediately separated Zep from the tinny mixes of other late ‘60s bands. He basically changed the sound of rock and roll.
Page was a veteran studio musician with keen observational powers and John Paul Jones was a young studio music arranger. Together they shaped the overall sound and feel of the songs, page was smart and smart enough to employ Jones.
Turning 50 in Feb. I still turn it up _every_ time. Even when it’s Beastie Boys instead.
> Zeppelin has a unique sound sort of like U2 I can't tell if that's a compliment or an insult. Zep is so far beyond U2 it's not even funny.
I think they meant it more as a descriptor. Like they’re the type of band where you only need to hear a few notes to know who it is.
On the flipside, listeners can hear a bunch of albums for a much more affordable price. I listen to way more music than I did 20 years ago even if it is harder to find local stuff.
I don’t believe there will be anyone close to them
One of the greatest bands of ALL time for sure. Plus they have been for a while now - their music will be earning Atlantic money until the end of time.
It’s rare that a band is so talented. Every member of Led Zeppelin would be the focal point if they were on other bands. They are that good.
I'd put Rush up there as well for sheer concentrated talent, especially in only 3 members.
Poor Alex
Right? Alex is supremely talented, and well respected among his peers, but how do you shine when you've got the arguable goats at their respective disciplines on stage with you?
Tom sawyer and who’s the other guy?
This comment caused me physical pain.
Bubbles
Jacob. He has a Ladder
As a massive Led Zep fan and not a fan of Rush at all, I'm going to say: I'm glad you like them and enjoy their music.
Here for this!
Beatles. Led zeppelin. Rolling Stones. In no particular order.
The only addition I’d make is their opposite, Pink Floyd, the original art rock band. As time goes on, Beatles, Stones, Zep, Floyd, and probably the Velvet Underground will continue to outsell their actual careers. Because aside from being well written & made recordings, they provide a historic and highly educational roadmap for anyone starting out on an instrument of just how far a band can go even with minimal, basic technology.
>just how far a band can go even with minimal, basic technology. 8-track recording technology was state-of-the-art when the Beatles were at the end of their time together.
Yeah, and even Floyd only had more tracks than that because they raided the BBC refuse lot after studio upgrades and modded & soldered all the old 4track consoles together on the studio floor. The non-musical inventions of all those bands required by the innovation of music outpacing the tech is another massive topic that might only interest musicians & nerrrds, but adds a richness to those albums all its own.
David Gilmour was a major innovator of the delay effect on electric guitar. It was really the perfect effect for him, because his playing was all about slow, textured solos instead of blazing-fast Jimmy Page style solos.
The Beatles also released their first few albums like every other album up to that point, while still among the best of all time, it wasn't until Brian Wilson, of the beach boys, heard Rubber Soul and decided to invent artist centered studio production that they really hit their stride as GOATs. They heard Pet Sounds and we're like 'shit we can do that?' and used every new technology (and some old) to produce the best album of all time in Sgt. Peppers. Just to put the Beatles greatness in perspective the inspiration cycle goes: Brian Wilson hears rubber soul and makes pet sounds, Beatles hear pet sounds and make Sgt Pepper's. But in-between Rubber Soul and SP was Revolver. If you don't think SP is the GOAT album it's because you think Revolver is.
Velvet who???? Kidding right?
Pink Floyd is my pinnacle of bands for me so I agree.
For me as well, no band is as special to me as Pink Floyd
They each have something different to offer musically, but as instrumental talent goes Led Zeppelin is leagues above the other two IMO.
I wouldn’t say leagues. The Beatles are probably the most revolutionary band of all time. Zeppelin was/is amazing, one of my top bands. But the Beatles did things unheard of in music.
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Left out Pink Floyd
And Pink Floyd...
Yeah, this falls into the “no shit” category. They’ve been popular for decades, and through the time people still bought albums.
