Led Zeppelin is a legendary rock band that found international success in the late '60s through to 1980. The band, which originated in the UK, is famous for a list of iconic bangers, including Stairway to Heaven and The Immigrant Song. There's a great story to go with the latter, but let's start with how the band got its unique name.
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Per an article by the Daily Mail, fans have long speculated about the origins of the ensembles' memorable title. The name reportedly came about when Jimmy Page, the guitarist, pitched the idea of creating a band to Keith Moon, the drummer for The Who. He suggested they join John Bonham, John Paul Jones, and Robert Plant, but Moon wasn't thrilled about the idea. He reportedly joked that the band was doomed to fail, saying the arrangement would 'go over like a lead balloon.'
Many of the most unforgettable names and brands in media have unique beginnings. The 'lead balloon' analogy stuck with Page. He opted to change the spelling to 'Led' so it would be less prone to mispronunciation. I'm not sure how much star power 'Led Balloon' would have, and Page went with 'Zeppelin' instead. A Zeppelin is a large, rigid airship named after its German creator, Ferdinand von Zeppelin.
Led Zeppelin Is Picky With Licensing Their Songs
Before reaching mega-stardom, the group toured as the 'New Yardbirds' with their first gig in a converted gym in 1968. Under the name Led Zeppelin, the band created an impressive discography, including nine studio albums. The group had a reputation for releasing timeless bangers, but they were also known for being protective of their work.
I actually discovered Led Zeppelin a little later. A big part of that was the Jack Black movie School of Rock. In an interview near the release of the 2003 comedy, Jack Black explains that Led Zeppelin "have a history of not letting people use their songs." He ultimately persuaded the group to allow him to use The Immigrant Song, but not before he got thousands of people singing (or butchering) the rock classic as part of his plea. I also play a lot of pinball and was pleasantly surprised to learn that Stern made a Led Zeppelin machine that plays ten of their songs.
The band officially disbanded in 1980 after John Bonham's accidental death. Led Zeppelin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
