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Beginnings

Led Zeppelin officially formed in 1968, rising from the ashes of previous group The Yardbirds. Jimmy Page had recently swapped his bass guitar for lead and was looking to start a supergroup with fellow guitarist Jeff Beck, vocalist Robert Plant, and on the recommendation of Plant, drummer John Bonham. When Chris Dreja, The Yardbirds bassist, retired in the pursuit of a photography career, John Paul Jones was contacted by Plant and was granted the final position. They were still committed to several concerts in Europe at this point, so with the authorisation of past members Jim McCarty and Keith Relf, the band continued under the name The Yardbirds to fulfil the bands? obligations.

By late September 1968, The Yardbirds had just finished touring in Scandinavia and it was obvious Led Zeppelin?s musical style was beginning to take shape, however, it wasn?t until later in the year that the name Led Zeppelin would first appear. After receiving a cease and desist letter from Dreja, former ?New Yardbirds? were ordered to rename the band. Though the story varies, it was The Who drummer Keith Moon that coined the name after remarking that the new project would ?go down like a lead balloon?. They dropped the ?A? to avoid mispronunciation and made a name swap from balloon to zeppelin. One $143,000 advance from Atlantic Records later and Led Zeppelin was born.

Led Zeppelin I

In November 1968 Led Zeppelin were offered an advance contract of $143,000 by American label Atlantic Records, the biggest offer of its kind at the time for an emerging band. Though Atlantic Records normally associated with acts specialising in jazz, soul and blues, in the late ?60s the company was becoming more focused on British progressive rock acts. In fact, the label was so keen to work with Led Zeppelin that record executives signed them without ever having met.

The band played their first show under the new name Led Zeppelin at the University of Surrey on the 25th October. Tour manager Richard Cole, who would go on to become an influential part of the band and major figure in touring life, was busy organising their first North American tour at the back end of 1968. During the tour, their debut album Led Zeppelin I was released, peaking at number 10 on the US Billboard chart, though it fared better when released in the UK peaking at number 6 on the 31st March. It was with this album that a shift was created in the evolution of hard rock and heavy metal, showing a turning point towards the addition of psychedelic blues and lumbering rhythms with hints of acoustic riffs.

Within a year of formation, Led Zeppelin had already completed 8 tours within the US and UK and had released their second studio album Led Zeppelin II. The band spent a lot of time recording this album in various studios across America and managed to produce an album even more commercially successful than the first, topping charts in both the UK and US. The album built on the blues-rock foundation that they had established in their debut release, creating something that would be seen as highly influential and imitated often due to its ?heavy, hard and direct? sound.

The band saw their release as a complete listening experience, with the tracks intended to be played back to back, and urged fans to listen to originals instead of re-edited tracks made to be singles. Band manager Peter Grant held a firm pro-album stance due to the limited outlets in the UK for rock bands to be seen on TV and heard on the radio. However, without consent from the band, some songs were released as singles, particularly in the US. An example of this was an edited version of the 1969 hit ?Whole Lotta Love? which went on to sell over one million copies and put Led Zeppelin?s name on the map, cementing the band?s popularity.

Led Zeppelin completed several more tours following the success of their album, with venues and set times growing in size with each gig. As their popularity grew during this intensive period of touring, the band began to build a reputation for off-stage excess.

It was in 1970 that Plant and Page paid a visit to a remote cottage in Wales to begin working on their third album titled ?Led Zeppelin III?. The result of this was an acoustic-focused album highlighting the versatility of the band. This led to a series of mixed reactions from fans and press due to such a large jump from what the band had been producing previously. Despite this, Led Zeppelin III went on to be the second album that would top charts in the UK and US, with the opening song ?Immigrant Song? reaching the top 20 on the Billboard chart in 1970.

Stairway To Heaven

Heading into 1970, it was clear that Led Zeppelin had made a huge impact on the rock scene, reaching new heights of commercial and critical success garnering them one of the most influential bands of their time. With this came a change in the band?s appearance, opting for more flamboyant clothing. Page shone at the forefront of this movement, sporting an eccentric, glittering, stars and moon flared two-piece. Led Zeppelin also ramped up production by introducing more extravagant features to their shows such as lasers, light shows and disco balls.

It was at this time that the band had bought their own private jet (nicknamed Starship), rented out whole floors of hotels the most popular being the infamous ?Riot House? in Los Angeles), and gained media attention for their frequent unhinged tales. Though they gained quite a reputation for trashing hotel suites and throwing furniture from windows, it is speculated that a lot of these stories were exaggerated most of the time.

