Rock music has always been a genre that sparks debate, but if there was ever one artist who seemed universally admired, it was Jimi Hendrix. Within months of arriving in England, Hendrix completely transformed the rock scene. His electrifying performances and unmatched guitar skills left even the biggest names in music—from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones—in awe.
Despite his larger-than-life reputation, Hendrix was known for being diplomatic. He rarely dished out public criticism, preferring instead to let his guitar do the talking. Yet behind closed doors, among trusted friends, Hendrix was far more candid. And when it came to Led Zeppelin, his opinions were anything but flattering.
Hendrix’s Private Criticism of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin has always been one of rock’s most polarizing bands. For some, they epitomize rock brilliance. For others, they were English musicians repackaging American blues without giving proper credit. Comprised of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham, the band’s legacy is complicated, with critics pointing out their heavy reliance on Black American music. Unlike The Rolling Stones, who openly covered their influences, Zeppelin rarely acknowledged the roots of their sound—a detail that reportedly didn’t sit well with Hendrix.
Drummer Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge revealed this in a 2006 interview, recalling a conversation from the late 1960s:
“Jimi Hendrix personally told me he didn’t like Zeppelin because they were like excess baggage and that they stole from everybody.”
Hendrix even singled out tracks like “You Shook Me” and “Dazed and Confused,” which he felt leaned too heavily on material from artists such as Jeff Beck and Vanilla Fudge themselves.
Carmine Appice’s Different Perspective
While Hendrix was less forgiving, Appice took a more relaxed stance on musical borrowing. He shared a story about John Bonham’s famous bass drum triplets:
“When I first heard John Bonham’s triplet on the bass drum, I told him it was amazing. He said, ‘I took that from you!’ I laughed because I had played it briefly on a Vanilla Fudge track, but Bonham turned it into something iconic.”
For Appice, influence was part of the creative process. For Hendrix, originality was sacred.
Hendrix’s Playful Jabs at Zeppelin
Hendrix wasn’t entirely dismissive in public, but his subtle digs made his feelings clear. Robert Plant recalled how Hendrix once teased Bonham about his drumming style:
“You’ve got a foot like a rabbit. We used to take the mickey out of people who used double bass drums.”
When asked directly about Led Zeppelin in 1970, Hendrix carefully phrased his response:
“I don’t think much of Led Zeppelin—I mean, I don’t think much about them.”
It was a diplomatic way of saying he wasn’t impressed. Still, Hendrix did acknowledge Jimmy Page’s talent, admitting, “Jimmy Page is a great guitarist.”
Missed Opportunities and Lasting What-Ifs
Despite Hendrix’s mixed feelings, there was no animosity between him and Page. In fact, the two never shared a stage—something Page deeply regretted later in life:
“I never saw him play, either. I’m really, really upset with myself for never seeing him. I really wanted to hear him.”
Tragically, Hendrix’s life was cut short in 1970, just as Zeppelin was beginning to develop a sound that moved beyond their blues-heavy roots. Over the next decade, Zeppelin would evolve into one of rock’s most defining bands, but Hendrix never lived to witness their transformation.