Post-breakup
[edit]1980s
The first significant post-Led Zeppelin project was The Honeydrippers, formed in 1981 by Robert Plant and featuring Jimmy Page on lead guitar, along with studio musicians and friends of Plant and Page, including Jeff Beck, Paul Shaffer, and Nile Rodgers. Plant focused the band in a different direction from Led Zeppelin, playing standards and in a moreR&B style, highlighted by their cover of "Sea of Love", which peaked at number three on the Billboard charts in early 1985.[91]
1982 saw the release of a collection of out-takes and unused tracks from the band's career, entitled Coda. It included two tracks taken from the band's performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970, one each from the Led Zeppelin III and Houses of the Holy sessions, and three from the In Through the Out Door sessions. It also featured a 1976 John Bonham drum instrumental with electronic effects added by Jimmy Page, called "Bonzo's Montreux".[92]
On 13 July 1985, Page, Plant and Jones reunited for the Live Aid concert at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, playing a short set featuring drummers Tony Thompson and Phil Collinsand bassist Paul Martinez. Collins had contributed to Plant's first two solo albums while Martinez was a member of Plant's group Band of Joy. The performance was marred by the lack of rehearsal with the two drummers, Page's struggles with an out-of-tune guitar, poorly functioning monitors, and by Plant's hoarse voice.[93][94] Page described the performance as "pretty shambolic",[95] while Plant characterised it as an "atrocity".[93]
The three members reunited again on 14 May 1988, for the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert, with Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, on drums. The result was another disjointed performance, after Plant and Page had argued immediately prior to coming on stage about whether to play "Stairway to Heaven", and with the complete loss of Jones' keyboards on the live television feed.[94][96] Page described the performance as "one big disappointment", and Plant said that "the gig was foul".[96]
[edit]1990s
The first Led Zeppelin box set, featuring tracks remastered under Page's supervision, was released in 1990 and bolstered the band's reputation, leading to abortive discussions among members about a reunion.[97] This set included four previously unreleased tracks, including a version of Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues".[98] The song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.[99] 1992 saw the release of the "Immigrant Song"/"Hey Hey What Can I Do" (the original B-side) as a CD single in the US.[100] Led Zeppelin Boxed Set 2 was released in 1993; the two box sets together containing all known studio recordings, as well as some rare live tracks.[101]
In 1994, Page and Plant reunited for a 90-minute "UnLedded" MTV project. They later released an album called No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded, which featured some reworked Led Zeppelin songs, and embarked on a world tour the following year. This is said to be the beginning of a rift between the band members, as Jones was not even told of the reunion.[102]
In 1995, Led Zeppelin were inducted into the United States Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Aerosmith's vocalist, Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry. Jason and Zoe Bonham also attended, representing their late father.[103] At the induction ceremony, the band's inner rift became apparent when Jones joked upon accepting his award, "Thank you, my friends, for finally remembering my phone number", causing consternation and awkward looks from Page and Plant.[104] Afterwards, they played one brief set with Tyler and Perry, with Jason Bonham on drums, and then a second with Neil Young, this time with Michael Lee taking the drumsticks.[103]
In 1997, Atlantic released a single edit of "Whole Lotta Love" in the US and the UK, making it the only Led Zeppelin UK CD single, where it peaked at number 21.[105] November 1997 saw the release of Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions, a two-disc set largely recorded in 1969 and 1971.[106] Page and Plant released another album called Walking into Clarksdale in 1998, featuring all new material, but after disappointing sales the partnership dissolved before a planned Australian tour.[107]
[edit]2000s
2003 saw the release of the double live album How the West Was Won, and Led Zeppelin DVD, a six-hour chronological set of live footage that became the best-selling music DVD in history.[108] That same year the band received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.[109] In November 2005 it was announced that Led Zeppelin, and Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, were the winners of the 2006 Polar Music Prize. TheKing of Sweden presented the prize to Plant, Page, and Jones, along with John Bonham's daughter, in Stockholm in May 2006.[110] In November 2006 Led Zeppelin were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame.[111]
On 27 July 2007 Atlantic/Rhino and Warner Home Video announced three new Led Zeppelin titles to be released in November 2007. First was Mothership, a 24-track best-of spanning the band's career, followed by a reissue of the soundtrack to The Song Remains the Same, which included previously unreleased material, and a new DVD.[112] In November 2007 Led Zeppelin made the band's songs available as legal digital downloads,[113] one of the last major rock bands to do so.[114]
On 10 December 2007 Led Zeppelin reunited for the one-off Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London, with Jason Bonham taking his late father's place on drums. According to Guinness World Records 2009, Led Zeppelin hold the world record for the "Highest Demand for Tickets for One Music Concert" as 20 million requests for the reunion show were rendered online.[115] Music critics praised the band's performance[116] and there was widespread speculation about a full reunion.[117] Page, Jones and Jason Bonham were reported to be willing to tour, and to be working on material for a new Led Zeppelin project.[118] Plant continued his touring commitments with Alison Krauss,[119] stating in September 2008 that he would not be recording or touring with the band.[120][121] Jones, Page and Bonham looked for a replacement for Plant, considering singers including Steven Tyler and Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge,[122] but in January 2009 it was confirmed that the project had been abandoned.[123]