On the 8th of November 1971, Led Zeppelin released their fourth studio album. In response to the press labelling Zeppelin as a ?hype?, the band decided to release the album with no official title or information. However, the record company insisted on something on the cover, so in discussions, it was agreed to have four symbols to represent both the four members of the band and that it was the fourth album. Though variously referred to as Untitled, or, due to the four symbols Zoso, Four Symbols or Runes, it is most commonly referred to as Led Zeppelin IV. This went on to be one of the best-selling albums in history selling 37 million copies and giving the member?s superstar status in the 1970s. It also included one of Led Zeppelin's greatest rock songs "Stairway To Heaven" which has featured on many Best Song Charts including Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

In March of 1973 Led Zeppelin?s next album Houses of the Holy was released and once again topped the charts. The band?s North American tour went on to sell out large stadiums, in one instance playing to over 55,000 fans in Florida, breaking the Beatles 1965 record.

In 1975, the double album Physical Graffiti was released with the band's own record label Swan Song. It included fifteen songs, eight of which had been recorded at Headley Grange in 1974. The album was a massive commercial and critical success. Because of this, there was a spike in the popularity of Led Zeppelin?s previous albums, with all of them simultaneously re-entering the top 200 album chart. In May of the same year, the band went on to play five sold-out nights in Earls Court Arena, the largest arena in the UK at the time.

Breakup 1978-1980

A North American tour was scheduled to go ahead on the 17th October 1980, and would be their first American tour since 1977. On the 24th of September, the band were rehearsing at Bray Studios where they worked late into the night, later retiring to Page?s house in Windsor. It was reported that at 1:45 pm the next day drummer John Bonham had died. The planned tour was cancelled and the remaining members made the decision to disband.

On the 4th of December 1980, a press statement read ?We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend, and the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were." The statement was simply signed ?Led Zeppelin?. After years of playing, many to this day still consider Led Zeppelin to be one of the most influential and successful rock bands in musical history.

The Smiths Early Days

Formed in 1982, The Smiths were an English band from Manchester, regarded as the definitive indie rock band of the 80s, highlighting the end of the synth-driven new wave and introducing us to the beginning of the guitar-heavy English rock that dominated the 90?s.

Based on a partnership from then-strangers Steven Patrick Morrissey and Johnny Marr, we also saw bassist Dale Hibbert and drummer Simon Wolstencroft recruited to form a complete group. When it became apparent this group dynamic wasn?t a good fit after only one gig, Hibbert and Wolstencroft parted ways, leaving an open space for drummer Mike Joyce, and Marr's old friend and fellow guitarist Andy Rourke, finalising the lineup.

Avoiding what was thought to be ?flashy? and ?pretentious? names of synthpop bands in the ?80s such as Duran Duran and A-ha, by late 1982 Morrissey had chosen the name ?The Smiths? due to it being ?the most ordinary name....and it's time the ordinary folks of the world showed their faces." The Smiths were soon signed to independent record company Rough Trade Records, and taking inspiration from the D.I.Y. ethics of punk, The Smiths became the first indie rock outsiders to achieve headline recognition on their own terms, a rejection of the synth-pop sound that was predominant at the time.

The Smiths and Hatful of Hollow

In May 1983 The Smiths released their first single, ?Hand in Glove? which sold well for 18 months, although it failed to chart in the UK Top 40. The two following singles ?This Charming Man? and ?What Difference Does It Make?? gained a greater response when they both placed higher numbers of 25 and 12, respectively. With help from positive music journalist reviews and a successful series of studio sessions for John Peel and David Jensen at BBC Radio 1, the Smiths began to build a dedicated fanbase.

In February 1984, the group released their debut eponymous album, The Smiths, which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. This was then followed shortly after by the release of popular singles ?Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now? and ?William, It Was Really Nothing?, which featured ?How Soon Is Now?? on its B-side. The year concluded with the compilation album ?Hatful of Hollow?, grouping together a selection of singles, B-sides and the versions of songs that had been recorded in the Peel and Jenson shows throughout the previous year.

Meat is Murder

A second album titled Meat Is Murder was released in February 1985, which was directly more strident and political than its predecessor, including the pro-vegetarian title track. During this time the band had also grown more musically diverse, with Marr experimenting with rockabilly riffs and Rourke introducing funky bass solos on the likes of ?Barbarism Begins at Home?. The album was the band's first and only chart-topping work, and in 2003 was ranked number 295 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The Queen is Dead

Throughout 1985 the band were touring the UK and US while at the same time recording their next studio album, ?The Queen is Dead?. The album was released soon after the single ?Bigmouth Strikes Again? in June 1986. The single featured Marr's jangly arpeggios and lead melody guitar lines. "The Queen Is Dead" peaked at number two on the UK charts and featured a mixture of witty despair and dry humour.

With the stresses of touring and releasing music growing on the band, tensions were high and Marr turned to the bottle to cope. Rourke was later fired, reportedly learning this by the means of a note handwritten by Morrissey and left on his car, although he was reinstated after a fortnight. Morrissey has since denied these accusations. Frustrations with Rough Trade on the part of The Smiths accumulated, and the group sought after a new deal, ultimately (and controversially) signing with American label EMI.

Strangeways Here We Come

In early 1987, ?Shoplifters of the World Unite'' reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, which was then followed by a second compilation album titled ?The World Won?t Listen? highlighting Morrisey?s annoyance with the band?s lack of recognition within the media. This went on to reach number 2 in the charts, with the single ?Sheila Take a Bow? following in its footsteps, becoming the second (and last) of the band's singles to reach the UK Top 10.

The Smiths' fourth album, ?Strangeways, Here We Come? strayed away from tradition and opened with a piano introduction, as Marr wanted to get away from the Smiths' usual sound. This peaked at number two in the UK and was their most successful album in the US, hitting number 55 on the Billboard 200. It received a welcome yet lukewarm reception from critics, despite both Morrissey and Marr claiming it to be their favourite Smiths album.

The Smiths Split

Despite the continued success of The Smiths, it was growing more apparent that tensions were emerging within the band. Exhausted and growing closer to the verge of alcoholism, Marr took some time away from the band in June 1987, which he felt wasn?t well perceived by his bandmates. In July 1987, Marr left the group permanently, with suspicions that the NME article entitled "Smiths to Split'' was planted by Morrissey. The article stated that Morrissey disliked Marr collaborating with other musicians, and that Marr and Morrissey's personal relationship had finally reached its breaking point. Marr later contacted NME to explain that he did not leave The Smiths due to personal tensions within the band, but because he wanted to experiment with a wider musical range.

By the time "Strangeways, Here We Come" was released in September 1987, the band had split. In a 1989 interview two years later, Morrissey blamed the lack of a managerial figure and background business problems as reasons for the band's split, and ever since it has been a unanimous decision that there will be no chance of a Smiths reunion due to bad blood.

Initially going under the name Rollin? Stones, the band?s original line-up consisted of Brian Jones, Tony Chapman, Ian Stewart, Dick Taylor, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, playing their first live gig under this name at the Marquee Club in London in 1962. Shortly after Chapman and Taylor Taylor both left the band, being replaced by Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman.

Recruiting Manager, Andrew Oldham, the Rollin? Stones became the now legendary Rolling Stones and their first single followed shortly after - ?Come On? written and previously released by Chuck Berry giving the band their first Top 50 UK hit (reaching No.2 in the charts).

Their follow up single ?I Wanna Be Your Man? was actually written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and gifted to the band (including the copyright) although The Beatles did also include the song on the ?With The Beatles? LP. The Lennon and McCartney song just missed out on the Top 10 peaking at No.12 in the UK singles chart.

1963 saw the Rolling Stones become a 5-piece ensemble following the departure of Ian Stewart with Stewart retaining his links with the band becoming tour manager and session musician.

Further releases saw them cover other songs including the Womack and Womack composition ?It?s All Over Now? which became The Stones? first UK No.1 single and their classic rendition of Willie Dixon?s ?Little Red Rooster?. In fact, their first two UK studio albums ?Rolling Stones? and ?Rolling Stones No.2? actually only featured two original songs written by Jagger and Richards.

Unlike The Beatles, The Rolling Stones were portrayed as hard living rebels with their drinking and drug taking exploits hitting the headlines as well as their music (ironically although living similar lifestyles The Beatles were rewarded with MBE?s whilst The Rolling Stones were berated for their debauchery). In spite of their opposite press, The Rolling Stones were signed by label Decca who had rejected The Beatles.

"Satisfaction" Their First No.1

1965 and The Rolling Stones finally get a No.1 single with the release of ?(I Can?t Get No) Satisfaction? penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Not appearing on the UK release of their album ?Out of Our Heads? the song initially went to the top spot in the US, with only limited play in the UK due to the controversial lyrics before finally reaching No.1 in the UK singles chart in September 1965. ?Get Off Of My Cloud? followed, again from a US album release ?December?s Children (and Everybody?s)?. Now more confident and enjoying the control they had by writing their own material, the band began steering a new course away from covers and into their own original compositions. The release of The Rolling Stones record ?Aftermath? saw all tracks written by Jagger and Richards and included classic tracks ?Paint It Black? (in the US) and ?Under My Thumb?.

