Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London, comprising guitarist Jimmy Page, vocalist Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. Emerging from the ashes of the Yardbirds, the band fused blues, folk and hard rock into a sound of massive scale and dynamic range, becoming one of the defining acts of the genre and one of the best-selling bands in history. Their catalog moved fluidly between thunderous riffing on tracks like «Whole Lotta Love» and «Black Dog» and acoustic, folk-inflected material such as «Going to California» and «Ramble On».

The band's mid-70s work, including «Kashmir» and «Stairway to Heaven», showed an ambition for orchestration and mysticism that expanded rock's vocabulary, cementing their reputation for epic, multi-part compositions. Page's innovative guitar work, including his use of a violin bow, Plant's wailing, blues-rooted vocals, Jones's melodic bass and keyboard arrangements, and Bonham's powerful, propulsive drumming combined into a chemistry rarely matched in rock history. Their live performances were legendary for their length and intensity.

The band disbanded following Bonham's death in 1980, choosing not to continue with a replacement drummer, a decision that has largely held ever since aside from occasional one-off reunions. Their influence spans hard rock, heavy metal and beyond, and songs such as «Stairway to Heaven» remain fixtures on greatest-songs lists.