English rock band The Yardbirds have a rather short tenure on the US charts given their tremendous influence. The band was also the early stomping grounds where superstars like Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page honed their craft. The Yardbirds got off to a promising start in the US in 1965 as "For Your Love" and "Heart Full Of Soul" soared to #6 and #9, respectively. They'd follow these babies up with other classics like "I'm A Man," which hit #17, and "Shapes Of Things," which hit #11 and became a R&R Hall of Famer. The group would achieve two more Top 40 entries in 1966 with "Over Under Sideways Down" (#13) and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" (#30). After several personnel changes, the group would break up in 1968. Members found other successful projects or solo work. Jimmy Page formed The New Yardbirds, which grew into Led Zeppelin. Sadly, lead singer and harmonica player Keith Relf died in 1976 at the age of 33 after suffering a massive electric shock while playing guitar. "I Ain't Done Wrong" did not chart, but showcases the raw energy of a bold new band aiming to reform rock and roll. The song builds into a fierce climax that foreshadows the heavier edge that Led Zeppelin would later bring to the table.
Robert Plant is the powerhouse vocalist behind the pioneering hard rock band Led Zeppelin, and began and long and varied solo career since their break up in 1980. Plant wasted no time getting back on the charts with cuts like "Burning Down One Side" (#64), "Big Log" (#20), "In The Mood" (#39), and "Little By Little" (#36). Plant also reunited with Zeppelin guitar god Jimmy Page to score a major hit in 1984 as the Honeydrippers: a cover of "Sea Of Love" that went to #3 (originally made famous by Phil Phillips, who took it to #2 in 1959). One of his most successful was the terrific "Tall Cool One" from 1988. Reuniting with his band mate Jimmy Page once again, who threw in a number of Zeppelin Easter Eggs into the song, Plant took this track to #25. His last chart appearance was in 1990 when "Hurting Kind (I've Got My Eyes On You)" reached #46. Since Zeppelin first hit the chart in 1969, that gives Plant chart hits across four decades. Plant has continued to make music, though, his latest record being "Carry Fire" in 2017. The stirring song "Bones Of Saints" comes from that record, and contains one of the most infectious riffs this side of Zeppelin.
It is virtually impossible to pick the greatest song from Led Zeppelin's uncharted classics, largely because so many of their well-known songs surprisingly never charted, including "Communication Breakdown," "Ramble On," Dazed and Confused," and even their epic ballad, "Stairway To Heaven." These legendary pioneers of hard rock did score some top 20 hits with "Whole Lotta Love" (#4), "Immigrant Song" (#16), "Black Dog" (#15), and "D'yer Mak'er" (#20). While many associate Led Zeppelin with the gritty and blazing guitar of Jimmy Page and the banshee rock vocals of Robert Plant, some seem to forget how diverse the music of Led Zeppelin was. They effortlessly jumped between hard rock, psychedelic rock, the blues, symphonic rock, and acoustic rock. They should have had more chart hits, but their influence on rock and roll still lives on today. "All My Love" showcases yet another dimension of the band, a rare and tender moment. The heartfelt song is about the death of Plant's son and rips me up every time I hear it. It is also one of the first to feature synthesizers, played by bassist John Paul Jones. Led Zeppelin faced another tragedy when drummer John Bonham died in 1980, at which point they decided to disband.
Supergroups are no guarantee of success - sometimes the whole seems less than the sum of its parts. Expectations were riding high for The Firm, which consisted of giant talents like singer Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), guitarist Jimmy Page (Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin), drummer Chris Slade (Manfred Mann), and bassist Tony Franklin. The group had an instant hit with the groovy classic rocker "Radioactive," which reached #28 in 1985, but failed to top that performance. That is not to say they didn't write songs that were not worthy of a higher position on the charts. "Someone To Love" struck me as a song that would have done well back then. The Firm released "Satisfaction Guaranteed," but it stalled at #73. The short-lived supergroup parted ways in 1986, but not after one more song hit the chart - "All The Kings Horses" hit #61 on the band's way out the door.
