Why Pete Townshend HATES Led Zeppelin

While The Who and Led Zeppelin never had an explicit rivalry, people tend to compare these two bands as the dominant forces of the 60s and 70s rock music scene. The bolshy Roger Daltrey with his generation-defining group and guitar legend Jimmy Page with his. In this video we explore why Pete Townshend of The Who hates Led Zeppelin...

Support me as a creator for just £3 a month (and feed me a well-deserved pint)!

Some super-awesome-brilliant things you might like to buy! (I get a small commission from these if you purchase, so you get a super-awesome-brilliant thing and I get supported a bit more as a YouTube creator. Win win!)

Tweet the living heck out of me on Twitter:

#thewho #ledzeppelin #60smusic #70smusic

[MusicMongoose]

Speaking of band rivalries... Who REALLY won the Battle of Britpop? Blur, you say? I don't think so...

[stratdx]

I can listen to Zeppelin any time. I have to be in a certain mood to listen to The Who. I admire them both equally for their musicianship and songwriting. Pete’s a big boy… he can like or dislike whatever he wants.

[gummiesrule]

Actually, Daltrey was a lot more complimentary of Zeppelin. Pete just had a problem with ax men who had better chops than he did. Hendrix drove him nuts, and Zeppelin's success did likewise. It's too bad, because he was a phenomenal musician, and didn't need to crap on Zeppelin to raise himself up. He was already up.

[tomy.]

This is like arguing which is better, vanilla or chocolate. Whatever floats your boat. Zeppelin floats my boat!!!

[Kewrock]

I'm a Who fan, but also listened to Zep over the years. Being a kinda misfit nerd kid in the early 80's, the Who spoke to the way I felt. They weren't sexualized like Zeppelin. There were no "You and me baby" kinda songs. They were more anger and dissatisfaction. I never understood why Zeppelin was always aligned with Heavy Metal. It was the Who that carried the anger and aggression that would become Heavy Metal.

[danielevans]

You can’t compare The Who and Led Zeppelin. They are two COMPLETELY different kinds of bands. BOTH are brilliant and absolute legends.

[jakethomas]

I saw both bands live.Zeppelin were really good but the Who were incredible live!

[fredfox]

With Townsend, Lyrics and melody are most important. With Zeppelin both of those are afterthoughts, especially in their early period.
That said I love both bands.

[patm]

Zep was blues derivitive to the point of just stealing from black blues artists. The Who is way more original and give more at live shows that zep ever will. Im a Whoey

[williamsherman]

I don't think he was jealous and I don't think Keith Richards was jealous. I think they just didn't like their music

[MrJhbart]

I liked the who but loved Led Zeppelin. I think their catalog of music is superior and holds up better after all the years

[markallen]

When Page was looking to form "The New Yardbirds" he initially wanted Keith Moon and John Entwistle to join him. Moonie reacted by saying "That would go over like a lead balloon" John Entwistle, to emphasize the point further said: "More like a Lead Zeppelin"

[chetthebee]

Pete Townshend loved Pink Floyd and thought David Gilmour was the greatest musician ever. So it was a matter of taste.

[jerry_fishguy]

I was fortunate to see both bands live and I thoroughly enjoyed both. But there was no higher energy that was experienced than at a Who concert. The Who back in their prime were the band to see when they came to town. They would sell out five nights in a row and I managed to go three of them. This all happened through the 70's when rock and roll concerts were a weekly thing.

[marciashiraishi]

I don't make comparisons, each one has their own style, both have their own value and shine. Led Zeppelin will always be my favorite band and Jimmy is my most beloved guitarist. Townshend’s problem is a sore elbow, aka envy

[chrisbacos]

While I like both bands I'm in the Who camp.

[gregbyrne]

He said himself Zeppelin became so much bigger than the Who in a lot of ways. Enough said isn’t it.

[Trenchant]

Townshend is clearly joking around - even grinning a little. It was a back handed compliment.

[garymcaleer]

One were story tellers. The other, adulterers. One was clean with low distortion. The other, raucous with major sawtooth. One appealed more to the intellect. The other, our base passions.

[MusicMongoose]

I know what you need. You need a gnarly miniature replica of Jimmy Page's famous double necked guitar to sit on your desk. That's what you need! 😀