After 60 proper legends of pop (OK, you may have thought that some were a bit iffy), it is now time for my Top 20 Leg Ends of pop. These are those groups or artists that have had hits and sold well, but by no means a favourite of mine.
I do know that some of you will really like these, as there is no accounting for taste.
Now, SB does not like the use of profanity in the articles (comments fine, not articles), therefore if I say, for example, “Clut” I mean that well known GP word which is a sign of endearment, and if I say the word “Fluff” it is a well know word beginning with F, four letters, last letter a K, 2nd letter a U and just in case there is doubt, the 3rd letter is a C. The use of the word “Sausage” means that four letter word for when evacuating the bowels.
H/T to Brett of this parish, who very kindly sent me his play list of dire, dreadful, suicidal and basically fluffing songs generally done by right Cluts which are all pretty Sausage.
So, on we go with No 15 on my list: – Led Zeppelin:
Another controversial choice I suspect. Main reason being that as a kid, I could seldom afford an album, just the odd 45 single. (Younger readers will have to google it). Yet, some of their tracks were played on the radio and I rather liked them. They did in fact release a few singles. So, a Leg End band as I could not afford them. To this day, and mostly out of spite and cutting my own nose off, I have never owned a led Zeppelin album. That’s how much of a Clut I am.
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are cited as one of the progenitors of hard rock and heavy metal, although their style drew from a variety of influences, including blues and folk music. Led Zeppelin have been credited as significantly impacting the nature of the music industry, particularly in the development of album-oriented rock (AOR) and stadium rock.
Originally named the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin signed a deal with Atlantic Records that gave them considerable artistic freedom. Initially unpopular with critics, they achieved significant commercial success with eight studio albums over ten years. Their 1969 debut, Led Zeppelin, was a top-ten album in several countries and featured such tracks as “Good Times Bad Times“, “Dazed and Confused” and “Communication Breakdown“. Led Zeppelin II (1969) was their first number-one album, and yielded “Ramble On” and “Whole Lotta Love“. In 1970, they released Led Zeppelin III which featured “Immigrant Song“. Their untitled fourth album, commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV (1971), is one of the best-selling albums in history with 37 million copies sold. The album includes “Black Dog“, “Rock and Roll” and “Stairway to Heaven“, with the latter being among the most popular and influential works in rock history. Houses of the Holy (1973) yielded “The Ocean“, “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “The Rain Song“. Physical Graffiti (1975), a double album, featured “Trampled Under Foot” and “Kashmir“.
Page wrote most of Led Zeppelin’s music, particularly early in their career, while Plant wrote most of the lyrics. Jones’s keyboard-based compositions later became central to their music, which featured increasing experimentation. The latter half of their career saw a series of record-breaking tours that earned the group a reputation for excess and debauchery. Although they remained commercially and critically successful, their touring and output, which included Presence (1976) and In Through the Out Door (1979), grew limited, and the group disbanded following Bonham’s death in 1980. Since then, the surviving former members have sporadically collaborated and participated in one-off reunions. The most successful of these was the 2007 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London, with Bonham’s son Jason Bonham on drums.
Led Zeppelin are one of the best-selling music artists of all time; their total record sales are estimated to be between 200 to 300 million units worldwide. They achieved eight consecutive UK number-one albums and six number-one albums on the US Billboard 200, with five of their albums certified Diamond in the US. Rolling Stone magazine described them as “the heaviest band of all time”, “the biggest band of the Seventies”, and “unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history”. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995; the museum’s biography of the band states that they were “as influential” during the 1970s as the Beatles were during the 1960s
The featured track is of course Whole Lotta Love (Live at The Royal Albert Hall 1970). Had to be really, it was the theme tune to ToTP.
Good Times Bad Times – This is from Led Zeppelin Live at O2 Arena London, Celebration Day 2007.
Dazed and Confused (London 1969 Live)
Communication Breakdown – Knebworth 1979 – rather punkish, with a very shouty Page.
Ramble On (Live at the O2 Arena 2007) – I quite like this one, not so angry and shouty.
Their most favourite song, and a good one, I have often seen it posted here, is Kashmir. This version is live from 1994. Not a bad listen at all good guitar riffs, often used on TV and films, so I expect it is their pension tune, and nothing wrong with that.
Singalong, enjoy and be happy!
Links to previous Legend articles:
Featured image: “File:Jimmy Page with Robert Plant 2 – Led Zeppelin – 1977.jpg” by Jim Summaria, http://www.jimsummariaphoto.com/ is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
© Phil the ex test manager 2022
