Led Zeppelin bigger in America than UK?

[ledded1]

Britain gave you Cliff Richard and the Spice Girls - that's as much as I'm owning up to.

I grew up listening to Cliff.

[ledded1]

Holy crap...I just realized that my Top 12 bands of all time are ALL BRITISH!

Of course they are

[Knebby]

To the average man on the street in the uk is more likely to have heard of the Beatles, rolling stones, the who, oasis than Led Zeppelin.

Also if you look at bands who say they have been inspired by Led Zep, most of them are from America. I've noticed that the most popular form of rock in America is hard rock/metal whereas here it's Indie.

I don't consider Zeppelin's music to be either hard rock or metal. I hear a lot more Zeppelin influence in indie music than in metal.

[Strider]

Zeppelin's music, especially in the early days, was heavily influenced by American music, particularly from here in the South. Perhaps that sort of musical influence wasn't as palatable to folks in the UK as it was here.

I rolled my eyes and was tempted to sound off...but then I saw your age and gave it a pass due to your youth. I realize musical education is practically null and void today so it's not your fault.

This topic of Led Zeppelin's popularity in America vs. Britain has been hashed out before.

Of course, it helps to delineate whether you are talking about the band's popularity during its years of existence(1968-1980) or today.

As someone already mentioned, the U.S. has a lot more people than England. I'm sure if you measured on a per capita basis, you'd find Led Zeppelin's popularity in England/UK was on a par with their U.S. success.

Let's take a brief tally of notable English achievements by Led Zeppelin, shall we?

8 consecutive #1 albums, including Led Zeppelin IV, which never reached #1 in the Billboard charts.

Knocked the Beatles from the top of the Melody Maker Poll after years of domination by the Fab Four.

1970 Bath Festival...5 Earl's Court sellouts in 1975...1979 Knebworth Festival...you don't draw these types of massive crowds without being popular.

Now if you're talking about today, the single biggest reason for Led Zeppelin's lower profile in the UK compared to the U.S. is the beast that is "classic rock" radio. When punk rock hit in the '70s, Zeppelin on British radio was already not as heavy as on American radio, due to no single releases and other factors.

By 1981 when the band ceased to exist, British radio pretty much was all New Wave, New Romantic, NWOHM, whatever was fresh and new. However, in the U.S., while there were stations like KROQ that played the punk-new wave sounds, there were still tons of FM rock stations that revolved around the Beatles-Stones-Zeppelin-Floyd-Who-Doors-Hendrix axis. The "classic rock" genre.

So if you were a kid in the U.S., chances are you got exposed to Led Zeppelin at some point...it was practically a given that you went through a Led Zeppelin phase in high school, especially if you were a white male. Led Zeppelin never disappeared from the pop culture landscape in America, whilst in the UK post-1980, they pretty much vanished.

So generations of kids grew up in the UK without the presence of Led Zeppelin that kids in the U.S. had. Unless you had an older sibling or a parent/family figure who had their albums, it was unlikely the post-80 UK youth would know about Led Zeppelin.

I think because of the internet, this has changed a bit in recent years, as kids are discovering Led Zeppelin on their own more readily than they were in the past.

So, Led Zeppelin's popularity might still be higher in the U.S. today compared to the U.K. But if we're talking about the years 1968-1980, I would say that the band was equally popular in both countries.

[reckless]

I rolled my eyes and was tempted to sound off...but then I saw your age and gave it a pass due to your youth. I realize musical education is practically null and void today so it's not your fault.

This topic of Led Zeppelin's popularity in America vs. Britain has been hashed out before.

Of course, it helps to delineate whether you are talking about the band's popularity during its years of existence(1968-1980) or today.

As someone already mentioned, the U.S. has a lot more people than England. I'm sure if you measured on a per capita basis, you'd find Led Zeppelin's popularity in England/UK was on a par with their U.S. success.

Let's take a brief tally of notable English achievements by Led Zeppelin, shall we?

8 consecutive #1 albums, including Led Zeppelin IV, which never reached #1 in the Billboard charts.

Knocked the Beatles from the top of the Melody Maker Poll after years of domination by the Fab Four.

1970 Bath Festival...5 Earl's Court sellouts in 1975...1979 Knebworth Festival...you don't draw these types of massive crowds without being popular.

Now if you're talking about today, the single biggest reason for Led Zeppelin's lower profile in the UK compared to the U.S. is the beast that is "classic rock" radio. When punk rock hit in the '70s, Zeppelin on British radio was already not as heavy as on American radio, due to no single releases and other factors.

