Led Zeppelin Is Very Picky About Which Movie Scenes Get To Use Its Legendary Song Catalog
Led Zeppelin is one of the most successful rock bands of all time. In the late '60s, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham formed a version of the Yardbirds, which would become Led Zeppelin. Fast forward nearly 60 years, and although the band is no longer together, rock fans cannot mistake their immense success and influence on stadium rock.
Led Zeppelin's music has the perfect sound to feature in movies. Their heavy guitar-focused songs can bring the perfect riff to any exciting scene if used properly. It's pretty hard to go wrong with the band's work, but not every filmmaker gets the opportunity to use their legendary catalog. While Led Zeppelin doesn't let just anyone use their music, that hasn't stopped their iconic songs from popping up in theaters from time to time. Their 1970's hit "Immigrant Song" seems to be most directors' go-to, featuring in numerous movies since its release. Jack Black flexed his pipes with the song in "School of Rock," while Snow White used the music (and some angry animals) to attack guards in "Shrek the Third." Taika Waititi also used it for Thor's climactic return as the God of Thunder in "Thor: Ragnarok."
Other popular Led Zeppelin songs to make it into the cinema include "Stairway to Heaven" and "Ramble On." The former was featured in "Wayne's World" before being cut for the film's home release, while Sony recently included the latter in the "Uncharted" trailer. While Led Zeppelin isn't against using their music in movies, they can get pretty picky about when and where their work pops up.
Led Zeppelin songs need everyone's approval before being in a movie
Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant recently sat down with Vulture to answer questions about the band's historic career. In the interview, Plant covered the topic of directors wanting to use the band's songs in movies, saying they only approve the scenes that do their music justice. "I'm not responsible for all the decision-making when it comes to where we allow our music," Plant said. "It's group decisions. There are two Capricorns and one Leo. We have to go through the whole thing together ... When there's something uncomfortable, unpleasant, or overtly just not the right place for our music to be, we say no." The singer continued, saying the band's music is just sitting there, waiting for the perfect opportunity, but those don't come up that often.
When using Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" in "School of Rock," Jack Black knew exactly what challenges awaited him in trying to convince the band to let him include the song in the comedy. Black recorded a video begging the band members to give them "Immigrant Song," knowing that Zeppelin had a history of denying filmmakers their songs. In the Vulture interview, Plant revealed that his respect for Black as a musician led to the band permitting him to use their music. Even though it wasn't the typical genre of movie that Led Zeppelin usually goes for, Plant said he watched "School of Rock" and enjoyed it.