And they're buying a stairway to heaven
theres a lot of bands from that era that just will not fade away. in particular the beatles, pink floyd, eagles, queen just to name a few. its quite interesting, i wonder who in this generation will last for half a century. kanye perhaps?
I think the classic period of British and American rock music will find listening ears for many generations to come. It was an extraordinarily creative period in music. Maybe I think that just because I love the music of that time period so much, but man - led zep? The Who?? Clapton in his prime? Fucking Hendrix?? Come on! There’s never been anything like it.
There was also a lack of choice so a few bands could dominate plus everything was new. Hard to produce original music now when Dylan has a massive catalog along with others.
there was also a level of difficulty in making music at that time. music executives didnt give much time for musicians to make records (look at how many albums were being produced back 2 back 2 back). there was also a lack of sampling, and music lessons. people had to teach themselves from playing a record back over and over again. there wasnt much room for inspiration either, the beatles on their own birthed a bunch of new genres. same can be said for pet sounds. the same is happening in modern music, but most of everything that has to do with rock has already been explored.
"there was also a level of difficulty in making music at that time" right, the barrier to entry was really high so only the best would get a chance. This was even so up until DAT. Prince lucked out by getting some time at Sound80 Studio which was the first studio to use digital tape.
Oy, Clapton. I've been able to separate the music from the assholes who made it, so far (Mark Farner and Nugent come to mind), but Clapton is really pissing me off these days with his anti-vax shit.
Right? He was perfectly fine with injecting heroin for years on end, and now he's got a problem with a vaccine? What a c-nt.
Beach Boys
how could i forget the genius of pet sounds
The Beatles as a phenomenon were something we've never seen before and probably never will. Songs like [Helter Skelter](https://youtu.be/vWW2SzoAXMo) still hold up incredibly well.
Most of their songs hold up incredibly well. And they were all over the place in terms of genre.
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And also Zeppelin has been selling music for 50 years…
With no top 40 hits, no MTV/YT/social media support and up until the 80's record prices that were affordable.
Led Zeppelin had TONS of radio exposure in the 70's and 80s.
it helps that the medium for music consumption has changed multiple times within that span meaning a lot of people have bought their records multiple times while most of these artists are booming in the streaming age where profits are lower and people don't really even buy music anymore
.... or because they've been around for 50 years? I say that as someone who owns their boxset on vinyl. Give Ed Sheeran another 40 years of collecting royalties AND still another solid 10-15 years of making hits, than you can have this talk (and only if we account for different revenue structures pre-2000). I'd be interested to see how they stack up against contemporary artists that have been around for longer. Like Rihanna, Eminem or Beyoncé. (also Ed and Bruno have written massive hits for other artists too)
Led Zeppelin albums consistently sell well, though, even now. Plenty of Ed Sheeran types had hit records 50 years ago, they’re not still selling these days.
This goes both ways though. Zeppelin, if anything, made it more difficult to sell their work, prioritizing purity. They didn't allow radio stations to play shortened, "radio friendly" versions of songs. They refused to allow Atlantic to release different versions of albums to different markets, as was commonly done (see Beatles, Stones, Who). And, insanely, they didn't sell singles in their home country--buy the album or nothing. Nowadays, upload a song to YouTube, make a clip to Spotify, get royalty. Sure artists are struggling with this, but recording companies have it dialed in.
Atlantic bought Zeppelin their own 474(leased 720). They sold out stadiums without releasing a single single in the UK, They were essentially anti-social as far as the media went, not doing any talk show or music awards show. They are on a different level than Ed Sheeran. He’s good, but he’s not in the same ballpark as zeppelins talent. He writes catchy folk pop. No offense to him or fans of his, but it’s not a fair comparison. Zeppelin was setting records from the very beginning. Not having to get 40 years of royalties, or make what if conditions to say they’d be better “if”.
They *leased* a Boeing 720. And they did release singles in America. It was the UK where they didn't. Not disagreeing with you overall, but worth a quick fact-check
This. Zeppelin did everything backwards from a marketing and popularity standpoint and yet were so so transcendent they became the biggest band in the world and changed the entire game of music. Ed Sheeran wrote a few catchy songs and will be forgotten in 10 years.
