Why did The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards hate Led Zeppelin?
A couple of years ago, in a surprise move, The Rolling Stones unveiled a long-lost 1974 collaboration with Jimmy Page titled ‘Scarlet’. The track captured the essence of the most dangerous band of the 1960s, teaming up with the ultimate guitarist of the 1970s, and, somewhat predictably, it resulted in an inspiring song. What makes the release more surprising, though, is the context of rumbling discontent bubbling beneath. Keith Richards had previously blurted out harsh remarks about Page’s band, Led Zeppelin, which caused something of a stir at the time. While Richards is a master of riffs, he’s equally skilled in delivering sharp, cutting critiques.
Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones are two of the most significant acts in British music history, and one might assume there would be mutual respect or at least some level of admiration between them. However, Keith Richards has made it clear that while Jimmy Page has earned his respect, the rest of Led Zeppelin did not fare as well in his eyes. Richards has often expressed disdain for the band, finding the other members intolerable.
“The guy’s voice started to get on my nerves,” he once said. “I don’t know why; maybe he’s a little too acrobatic” — this was the first time that Richards uttered words of disdain about Led Zep all the way back in 1969 during an interview conducted with Rolling Stone and, as the years have passed, his opinion on Plant’s talents haven’t changed for the better.
With Page collaborating with The Stones some years after these initial remarks, it’s clear that Richards has always admired his talents, even if he hated his band. The Stones guitarist went so far in his praise of Page on one occasion as stating, “To me, Led Zeppelin is Jimmy Page if you wanna cut the story short.”
Of course, there may also be an element of clashing personalities between Richards and the members of Led Zeppelin. While Richards is known for his laid-back, rebellious persona, he has often viewed Led Zeppelin, particularly Robert Plant, as overly serious and self-important. Richards’ irreverent attitude towards rock stardom contrasts with Zeppelin’s image as a more mythic, larger-than-life band, which may have contributed to his critical view of them.
This admission of Page being the driving force behind Led Zep’s success was about as much praise as he was willing to hand out: “As a band, I felt aptly named, it never took off for me musically,” he once said. “At the same time, Jimmy Page is one of the best guitar players I’ve ever known. Bonham was a hell of a powerhouse drummer, although I think he’s kind of heavy-handed, myself — that’s when the ‘Led’ comes in,” Richards added when answering fan questions on his website in 2004.
He then continued with a similar venom: “At the same time, Plant was exuberant, Robert is exuberant to be an LV(lead vocalist), but he’s very much in that English mode of LV’s like Roger Daltrey, with the fringes, microphones blah blah like you’re Rod Stewart’s or even Mick Jagger’s — they all seem to copy each other a bit.”
His harsh words have not softened with age, and remarkably, his tongue has only sharpened. Years later, Richards dismissed Led Zeppelin as “hollow” as recently as 2015. “I love Jimmy Page, but as a band, no, with John Bonham thundering down the highway in an uncontrolled 18-wheeler,” he said. “He had cornered the market there. Jimmy is a brilliant player. But I always felt there was something a little hollow about it, you know?”
However, Richards’ somewhat harsh statements over the years about Zeppelin in the press have not affected his relationship with Page, who he counts as a friend. It’s worth mentioning that the Led Zep member isn’t particularly fussed by Richards’ dislike of his former band either.
“Keith can say what he wants. He’s Keith Richards. I think he’s done some amazing work. I respect his playing,” Page told Classic Rock. “And he has a solo album out. But if I was promoting a new album, would I be more caustic? The answer is… no. I’m not sure what he means by calling Led Zeppelin hollow. I think he’s got his tongue in his cheek. What we did was really cool.”
The Rolling Stones are a band that has spent much of their finest years on the road. With over six decades of live experience, they’ve become experts at knowing when to invite a stellar guest act to join them. From Amy Winehouse to Bob Dylan, the Stones have shared the stage with nearly everyone—except, as you might have guessed, Led Zeppelin.
The closest we’ve ever come to such a feat was at the seventh annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction celebration in 1992. That night, Richards joined Jimmy Page alongside John Fogerty and Carlos Santana for a rip-roaring performance. But, even then, things were a little frosty.
One thing is clear, though: even though Richards certainly is not a fan of Led Zeppelin, his attacks were always about the music and never a personal assault against any of the members. If there’s one thing that Keith has always been, then that’s honest in his opinion and says exactly what’s on his mind.
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