Led Zeppelin’s influence on rock is undeniable. Originating from the London blues scene, their rock sound and big ideas have left a lasting mark since Jimmy Page’s early days with a guitar. Yet, Page can tell the difference between genuine admiration and plain copying.
Even before Zeppelin formed, they were accused of borrowing heavily from others. After immersing themselves in traditional blues, Page and Robert Plant faced claims of using riffs and melodies without proper credit. Hits like ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘The Lemon Song’ even led to legal battles over similarities with songs by artists like Willie Dixon.
As rock bands embraced Zeppelin’s style, others like Black Sabbath and Aerosmith adopted their approach.
This sparked a trend across rock. While Page understood that imitation is common, he felt that a specific power metal band crossed the line in the 1980s.
Having encountered many imitators over the years, Page pointed out the band Kingdom Come as a prime instance of Zeppelin imitation. Speaking to Q Magazine, he highlighted:
“Obviously, it can get to the point where it gets past being a compliment, and it can be rather annoying, when you’ve got things like Kingdom Come, actually ripping riffs right off, that’s a different thing altogether.”
The band came together with future star producer Bob Rock.
They were praised for their classic rock style, but fans and critics weren’t thrilled. It didn’t help that Rock was a big fan of Page, even using his famous double-neck guitar during their live shows.
Although Rock found success with the band and opened for Bon Jovi, he felt more comfortable in the studio. He worked his magic for artists like Metallica and Aerosmith, drawing on his love for Zeppelin in different ways.
While working on Metallica’s praised Black Album in the early 1990s, Rock aimed to give ‘Sad But True’ a metal twist resembling Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’.
Although Page didn’t dwell on Zeppelin comparisons, his partner could be just as critical.
Over time, Robert Plant has been straightforward about bands he felt copied Zeppelin’s style, even recently calling out Greta Van Fleet for imitating his vocal style. Zeppelin’s members might have a point about imitation, but if bands were accused of copying Zeppelin, some of the greatest rock records might not exist.