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 we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Led Zeppelin. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: They 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: They 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.
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. 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.