The band Robert Plant called “one of my favourite bands of all time”
Even though Led Zeppelin were perhaps one of the greatest rock bands that the UK had to offer during the late 1960s and the whole of the ‘70s, it was clear that their appeal, unlike some of their contemporaries, had the potential to break through on the other side of the Atlantic.
There were plenty of other bands emerging from the UK around the same time as Led Zep, but the reason why some of them failed to conquer the States was down to the intense Britishness that they used to present themselves with.
For example, The Kinks had only a limited amount of success across the pond due to their insistence on writing from a uniquely British perspective, and while this may have a sense of charm to it, it’s not always going to be able to land with a foreign audience who don’t understand the cultural references.
Led Zeppelin, on the other hand, had a real ability for writing rock songs that transcended this boundary, and they were always destined to make a big impression on audiences in the US because of how they used to play on universal themes in their songs.
Their influences were often American artists, especially from within the rock and roll boom of the previous era, and this was something that they leaned into throughout their career. If you’re going to be taking cues from artists from a particular background, then it’s far more likely that the people who were fans of this style in the first place will end up latching on to your work.
In addition to all of this, what Led Zeppelin had was a massive sound that could fill out stadiums, and the boldness of their work was often something that stood out from their contemporaries. If you’re brimming with bravado and confidence from the getgo, people are going to immediately notice your potential and start offering you shows on a larger scale, which is exactly how the British band managed to make a name for themselves on the worldwide stage.
However, among all of the US acts that they witnessed during their ascent to the top, one that stood out to Robert Plant in particular were a more psychedelic outfit, who while on the surface didn’t hold much in common with Led Zeppelin, managed to impress the frontman with their delivery.
During a 2005 interview with Charlie Rose, Plant reflected on the bands that he was most charmed by when touring in the US, making reference to one in particular. “If I got to the West Coast, there were a lot of bands out there,” he claimed. “I think Jefferson Airplane‘s ‘White Rabbit’ was really strong. One of my favourite bands of all time, Jefferson Airplane.”
As much as their origins were rooted more in psychedelia rather than the hard rock that Led Zeppelin were known for peddling, one thing that they certainly had in common was a powerful vocalist, with Grace Slick having a similar level of bombast in her delivery to Plant and the ability to fill a room.
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