It was "Whole Lotta Love" playing on the radio when I was a kid and seeing their images in record stores, tv, etc., I just grew to love them. As for bringing the funk, hell yeah, LZ's funky. They couldn't hide it if they tried. But, the one thing that really got me was their full-on appreciation of Blues, R&B, Funk, Jazz, and Soul music unlike many of their American (still until this day) peers.
<----- Plus, damn look at the man.