Musicians will inevitably be compared to other musicians from the same era. Pete Townshend of The Who was one of the several individuals who ended up becoming the focus of the discussion.
Led Zeppelin and The Who were both extremely successful, and they had mutual regard for one another. Townshend had no affection for the band, even with all of their adoration. Was it motivated just by hatred, or was it connected to Led Zeppelin’s success?
The Real Reason Why Townshend Disliked Led Zeppelin
The Who did not have the same immediate success as Led Zeppelin, despite having sold almost 100 million albums over the years.
Because Led Zeppelin became well-known more quickly than many bands, they were compared to nearly everyone, which presented a problem for other bands in the business. Pete Townshend was also impacted by this because, although he may have been influenced by envy, he found it particularly difficult to understand that the band did not enjoy their music.
Townshend was candid in 1995 when speaking with Time about Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin. Townshend was never a great fan of Zeppelin’s music, even though there was no animosity between the two groups:
“I haven’t liked a single thing that they’ve done. I hate the fact that I’m ever even slightly compared to them. I just never, ever liked them. It’s a real problem for me because as people they’re all really, really great guys. I just never liked the band.”
The Who guitarist knew that Led Zeppelin was greater than them, even if there were no issues between them:
“I don’t know if I’ve got a problem, a block, because they became so much bigger than The Who in so many ways. But I never liked them.”
What Does Jimmy Page Think of Townshend?
His remarks did not seem to be biased. Jimmy Page also shared some thoughts on The Who.
When they were both still quite young, Page and Townshend initially got together and spent some time together. In a 1977 interview with Trouser Press, the vocalist of Led Zeppelin was questioned about his feelings for Townshend while they were still young. Regarding his pal, the rocker was all positive. Observing Townshend’s skill, he stated:
“Oh, yeah. Lots of attack. Really good. He had his limitations, though. He was no Beck, but he was all right.”
Therefore, it is clear that despite their divergent opinions of one another, the two sides respect one another.