Thirty-three years ago today, three members of Led Zeppelin announced to the world that the band was no more.
“We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend, and the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were,” the band said in a statement.
The announcement followed former Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s death on Sept. 24, 1980. Bonham died of asphyxiation as a result of vomiting. He reportedly drank nearly 40 shots of vodka before bassist John Paul Jones found him dead the following day.
Although the band only released eight studio albums from 1969 to 1979, its influence on rock ‘n’ roll is unrivaled.
While bands like the Beatles and the Who reigned as kings of rock ‘n’ roll in the late 1960s, it was Led Zeppelin that forever changed the genre.
As evidenced by songs like “Good Times, Bad Times” and “Dazed and Confused” from its self-titled debut album, Led Zeppelin helped define the hard-rock genre.
What was so unusual about Led Zeppelin was that four white English males could emulate the blues so beautifully.
Traditionally reserved to artists like Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, Led Zeppelin helped England re-invent a genre of music that long needed innovation.
Featuring impeccable drum work from Bonham and tight bass lines from Jones, Led Zeppelin created one of the finest rhythm sections of the 1970s.
Combine that sound with Robert Plant’s ethereal vocals and Jimmy Page’s searing guitar solos, and one has a sound that is entirely unique.
As seen with its extravagant logo featuring a symbol for each member, Led Zeppelin was the union of four equally talented individuals.
Perhaps only matched by the talent of the Who, Led Zeppelin forged a path in rock that many others have unsuccessfully tried to emulate.
While classic songs like “Stairway to Heaven” and “Kashmir” may define Led Zeppelin’s career to some, more obscure and unheard of songs like “Since I’ve Been Loving You” and “Going to California” illustrate how unique the band was at the time.
One of the band’s most poignant songs was “All My Love.” Written for Plant’s 5-year-old son who tragically passed away in 1977, “All My Love” dealt with the emotions he felt at the time.
“Yours is the cloth, mine is the hand that sews time / his is the force that lies within /ours is the fire all the warmth we can find / he is a feather in the wind,” Plant sang.
Although the three surviving members have only reunited occasionally, it’s clear the band will live on in the hearts of its dedicated fans.
By some estimates, Led Zeppelin has sold at least 200 million albums. As the old saying goes, nearly one-fifth of a billion people can’t be wrong.