However, following this success The Rolling Stones popularity plateaued - their rock style not quite in keeping with the ?free-love? ethos of the 1960s. The 1967 release ?Their Satanic Majesties Request? reached just 23 on the UK album charts.

"Sympathy For The Devil"

Brian Jones? drug taking and personal issues saw his place in The Rolling Stones being taken by Mick Taylor and the 1968 release of ?Jumpin? Jack Flash? saw the group back at their very best with the single giving the band another UK No.1 and the associated album ?Beggars Banquet? peaking at the No.3 spot. The same LP featured an all-time classic from The Rolling Stones "Sympathy For The Devil" regarded by many critics and fans alike as one of their greatest songs.

The next few years saw The Stones at their very best. The ?Let It Bleed? LP was released in 1969 giving them another chart topping record. Sadly 1969 also saw the passing of Rolling Stones founder, Brian Jones, who unfortunately became another member of the so called ?27 Club?. Ironically it was also the same day that The Rolling Stones released their best selling single ?Honky Tonk Woman? which they had started when Jones was still a band member but was finished after he left.

The legendary and iconic Rolling Stones logo of the big lips and tongue was introduced in 1971 and has featured ever since. Designed by John Pasche, who went on to work with a host of other rock stars from Paul McCartney to The Stranglers, the symbol has long been associated with the band and their enigmatic front man, Mick Jagger.

Three further No.1 LPs followed with the release of ?Sticky Fingers? in 1971 ?Exile on Main Street? the following year and the 1973 album ?Goats Head Soup? featuring the legendary blues vocals of Jagger on the single ?Angie?.

Mick Taylor was the next member of the band to leave in 1974 to be replaced by Ronnie Wood who had previously played in Faces, The Birds and The Jeff Beck Group. In 1976 this line-up released their first studio album ?Black and Blue? and followed it up with the 1978 LP ?Some Girls?.

Another decade and more albums followed. The Eighties saw The Rolling Stone record the now classic ?Emotional Rescue?, ?Tattoo You? and ?Undercover?. Live dates also followed with the UK Urban Jungle tour proving the longevity and popularity of the band. It was also to be the last live tour with Bill Wyman before he too decided to leave 1993 in order to pursue solo projects.

Fuelled by tensions within the band, various solo projects were undertaken seeing Mick Jagger team up with David Bowie in 1985 to release ?Dancing In The Streets? for Live Aid. The single went to No.1 in the UK with the video being played during the Wembley concert.

"Goats Head Soup" 2020

The re-release of ?Goats Head Soup? in 2020 and with some copies also including the bonus of ?The Brussels Affair? record (their legendary live performance from 1973) the album again reached No.1 meaning The Rolling Stones were the first band to top the UK charts in 6 different decades.

The lockdown during the COVID pandemic saw The Rolling Stones revisit a 1974 song releasing ?Scarlet? (featuring Jimmy Page on guitar) as a single alongside a new composition ?Living In A Ghost Town?.

The popularity and durability of The Rolling Stones have seen them bestowed with many accolades including being the first band to appear on ?Top of the Pops? on New Years Day 1964; they have been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the GRAMMY?s in 1986 and two GRAMMY?s in 1994 with ?Voodoo Lounge? being voted Best Rock Album and ?Love Is Strong? Best Short Form Music Video; 1989 saw The Rolling Stones inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2003 Mick Jagger was knighted (something that did not go down well with Keith Richards his co-writer who was not afforded the honour).

Sadly, drumming legend Charlie Watts, died in August 2021.

The Rolling Stones Record Sales

So how popular are The Rolling Stones? How many records have they sold? Well, since their inception in 1962 they have made over 40 albums, released over 100 singles and sold over 240 million albums!!

Originally known as Peter Green?s Fleetwood Mac, the group started out as a British blues band releasing LP?s such as ?Mr Wonderful? and ?Play On?. Formed in 1967 by founding members Peter Green (previously part of John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers) and Mick Fleetwood, they were joined by Jeremy Spencer and John McVie and later Danny Kirwin. The band released a number of singles including ?Need Your Love So Bad?, ?Man of The World? and their only UK Number One ?Albatross?.

Fleetwood Mac were to undergo numerous line-up changes over the years including the addition of McVie?s wife Christine before the departure of Peter Green in 1970. Green went on to release albums in his own right including ?In The Skies? and ?Kolors?. In late 1974 the band relocated to the US and added singer-songwriter couple Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to the personnel. This was to be the most commercially successful Fleetwood Mac line-up.

