The singer that rendered Robert Plant “just about ready to dissolve”
Ever since the release of Led Zeppelin I in 1969, budding rock and roll frontmen have been attempting to do impressions of Robert Plant. In many ways, Plant was the archetypal rock frontman, complete with flamboyant performance and a deeply impactful voice. Over the course of Led Zeppelin’s time together, the singer became one of the most renowned and important vocalists in the entire field of hard rock, inspiring countless future artists to follow in his footsteps. However, Plant’s musical appreciation did not end with the break-up of Led Zeppelin in 1980.
By this point, it is no secret that Robert Plant was not the first choice to be Led Zeppelin’s lead singer. When formulating the band, guitarist Jimmy Page – then a member of The Yardbirds – had sought out the talents of Terry ‘Superlungs’ Reid to front his new band. However, Reid’s refusal came with a recommendation to audition Plant, who blew Page away with a rendition of Jefferson Airplane’s classic track ‘Somebody to Love.’
During the decade which followed this impromptu audition, Plant would rise from being a virtual unknown to one of rock’s defining figures. Even today, various rock artists all over the world still attempt to emulate his unique and distinctive tones, which were lended to some of the most iconic hard rock anthems of all time, from ‘Immigrant Song’ to ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ However, Plant’s own musical taste stretched far beyond the parameters of the hard rock genre.
In contrast to many prominent rock stars of the 1970s, Plant always kept his finger on the pulse of new artists and musical trends, even in the years after the demise of Led Zeppelin. As such, the vocalist witnessed the various vocalists attempting to recreate his own performances from back in Zeppelin’s heyday, as well as the new artists taking rock and pop music into entirely new and different directions.
One such artist that Plant maintained an unlikely appreciation for was the Irish songwriter and political activist Sinéad O’Connor. Although her voice rarely evoked the flamboyant, excessive rock and roll of Led Zeppelin, O’Connor was always defiant in her performances and persona. On top of that, her musical material stood out on its own, bold enough to go down routes previously untrodden by fellow budding pop stars. It was this defiance and inventiveness which seemed to endear O’Connor to Plant.
In fact, Plant had such an appreciation for the Irish music sensation that, during a 1990 interview, he selected her as a favourite of his. “I guess I listen to anything and everything that excites me, really,” he told the interviewer. “I mean, I like Sinéad O’Connor’s voice and the areas of it that are fractured,” explaining his stance, the Zeppelin frontman continued, “I like to hear singers who are; actually, things are just about ready to dissolve and disintegrate when they’re singing.”
“They’re trying something, and it’s the risk of trying it that works really well that appeals to me,” Plant plainly stated, adding, “I don’t care if they sing flat, sharp, or whatever, so long as they’re going for something; they’re trying to put over a mood. That mood is always going to be dramatic, otherwise they wouldn’t be trying.”
Although O’Connor was, undoubtedly, a gifted vocalist, it is true that her trailblazing attitude and experimental approach to music formed a large part of her appeal, something that Plant could certainly relate to. After all, Plant is not the most technical skilful vocalist of all time, but his passion, energy, and originality, have made him nothing short of a rock and roll legend.
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