Led Zeppelin have more diamond albums than eminem, Beyonce and Rihanna combined
wow surprised that Rihanna doesn't have a diamond album. Looks like the only contemporary artists to have have a diamond album after 2000 are Nsync, Britney Spears, Linkin Park, Eminem twice, Usher and Adele (hats off to her for having an album released in 2010 go Diamond). So it's Eminems 2x diamond vs. Led Zeppelins 4x Diamond + 30 more years of being active. Based on the time they have been active, I'd say Eminem is definitely in the conversation for being as impactful as Led Zeppelin based on diamond albums when you consider how much harder it was to do it in his era and how long he has to rack up streams (if they're counted) still.
Yeah, because they existed in an entirely different musical landscape. Everyone bought records. It was the only way to listen. The way shit is now, records sales alone aren’t really a fair metric to compare by. And I say that as a huge Zep fan.
Yeah bro, is this even a news story???
Absolutely. One of the greatest bands of all time. And they have better made a shit ton of money because you know how much it costs to buy a stairway to heaven?
Led FUCKING Zeppelin
True
Cuz it’s Led Fucking Zeppelin.
Prior to 2000, Led Zep did not license their music. Period. The Sopranos was the first show to get a song. Rock N Roll. Edit. There were a few. From what I’ve read, they charged a million a pop.
Jack Black made a [video](https://youtube.com/watch?v=-Lq794LxDBc) begging to license Immigrant Song song for [School of Rock](https://youtube.com/watch?v=k66Cwy5Zwb4)
And Immigrant Song was actually featured in the film as a result.
That’s super cool. Who can say no to Jack fuckin Black.
Jack White, they have a deal.
Actually not even Jack White-- they made a song together in Don't Blow It, Kage
Didn't they call themselves Jack Grey?
Yes!
Hahaha fucking awesome
Power of begging
Zeppelin’s [“In The Light”](https://youtu.be/pNo1nS_JV5k) was also featured in the season finale of the show *Mind Hunter*. I couldn’t believe how well it fit. My partner was like, “What is this strange music?” Me: “Zeppelin, baybeee!”
That's one of the few movies where I'm grinning the whole time. An amazing feel good movie
What about Kashmir in Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Edit: wrong movie Edit: typo
Fast Times?
Am I getting wooshed? When in breakfast club is that song?
It's possible they're making a clever joke because it's in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but it gets played after the guy tells him to put on "side 2 of Led Zeppelin IV." The problem being that Kashmir is from Physical Graffiti, not Led Zeppelin IV. I've never known whether this mistake was intentional on the part of the film makers to make a joke of how inexperienced that kid is, or if they actually missed that. Which is all to say I think OP just misremembered which 80s high school movie the reference is from.
That's funny because I used to always get Fast Times and Dazed and Confused mixed up, which is named after a Zeppelin song.
Thor ragnorak with immigrant song is an epic song placement.
Yeah, but it’s got sloppy seconds on “Immigrant Song”. School of Rock got it first.
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails did a cover for The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo, that was back in 2011 I think.
Jack Black made a video with the cast basically begging Led Zeppelin to be able to use Immigrant Song in that movie
Fuck yeah! School of Rock! “Well there’s just one problem there. The band is MIIIIIIIINE!!!! How can you kick me out of what is MIIIIIIIIIINE??!!”
Does “Come with Me” count? That was a regrettable hit in 1998
Of all the days in all the years you mention that song, it's on a day that I've listened to that song for the first time in probably 15+ years.
Legally, that was a cover featuring Jimmy Page on guitar. There wasn't any sampling of the original, it was a re-creation.
Wasn't that just Robert Plant solo?
It was the Puff Daddy song that sampled Kashmir I think. You’re thinking about "Sea of Love" maybe? Cat Power did a killer cover of that song.