By 1981 when the band ceased to exist, British radio pretty much was all New Wave, New Romantic, NWOHM, whatever was fresh and new. However, in the U.S., while there were stations like KROQ that played the punk-new wave sounds, there were still tons of FM rock stations that revolved around the Beatles-Stones-Zeppelin-Floyd-Who-Doors-Hendrix axis. The "classic rock" genre.

So if you were a kid in the U.S., chances are you got exposed to Led Zeppelin at some point...it was practically a given that you went through a Led Zeppelin phase in high school, especially if you were a white male. Led Zeppelin never disappeared from the pop culture landscape in America, whilst in the UK post-1980, they pretty much vanished.

So generations of kids grew up in the UK without the presence of Led Zeppelin that kids in the U.S. had. Unless you had an older sibling or a parent/family figure who had their albums, it was unlikely the post-80 UK youth would know about Led Zeppelin.

I think because of the internet, this has changed a bit in recent years, as kids are discovering Led Zeppelin on their own more readily than they were in the past.

So, Led Zeppelin's popularity might still be higher in the U.S. today compared to the U.K. But if we're talking about the years 1968-1980, I would say that the band was equally popular in both countries.

Yeah this makes a lot of sense and I suppose the reason that the rollIng stones are still so popular is because they are still performing to this day!

I was born in the 80s and am a 90s child. The first time I saw Led Zeppelin on TV here was in 2003 when they showed a performance of Rock N Roll from knebworth on a show called Top of the pops 2. I was just getting into rock music, I liked what I heard and bought the early days greatest hits followed by the DVD released at that time.

I also got to meet Jimmy Page in 2004 when he opened a Virgin Megastore in London. He left his handprint in what was supposed to be a rock n roll walk of fame in London. It never took off, the store closed after a few years and no one else left their handprints.

[joe (Liverpool)]

In my opinion from what I have read on this website, Zep fans in the UK, have most if not all of their albums, whereas in america they tend to buy just a few, like compilations etc. I have the aforesaid compilations (except early and latter years), but I bought them to add to my collection having already amassed all the originals. Please don't say that younger people do not have the same opportunity to get the albums, when I like someone I buy as many of their albums as I can find. If they are a bit shitty thats just too bad.I agree with strider,they were as popular on both sides of the Atlantic and all over the world.

[reckless]

I actually returned the early days compilation and bought the 1990 remasters instead. Which I then got signed by Jimmy

[chillumpuffer]

Also you have to understand that in the UK in the 1970's we didn't have large venues. Lets think 1970, asides from The Albert Hall shows in 1969/1970 the most that the band would play for would be say 2500 tops. The same year the band were playing the LA Forum, 2 shows in one day at Madison Square Gardens etc etc. Peter Grant saw the endless wads of dollars that could be made by constantly touring in North America. As has been said if you are exposed to FM radio or by continious touring then chances are that you would appear to be more popular in North America than the UK. I mean in 1971 the "Back To The Clubs" tour they played Manchester University. A venue I have been to that holds about 1000 people ! You only really have to check how many times the band played their home turf to see where they preferred to play?

[Sagittarius Rising]

During their tenure (68 - 80') the British press really slagged them. The reason I believe is because the British press loved the Stones, Cream, and the Jeff Beck Group as blues purists. Zep was taking the blues and twisting it into a brand new form and structure and I think it was this fact above any other why the British press hated them, they simply did not like it that they were not "blues purists." The fans got it, the press needed a few years to catch up.

[badgeholder]

Led Zeppelin had 8 consecutive number one albums in the UK. That's a record only equalled by ABBA.

They were also voted the UK's best band in the Melody Maker polls way back in 1970, ending The Beatles run of winning it year after year.

Not bad for a band that never released singles in the UK.

I don't get the whole Abba thing, completely perplexed by their immense popularity - Do they not suck? WTF?

[Walter]

I don't get the whole Abba thing, completely perplexed by their immense popularity - Do they not suck? WTF?

Asking that on a Zeppelin site and of course the answer will be yes. However, their music remains very popular, look at how the musical based on their songs was received....it was big. They're not my cup of tea, but to each his own...

[mstork]

I don't think it's just American fans who have the perception that they were bigger in the US. I remember when Bob Geldof convinced them to play Live Aid in Philly he said a Zeppelin reunion would be "bigger than the second coming in the States".

