The 11 Best + Most Brazen Led Zeppelin Rip-Off Songs

It’s no secret that Led Zeppelin ripped off lesser-known blues artists to craft some of their most timeless songs — so consider this list of the 11 best and most brazen Led Zeppelin rip-offs a loving act of paying it forward.

For decades, rock artists have been trying to match Led Zeppelin’s earth-shaking blues-rock stomp and majestic grandeur. Some have gotten darnn close and made their own incredible songs in the process.

Some of the songs listed below are shameless Led Zep rip-offs, while others channel the spirit and sound of the band more abstractly. When it came to ranking them, we took a holistic approach, judging each song’s similarity to Led Zeppelin and its individual musical merits.

Read on to see the 11 best and most brazen Led Zeppelin rip-offs that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant never wrote.

11. Greta Van Fleet, “Highway Tune” (Black Smoke Rising, 2017)

Greta Van Fleet are one of rock’s most meteoric (and divisive) success stories of the past decade. They roared out of the gate with their debut single “Highway Tune,” which quickly generated loads of attention for its frightening similarity to Led Zeppelin.

Jacob Kiszka’s funky, descending guitar riff sounds like a slightly sped-up “The Rover,” while brother Joshua’s high-pitched bellow and liberal use of the word “mama” were a dead ringer for Robert Plant. Greta Van Fleet have thankfully expanded their sonic palette since then, but the Led Zeppelin comparisons will likely dog them forever — for better and for worse.

10. Bonham, “Wait for You” (The Disregard of Timekeeping, 1989)

What would Led Zeppelin have sounded like if they’d continued into the ’80s? The answer might be found on The Disregard of Timekeeping, the 1989 debut album by Bonham, founded by drummer Jason Bonham, son of late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.

Lead single “Wait for You” writhes with swaggering riffs and Bonham’s inherited swing behind the kit. Singer Daniel MacMaster channels Robert Plant’s nasally wail and cocksure bravado, while the additional keyboards and slick hair metal production evoke Plant’s own ’80s solo work.

9. Zebra, “Who’s Behind the Door” (Zebra, 1983)

Plenty of bands have swiped Led Zeppelin’s muscular blues-rock attack over the years — but what about their softer side? That’s the side Zebra evoked on “Who’s Behind the Door,” off their self-titled debut album.

The lilting acoustic guitars and Randy Jackson’s wistful, soaring vocals evoke majestic Zeppelin tracks like “Ramble On,” with a bit of ’80s production polish for good measure.

8. Aerosmith, “Legendary Child” (Music From Another Dimension!, 2012)

With their grimy blues-rock boogie and unrepentantly sleazy lyrics, Aerosmith aspired to be the American Led Zeppelin from the minute they started jamming in their Boston apartment in the early ’70s. That desire was clearly still there when they released “Legendary Child” as the lead single off their 2012 album Music From Another Dimension!

Although the song has the pop hooks and fancy production of a latter-day Aerosmith tune, its verse riff is almost a direct rip of Zeppelin’s “The Wanton Song.” Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, even when you’re in your sixties.

7. Rush, “Working Man” (Rush, 1974)

Before they evolved into paradigm-shifting prog-rock geniuses, Rush got their start as Led Zeppelin-worshipping hard rockers on their self-titled debut album. “Working Man” is perhaps the clearest example, crammed with crunchy riffs, titanic grooves and Geddy Lee’s soaring wail.

The trio flexes its musical muscle in the mid-song jam — an art in which Led Zeppelin was well versed, and one that Rush would explore much further on future releases.

6. Montrose, “Rock Candy” (Montrose, 1973)

Montrose were hailed as America’s answer to Led Zeppelin when they burst onto the scene in the early ’70s. It’s easy to see why when you press play on their signature song, “Rock Candy.”

Denny Carmassi’s distinctive drum intro pays homage to “When the Levee Breaks,” while Ronnie Montrose’s fiery blues-rock riffs and Sammy Hagar’s blustery howl evoke Page and Plant, respectively. “You’re hard, sweet and sticky” might not have the same poetic grandeur as “If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now,” but it certainly gets its point across.

5. Heart, “Barracuda” (Little Queen, 1977)

If anybody on this list has the right to “rip off” Led Zeppelin, it’s Heart. Ann Wilson’s voice could move mountains at its best and she pushes it to the limit on “Barracuda,” one of the band’s heaviest and most enduring hits.

Call it bad timing that Led Zeppelin just so happened to release “Achilles Last Stand” one year earlier, guaranteeing that “Barracuda”‘s chugging riffs and galloping drums would forever be inextricably linked to it.

4. Audioslave, “Cochise” (Audioslave, 2002)

Audioslave — the supergroup comprising three-fourths of Rage Against the Machine plus Chris Cornell — set the rock world aflame with their multi-platinum debut album and its ferocious lead single “Cochise.” Cornell is in full face-melting mode, bellowing over scorching riffs and pulverizing grooves.

The blunt-force impact of “Cochise” is so powerful that it might take you several listens to realize that structurally and melodically, it’s almost a carbon copy of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”

3. Kingdom Come, “Get It On” (Kingdom Come, 1988)

When German hard rockers Kingdom Come issued their self-titled debut album in 1988, they sounded so incredibly, nay, offensively similar to Led Zeppelin that the music press referred to them as “Kingdom Clone.” Surely that’s an overreaction, you may be thinking. And surely you’re wrong.

With its fiery vocals and chromatic riffs, Kingdom Come‘s lead single “Get It On” sounds like a spiritual successor to “Kashmir” — which is a polite way of saying it’s a bald-faced rip-off.

2. Whitesnake, “Still of the Night” (Whitesnake, 1987)

Robert Plant once derisively referred to Whitesnake (and former Deep Purple) frontman David Coverdale as “David Cover-version” because of his striking similarity to the former Led Zeppelin singer. Indeed, Coverdale evokes Plant’s banshee wail with almost startling accuracy on Whitesnake’s 1987 smash hit “Still of the Night.”

The call-and-response between the vocals and riffs recall Zeppelin’s “Black Dog,” while the spacey interlude owes a debt to “Whole Lotta Love.” Coverdale has denied all copycat allegations, but it doesn’t take a Berklee grad to recognize the likeness.

1. Billy Squier, “Lonely Is the Night” (Don’t Say No, 1981)

Oh boy — where do we start? Billy Squier’s second album became a triple-platinum, Top 5 smash thanks to a treasure trove of hits, including one of his best-known songs, “Lonely Is the Night.”

Squier’s adenoidal wail sounds eerily similar to Plant’s on this one, but the Zeppelin similarities begin before he even opens his mouth. The opening guitar riff to “Lonely Is the Night” swipes Led Zeppelin’s “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” almost note for note, making this perhaps the most shameless Zep rip-off on our list. Nevertheless, it rocks abundantly.