How Led Zeppelin Became the Biggest Band in the World (Documentary)

Join us on an epic journey through the history of Led Zeppelin, the band that redefined rock music and created a lasting legacy! From their humble beginnings as The New Yardbirds to their status as the biggest band in the world, discover how Led Zeppelin became icons in the music industry.
In this video, we cover:
The Early Days: The origins of The New Yardbirds and the legendary lineup formation.
Rising Fame: The pivotal role of manager Peter Grant and their groundbreaking record deal with Atlantic Records.
Iconic Albums: A deep dive into their classic albums, including “Led Zeppelin,” “Led Zeppelin II,” and “Led Zeppelin IV” featuring timeless hits like “Stairway to Heaven.”
The Rock and Roll Lifestyle: The band's wild reputation, on and off the stage, and their innovative live performances.
Tragedy and Transformation: The impact of John Bonham's death and the eventual disbandment of the group.
Discover what made Led Zeppelin a unique force in music history and how their influence continues to resonate today.
Why This Video Is a Must-Watch:
Led Zeppelin’s story is a captivating blend of talent, ambition, and a touch of rock and roll mystique. This video provides a comprehensive look at their extraordinary journey, showcasing their incredible music and the legacy they left behind. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to their music, you’ll gain insights into what made them the greatest rock band of all time!
If you love Led Zeppelin as much as we do, give this video a thumbs up, subscribe for more content, and share your favorite Zeppelin song in the comments! Let’s celebrate the legacy of this legendary band together! 🎶💬
#LedZeppelin #RockHistory #JimmyPage #RobertPlant #JohnBonham #HardRock #MusicLegends #Yardbirds #StairwayToHeaven #RockAndRoll #ClassicRock #MusicDocumentary #BandHistory

[@robertlear2712]

In 1968 and 1969 I was the lead singer for a rock band in college. When the first Led Zeppelin record came out we all became huge fans. We added several of their songs to our set list. I saw them in concert in 1969 and 1970. It was an amazing time.

[@samr.england613]

I wonder, how well did your band play those LZ I tracks?

[@franciscolopez3229]

I don't know why but when you read or hear the name Led Zeppelin, it just have a very strong vibe to it.

[@davidohman9211]

In the fall of 1969, two friends and I bought a set of concert tickets at The Forum in Inglewood, CA (a suburb of Los Angeles and home of the Lakers) featuring four great bands: The Who, Ten Years After, The Moody Blues, and Led Zeppelin (the new kids on the block, so to speak). While we deeply enjoyed the first three bands, we were still anxious to hear who Led Zeppelin really was. We had heard a few cuts from the first album earlier in the year but, when this band immediately blew the roof off The Forum, we quickly realized, as everyone else in the arena, rock music was changing before our eyes and ears. Energy. Creativity. Fearless. And in my many of their songs there were orchestral with each of the four musicians contributing perfectly, harmoniously, dynamically Toward the end of the their show, Robert Plant quieted the audience to ask a favor. To paraphrase, "We're working on a new song that is different from everything else, and we would like your opinion [as a work in-progress]. We call it, "Stairway to Heaven." So even though this song arrived two years later on their fourth album, we got a preview which brought the house down.

[@lisaviellieu5094]

The music is reason for LZ’s enduring popularity. Future generations will be listening to Led Zeppelin.

[@WillyCLARKE-g8c]

Great songwriting, Great performances, Great performers - a winning team

[@samr.england613]

"team" is key.

[@broeheemed32]

Page did not "reach out" to John Paul Jones. Jonsey's wife saw in a trade magazine that Page was putting together a new group and urged him to ring Page. This is literally in every Led Zeppelin biography.

[@markferry2195]

That's right. I heard Jonesy relate the story in a radio interview once and his wife saw an ad that Jimmy Page was forming a new band and said to Jonesy “that looks good, ring him up”. Jonesy called Page and asked if he needed a bass player and Page said yes (he later said that he jumped at the chance of getting Jonesy). Jimmy told Jonesy he was going to see a singer and he thinks he knows a drummer. Those guys were Plant and Bonzo. That’s how it started.

[@SMBearcat]

It’s simple…. 4 supreme musicians playing out of this world rock,blues and acoustic music.

