Billy Joel on hearing Led Zeppelin for the first time: ‘It just pulverized me …’

Led Zeppelin released their eponymous debut album on January 12, 1969, and went on to become one of the most influential bands of all time. When fellow music icon Billy Joel discovered the record, he compared it to “hearing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the first time.” The band cemented themselves as Joel’s “favourite band from that whole era from 1969 to the mid-’70s” and to this day he uses their songs to warm up during his sound checks.

Hear more stories like this, plus music spanning his entire career and songs from his favourite artists on The Billy Joel Channel (Ch. 18), an exclusive limited-run channel that runs until Feb. 1. The Billy Joel Channel is also available online and through the SiriusXM app.

ROCK AND ROLL – BILLY JOEL