When people think of Jimmy Page, they usually picture the guitar hero from Led Zeppelin — a rock legend known for heavy riffs, magical solos, and creative experiments that changed music forever. But even though Page came from the loud, competitive English rock scene, he always had deep respect for anyone who was doing something truly special in their own musical world.
That’s why it means a lot that one of the artists Page openly called a genius wasn’t another rock musician, but a pop artist: Kate Bush.
Jimmy Page: Always Looking for New Sounds
Before he became famous with Led Zeppelin, Page spent years working as a studio musician. This meant he played on many different songs for many different artists throughout the 1960s. That experience exposed him to a wide range of musical styles and gave him a deep understanding of what made great music.
When he finally formed Led Zeppelin, Page used this background to experiment boldly.
He wasn’t afraid to try strange or unusual ideas, such as:
Using a theremin to create eerie sounds in “Dazed and Confused”
Inventing new alternate tunings for songs like “The Rain Song”
Building riffs that didn’t follow normal musical rules
Page loved breaking boundaries and surprising listeners. And this love for creativity is exactly why Kate Bush stood out to him.
Kate Bush: A Pop Artist Who Transformed Music
Kate Bush arrived on the music scene in the late 1970s, and right away, she was different. At just 19 years old, she released “Wuthering Heights,” a song with a soaring vocal performance and a dramatic style no one had heard before.
From there, she kept reinventing herself with each album. Bush treated the recording studio like an artist treats a blank canvas — a place to explore, experiment, and push ideas as far as they could go. Her albums The Dreaming and Hounds of Love are perfect examples of this creativity. She blended storytelling, unusual rhythms, emotional vocals, and theatrical arrangements to create something unique in the world of pop.
While Page was expanding the limits of rock, Bush was doing the same in pop music.
Page’s Admiration for Bush
Jimmy Page has always spoken highly of Kate Bush. In an Instagram post, he described just how powerful he found her music.
He said that when he first heard her song “Man With a Child in His Eyes”, which she wrote as a teenager, he immediately knew she was a rare talent. To Page, her songwriting wasn’t just good — it showed a deep understanding of music that is uncommon even among professional musicians.
Page also attended her 2014 comeback concerts in London. He later said that the show revealed the full “genius and vision” of her work, and that the entire audience could feel a strong sense of love and respect for Bush in the room. Her music didn’t just sound good in the studio — it came alive onstage.
Two Artists, One Creative Spirit
Even though Page and Bush come from different genres, they share something important:
They both look at music as a place where anything is possible.
Page experimented with the guitar until it didn’t even sound like a guitar anymore.
Bush experimented with her voice, her storytelling, and her arrangements until pop music sounded brand new.
Both artists remind us that creativity has no limits. You don’t have to stay inside the rules of a genre. You don’t have to follow what everyone else is doing. Music is about exploring, being brave, and surprising yourself.
That is why Jimmy Page’s admiration for Kate Bush feels so meaningful. One musical pioneer recognizing another — each pushing their art forward in their own way.