Led Zeppelin were famously self-contained — Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham made records mostly with each other, and the band rarely invited guest singers into the studio. But in a 1977 interview Robert Plant let slip a little fan-moment: there was one female singer he really admired and would have liked to have on a Zeppelin record — Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac.
Why Stevie? If you listen to both voices side-by-side it’s easy to hear why Plant admired her. Stevie Nicks has a husky, mystical rasp and a way of phrasing that sits between the blues and a more theatrical, folky style — a texture that could have contrasted beautifully with Plant’s own high, blues-drenched wail. Plant even joked in that 1977 interview that “that little lady ought to come and sing on one of our albums… What’s her name? — Stevie…” which shows equal parts admiration and the casual, slightly chaotic world rock stars lived in back then.
Would it have worked? Musically, yes. Stevie was coming off Fleetwood Mac’s massive success with Rumours (1977), an album full of emotional intensity and big, radio-ready production — but she also wrote and sang songs with a shadowy, mythic quality that would have sat well next to Zeppelin’s darker, blues-rooted epics. Imagine Stevie’s voice winding into a chorus of “No Quarter” or floating over acoustic passages like “Gallows Pole”: the contrast could have been striking and memorable. Several music writers and fans over the years have imagined how great a pairing they would’ve been.
Why didn’t it happen? There are a few practical reasons. Led Zeppelin guarded their creative space; they didn’t often invite outside vocalists to shape the core of a record. Timing and logistics also mattered: Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin traveled different circuits, had different managers and schedules, and both bands were busy at the height of their fame. Plus, the chemistry that makes a duet work is more than two great voices — it’s shared musical vision and timing, and sometimes that just doesn’t line up. Still, Plant’s wish was more than a casual compliment — it was a real recognition of another artist’s unique voice.
Did Stevie ever sing Zeppelin songs? Yes — she has covered Led Zeppelin material live on occasion, and her voice has always been one of the most commonly cited by fans and critics when talking about female rock voices with a raw, emotional edge. That reciprocal musical respect (artists covering one another, publicly praising each other) is one of the loveliest parts of rock history: artists inspire each other even when they don’t record together.
So what does this little “what if” tell us? Two things. First: even the biggest stars — the players who defined a style or a decade — were also fans. Robert Plant, who could sing like a force of nature, still admired and wanted to work with other singers. Second: music history is full of near-misses and imaginary collaborations that fans (and musicians) like to daydream about — and sometimes those imagined duets make us listen differently to both artists’ work.
If you like musical daydreams, put on a Stevie Nicks solo track (try “Edge of Seventeen”) and then spin something classic by Zeppelin (try “Since I’ve Been Loving You”) and listen for the places their voices might have met. It’s a fun exercise in imagination and a reminder that admiration across artists is part of what keeps music alive and surprising: