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The 25 best musicians of the Rock & Roll era

Who took the top slots for the best artists in the Rock-and-Roll era? Check out the full list.

11. Led Zeppelin

Rusty Kennedy/AP

  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

The British band, which consisted of lead singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham when it first came together, formed in 1968.

"Combining the visceral power and intensity of hard rock with the finesse and delicacy of British folk music, Led Zeppelin redefined rock in the Seventies and for all time," the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame writes of the band. "They were as influential in that decade as the Beatles were in the prior one. Their impact extends to classic and alternative rockers alike. Then and now, Led Zeppelin looms larger than life on the rock landscape as a band for the ages with an almost mystical power to evoke primal passions."

They released their first album, titled after themselves, in 1969 and are best known for songs such as "Stairway to Heaven," "Whole Lotta Love," "Immigrant Song" and "Misty Mountain Hop." Despite rumors, the surviving members of the band have not reunited since 2007.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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