The World Acclaimed ?Rumours? Album

Now with more of a soft rock/pop sound they released a further self-titled Fleetwood Mac LP featuring the hit ?Rhiannon? before the world acclaimed ?Rumours? album. Spawned from the breakup of the relationships of John and Christine McVie as well as Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, the album boasted four Top Ten US singles ? ?Dreams?, ?Don?t Stop?, ?Go Your Own Way? and ?You Make Loving Fun?. One of the most commercially successful records in history, ?Rumours? was listed as Number 7 in Rolling Stone magazine?s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Album Success in the 1980s

They followed up this success with the release of albums ?Tusk? and ?Mirage?. In 1987 the band released ?Tango In The Night? which was to become the final Fleetwood Mac record from the line up before Lindsey Buckingham exited the band that same year. Again producing a number of US Top 20 hits including ?Big Love?, ?Little Lies?, ?Seven Wonders? and ?Everywhere?, it became Fleetwood Mac?s second most successful studio album.

There then followed individual solo albums Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham. At this time the Fleetwood Mac line-up was a fluctuating entity with personnel changing regularly.

Album Success in the 1990s

The Fleetwood Mac ?Rumours? line-up of Fleetwood, Buckingham, Nicks, McVie and McVie however did come together again at the request of incoming US President Bill Clinton, who had used their ?Don?t Stop? track as his campaign song, to play at his Inauguration Ball in 1993.

1997 saw the core members re-unite and release a live greatest hits album ?The Dance '' which again topped the US album charts. However, it was not to last and with the departure of Christine McVie the following year, the band again underwent various line-up changes with Neil Finn from Crowded House and Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers both joining the band. Unfortunately, they never reached the same dizzy heights although tours and albums both followed.

Fleetwood Mac were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Founding member Peter Green died in his sleep in 2020 aged 73.

With re-releases of various albums, Fleetwood Mac?s records are as popular as ever with ?Rumours? still in the Top 50 Vinyl Record Charts in 2021.

Originally formed in 1972, members Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog recorded their first song together ?People Need Love First? under the name of Bjorn and Benny, Agnetha and Anna-Frid. With only limited success, the band entered the song ?Ring Ring? into the Eurovision Song Contest selection competition. Whilst finishing only third the song did go on to become a hit in their native Sweden as well as throughout Europe.

Spurred on by this success (and following name change - now being called ABBA), they again entered the Melodifestivalen the following year with ?Waterloo?. It won and of course later went on to success in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest making them the first winners to represent Sweden. ?Waterloo? became the first of many number one hits for the group during the 1970?s as they went on to dominate the charts.

Success did not follow immediately however as they struggled to be acknowledged as a serious singer-songwriter outfit. It was not until the release of their third studio album ?ABBA? featuring the singles ?SOS? and ?Mamma Mia? that they again topped the charts. They would go on to have 9 UK Number One hits before the end of 1980. To this present day, ABBA?s glittery outfits and songs capture the iconic look and sound of 1970s fashion and music.

Abba Best Selling Records

ABBA?s best selling album ?Arrival? was released in 1976. Containing what has become one of their signature singles ?Dancing Queen? as well as ?Knowing Me, Knowing You? and ?Money, Money, Money? the record has spent 11 weeks in the top spot of the UK album charts.

In 1977 the ABBA phenomenon hit the big screen with the film ?ABBA - The Movie? simultaneously releasing the record ?ABBA - The Album? again spawning hit singles including ?Take A Chance On Me? and ?The Name Of The Game?.

1979 saw the break up of Bjorn and Agnetha?s marriage as well as ABBA?s next studio album ?Voulez-Vous?. Further albums followed over the subsequent years with the 1980 LP ?Super Trouper? featuring another hit for the band ?The Winner Takes It All?.

ABBA?s next album ?The Visitors? was released at the end of 1981 and followed the news that Benny and Frida were also to divorce. This seemed to mark the beginning of the end for the band.

1982 saw the various members embark on solo projects and collaborations, with Benny and Bjorn working alongside Tim Rice on the musical ?Chess?. ABBA finally announced they were taking a hiatus from working together.

The legend of ABBA did live on. The release of the stage musical and film ?Mamma Mia? brought ABBA?s music to a new generation. The popularity of their songs has seen them covered by a range of other stars including Cher (who also starred in the movie ?Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again?), Portishead whilst Erasure released the ?ABBA-esque? EP featuring their take on ABBA classics.

ABBA vinyl records are regular entries in the album charts today with the LP ?Gold? becoming a best seller around the World proving that the phenomenon that is ABBA has certainly stood the test of time.

With a new ABBA album scheduled to be released in November 2021, ?Voyage? is sure to be a must have record for ABBA and pop fans everywhere.