[@ProfessorKenneth]

The greatest collage band 👍🏻🎸 one of my favourite bands, and physical graffiti is my favourite record. Good little "doc," Cheers

[@markferry2195]

The lineup for Beck's Bolero was Page and Beck on guitars, Moon on drums, Nicky Hopkins on piano and Jonesy on bass.

[@victoriawunderlich]

Love Led Zeppelin ❤

[@victoriawunderlich]

Bonzo greatest drummer

[@aminahmed2220]

Awesome video to be honest have a great day also happy Halloween ❤😊

[@nora5787]

I saw them in 1970. They were great. One of my concert going highlights

[@LawannaRoberts-x8w]

They have always been the very best. I. Still listen to them very day. I really do.❤🎉. I have them on my phone. Wish i could have seen in person.❤🎉

[@mikeclarke2136]

"How Led Zeppelin Became the Greatest Band in the World " Fixed it for ya.

[@jannaasistores5822]

Best band ever😉

[@jeremywanner4526]

Jonesy joined Zeppelin first

[@inadisguise9824]

Take Page new vision of producung a new sound that would be album oriented not singles, mix in four individuals who are consudered top 5 in their individual crafts malking this music, add a manager that protected and puts the artist first so they could focus sololy on the music. Then add tbem refusing to do interviews or appearences so you had to see them in concert, which lasted 2-4 hours with tight inovating jams, add in offstage rock god antics that might or might not be true but let the fans tell the rumours. The vacume of the hippie movement, The Beatles break up and the dawn of the 70's where the kids wanted to now just party. KAMBOOM a band for their generation. THE GODS OF ROCK LED ZEPPELIN !

[@robbnutter4665]

I was lucky enough to see their LAST So Cal show EVER - The Forum - 27 Jun 1977.

[@EdwardKovach-v7y]

I treasure any new footage of these guys because I read several books on about there mischief on tour plus over seas concerts. I was blessed to see Jimmy and Robert several times, Robert solo, Jimmy (The Firm) missed jpj 😎

[@Bob-l4q6f]

It wasn't Keith Moon, but instead, John Enwistle who said the name the 'New Yardbirds' would "go over like a lead Zeppelin." Hence, the idea for the band Led Zeppelin's name.

[@carmstrong6507]

This video is ridiculous. "8 Years of The Beatles wanting to hold your hand?" The Beatles did a hell of a lot more than I Want To Hold Your Hand between 1962-1970. I love Led Zeppelin but I hate is when people have to tear one band down just to build another band up.

[@caramanico1]

I had to give up at the 3:19 mark. Page did not reach out to Jones - Jones told his wife that Page was recruiting players and his wife encouraged him to call JImmy. Page was later quoted later as saying "I jumped at the chance to get him." This story has been told a gazillion times by now, whoever regurgitates it should get it right.

[@kushking420]

My father never seen Zeppelin live. He had a ticket for the first show for their 1980 North American date, which was Montreal, and Bonham unfortunately passed away.

[@victoriawunderlich]

I saw them they were the best

[@derekzatkovich6665]

there is no better group! ever!

[@marklowenthal4556]

The Beatles the stones then Zeppelin in order you can't be 20 number one hits on the American Billboard over the last 50 years

[@thomasinnes9104]

The interpretation and new derivatives of American blues is mind boggling. Mississippi birthed the Yardbirds.

[@Kenneth-c4j]

Very true.👍

[@Ian-sj1wy]

No, watching the Rolling Stones at Richmond on Thames did that.

[@austins.2495]

Hey bro, “lead” is still pronounced like Led in this instance. Like a lead pencil, or whatever. Cool video, though 👍

[@BehindtMusic]

Aah thanks 😅 that’s on me…

[@Ledzepnut]

And that's why Peter Grant changed it from Lead to Led, so it wouldn't be mispronounced

[@barrybjerke9353]

... ..do you mean... like a Led-Balloon?

[@JimiJames-xq3kc]

In 8th grade, 1977, I bought a ticket for $10 for the Tampa (thunderstorm) show. My mom wouldn't let me travel from Ft Lauderdale. Sold it to my friend for $12. They only played 4 songs. But that still would have been worth it.

[@rnoid]

At 10.44 there is a picture of Ronnie James Dio - looks like Rainbow's Stargazer - coincidence ? Ritchie Blackmore spoke to Bonzo about writing something as epic as Kasmir and this epic song was the result.