[Rock Historian]

Most British bands had a more successful career in the States than any other region of the world. The Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Wishbone Ash, The Who..and further down the line-Iron Maiden, Judas priest and other metal bands-

I won't go as far to say that Americans have the best "taste" in music, because we also tolerate alot of "shit" music as well. But generally speaking of the 60's, 70's era of rock music, it's fair to say that we "appreciated" those bands more.(listed above)

Who really knows how successful Zeppelin would have been if it wasn't for the embracement shown towards them in America.

[Stryder1978]

I think it's also interesting the number of starving American artists that went to England and then came BACK to the States to become famous.....Hendrix, Ian Astbury, Dio, to name a few.

[reckless]

Americans like their rock music loud. In the 70s they loved the loud blues based rock like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith. In the 80s it was hair metal and thrash metal. In the 90s it was grunge and then moving into the 2000s it was Nu Metal and pop punk. Hard rock and metal was also popular in the UK in the 80s and 90s but not to the same level as they were in America. Bands like king's of Leon, the strokes, the killers are more popular in the uk than America. Likewise soundgarden, Alice in chains, linkin park are more popular in America, I think it's simply to do with fact that they play hard rock/metal.

[Knebby]

I don't get the whole Abba thing, completely perplexed by their immense popularity - Do they not suck? WTF?

IMO and clearly that of many others, they wrote impeccable pop music.

[Rock Historian]

I think it's also interesting the number of starving American artists that went to England and then came BACK to the States to become famous.....Hendrix, Ian Astbury, Dio, to name a few.

Yes, I agree, the opposite did happen, but not in large numbers.

Also, mentioning Dio-are you referring to his stint in Rainbow and Sabbath, possibly being the stepping stone that gained him popularity in America - later on with his own group?

[Stryder1978]

Dio was in an American band called Elf and they were a back-up band to some Deep Purple gigs in the early 70's. Ritchie remembered him when he formed Rainbow...and the rest was beautiful, musical history!

[Rock Historian]

Dio was in an American band called Elf and they were a back-up band to some Deep Purple gigs in the early 70's. Ritchie remembered him when he formed Rainbow...and the rest was beautiful, musical history!

Yes, I'm well aware of Ronnie James' timeline - ( I have an Elf album) and years before that it was Ronnie and The Red Caps (his first established act) , also known at one time as The Phophets and then The Electric Elves (later known as Elf). You didn't really answer my question though...Are you saying that Dio's own band (DIO) was a huge success here in America because of his past history in English groups?

[Stryder1978]

ABSOLUTELY! I think Dio made a name for himself when he finally joined Rainbow - not many had heard of him up to that point. I think his solo career would have been fine after that stint, even if he never joined Sabbath...it was clear by then that Ronnie was one of the finest vocalists in hard rock.

R.I. P. Ronnie...you are missed!

[Rock Historian]

^ I agree, and that's what I was getting at. While it's hard to say if he would have been nearly as popular as DIO (the band) without the history of Rainbow and Sab, I think he would have been successful on some worthy level without those opportunities. But that's all part of the cycle of things..so I'm glad it all happened the way it did for him. Holy Diver and Last in Line are two of my favorite metal albums from the 80's. The playing all around is impeccable.

Dio was singing of Wizards, Spirits and Dragons while in Rainbow...so those ideas were only magnified within his own line-up.

The only thing that I don't like (and it's only an image thing) is that his use of those same topics (Dragons, Evil, etc) became very predictable. Basically that's all he sang about.....It's definitely dated material, but I love it either way. It's a period in music we will never see again. Only Dio could pull that (style) off-even if it was a bit cheesy at times.

One of my fav Dio tunes is "Don't Talk To Strangers"

[Strider]

Ronnie James Dio: Creator of the 'devil horn' metal salute. If he did nothing else he would still warrant Metal God status and immortality just for that act of inspiration. \__/

[Rorer714]

IMO and clearly that of many others, they wrote impeccable pop music.

I'll back that up as a fan of 70's music!

Edited to say "SOS"

[Strider]

IMO and clearly that of many others, they wrote impeccable pop music.

Thank you. I'm glad to find I'm not the only one here who is a fan of ABBA. Impeccable pop instincts.

Chuck Klosterman wrote a great essay on Abba...it's been published in one of his books. When I get home tonight, I'll find out which one.

It's an entertaining read.

[Rock Historian]

Ronnie James Dio: Creator of the 'devil horn' metal salute. If he did nothing else he would still warrant Metal God status and immortality just for that act of inspiration. \__/

His Italian grandmother used to give him the "Devil horns" sign. It was to ward off the "evil eye" (which is known in Italian as Malochio).

Go figure it would become a part of Rock History.....

Thank You Mrs. Padanova