Was Robert Plant’s solo career a disappointment to you because you had hoped he would have continued to make the same kind of music he did while in Led Zeppelin? An interview says it all…..
Was Robert Plant’s solo career a disappointment to you because you had hoped he would have continued to make the same kind of music he did while in Led Zeppelin?
I’m not sure how people would be satisfied either way. Plant would age in any case, and not many musicians can maintain the same quality of output decade after decade. I love Rush and AC/DC, but they’re two bands which started to repeat themselves and never grew much after a certain point.
I don’t think Plant’s solo career is a disappointment. Some of it feels awfully 80s, and that’s not in vogue right now—but that may change. The Honeydrippers was cheesy fun; I thought his first solo albums, particularly Pictures at Eleven, were absolutely stellar work; I like some of his folky stuff with Alison Krauss and others. In the long game, Plant’s solo work might be well respected in future.
As well, which Led Zep? Zep also evolved from its early bluesy, proto-metal sound to its late prog style. Again, 50 years of re-treads of Zep IV would get pretty stale.
Robert Plant’s journey is a rare example of what happens when an artist surrenders to the mystery of music rather than trying to master it. Even after decades in the spotlight, he approaches each new project with the humility of a beginner and the soul of a traveler — open, searching, never fixed. He doesn’t treat his past as a burden or a brand, but as fertile ground that continues to nourish his present. In a world that often rewards repetition, Plant embraces uncertainty, trusting that the most meaningful art comes not from control, but from letting go. His voice, once a symbol of youthful fire, now holds shadows, space, and subtlety — proof that age doesn’t diminish expression; it enriches it. Through his constant transformation, Plant reminds us that the true artist isn’t defined by what they were, but by their willingness to keep becoming.
