Over the course of their career, each member of Led Zeppelin mastered their instrument. Jimmy Page is widely accepted as one of the most important guitarists in music.
John Bonham went from drumming on household items as a child to being remembered as one of the all-time greats. Robert Plant’s vocals are some of the most distinctive in rock history, and John Paul Jones mastered both the bass and keys.
What separated Led Zeppelin from many of their contemporaries was not simply technical proficiency but versatility. Each member possessed the ability to adapt their playing to whatever a song required, allowing the band to move effortlessly between hard rock, folk, blues and more experimental territory.
Their combined talent was a force to be reckoned with, one which earned them 111 million record sales in the United States, eight number one albums in the UK in a row, and with that, an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to boot. Pioneers of heavy guitars and stadium rock, the individual talent and interactions of the band members secured their place in music history. From the songwriting duo of Plant and Page to the changeable drumming style of Bonham, each member was essential to the success of Led Zeppelin.
The English rockers put out eight studio albums and over 100 songs throughout their career. Consequently, it’s hard to pick out the tracks that demonstrate their finest moments, but who could be more qualified to do so than Plant himself? The singer and lyricist once selected a track to represent each member of Led Zeppelin at their best.
Speaking with Tony Bacon in 1980, the vocalist named ‘The Ocean’, taken from their 1973 record Houses of the Holy, as his own best work before explaining the influence of “rock ‘n’ roll and early rockabilly” on the track: “There’s some incredible echo effects. They were promising you something that actually wasn’t for real, you know? The very idea of putting an effect on the voice, in this dream wonderland, this promise of safe love and no tears, whatever it is [laughs]. That’s what it all started from.”
Plant’s pick for John Bonham’s best work also came from Houses of the Holy. He chose ‘The Crunge’ as the drummer’s magnum opus, gushing, “What Bonzo’s doing is great. Without even having to think it out, he used to come across such – his work was so overly adequate, so extreme, and yet so understated. There were so many different elements of what he was doing. So a fill would only be there if it was necessary, but when it came, well…” he trailed off.
Speaking of guitarist Jimmy Page’s highlights, Plant cited ‘In My Time of Dying’ from Physical Graffiti. He stated, “It goes on and on, but it’s great ramshackle blues slide. Straight off the top.” As for bassist John Paul Jones, he picked the opening track from Houses of the Holy, ‘The Song Remains the Same’. He said: “I think John excelled himself. He was a great technician from a school of studied bass.”
Jones was often the most understated member of Led Zeppelin, yet his musical knowledge and arranging skills played a crucial role in shaping many of the band’s most ambitious recordings. His contributions frequently provided the framework upon which the others could build.
It seems that Plant thought much of Led Zeppelin’s best work featured on Houses of the Holy, despite the mixed reception at the time of release. Plant’s picks may be a great selection of tracks which allow each member to shine, but the truth is, you don’t have to look far to find the excellence in Led Zeppelin’s catalogue – it permeates it.
Taken together, Plant’s selections paint a portrait of a band whose greatness rested on four very different talents working in harmony. Whether through Bonham’s instinctive power, Page’s adventurous guitar work, Jones’s technical sophistication or Plant’s expressive vocals, Led Zeppelin’s enduring legacy was built on collective excellence rather than individual stardom.