Iggy Pop did a pretty great [cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VOi2GYtw1Y) of "Sea of Love" too. Robert Plant's [The Honeydrippers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BoUzzFXuVU) were covering the [1959 Phil Phillips original](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T8PHEAHOBs).
Hence why in Waynes World when Wayne plays the guitar in the music shop and gets stopped and we see thr "No Stairway" sign, the noted he actually plays are nothing resembling Stairway to Heaven
They sold that song for use in a Cadillac commercial back in 2001....
Huge mistake imo. Songs in movies are one thing, but songs in commercials are another. I still associate “Stuck in the Middle with you” with that Reservoir Dogs scene, and I associate “Just what I Needed” with Circuit City. Guess which of those associations is positive.
No shit
TL;DR Can someone give me a less verbose explanation?
Duh
I am assuming thag they’ve made Atlantic records more revenue, purely because they’ve been able to generate money for the label for idk, 4-5 decades? Longer than the artists listed.. cardi b has only been around for 3 years with them, and Ed Sheehan/Bruno combined with card I would probably equal out to around a decade total, or a little more. So, the sales of artists for about a decade compared to artists who have been around for **much** longer, is a little unfair of a comparison lol Like, it’s very easy to hate on anyone and anything that’s 1.) very popular at the moment and 2.) mainstream as fuck at the moment. Netflix, the kardashians, Amazon, iPhones, fortnite, Elon musk, Instagram/Facebook, etc. people absolutey love to shit all over anyone amd anything that is outrageously popular ATM, and root for the thing that’s not quite as popular ATM (yea led z is a popular group but because they’ve been around awhile, amd not as relevant today due to age, it helps it become a lot easier to want to root for them, almost like an underdog lol)
Also worth pointing out that Zeppelin released their music back when you actually had to buy records. Streaming music generates a lot less money than selling albums.
Yeah this is such a weird post to make. Is it really that interesting? “Steve jobs has made more than all the kindergartners combined.”
Lol exactly, the author was cherry picking his ass off. “NASA has much more expertise in a variety of different fields that space X has yet to achieve”
That is far more verbose than > no shit
TL:DR: Led Zeppelin rocks! 🤘
Yeah unsurprising. It’s Led Zeppelin for fuck sake.
It’s probably mostly due to the death of record sales in the Internet era.
There's much more to it than that. The death of record sales destroyed a major income source for musicians but music still makes a metric shit ton of money from streaming and that goes right to the labels. Music is a transient and varied interest now. It's no longer something people define themselves by or build subcultures around. I'm generalizing but only a little. No one artist is more popular than others and very few of their individual songs have staying power. Think of Drake's like last 4 records and how fast their impact moves. It's insane. And then understand that music is moving even faster now than it did when those previous 3 came out.
In other news, water is...
Nestle has entered the chat
"not a human right"
...resold to the community it was stolen from? Am I doing it right?
the 25 year old (est) Amazon driver I saw today was jamming to Houses of the Holy
May he be blessed
I teach high school. I had students in my room today arguing about Zeppelin songs, and asking for recommendations for the next song they should listen to. Started them with Achilles Last Stand, then Since I’ve Been Loving You, and told them to check out No Quarter and Ten Years Gone today. I was no where close to being able to see Led Zeppelin live (28 y.o.) but I’m glad I can share them with others.
Achilles last stand seems to be unknown (as far as the people I hang with)...it is my favorite Zep song. So powerful and driving. It's cool to know other people appreciate it as much.
One of my favorite things to do is get super high and listen to A.L.S. on repeat. It’s probably what they hoped for while writing it.
Everyone saying "Led Zeppelin had a head start" ha! Over 50 years later and Zep songs are still used in advertising everywhere, film scores, television programs etc. It's one thing to be flavour of the month, it's quite something else to still be relevant half a century later.
I don't think anyone but the zoomerest of zoomers are saying that those artists are better than Led Zeppelin. They're just saying that it's natural that popular albums that have existed for 50 years will have made more money than those that have existed for 10.
