10 '60s Hard Rock Albums You Need To Listen To

For almost half of their run, Led Zeppelin have been known as the true kings of '70s rock. If there was anyone who tried to crank up their amp to 11 and make their living off of rock and roll that was focused on making riffs, you have this band to thank for making your career possible. Even though the '70s were kind to Zeppelin, their start right in the middle of the British Blues Boom was a sign of amazing things to come.

From the opening blast of Good Times Bad Times, the foundation for what Zeppelin was is already there, from Jimmy Page's amazing guitar work to John Bonham's thunderous presence behind the drum kit. While still operating within the bluesy formula of the scene they were in, the band had a few tricks up their sleeve in the early days, turning Babe I'm Gonna Leave You into a harsh sonic assault and stretching out Dazed and Confused into one of their first true epics.

There are even songs on here that are proto hard rock for the time, with Communication Breakdown being one of the first of its kind to break out of the confines of blues tradition and going for the throat right out of the gate. Whereas most of the rock community picked up guitars after seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, this is where the other side of the rock world found their true calling.