How Does Keith Richards Really Feel About Led Zeppelin?

The music industry is filled with all kinds of personalities. They are of varying levels of talent and some are incredible at what they do while others do what they know an audience will like.

Musicians are people too, and it stands to reason that they are going to have opinions on other people in their field. There are some who idolize other groups or individual musicians, while others they have decidedly less favorable feelings about. Many of them keep their feelings to themselves, probably remembering a parent telling them, "If you have nothing nice to say..." Others, though, have no such filter. Of course, music journalists love the second type. Kurt Cobain once called Guns N' Roses "talentless," according to Flavorwire. He must not have listened to the opening of "Sweet Child O' Mine." 

Sometimes legendary musicians have no qualms about insulting each other. Sometimes it's friendly banter. Like with Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones. Other times, there is a bit of malice behind it. Like when Keith Richards talked about Led Zeppelin. To call him "caustic" is an understatement. 

According to Far Out Magazine, it all started in 1969 when the seemingly immortal Rolling Stones guitarist declared that he found Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant annoying. "The guy's voice started getting on my nerves," he told Rolling Stone. "I don't know why; maybe he's a little too acrobatic."

There was one Led Zeppelin member that Richards did hold in higher esteem: Jimmy Page. Maybe it was because they played the same instrument. He even went so far as to say that "Led Zeppelin is Jimmy Page if you wanna cut the story short." 

Drummers are going to hate the next part. The Rolling Stones guitarist did not like the late John Bonham's style behind the kit, calling him "a powerhouse drummer although I think he's kind of heavy-handed, myself — that's where the 'Led' comes in." He would later add that Bonham's style, which was akin to an "uncontrolled 18-wheeler on the highway" rendered the band's music hollow. He must have preferred the controlled Charlie Watts' method of keeping the beat and apparently not overpowering anything.  

Richards' insults didn't seem to faze the Zeppelin members or their fans. They likely adopted the attitude of The Dude from "The Big Lebowski," which was "That's ... like your opinion, man." Both bands are still popular and everybody abides.