Origine del nome del gruppo: fu suggerito dal bassista e dal batterista degli Who (altro storico gruppo inglese), in origine era Lead Zeppelin perché doveva dare l'impressione di un aerostato di piombo che si libera nell'aria (“lead” vuol dire piombo), in seguito però, per questioni di pronuncia, il nome fu cambiato in Led Zeppelin. La copertina del loro primo album ha su una figura di un dirigibile, presa dalla famosa foto dell’esplosione del dirigibile Hinderburg nel New Jersey, nel 1937 (vedi più sotto). Il nome Zeppelin viene dal conte Ferdinand Von Zeppelin, un Generale dell’aeronautica tedesca, che si dedicò allo studio e alla progettazione di dirigibili rigidi.
Bonzo era John Bonham, il batterista (suonava con le mani anzichè con le bacchette!), scomparso nel 1980 (come John Lennon), anno in cui quindi si sciolsero i Led Zeppelin (Billy Joel disse: “il rock and roll è morto quando è morto Bonzo dei Led Zeppelin”). John Paul Jones era il tastierista/bassista, tuttora in attività (come Plant). Certo che se il Bonzo non avesse bevuto troppo la sera prima, non sarebbe soffocato nel suo vomito (che schifo!), e oggi i Led Zeppelin esisterebbero ancora e suonerebbero ancora la musica degli dei... Il mio idolo rimane Jimmy Page, un mostro della musica.
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant
January 9, 1944Jimmy Page was born.
June 3, 1946
John Paul Jones was born.
May 31, 1948
John "Bonzo" Bonham was born.
August 20, 1948
Robert Plant was born.
July 1, 1966
Ahmet Ertegun signs the English group Cream. Atlantic will become a major force in British rock, releasing albums by such artists as the Bee Gees, Mott the Hoople, Yes, Genesis, Derek and the Dominos, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Led Zeppelin.
July 7, 1968
The Yardbirds break up, guitarist Jimmy Page forms the New Yardbirds and changes the group's name to Led Zeppelin, allegedly on the advice of the Who's Keith Moon.
October 15, 1968
Led Zeppelin performs its first show, at Surrey University in England.
November 13, 1968
Atlantic Record announces its signing of a "hot new English group" named Led Zeppelin.
February 15, 1969
The hotly anticipated, self-titled debut album by Led Zeppelin enters the album charts, ultimately reaching #10.
December 6, 1969
Led Zeppelin enters the Top Forty with "Whole Lotta Love," which reaches #4. It is this album-oriented band's highest-charting single.
December 27, 1969
'Led Zeppelin II' tops the U.S. album charts for the first of seven weeks; it will reach #1 in the U.K. in February 1970.
October 31, 1970
The more folk-oriented 'Led Zeppelin III' becomes the band’s second #1 album.
January 30, 1971
Led Zeppelin hits #15 with "Immigrant Song".
November 27, 1971
Led Zeppelin’s fourth album, which features four runes (symbols) as its title, enters Billboard’s album chart, where it will remain for the next five years. Oddly, it doesn’t quite reach #1, peaking at #2.
February 12, 1972
Led Zeppelin hits #15 with "Black Dog".
April 15, 1972
Led Zeppelin hits #47 with "Rock and Roll".
May 12, 1973
'Houses of the Holy,' Led Zeppelin’s fifth album, becomes their third to reach #1.
December 29, 1973
Led Zeppelin hits #20 with "D'yer Mak'er".
May 3, 1974
Led Zeppelin launches their Swan Song label, which releases their albums and ones by handpicked artists like Bad Company and the Pretty Things.
March 22, 1975
'Physical Graffiti,' a double album by Led Zeppelin, reaches #1 in its second week of release. It stays there for six weeks.
March 29, 1975
Led Zeppelin becomes the first band in history to have 6 albums on the chart at once: 'Physical Graffiti' (#1), 'Led Zeppelin IV', 'House of the Holy', 'Led Zeppelin II', 'Led Zeppelin', and 'Led Zeppelin III'.
May 17, 1975
Led Zeppelin hits #38 with "Trampled Under Foot".
August 5, 1975
Robert Plant and his wife are injured in a car crash while vacationing in Greece.
October 20, 1976
Led Zeppelin’s concert documentary, T'he Song Remains the Same,' premieres in New York.
September 7, 1979
Led Zeppelin's last studio album 'In Through the Out Door' enters the British charts at Number One.
September 8, 1979
'In Through the Out Door,' Led Zeppelin's first album of new material in over three years, is released. Topping the chart for seven weeks, it turns out to be their swan song.
September 14, 1979
Led Zeppelin's 'In Through the Out Door' begins its seven-week run at Number One on the US charts.
February 16, 1980
Led Zeppelin hits #21 with "Fool In the Rain."
September 25, 1980
John Bonham, drummer for Led Zeppelin, dies of asphyxiation in his sleep after having consumed "40 measures of vodka."
December 4, 1980
Led Zeppelin releases a statement announcing that it is disbanding in the wake of drummer John Bonham's death.
July 13, 1985
Led Zeppelin re-forms (with Phil Collins replacing the late John Bonham on drums) for the Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia.
May 14, 1988
Led Zeppelin reunites, with drummer Jason Bonham (the late John Bonham's son), to perform a few songs at Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary concert at New York's Madison Square Garden.
November 13, 1990
'Led Zeppelin,' a four-CD and six-LP box set, is released. Reaching #18 on the album chart, it will sell over one million copies, making it the best-selling box set in rock and roll history.
September 11, 1993
'Led Zeppelin – The Complete Studio Records,' a ten-CD box set, is released.
October 12, 1994
The live documentary 'Unledded,' which reunites Robert Plant and Jimmy Page onstage, airs on MTV. It features four live acoustic versions of Led Zeppelin favorites and eight new Page-Plant collaborations.
November 26, 1994
'No Quarter,' by Led Zeppelin mainstays Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, enters the album chart at #4.
January 12, 1995
Led Zeppelin is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the tenth annual induction dinner. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith are their presenters.
November 18, 1997
'Led Zeppelin: BBC Sessions,' a double CD of archival live performances on British radio from 1969-71, is released.
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