Led Zeppelin were one of the most iconic rock bands of all time. Headed by singer Robert Plant, the band might not be together anymore, but they are anything but forgotten. However, despite the fact that Led Zeppelin and its members have spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here PPcorn present a list of 15 facts you probably didn’t know about Led Zeppelin.
Number Fifteen: Led Zeppelin Were Offered More Money Than Any Other Act
When Led Zeppelin signed with Atlantic Records, they were offered more money than any other act the company signed before them. The band was also allowed to control their physical releases, their releases’ scheduling, and they even got to keep publishing rights.
Number Fourteen: They Invented Album-Oriented Rock
Led Zeppelin refused to release any singles, which inspired people to begin listening to rock music in albums, rather than in singles. To date, Led Zeppelin has sold upwards of 300 million records.
Number Thirteen: Led Zeppelin Recorded Their First Album in Nine Days
The band had been together for just one month when they wrote their first record together – a feat they accomplished in nine days. And the record wasn’t a flop, either. The first song is “Good Times Bad Times.”
Number Twelve: Jimmy Page Produced Every Led Zeppelin Record
Not only that, but Page also hired a new engineer for every single album so nobody else could take credit for the band’s sound. Impressive!
Number Eleven: He Invented the Reverse Echo
Page discovered the phenomenon of the reverse echo in the process of recording. The reverse echo involves playing an echo backwards, and it was accomplished by Page layering tape in the studio.
Number Ten: They Only Made One Television Appearance as a Band
It’s true! The only time Led Zeppelin appeared on television together as a band was for a performance on a French program in 1969.
Number Nine: They Focused on the Music
Though Led Zeppelin got a lot of heat from music critics who believed they were only successful because of the hype surrounding the band’s members. They proved they could make great music with their album titled IV, in which they credited themselves with symbols rather than names.
Number Eight: They Broke Some Serious Records
While on their 1973 stadium tour in Tampa, Florida, Led Zeppelin played for 56,800 fans, which broke the Beatles’ record at Shea Stadium. However, Zeppelin broke their own record just two years later when they played for 76,299 in Michigan.
Number Seven: They Made The Riot House
Rather than put themselves up in a hotel while on tour, Zeppelin created the Continental Hyatt House in Los Angeles. While it is now called the Andaz West Hollywood, then it was The Riot House. It is rumored that John Bonham once rode down a hallway in the building on his motorcycle.
Number Six: They Had Their Own Private Plane in 1973
And it was called The Starship. Though other bands would use The Starship later in the 1970s, Zeppelin were the first.
Number Five: All of Their Previous Records Cracked the Billboard Top 200 When They Released Physical Graffiti
Zeppelin is the only band in the history of every to have six separate records chart simultaneously. They accomplished this when they released Physical Graffiti in 1975.
Number Four: John Paul Jones Is Insanely Talented
Though you might know him as the bass player for Zeppelin, Jones is a multi-talented musician with many other skills as well. He can play the organ, guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin, autoharp, koto, violin, ukulele, and the sitar.
Number Three: Jon Bonham Never Took a Drum Lesson
It’s true! Bonham began drumming when he was just five years old, and he didn’t get an official drum kit until he was 15 years old.
Number Two: Robert Plant Was a Book Nerd
And in fact, he especially loved the works by Tolkien. Plant planted (sorry) several references to Lord of the Rings and Hobbit in tracks such as “Misty Mountain Hop” and “The Battle of Evermore.”
Number One: They Never Won a Grammy
However, they did receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. It’s about time.