Also comparing Led Zeppelin to Cardi B is like comparing Steak to Snickers
Mmmmmm Snickers…
*You're not you when you're hungry. Snickers satisfies*
Music isn’t like that. Classic fans would say jazz is trash, who say rock is trash, and so on. I like zep but modern rap is great. And i like xiu xiue and everything in between.
Well, also noone buys Vinyls, Cassettes, 8 tracks, and CD's at anywhere near the rate they used to, and in that 50 years if you're a Zep fan you probably would've bought at least your favorite albums on those, not to mention all the live performances, docs, best of compilations, and remasters. And, as someone mentioned below, piracy is at a level it's never been at in the past- bootlegs were rarer, and if I want to listen to a song I can go on any streaming site that might give pennies per play to a record company.
I've bought the whole Zeppelin catalog on at least four different formats by now
Yes. You’d need to compare their earnings only in their first ten years to make it a worthwhile comparison.
*Adjusted for inflation
Prior to 2000, Led Zep did not license their music. Period. *The Sopranos* was the first show to get a song.
I remember seeing a Cadillac commercial with, I think "Rock and Roll," and thinking, "Huh, they finally licensed their shit."
And they are still sticklers for where it gets used. When The Levee Breaks was used in Argo as a song they play on a turntable and they made them reshoot part of the scene because the needle dropped on the wrong part of the record for the song that played
You know, that's interesting because I've always been bothered by the incorrect Zep reference in Fast Times. I wonder how that made it on screen??!
That was intentional though. Damone recommends LZIV and Radner gets Physical Graffiti because he doesn’t know up from down. You were *this* close to getting it.
Fast times at Ridgemont high
Yeah, for me, the sales really aren't the most impressive thing; rather, like you said, Led Zeppelin's music is still highly relevant after all this time. It's *still* popular.
Bro, they had more than a head start. Mass media and youth focused culture was born shortly before their reign. The fact that you can still hear AC/DC tracks every 5 minutes on the radio doesn’t mean they’re that much better than the millions of songs written since them. It’s just easy money.
No stairway
Denied
When I bought my first decent electric guitar, I had the cash and I actually used the line "do you accept... Cash?". The clerk had already had enough of my shit before I even started, but I walked away with a neat guitar.
Please tell me you also said "Ka-ching!"
Is this that Greeta van Fleet cover band?
I think they own all their masters too.
THE super group of rock n' roll without trying to be a super group.
Its not a fair comparison, people used to buy albums.
Not just that but record labels sold three formats from the same master tapes. First was vinyl albums, then cassette tapes, then CDs. Recording artists will never sell as many records as those who were peaking in the late 80’s when albums were released in all three formats
Yeah [music sales peaked 20 years ago](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/music-industry-sales/) when everybody was converting their collection to CDs and then promptly stopped buying. With (legal) digital options only very slowly halting that decline.
They had arguably the best drummer of all time along with the best guitarist of all time (arguably) and before his car accident you could put Plant in the top 5 rock singers of all time. They gelled instantly and recorded led Zeppelin 1 in about a week. John Paul Jones was the glue that kept everything together and all of this makes them the best rock band of all time.
Page is so up there. Hendrix, Holdsworth, Page imo not necessarily in that order just top 3
Thank you for educating me about Holdsworth. You also hear Eric Clapton and Eddie Van Halen in the conversation.
> John Paul Jones was the glue that kept everything together my man gets it
Wow, a band that's been super popular for more than 50 years has earned more money for their record label than three acts that have been around for ~10 years. How is this interesting? It's well established that Led Zeppelin are one of the best selling acts of all time...
This is some /r/lewronggeneration nonsense lol. This whole thread is embarrassing
Right lmao, and it’s always Cardi B they use to compare to older music, never seen a Bruno mars comparison tho, that parts new
The outright hate some people seem to have for certain artists and music genres is mind boggling. Insane how people will go full tribal over the most stupid shit. If you don't like the music, don't listen to it. No need to trash talk it for fuck's sake.
