Starting as what appeared to be yet another English blues-rock band, from their first album, it was clear that Led Zeppelin was so much more than that. They took the platform of the blues-rock genre and built on it in several sophisticated directions, branching into folk and progressive rock without ever over-reaching or collapsing into a pomposity. Oh yeah, and they invented hard rock while they were at it. And they sold 300 million albums worldwide without ever selling out. Led Zeppelin was quite simply one of the best and most influential rock bands of all time. Everything about them was larger than life. When asked by a reporter if all the rumors about their backstage behavior and debauchery were accurate, singer Robert Plant said, "It's all true. When we do something, we just do it bigger and better than anybody else. When there are no holds barred, there are no holds barred." Truer words have never been spoken.

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