Led Zeppelin v.s Greta Van Fleet

Led Zeppelin is one of the most iconic rock bands to come out of the 1970s. During a time of major political and social change, the music of the era changed right alongside it. During the 1960s, the most popular music genres were folk and pop. However, there was a shift in the 1970s. Rock and alternative music started to come on the scene and bands such as Led Zeppelin championed the era.

The 1970s were notorious for its radical “hippies” which were coined by the lust for sex and drugs, flare jeans, and long, shaggy hair. Zeppelin embraced the style of this era and that is consistently reflected in their songs and performances. The British rock band consisted of four members: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones. Though the band was at its peak during the 70s, its influence is still present throughout the music industry today.

Another “hippie” rock band named Greta Van Fleet has grown in popularity amongst Generation Z. They are an American rock band that began in 2012 and people believe they sound a lot like Led Zeppelin. The group is comprised of four members: Josh Kiszka, Jake Kiszka, Sam Kiszka, and Daniel Wagner. Being an active listener of both bands, I do notice similarities in sound and style between the two. I began to wonder: “How do people that grew up during the Led Zeppelin era feel about Greta?”

I asked my father, James White, and his childhood friend Craig Tantilo to compare and contrast both bands. Growing up, my father and I constantly shared music with each other. He would introduce me to bands he listened to in the 70s and 80s and I would share some of my favorite music with him. Besides pop culture, he is the reason I am familiar with Zeppelin in the first place. It is safe to say that music has always been a constant in our relationship.

One afternoon I was listening to “You’re the One” by Greta Van Fleet and thought to myself: “My dad would love this song.” And so it turns out, he had already been listening to Greta, which sort of stole my thunder even though I was glad to hear it.

Craig and my father grew up during a time where rock bands just started to become popular. They were introduced to groups like Van Halen, AC/DC, and of course, Led Zeppelin at a young age. “When I was a kid, we always listened to Zeppelin with my friend’s older brothers, they were incredible” my dad recalled.

He told me their unique vocals and performance style are what made them so iconic. They also took many risks which aided in their popularity. “A song as long as Stairway to Heaven was just unheard of at the time,” he said. This eight-minute tune is arguably their most famous song and is often referred to as a “forbidden riff.” Many guitar stores do not allow the song to be played due to theories that it is meant to praise the devil. The controversy around the song only made Zeppelin that much more popular.

I asked my dad if he would agree that Led Zeppelin’s influence will never die. He responded with, “One-hundred percent. They have already influenced so many artists like Greta Van Fleet and even some rappers as well.” I thought to myself: “Rappers?” He told me about music producer Rick Rubin who represented bands such as the Beastie Boys and Run DMC. Rubin was a major Zeppelin fan and worked toward combining rap and rock with his groups.

Iconic rappers such as P-Diddy and Tupac have sampled Led Zeppelin songs in their music. Their influence is heard across multiple genres and artists.

In 1980, Zeppelin stopped recording music due to the death of John Bonham. Though the band only recorded and toured for roughly twelve years, their legacy has lasted over decades. When they disbanded my dad argued that at that point “They were so good they didn’t need to put more music out.” Zeppelin’s ability to take risks and make a statement has impacted the entire industry. Which in turn, set the stage for other rock bands like Greta Van Fleet to keep their reputation alive.

My father told me that he had first heard Greta on WFUV which is the Fordham Univerity radio station (yes, he is hip). When he first heard them, he was able to hear Zeppelin’s influence throughout the music. I asked what made the two so similar and he said, “The lead singer’s tone of voice was so similar to Robert Plant’s.” He also felt that the instrumentals in their song “Highway Tune” were similar to Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” After sending him and his friend Craig some music videos and images of Greta, they agreed that the clothing styles of both bands were uncanny.

I wondered if both men felt that Greta was appreciating Led Zeppelin or copying them. Their replies were extremely similar, Craig responded with, “I love it. I think it is great to see younger artists that write their own music and in those lyrics, you can hear influence from other bands. However, they still add their own flavor.” When Craig and my father were growing up, there were so many artists from all different genre’s but both men raised a point that the industry today is championed by pop and rap.

My dad told me, “Music was great for me growing up. I listened to everything from soft rock, to heavy metal and punk, and rap music.” Having a plethora of genres made music a huge deal growing up for the men. They also feel that Greta Van Fleet embraces that diversity not only as one of the only young rock bands but also in their own music. I sent Craig “Light my Love” and “Highway Tune” to listen to and he said, “I liked both tunes and was surprised by the difference between them both.” Their ability to diversify their own music is something that both men feel they took influence from Zeppelin.

My dad feels that going forward, Greta may have the opportunity to change the music industry. “They don’t play into corporate bullshit. They are original and seem to love what they do,” he argued. This mindset is similar to Zeppelins. They aren’t afraid to push boundaries which can aid in their future success. An article by Forbes Magazine shares that lead vocalist, Josh Kiszka, stated “I hope that this album pisses a lot of people off” before the release of their most recent album, The Battle at Garden’s Gate. Like Zeppelin, Greta has capitalized on creating a new sound that stems from a time of social and political change.

There is no doubt that Led Zeppelin will forever be one of the most iconic rock bands in history. Their influence has been seen throughout the entire industry and has inspired bands like Greta Van Fleet. After speaking with my dad and his friend Craig who both grew up during Zeppelin’s peak, I realized there is no competition between both bands. There is just music.