Led Zeppelin’s Reimagining Of The Blues Began With Whole Lotta Love

Led Zeppelin Songs

Photo Credit: By Jim Summaria, http://www.jimsummariaphoto.com/ (Contact us/Photo submission) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

One of Led Zeppelin’s greatest songs was released on their second album appropriately entitled “Led Zeppelin II.”  When Willie Dixon wrote the lyrics “Way down Inside, women you need love,” he probably never imagined that line would become one of the most iconic vocal licks in rock history. Robert Plant took a great deal of heat for using Willie Dixon’s line in Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” In retrospect, the band’s management should have originally credited Dixon’s lyrics. However, what was lost in the hoopla surrounding the plagiarism, was the fact that blues musicians borrowed from each other since the start of the twentieth century.

The idealism of the blues was deep rooted in the nineteenth century cotton fields of the American landscape. Stories of hard times, infidelity and sexual conquest have been rewritten time and again over the same three chord changes and minor blues scales. Legendary blues artist Robert Johnson took nineteenth century blues patterns and developed the genre into a form that has been an inspiration for musicians from early jazz artists like John Coltrane to blues artists like Muddy Water. Johnson’s work continued to inspire rock bands like The Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers and Led Zeppelin.

Even the Ramones, utilized the same three chord changes of the blues. Nonetheless, it was the augmentation of the blues within the genres of metal music that distinguished artists from each other. Led Zeppelin and the Ramones have long been crowned as ground breaking bands that heavily influenced generations of aspiring rock musicians. Both bands simply reinterpreted the blues with authentic original styles that furiously gained mass popularity.

Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” was a magnificent rendering of the blues. It was Zeppelin’s cornerstone moment because it pointed the band into the musical direction that would mold their sound for the majority of the band’s career. All four band members defined their individual sound and talents within the song. That individuality taken as a collective whole transpired into a sound that was unique and enormously appealing to a music loving culture. The release of “Whole Lotta Love,” stands as possibly the most important moment in the history of Led Zeppelin.

For an in-depth look at how the blues inspired and defined the development of rock and roll which eventually led to the Classic Rock period, check out our massive twenty five thousand word article on The Story of Classic Rock.

2 Comments

  1. Avatar Tom Neokleous September 7, 2015
  2. Avatar JJ Coliflower March 23, 2022

Add Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Peter Frampton Songs
Top 10 Peter Frampton Songs
10 Perfect Songs To Annoy Your Neighbors
10 Perfect Songs To Annoy Your Neighbors
Judas Priest Songs
10 Judas Priest Songs That Are Among Their Best
Steve Howe Songs
10 Essential Steve Howe Songs From His Solo Albums
Electric Light Orchestra Albums
10 Electric Light Orchestra Albums Everyone Should Own
Stevie Nicks Albums
Top 10 Stevie Nicks Albums
Our Ten Most Listened To Albums Of All Time
Our Ten Most Listened To Albums Of All Time
Thin Lizzy Albums
Top 10 Thin Lizzy Albums
Monsters Of Rock Cruise Day 1 Review
Monsters Of Rock Cruise 2024: Day One Review
Classic Rock Radio 104.3 FM Becomes New Home of NY JETS
Classic Rock Radio 104.3 FM Becomes New Home of The NY JETS
Ronnie Montrose Remembered 2024 Tribute Concert Review
Ronnie Montrose Remembered 2024 Tribute Concert Review
The Forgotten Pioneer: Bob Welch's Role in Fleetwood Mac
The Forgotten Pioneer: Bob Welch’s Role in Fleetwood Mac
Jeff Fabb of Black Label Society Interview
An Interview With Jeff Fabb of Black Label Society
Joey Vera of Armored Saint: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Mel Gaynor Interview
An Interview With Mel Gaynor, Formerly Of Simple Minds
George Collins Interview
George Collins: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Status Quo Albums
Complete List Of Status Quo Studio Albums And Discography
Phantom, Rocker & Slick Albums
Complete List Of Phantom, Rocker & Slick Albums
Paul Young Albums
Complete List Of Paul Young Albums And Discography
Steeleye Span Albums
Complete List Of Steeleye Span Albums And Discography
Music CDs Comeback
Why Music CDs Have No Chance Of Making A Comeback
Classic Rock Bands Still Together But Overdue For A New Album
Classic Rock Bands Still Together But Overdue For A New Album
When Glam Bands Went Grunge In The 1990s
When Glam Bands Went Grunge In The 1990s
25 Most Famous Female American Singers Now!
25 Most Famous Female American Singers Now!
11 Tracks Of Whack Album Review
Walter Becker – 11 Tracks of Whack Album Review
Sammy Hagar Album Review
Why Sammy Hagar’s 1977 ‘Sammy Hagar’ LP Was One Of His Best
Grand Funk On Time Album Review
Looking Back At Grand Funk Railroad’s Debut Album ‘On Time’
Ghost Writer Album Review
How ‘Ghost Writer’ Turned Us On To The Music Of Garland Jeffreys