The band Robert Plant said “nobody could compete with”

Led Zeppelin quickly climbed to the top of the musical ladder upon their formation and captured the people’s imaginations. Before they came together, Jimmy Page was already a renowned figure in musical circles, but by teaming up with Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones, he had the tools at his ready for global domination.

Upon the Yardbirds’ demise, Page formed the New Yardbirds for a run of dates in Scandinavia, which evolved into Led Zeppelin. Unlike many of their peers, who had to work tirelessly on the club circuit before getting a sniff of a record deal, Atlantic Records quickly circled around the group to secure their signature. Page’s reputation landed Led Zeppelin the contract, which also arrived with the luxury of creative freedom.

Due to the unique nature of their record deal, Led Zeppelin had control over every area of their output, including their touring and release schedule. Although this could have backfired spectacularly, Led Zeppelin knew what they were doing, and by the end of 1969, they were the biggest new band around. In the eyes of Plant, they were peerless, and nobody was on their level.

In addition to their pioneering brand of heavy rock, timing was another factor that helped them considerably. Rock music was partially in flux when Led Zeppelin emerged, but they answered everybody’s prayers for a new, exciting rock juggernaut. Although the members were previously part of the blues scene, under their new guise, they magnificently concocted a unique broody, menacing sound that captivated audiences.

Vitally, they didn’t concern themselves with trends throughout their time together and instead allowed their unwavering creativity to flourish. Speaking a decade after their split, once the dust had settled, Plant explained their ethos to Rolling Stone: “We were more concerned with diversity, self-satisfaction, and creativity. So, really, there was nobody to compete with, because we were trying to entertain ourselves first and foremost, with no intentional stab at a pretty song for a pretty song’s sake.”

The iconic frontman then explained the one key ingredient that ensured Led Zeppelin had no direct competition, adding, “From the beginning, really, it was a group policy that singles were not to be considered, that the whole game would be that if you wanted to find out about Led Zeppelin, you had to get into the whole thing. We would not put out singles as calling cards. So, really, there was nobody to compete with.”

Led Zeppelin’s decision to opt against releasing singles was an incredibly bold move, which proved to be genius. If Atlantic Records hadn’t afforded them such creative control in their contract, they’d have had to follow the route taken by every other band. Instead, they weren’t concerned about fighting for radio airplay with their peers and existed in their own space.

Plant believes Led Zeppelin’s mix of Englishness and the blues was another factor that differentiated them, adding, “But I think the way the music moved around in its Englishness and its blues roots, the inspiration didn’t allow it to compete with anybody, really. Because it wasn’t a pop band. I mean, it’s popular, but it certainly was not pop.”

Plant then explained why ‘Stairway to Heaven’ is the perfect example of Led Zeppelin’s unorthodox mindset. Although the song was eventually picked up by radio stations worldwide, the band never released their most famous track as a single. Therefore, fans needed to buy Led Zeppelin IV to hear the song in their own time.

Typically, when a band defies the norms of the music industry, they do so after becoming highly successful. However, with Led Zeppelin, it was this way or the highway, and they would only do it on their strict terms, whether musically or otherwise. Therefore, as a true original, Plant didn’t have to burden himself with worry about competition for their throne.