Led Zeppelin in the 80s?

They would have sound like Robert Plant's first solo albums with slightly better arrangements and a lot of string bender telecasters. I can't see the Def Leppard comparison because Page hates anything catchy, like All My Love for example.

 

I doubt they would have done more than one more album. Plant had to basically be dragged by Bonham to do In Through The Out Door. He'd even applied to be a teacher or children's instructor at a alternative school of some kind. Read interviews where he talks about the time surrounding Knebworth and he was deeply insecure about his career and fame. Page and Bonham has been planning for an album that was to be "heavier" then Out Door... but obviously Bonzo died before they could start writing. So we will never know what would have been. Now if Bonzo had lived an eventual reunion would have ways been in the cards... and I honestly don't know if they could have resisted that.

 

Already happened.....

 

All I know is "In Through The Out Door" is one of my favourite releases by Led Zep. I absolutely love it. And it applies for the other songs from these sessions that have popped up since. I'd REALLY like to know what they would have come up with.

 

Much like Elvis, Page would have needed to get cleaned up.
Plant's solo career has been phenomenal, so I am pretty pleased the band didn't get a chance to ruin their legacy, and Plant got a chance to find his own voice.

It would be interesting to see where they went though, because In though the out door always seemed like a transitional album to me.

 

In 1982, Plant quits the band and is replaced by Paul Stanley who recently left KISS. Peter Criss also joins Led Zep 2.0 and the band becomes even more popular than the classic lineup. During the 1980's, they earn 19 number one singles and sell out stadiums all over the world.

 

I don’t think there would have been much of an ‘80s Led Zeppelin. I think they would have broken up soon after the 1980 US tour anyway. Plant was clearly extremely ambivalent about continuing on with LZ after the death of his son, and had to be coerced into doing the Knebworth shows. Page was in very bad shape - as far as his addictions and abilities - by 1980, and that only got worse as the first half of the decade progressed. I don’t think LZ’s continuing existence would have changed that. Add his issues to Plant’s reluctance, and I think Plant would have bailed pretty quickly.

They may have had one, MAYBE two albums left in them - probably 1982 and 1984 - and I don’t think they would have been very good. Comparable to The Who or the Stones’ ‘80s albums. Page and Bonham both said they wanted the next record to be heavier, but I don’t think either was in shape to actually make that happen. Based on ITTOD and his solo career, Plant was clearly interested in pursuing a more modern, pop-influenced sound, and I think he and Jones would have prevailed in moving the band more in that direction.

But I don’t think it would be very good. Plant had some nice solo hits, but weren’t they all co-written? And if you look at what Page did after 1980, it seems pretty clear that his creative tank was empty. I don’t think the combination of he and Plant as songwriters in 1982 would have produced many classics.

One thing that I think would have been different if Bonham survived but the band broke up is that Plant would have been less reluctant about a reunion. So that’s what I think would have happened - they might have released one mediocre album in the early ‘80s, Plant would have pursued a solo career for the rest of the decade, and then they would have cashed in on the reunion craze in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s. Just like so many of their peers.

 

True, but he may have changed his mind seeing all the success Leppard had during 1980--1983. Jimmy may have agreed to a few catchy tunes to sell some new albums. IMHO

 

...and what about a Cult/Cure/Sisters Of Mercy/Killing Joke scenario?

 

I'm sure Zep would have been paying attention to those bands as well during the 80's. They may have traveled down that road of a similar sound as the above mentioned bands. Incorporating any sound of a band of the time that Zep may of thought applicable to an 80's Zep sound. Their ears would have been wide open.

 

Oh please! Think of how many who were around the previous decade or more were still performing!

 

Plant or Page going : "Oh this is rather nice, this".

 

Anyway, I think they would have evolved a bit, incorporating some interesting musical ideas and instruments.

 

I think another possible example to look at would be their peers, The Who.

If Zep had found another drummer, like The Who did, they had enough talent to create stuff that would have good enough for the times, and be on the radio, but not equal to its early superior work. But the arenas/stadiums would have still been full for the tours.

 

I was actually hoping for more from The Firm following the first album. It wasn't "great" but it had lots of moments which showed potential (the second album really fizzled unfortunately, and quickly laid things to rest)). Page didn't seem to be "long-range" interested in any one thing for too long following Zeppelin. Definitely a very hard act to follow not only in terms of fan-perceived importance but self-artistic fulfillment as well. It's no secret how good/confident/ambitious the individual members (of Zeppelin) felt about their band as a combination of four very exceptional musicians very early on.

 

Worst case scenario there.

Zep would have been better off hiring two no-name session guys than half of the Worst Band Ever.

 

No, it pales beside their earlier work (irrespective of whether one likes it or not).

 

Zeppelin in the 80s would sound like:

Whitesnake - Still of the Night
Kingdom Come - Get It On

 

I’m sure glad it never happened

 

I would have wanted Zeppelin to take a break in the '80s and then get back together in the '90s. I can only imagine how badass a grunge-era production on Jimmy's riffs and Bonhams' drums would have been like. Like "Calling to You" from Plant's work with the full Zep lineup - sign me up for that

 

Albini producing Page/Plant was the closest to that...

 

Definitely would have welcomed an album similar to In Through The Outdoor but with a few tracks like "Wearing And Tearing" included in it.

But they might have decided to do something completely different regardless

 

I could imagine them sounding a bit like Rush sounded by the mid-80s, ie, more synths, less guitar, possibly increasing world music influence, gated drums, a more ‘radio ready’ appeal.

Originals fans would’ve been alienated and they may have lost popularity; then, their 80s output would be re-assessed sometime into the new millennium and it would be declared ‘cool.’

 

Their problems were WAY deeper. Incapacitating for Page, pretty much.

 

If they kept building on those funk and new wave inflections of the late albums we could have seen way more alternative metal in the 80s...