Led Zeppelin

United Kingdom, 1968–1980

English band that developed blues rock into a heavier, longer-form hard rock, and whose four studio albums of 1969-1971 set much of the genre's subsequent repertoire.

MusicRoots documents 4 artists who influenced Led Zeppelin and 31 artists Led Zeppelin influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Led Zeppelin?

• Howlin' Wolf — Zeppelin adapted 'How Many More Times' from Howlin' Wolf songs.
• Robert Johnson — 'Travelling Riverside Blues' is a direct reference to Johnson.
• Muddy Waters — Waters's electric Chicago blues underpins Zeppelin's heavy blues rock.
• Leon Theremin — Page's theremin showcase in 'Whole Lotta Love' carried Theremin's 1920 invention into hard rock's biggest stage.

Which artists did Led Zeppelin influence?

• The Cult — Led Zeppelin are a core influence on The Cult — for Electric (1987) producer Rick Rubin explicitly steered them toward the sound of early Led Zeppelin.
• Auktyon — Led Zeppelin's heavy rock is among the old records Fyodorov cites listening to, feeding Auktyon's raw energy.
• Jeff Buckley — Buckley admired Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant, and his wide-ranging, wailing vocals and dynamic guitar work reflect that debt.
• Diamond Head — Diamond Head's song structures inherit from Led Zeppelin.
• Metallica — James Hetfield named Led Zeppelin a key reference point.
• Pantera — The blues underneath the metal — the swing in Dimebag's riffing that separates groove metal from thrash.
• Beastie Boys — Led Zeppelin's riffs were literal source material — 'Rhymin & Stealin' samples Zeppelin — and the rock half of Licensed to Ill's rap-rock.
• Europe — Led Zeppelin were Joey Tempest's stated biggest influence alongside Thin Lizzy — the monumental hard-rock template beneath Europe's melodic metal.
• Van Halen — Jimmy Page's pull-offs on 'Heartbreaker' set Eddie thinking about two-handed tapping — the seed of the technique that made Van Halen; 'Jimmy Page was more the way I am'.
• Bon Jovi — Led Zeppelin's monumental hard rock is among the classic-rock foundations under Bon Jovi's anthems.
• Scorpions — Led Zeppelin's monumental hard rock was a core part of the mid-60s-rooted British sound the Scorpions absorbed.
• Queen — Brian May's guitar orchestration and Queen's heavy arrangements draw directly from Led Zeppelin's dynamic range.
• Run-DMC — Led Zeppelin-style rock riffs were part of Run-DMC's hard rock-rap fusion — the guitar power under 'King of Rock' and 'Rock Box'.
• Aerosmith — Zeppelin's heavy blues was the immediate benchmark for Aerosmith's sound — a debt the band and critics have documented from the first album on.
• Rush — Early Rush was open Zeppelin discipleship — Geddy Lee has said 'we wanted to be the Canadian Led Zeppelin'.
• The Verve — Nick McCabe cited Led Zeppelin among the classic rock 'forced on' him young — part of the heavy-textured guitar vocabulary he brought to The Verve.
• Toto — Lukather has cited Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin among his formative rock influences — the hard-rock muscle in Toto's heavier tracks.
• Def Leppard — The band's very name is an offbeat homage to Led Zeppelin — the hard-rock template beneath Def Leppard's sound.
• Heart — A love of Led Zeppelin drove the Wilson sisters — Zeppelin's heavy blues-rock is the core of Heart's sound.
• Soundgarden — Soundgarden's early sound was described as 'neo-Zeppelinisms' — the cinematic scope of Led Zeppelin melded with heavier, punk-informed grind.
• Wolfmother — Andrew Stockdale lists Led Zeppelin among the old classics behind Wolfmother — their riff-driven, high-wailing hard rock is a direct descendant.
• Creed — Led Zeppelin's arena-scaled hard rock and mysticism shape Creed's grandiose, anthemic side.
• Stone Temple Pilots — Led Zeppelin's heavy blues-rock riffing and dynamics are a core influence on Stone Temple Pilots' hard-rock sound.
• Collective Soul — Led Zeppelin's riff-driven hard rock is a foundation of Collective Soul's crunchier, radio-ready sound.
• Blind Melon — Led Zeppelin's blues-rock light and shade informs Blind Melon's dynamic, '70s-steeped songwriting.
• Stereophonics — Led Zeppelin's heavy blues-rock was part of the older-brothers' record collection that shaped Stereophonics' classic-rock foundation.
• UFO — Led Zeppelin had a huge impact on Michael Schenker, who named Jimmy Page an influence on UFO's heavy melodic rock.
• Rainbow — Led Zeppelin's mythic, heavy blues-rock informs the grand, medieval-tinged epics of Rainbow's Dio era.
• Nazareth — Led Zeppelin's blues-rock heaviness underpins Nazareth's gritty, McCafferty-led hard rock.
• Royal Blood — Led Zeppelin's heavy blues-rock riffing is the bedrock of Royal Blood's massive two-man sound.
• Queens of the Stone Age — Led Zeppelin's dynamic heavy blues-rock is a foundation of QOTSA's riff-centric songwriting.