It has become a punchline within classic rock music that many bands are now using a hiatus as part of a business plan, only to return and increase their bottom line with a reunion tour. It isn’t very fair to the fans who line their pockets, but with Black Sabbath now on their third farewell show and dozens more aging rockers back on the circuit, former greats are no strangers to playing on beyond their best years.

Curiously, Led Zeppelin have attempted to reunite several times with little success. For one glorious South London evening, Zeppelin recorded one of the most lauded live shows of the 21st century as their Celebration Day show marvelled a sold-out O2 Arena in London for one night only back in 2007. While several of their peers are happy to trade their legacy for a big fat check, one member of Led Zeppelin has steadfastly refused to damage the band’s reputation.

Robert Plant Couldn’t Get On The Same Page As The Rest Of Led Zeppelin

The Singer Was On A Different Page Than His Bandmates

It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that Led Zeppelin’s Live Aid reunion is notorious for all the wrong reasons. On a day that Queen cemented their comeback and U2 were able to make a stellar impact, Zeppelin’s Live Aid disaster was always presumed to be the reason further reunions never materialized. The truth is simply that Robert Plant has always resisted returning to his old life.

Look, man, I don’t need the money. I’m off.

Inspired by new wave bands like The Talking Heads, Plant moved on from Zeppelin and his classic rock roots almost instantly. Speaking to Rolling Stone (via Far Out), Plant spoke about his frustrations with returning to the band for those Live Aid sessions, saying, “The whole thing dematerialised. Jimmy had to change the battery on his wah-wah pedal every one and a half songs. I said ‘Look, man, I don’t need the money. I’m off.’” Led Zeppelin have yet to share the stage again since the recording of Celebration Day, and perhaps that’s for the best.

Sometimes, Band Reunions Simply Can’t (& Shouldn’t) Happen

When weighing up the relative merits of each member’s output, Robert Plant has had the best post-Zeppelin career (arguably, by some distance). After the band unanimously decided to disband following the tragic passing of John Bonham, the musical ambitions of the remaining members of Zeppelin ranged from almost nothing to world domination. This is probably to be expected when considering the disparity of the various characters within the band’s ranks.

John Paul Jones didn’t release a solo album until 1999, instead concentrating on session recording, production, and numerous projects with Dave Grohl (including eventually being a full-time member of his Them Crooked Vultures project alongside Josh Homme). As is so often the case between a guitarist and singer, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant’s relationship is a more contentious situation.

Page spent the ’90s collaborating with Whitesnake’s David Coverdale and more successfully with his former Zeppelin singer as part of Page & Plant. Plant, however, has enjoyed critical and commercial success with Alison Krauss, way beyond that of his ex-bandmates in Led Zeppelin.

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