Formed from the remnants of the Yardbirds – well, sole remnant Jimmy Page – Led Zeppelin kicked off the heavy metal movement.

All the elements were there: widdly guitar virtuosity from Page, screaming rock-god vocals from Robert Plant, and a blaring bottom end, courtesy of drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones. On top of the musicianship was a combination of big hair, flashy threads, private jets and trashing of hotel rooms, which ensured their place as probably the best band of the 70s. We just couldn’t get enough of those blues-tinged heavy riffs in songs like Black Dog, Dazed and Confused, and, of course, Whole Lotta Love. Their fourth album, technically untitled but known universally as Led Zeppelin IV, went multi-platinum and contained the song that every guitar shop staff member worldwide knows backwards: Stairway To Heaven.

Following a further three albums and the tragic, alcohol-related death of Bonham at the age of just 32, Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980. The appropriately-named Coda was released two years later, then Page-Plant collaborations, box sets and live video releases kept interest in these founding fathers of heavy metal going until a proper reunion finally took place in 2007 with Bonham’s son, Jason, occupying the drum stool.

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