[@AndreasC81]

Led Zeppelin was very much a metal band. That metal hadn’t evolved as a genre yet and that Led Zeppelin mixed different kind of music doesn’t take away that they were a metal band. They were just as much metal as anything else and they were the link between psychedelic rock and metal. Psychedelic rock evolved into metal and Zeppelin were very much pioneers of that.

[@lynn0122]

As a student of the group, I must say Jones was the first recruit.

[@jeffreycase9497]

❤❤🇬🇧I say !🇬🇧

[@SmilefortheJudge]

Breaking in with bottles? That’s one hell of a bottle.

[@austins.2495]

What?

[@Kneedragon1962]

Ok ~ about three minutes into that, I'm going to question the order of selection & invitation. I have seen several interviews with Jimmi Page where he talks about this. I am resisting the urge to go right down into every detail. First phone call Jimmi made, was to Peter Grant. "I want to form a new group, to replace the Yardbirds, and I want you as our manager." Second phone call was to John Paul Jones, who (as you note) Jimmi had played with extensively doing session work. John came over to Page's place, and they talked. Page told Jones he still needed a drummer and a vocalist, and started to explain what he wanted in a vocalist and why. You talk about some of that and who he would have liked and that is all true and correct. Jones replied that his first choice would be Robert Plant but before we get into that ~ you need a drummer, and I know this guy. His name is John Bonham and he's fantastic. Fast hard, precise, you've never heard a drummer like him. "Have you got their phone numbers?" "Sure." The 2nd person Page got, was JPJ, and it was JPJ who suggested both Plant and Bonham, and had their phone numbers in his address book, in his pocket. It was JPJ who rang them and suggested they come around to Page's digs for a talk. He was 100% serious about Bonham, slightly less sure about Plant.

[@marmarsmandalas]

One big problem with this doc. Why isn’t Zeppelin playing as background. All the songs?!

[@thomasdesulme797]

Too expensive to pay for the right to play them.

[@carolbutler1698]

Agreed!!!

[@yinoveryang4246]

Ai voice. The "Lead Zeppelin" part is particularly hilarious - clearly going for quantity over quality now

[@JimiJames-xq3kc]

Pronounced it Leed That's AI

[@rockerjim8045]

“Leed”? how about “Led” it’s in the name of

[@eazyridin7283]

This is AI right ?

[@marions.120]

The one picture is Jimmy Sakurai, not Jimmy Page!

[@chuckselvage3157]

Notwithstanding their great musicianship and songwriting skills they had a very shrewd manager Peter Grant he was behind their success.

[@samr.england613]

Grant was a big part of it, tho they ended up firing him.

[@rogertayloRRR]

Wasn't that a picture of Eric @1:15 not top toppum? Lol

[@jotacepcs]

11:20 Jimmy Sakurai ??????

[@TwoPair72]

"Led what? " Yeah......and history was made

[@saturncat6743]

The narrator said that Keith Moon's remark that the new group would go down like a 'lead balloon' with the narrator pronouncing 'lead' like 'leed' was hilarious. The saying is 'go down like lead balloon'-- a balloon made of the element lead, pronounced 'led'. Meaning it would sink or fail. So 'lead balloon' pronounced like 'led' became 'Led Zeppelin'. See?

[@victoriawunderlich]

I Love Stairway to Heaven

[@TexasGit]

Use real voices. Thank you.

[@samr.england613]

In early 1967, Jimmy Page had an idea...

[@thomaswilliams3342]

What about the death of Morrison, Joplin, Hendrix and other 70s rock legends

[@rockerjim8045]

“Leed”? how about “Led” it’s in the name

[@stevenr2463]

Was not a Boeing 720 but a 707.

[@mikenyny755]

Actually, the Starship aircraft was a Boeing 720 - which was a variant of the Boeing 707 built to fly shorter flights and operate on shorter runways; I'm not a "know-all": I just Goggled it.

[@kushking420]

Jimmy Pages "Zoso" logo always looked like a cat.

[@imnotmelvin3]

I remember the drummer died in a accident while driving one of his cars. Not found in bed.

[@srirahulpremkumar1600]

The Beatles?

[@HenryDrake-h5m]

The Beatles position as number 1 in the world ended in 1969 and Led Zeppelin became number 1.

