“The best band of all time”, according to Jimmy Page
Without Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin would never have become an entity. Although each of the four members played a pivotal role in establishing their trademark sound and making the group beloved worldwide, they were Page’s baby.
Initially, Led Zeppelin toured as The New Yardbirds following the demise of the final incarnation of The Yardbirds, which contained Page. He was responsible for bringing Robert Plant into the fold, who arrived alongside John Bonham before Page sanctioned John Paul Jones as their bassist.
By the time Led Zeppelin penned their deal with Atlantic Records, Page had already served an apprenticeship in the industry as a session musician and played alongside a series of greats. He was ready to grasp the opportunity with both hands, not leave any stone unturned, and step into the limelight.
It would be a bare-faced lie to claim that Led Zeppelin’s success exceeded Page’s expectations, as he had always wanted to shoot for the stars. While it was not inevitable that they would fulfil their potential, Page knew that anything was possible considering the musical talent at their disposal.
Apart from the occasional one-off appearance over the years, Led Zeppelin concluded following Bonham’s death in 1980. They had more than a decade in the sun, and in the eyes of Page, nobody has ever matched their brilliance.
Page has never been known for his humility; considering he’s one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time, it’s hard to point the finger of blame at him. Additionally, while the topic of the best band of all time will always be a hotly contested issue, there is no denying that Led Zeppelin are firmly within the conversation.
But who’s the greatest?
Throughout the 1970s, Zeppelin were absolute titans. Famed for producing classic albums while undertaking extensive world tours, they made achieving greatness look like second nature. All these years later, they continue to embody the very pinnacle of rock stardom. Still, many eyebrows were raised when Page claimed they were the best band of all time.
Putting the case forward for his group, the guitarist once told Uncut: “It’s really hard to say something like that and not sound conceited, but over the years, a lot of other musicians have told me they thought we were the best. I’m not talking about record sales or concert attendance, although I think we can hold our own with anyone.”
In Page’s mind, the idea of being the best band of all time is defined by one particular set of criteria that he believes nobody has conquered, like Led Zeppelin. With a not-so-subtle dig at The Beatles, he continued: “What I mean is: when you talk about a band as a collaborative musical unit, we were the best.”
The long-haired rocker continued “I am not talking about one or two genius songwriters, and everyone else tagging along. I am talking about a collection of musicians who are each at the top of their craft in their own right. In Led Zeppelin, we were exactly that.”
Page then claimed that Led Zeppelin created a rock “blueprint” that all aspiring musicians should study, adding, “If you are a young musician and you want to hear how a band works well together, then we’re a pretty good blueprint. John [Paul Jones] and me. Robert [Plant] and me. John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Every combination of the quartet could bring something special.”
Led Zeppelin’s charismatic frontman wasn’t so self-congratulatory. In fact, he has often expressed a few regrets over the band being a little “pompous” on occasion, especially when it comes to ‘Stairway to Heaven’. However, it feels indicative that while John Paul Jones has also scoffed at that track, Page has always praised it.
The guitarist was always in favour of the band ‘going for it’, and the song showcased their ambition. The ambition was still clear when Page spoke to Uncut. Plant had already given an interview in which he’d said Zeppelin were just one of many pioneering rock groups of the day, but Jimmy recognised them as the greatest all-round threat to ever come to the fore.
Recalling his bandmate’s comments, Page said: “Robert probably said, ‘Oh, well, there were a lot of great bands,’ to that interviewer because that is the gentlemanly reply. And I agree with him: there’s a lot of absolutely fantastic music out there made by lots of different artists. But when you are talking about rock ‘n’ roll alchemy, I had to say what I thought. We were the best.”
If Page’s definition were the only way of measuring the best band of all time, then, of course, Led Zeppelin would likely take the top spot. However, every single music fan has a different measurement, which is the ingredient that makes the art form so ripe for intense debate.
However, if Page wanted to present some evidence, then he could do worse than to enlist the famous radio station survey, with more than 2,000 responses that looked to crown the greatest singer, drummer, guitarist and bassist in rock ‘n’ roll history. Comically, each Led Zep member came out on top in their respective categories. Not bad, indeed. And then there’s also well over 200million record sales to point to as well.
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