Jimmy Page names the two 1960s musicians who had a “futuristic vision”
The 1960s spawned musical genius in abundance. From Bob Dylan to The Beatles, from The Ronettes to The Rolling Stones, the decade gifted us with some of the most innovative artists of all time, with countless names that would secure a permanent place in music history. As the decade came to a close, Led Zeppelin began to lay down their own claim to the musical canon.
Led Zeppelin released their debut album in early 1969 and found immediate success. Before the year was over, they followed it up with Led Zeppelin II, but they truly came into their own in the 1970s. The heyday of hard rock, the era saw Led Zeppelin unleash a whole host of future classics upon the rock world, from ‘Immigrant Song’ to the entirety of Led Zeppelin IV.
Though Led Zeppelin may be remembered as a 1970s band, the personification of the decade’s rocking sound, they actually originated from the 1960s scene. Rising from the ashes of The Yardbirds, they knew the generation of musical geniuses that preceded them well, and Jimmy Page had some fully-formed opinions on who was the best of them.
Despite the abundance of sonic innovators and influencers who came out of the 1960s, Page believed that there were just two who had a “definite spacewards thinking,” as he explained during a 1976 interview with Sounds. His first choice was original Pink Floyd vocalist Syd Barrett, deeming it an “absolute tragedy that chap fell apart”.
Barrett was only with Pink Floyd for their first record, 1967’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but his “spacewards” songwriting was already evident. Their debut may have since been eclipsed by the success of their later work, by the iconic The Dark Side of the Moon and the ambition of The Wall, but it was just as forward-thinking.
“Barrett’s stuff,” Page enthused, “there’d been nothing like it before the first album of the Floyd’s… you can really feel genius there.” It’s unsurprising that Page would pick out Barrett and Pink Floyd to heap praise upon as one of the most iconic rock bands to precede them. Both groups would go on to define the sound of the 1970s and the sound of rock in general.
The only artist Page suggested had a similar “definite positive force” was legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Just a few years before Led Zeppelin landed on the scene, Hendrix was penning all-time greats like ‘Purple Haze’ and changing the sound of guitar music forever. Page suggested that, like Barrett, he had a “futuristic vision, in a sense”.
They’re certainly worthy names for Page to pick out. Their futurism can be seen in the longevity of their legacies. Even now, over half a century after they first shared their music with the world, Pink Floyd and Hendrix maintain cultural relevance and countless listeners. Their unique way of thinking allowed their music to transcend generations.
While Page may only credit Hendrix and Barrett with this specific kind of musical genius, many would credit Led Zeppelin with the same. Their riffs still sound just as innovative now, and they still move people to pick up guitars and learn to play. They had their own spaceward mindset, their own futurism that would change the trajectory of rock forever.
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