Led Zeppelin

Led Zepplin is a rock band which started in c 1968. It was formed by guitarist Jimi Page.

There is a current thread about whether Led Zeppelin were a heavy metal band. They were a heavy rock band and some of their songs would not be out of place on a heavy metal album. I don't whether they ever saw themselves a heavy metal. However in the 70s and 80's they were very popular with heavy metal and rock fans alike     

but Led zep wrote a lot of songs which were mid paced rock, blues, folk rock and even acoustic ballads

biggest song - stairway to heaven (hugely famous guitar parts)

other biggies - black dog , whole lotta love   

Led zeps biggest selling albums predated Iron maiden and Metallica. Those bands are faster and thrashier than Led Zep.

I'n not a Led Zep fan (or a heavy metal fan) but they are worth a listen

I heard on the radio ( rock radio 96.3fm in scotland) the dj said Robert Plant was not happy to be called heavy metal or heavy rock band. He saw led zepplin as a rock band.

I think sometimes it doesnt matter what the band actually want, it is the fans that take to them that can determine the category they will be perceived in.

Ken

The band was formed by Page shortly after his original group, The Yardbirds, split up on an American tour. Page returned to his hometown of London hoping to form a new Yardbirds from scratch. John Paul Jones, the bassist/keyboardist responded to one of Page's newspaper ads and Page discovered vocalist, Robert Plant in Birmingham at a cafe where Plant was singing blues. Plant then invited his old hometown friend, John Bonham to join the band. Even after the band was formed they were the "New Yardbirds."

Moddish mentioned that Page originally wanted Keith Moon to join the New Yardbirds, this was true, but Keith didn't join because he thought the band would "sink like a lead zeppelin" thus the new name, Led Zeppelin...so in your face Keith Moon!