[@srirahulpremkumar1600]

@ 😂😂

[@HenryDrake-h5m]

@srirahulpremkumar1600 You probably were not around then. I'm from the UK and I was there when the Beatles lost the title. Which is why they mentioned in this video. It was aired on TV.

[@srirahulpremkumar1600]

@@HenryDrake-h5m completely forgetting about the Rolling Stones. They had a way broader audience and were more iconic in the uk. Led zeppelin only won a readers poll. That’s it. You don’t become the best band after winning a readers poll. They didn’t win it in 1971 did they?? You seem to be one of those overly obsessed led zeppelin fans , who just can’t admit facts. Hardly anyone outside the rock genre would have even cared about led zeppelin. The Beatles and the stones were icons in everyone’s eyes.

[@HenryDrake-h5m]

@srirahulpremkumar1600 Where are you from? India? Reading Wikipedia for your info, aren't you? Come on grow up kiddo. I was there during the time. I love The Beatles and the Stones. But Zeppelin just became so big that even the Stones could not match them and led to them being bitter with Zeppelin cause they were beaten by a newer band. As for The Beatles, they were already in a period of decline. So Zeppelin took over the crown. That my friend IS FACT!

[@LawannaRoberts-x8w]

Dont what any one said they where the best😅

[@johngalush8790]

Led balloon, you numbnutz. Not Leed balloon. Jeeze

[@NigelWelch-x3h]

I still think the first few Black Sabbath albums were better then the first few Zepp albums sorry followers

[@Siblysm]

So many mistakes in the chronology, I didn’t even talk of the wrong images when you are showing Headley Grange and speaking of Bron-yr-Aur cottage. Not this time (again) I will learn something solide.

[@PaulFormentos]

MAGICK helped

[@TamSpreckley-ot9zw]

Why would this stupid narrator pronounce ‘Lead’ the way he did ??? When quoting Keith Moons’ now famous comment. Why do narrators constantly mispronounce words. ??

[@johngalush8790]

Because they are AI. It's also bait. They want more comments.

[@TamSpreckley-ot9zw]

@ i didn’t know it was AI !!!! Who needs it ???

[@robertcooney1938]

They didn't. The Stones did.

[@branko4033]

Thx, I was just gonna write exactly the same comment, word for word 🎸🤟👍😎💯🎯

[@worshipkyama9566]

The stones had and still have nothing on the led of zeppelin

[@sicotshit7068]

@@worshipkyama9566so true, they wish they were as great as Led Zeppelin.

[@kjejon1]

​@@worshipkyama9566 True, the Rolling Stones is just slightly less boring than Led Zeppelin.

[@coreyeckel4231]

HaHa ledzep had biggest crowds sold out stadiums they broke the Beatles record and the Stones and sold more albums ,,,,,,,THE BEATLES THE STONES PINK FLOUD ELVIS DEEP PURPLE FLEETWOOD MAC EAGLES ALICE COOPER THE DOORS JIMI HENDRIX JANIS JOPLIN GRAND FUNK HEART ,,,,,,,,,,,,they all got ripped off by the there managers and music promoters like bill graham the bands only got 10 to 14 percent ,,,,,,,,,,,,, AND LEDZEP GOT 88 PERCENT ,,,,,,,THATS WHY LEDZEP WAS THE BIGGEST BAND OF THE 70S

[@richardkeller4193]

IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE A COINCIDENCE, BUT IF YOU'RE ALSO A DREAD ZEPPELIN FAN, THEY JUST RELEASED THEIR OWN 90 MINUTE "ROCKUMENTARY". NOT CALLED "BECOMING DREAD ZEPPELIN", BUT IT COULD BE. CHECK IT OUT.

[@johngalush8790]

Dread Zeppelin sucks. Completely irrelevant.

[@vitogaleno6041]

OMG so badly made! Next time flush the AI and get your facts straight

[@badger8800]

He said he's putting a super group together with Jeff Beck and Keith Moon it's actually John Eintwisle . There's so many errors in this video it's insulting to watch had to check out 🫡

[@badger8800]

@BehindtMusic can't believe everything you think you read, .Dear boy

[@mikenyny755]

Nobody's perfect: even you I expect.

[@badger8800]

You got that right dipshit