History of Rock

#12

Fall 2023
Dr. Josh Song
“Babe I'm Gonna Leave You”
Led Zeppelin
“Stairway to Heaven”
Led Zeppelin
 Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in
London in 1968. The group consisted of vocalist Robert
Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul
Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With their heavy,
guitar-driven sound, they are regularly cited as one of the
progenitors of heavy metal, although their style drew from
a variety of influences, including blues and folk music. The
band have been credited with majorly impacting the
nature of the music industry, particularly in the
development of album-orientated rock (AOR) and stadium
rock. Many critics consider Led Zeppelin one of the most
successful, innovative, and influential rock groups in
history.
 Album-orientated rock (AOR)
- originally called album-oriented radio, is an FM radio
format created in the United States in the 1970s that
focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is
currently associated with classic rock.
 Stadium rock (Arena rock)
- As rock music, increasingly popular, groups began
creating material inherently designed for performance to
large audiences, and arena rock developed from their use of
more commercially oriented and radio-friendly sounds.
- Such as Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen, Styx, Toto, Journey,
REO Speedwagon, Boston, Def Leppard, Motley Crue,
Poison…………………….
- Their popularity crashed after the success of alternative
rock bands who began to break through into popular
consciousness with an even more abrasive sound,
particularly artists influenced by the success of Nirvana in
“Immigrant Song”
live 1972
“Since I’ve Been Loving You”
With a string of eight number-one albums in the UK and six
number ones in the United States, Led Zeppelin was among the
most successful new British groups of the 1970s. Page co-wrote
most of the group’s music (often with Robert Plant providing the
lyrics), and, deeply devoted to the album format, the band was
resistant to releasing tracks as singles. When Page first
approached Plant about forming a band, he described his vision
as a blend of traditional electric blues, acoustic folk, and a fair
amount of experimentation. Over the years, listeners and critics
have focused on the heavier elements of the group’s music,
forgetting other aspects of their catalog. For example, a blend
between electric and acoustic instrumentation is clear on the
group’s first two albums, Led Zeppelin (p10 uk6, 1969) and Led
Zeppelin II (p1 uk1, 1970). On the first record, “Babe I’m Gonna
Leave You” is a reflection of the band’s acoustic tendencies, while
“Good Times, Bad Times” shows off a harder edge. The more
psychedelic side comes out in “Dazed and Confused,” a staple of
the band’s live shows that featured Page playing his guitar with a
violin bow. A blend of the harder elements and psychedelia can
“Whole Lotta Love”
New York City (1973)
Leon Theremin
 Theremin
 An electronic musical instrument controlled without
physical contact by the performer (who is known as a
thereminist). It is named after its inventor, Leon Theremin,
who patented the device in 1928.
 The instrument's controlling section usually consists of two
metal antennas that sense the relative position of the
thereminist's hands and control oscillators for frequency
with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other. The
electric signals from the theremin are amplified and sent to a
loudspeaker.
“Over The Rainbow”
This blend of acoustic, blues, and psychedelic elements can also
be found in what is arguably Led Zeppelin’s best-known track,
“Stairway to Heaven,” from their fourth, untitled album (p2
uk1, 1972). The song begins with an acoustic guitar passage and
introduces a chorus of recorders followed by Robert Plant’s
vocals. This texture continues for the first two minutes of the
song. As the arrangement slowly builds, electric twelve-string
guitar, electric piano, bass, and drums are added.

final section of the song moves into heavy rock, featuring a

blues-influenced electric guitar solo from Page and Plant’s
distinctive high wailing vocals. The lyrics to “Stairway to
Heaven” deal with the topic of spiritual enlightenment, a
perennial concern among hippies of the late 1960s, and a
recurrent theme in 1970s rock. The band would later return to
themes of spirituality and the wisdom of the ancients and the
East, most famously in “Kashmir” from Physical Graffiti (p1 uk1,
1975).
“Kashmir”
Jimmy Page produced all of the band’s albums and was
especially masterful at creating a thick sonic palette by double-
tracking vocals, creating deep reverb for Bonham’s drum tracks,
and layering electric guitars—adding one after another, each
playing distinct parts. Led Zeppelin continued to perform
widely throughout the 1970s, releasing albums such as Houses of
the Holy (p1 uk1, 1973), Presence (p1 uk1, 1976), and In Through
the Out Door (p1 uk1, 1979). The group disbanded after the
tragic alcohol-related death of John Bonham in September 1980.
The Kennedy Center Honors
Led Zeppelin 2012