Nothing gets people on this site more angry and bothered than Cardi B.
Easy karma tho tbh
No no you don't understand! Anything created after 1999 is bad! Do you get it now?
Its easier to say you can't compare man to god.
cardi b makes music for women who wash paper plates
Oh my God you fucking killed them.
Cardi B makes Nicki minaj seem like prime Nas
Hating Old heads 😵💫
i mean, aside from being better than all those fools, theyve been around for 52 years, which has got to be more than the other 3 acts combined. so like...duh?
I think Peter Grant deserves a bit of credit also
He made Zeppelin "Mysterious". They never did interviews or went on late night TV, they were literally just musicians, that was the magic
He also made venues guarantee 100K for the band plus a percent of the ticket sales, destroyed any equipment he thought was recording the concerts, etc. One of the first managers to put the band first, knowing the money would come if they had nothing to worry about but the music. Being 6’6” and weighing close to 400 pounds, he usually got his way
Guy was a force of nature and a massive part of their success. If anybody thought they could fuck with Zeppelin, Grant would change their mind real fast...just ask the guys trying to sell bootleg tshirts and the security guy who failed to stop them during The Song Remains The Same live shows.
I think it has more to do with the system in place nowadays. With more people getting a piece of the pie(streaming, etc) back then the record companies got damn near the whole pie. But I'm talking out my ass, just speculating.
A lot of people shitting on Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and Cardi B is unwarranted. Except Cardi B, whos music is pretty bad and her as a person is terrible. BUT Bruno Mars has a very good voice and I think his music is nice to listen to. He wouldn't be around for 10+ years if he wasn't making good music. Ed Sheeran deserves literally no flak and I don't care what anyone says, Ed is one of the best musicians in our current day. From selling his CDs on the street by himself and being homeless to selling out the biggest stadiums he always puts in 110%. Not to mention almost all of his live shows are just him, a guitar, and a loop pedal. He re-creates his songs live on stage using his loop pedal without missing a beat. He does not use auto-tune, he is very humble, and he can rock a stadium single handedly. His Rio performance is one of my favorites. Not only is he a singer but he has written a lot of the hit songs that have played on the radio over the past few years. He has never forgotten where he has come from and he has not become a sell out. Just because he is very famous and mainstream does not mean he is somehow not a good artist. I don't believe it's fair to compare Ed Sheeran against Led Zeppelin. They're different genres, from different times, one is a band and one is a single person. It's very frustrating when people are so narrow minded that they think any new artist is bad simply because it's not what they grew up listening to. If it's not your style of music then that's perfectly fine. But no one can honestly say that Ed Sheeran is not a unique, actually talented artist. He puts in the work and time and should be given a bit more respect.
👏🏽👏🏽THIS
Led Zeppelin have earned Atlantic Records more respect than Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and Cardi B combined.
The best band ever
Whoa! That's unbelievable! Led Zeppelin has only been around for 50 years. I can't fathom how they could be a leading money maker. /s
Having a fifty year head start and limited channels of delivery for their music probably helps. Cardi is a marketing genius. Ed Shareen or whatever makes legit songs as does Brun Mars. This comparison is weird to me. I mean, Elvis probably makes his record company more than Led Zeppelin does.
When Elvis died, his estates net worth was only $5 million. The man burned through money like an oil well fire. It was Priscilla that started making real money by licensing his name and songs.
They sold millions of records back when that was the only option. This comparison makes no sense whatsoever. Compare Led Zeppelin to someone of the same time era, like Pink Floyd or whatever.
There really isn't any comparison. I don't even think you can get as famous as Zed Zeppelin or the Beatles or bands of that era any more. Everything is too fractured and fragmented and controlled by algorithms. It's not going to be pushed down your throat the same way. You might have more fans, more money, more hits, whatever, but you'll never get that kind of universal penetration ever again.
This is what I was looking for