Rock Legends Part I
December 19, 2006 by Jo Minor
Rock bands have helped create and define the music of an era; singing praises to the glory and rebellion of youth while making a stand with their words and music. No other form of music captures the trials and tribulations of the human spirit in times of desperation and moments of triumph, and nothing describes our innermost desires to break free from the monotonous chains of life better than rock music does.
It was the battle cry of revolutionary times and has freed millions of oppressed minds, and has affected more people worldwide than any one religion ever will - it was rock ‘n roll, and it was bigger than any war or other event the world had ever seen.
Let’s take a look at some of the legends of rock ‘n roll.
Beatles
This record-breaking quartet from England was more than just a bunch of trendy musicians: they were the voice of freedom and were a global movement. The Beatles spoke out against war and violence, and their charming personalities melted the hearts of millions worldwide thus generating phenomenal level of euphoria the world over.
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were household names overnight, and with 545 million Beatles albums sold worldwide by October 1972 alone, it’s hardly a surprise. The band, with hit singles like I Want to Hold Your Hand, Hey Jude, A Hard Day’s Night and Can’t Buy Me Love, has 20 No. 1 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 charts. They have even marked up a remarkable 5 No.1 hits in Malaysia!
Sadly, though, the tragic assassination of John Lennon rubbed off a significant amount of shine from the band’s illustrious career, and is known as the first rock ‘n roll related assassination.
The Beatles were the symbols of fashion and freedom, and their huge success paved the way for successful solo music careers by each of the members. For all of the success they have brought on to themselves, there might never be a rock band quite as successful as the Beatles in music history.
Led Zeppelin
Another shining example of England’s domination of classic rock, Led Zeppelin was a hugely successful musical outfit who were the darlings of the fans and critics of music as well. Their sublime fusion of many different styles of music into their brand of harder rock ‘n roll made them one of the most unique bands in music history.
Led Zeppelin has sold over 300 million albums worldwide, with nearly 100 million album sales in the United States alone. They were also ranked No. 1 on VH1’s list of the 100 greatest artists of hard rock. Stairway To Heaven stands out as the band’s biggest hit, with the song being played over 4 million times on radio stations worldwide.
The band had it all - a personifying guitarist in the form of a talented Jimmy Page, a hard-hitting rhythm section consisting of drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones, and a flamboyant and equally talented singer Robert Plant in tow as well. Led Zeppelin wrote some of the biggest rock tunes in history - among them Stairway To Heaven, Immigrant Song, Black Dog and Kashmir - but sadly, the untimely death of Bonham due to alcohol asphyxiation marked the end of the band’s prolific career.
The band issued a statement after the tragic death stating that they can’t go on without their beloved friend and band mate with them, and it silenced rumors of the band carrying on with a replacement drummer.
Remaining members Page, Plant and Jones have had their share of musical success with their respective solo projects after the demise of Bonham, with Page and Plant even performing together on some occasions.
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