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The classic rock band Robert Plant always wanted to imitate: “That Chicago tightness”
Robert Plant said that, before Led Zeppelin, he had admired Fleetwood Mac’s early blues sound and wanted to emulate its disciplined “Chicago tightness”. The article presents this as an insight into Plant’s early musical ambitions, contrasting them with the larger, more commanding role he ultimately took in Led Zeppelin.
Plant recalled considering a stripped-back country-blues approach or a straightforward blues band, with Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac representing the model he had in mind. He joined Jimmy Page’s New Yardbirds project, later Led Zeppelin, despite some uncertainty; the article says Zeppelin’s debut album became a period in which he developed his vocal style and reconnected with blues influences.
In short
- Plant once wanted Led Zeppelin-like success less than a tight blues sound.
- Early Fleetwood Mac was his ideal straightforward blues band.
- He ultimately developed as Led Zeppelin’s frontman.
Explained simply
Robert Plant is best known as the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, the hugely influential hard rock band that rose to prominence in the late 1960s. Before Led Zeppelin, his musical taste was significantly shaped by blues artists he admired, including the early work of Fleetwood Mac. The version of Fleetwood Mac that particularly impressed Plant was led by guitarist Peter Green and was known for its disciplined, tightly-woven approach to blues music.
Plant has described the distinctive character of that style as "Chicago tightness". He has explained that this approach had a significant influence on his early career thinking. He considered pursuing a more stripped-back, country-blues direction himself, or forming a traditional blues band modelled on the tight, disciplined character that he admired in Fleetwood Mac.
Eventually, Plant joined the project that became Led Zeppelin, which followed a different musical direction. These early influences help illustrate his musical thinking and aspirations during his formative years as an artist.