3 Songs That Sound Like Led Zeppelin Tracks (But They Aren’t)

There’s no denying that Led Zeppelin inspired an entire generation (or two… or three) of rock bands that followed in their footsteps. And, as a result, a lot of songs out there sound like Led Zeppelin originals, but were actually written and recorded by other musicians. Let’s look at just a few examples, shall we?

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“In The Still Of The Night” by Whitesnake (1987)

This song sounds so similar to a Led Zeppelin tune that Robert Plant allegedly gently bullied David Coverdale over it, referring to him as “David Coverversion.” At least, that’s what Dee Snider of Twisted Sister claimed. Ouch. Still, it’s a hard song to defend, as it really does sound like Whitesnake doing an impression of Led Zeppelin. Even Coverdale’s look in the music video for “In The Still Of The Night” is giving Plant. And yet, Coverdale has repeatedly denied this assumption. He claims that the song was actually inspired by Jeff Beck and songs like “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley.

“Crazy On You” by Heart (1976)

This song sounds so similar to a Led Zeppelin tune, in my opinion. That’s not exactly surprising, considering Heart has historically been called “the female Led Zeppelin” through the years. I think this band is in a league of their own, but “Crazy On You” sounds like it was written by Led Zeppelin with its hard-rocking riffs and overall Zeppelin-esque vibe. In reality, though, this jam was written by the Wilson sisters, and it’s honestly such a good song. Nancy Wilson would later say that the song, particularly the acoustic rhythm, was inspired by “Question” by The Moody Blues and not Led Zeppelin.

“Watching The Sky” by The Bangles (1988)

This might seem like an unusual entry on our list of songs that sound like Led Zeppelin, but hear me out. Listen to Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” from from 1975 album Physical Graffiti. Then, circle back and listen to “Watching The Sky” by The Bangles from the 1988 album Everything. There are a lot of similar elements between these two songs. That rhythm sounds familiar, the use of the Mellotron for flourishes is also not unlike “Kashmir”, and the use of an orchestral backing track is shared between these two songs. I don’t think The Bangles were trying to copy anybody, but the similarities are hard to ignore. A great example of inspiration over imitation, in my opinion.

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