Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones? Let’s settle this

Since my time at Cuesta College, I have been in the same journalism class.

As my lackluster attempts to contribute to the class have been muddled by working three jobs, my opinions on certain topics have become clouded by the many tasks featured throughout my day.

Politically, my stances are a facet of my life that I don’t dwell on. 

My politics have changed, but my love for Led Zeppelin never will.

When bombarded with irrelevant “facts” from my current journalism teacher and advisor of The Cuestonian, Cyrus Saatsaz, my thoughts on the matter still prevailed.

Led Zeppelin is, and forever will be, better than The Rolling Stones. 

Though Led Zeppelin’s stint of greatness fell short due to the tragedy of drummer John Bonham’s death, they have proved themselves as one of the most influential bands of all time. 

For those who argue the case of longevity—congratulations on your small win, but I am just getting started.

Without completely dusting The Rolling Stones, I would like to give credit. They are an awesome band, and I wish I wasn’t such a comparative freak, but I am an opinion editor and some bands just jam harder than others.

What I would like to point out is the diversity of Led Zeppelin. They were extreme in their nature—making songs that could be classified as the early component to what is metal, psychedelic rock, blues rock, and other sub genres.

They were a direct inspiration of Black Sabbath, one of the most highly regarded metal bands, ever. Songs like “Travelling Riverside Blues,” “Dazed and Confused,” and “How Many More Times,” all sound nothing like each other, which is a testament to their spectrum of genres.

While The Rolling Stones focus more on blues rock, their scope only broadened slightly throughout the years. 

But how many Rolling Stones albums are good from front to back? 

Though The Rolling Stones have almost five times as many active years as Led Zeppelin, they lack Led Zeppelin’s consistency. 

With Keith Richards still extremely bitter, his words seem just a bit harsh, and envious.

“As a band, I felt aptly named, it never took off for me musically,” Richards said.

This is just one of many oddly childish attacks on Led Zeppelin, with some being directed at former Led Zeppelin drummer, the late John Bonham, for his heavy hand, and another being Robert Plant’s supposedly unoriginal voice.

Before I give you all a headache while we hear what rock stars say about themselves and others, I would just like to make note of the odd disdain and certain pettiness that courses through the veins of Keith Richards. Most interviews with famous band members are nauseating by themselves, but this one holds a special place in my heart as blatant narcissism. 

As far as the band lineups go, I rate Led Zeppelin much higher.

The chemistry in the video below that they demonstrate, only months in of playing together, is unmatched, even for bands that have been together for decades. 

Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham is revered as one of the most intricate drummers of all time, and I am not even going to debate this with The Rolling Stones fan boys. The website named after The Rolling Stones themselves declares Bonham as the best, so if that isn’t a testament to his ability, my word is useless.

Jimmy Page has Keith Richards by a country mile in terms of playing. The man has the solo’ing ability that is only second to Jimi Hendrix, and the pure talent that Richards spent 60 years wishing he had, which he hasn’t stopped talking about in a negative way over the years. 

As for John Paul Jones’ mechanics on bass, there are not too many songs of The Stones that you can listen to, and be completely in awe of the bass player. Jones accomplishes that in songs like “The Song Remains the Same,” and “The Wanton Song.”

The one that is up in the air, for me at least, is Mick Jagger versus Robert Plant. These two are both great in their own aspects. As for front men, they both exuberate raw emotion, unmatched to what could only be replicated by Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth.

As great as both sound when compared to each other, when you factor in influence, quality, and consistency—Led Zeppelin have The Rolling Stones on their toes.

Advisor’s note: I begrudgingly approved this column despite disagreeing with it.