10 Musicians Who Almost Joined The Wrong Band
3. Keith Moon - Led Zeppelin
After quickly getting fed up with the straight-ahead blues system of the Yardbirds, guitarist Jimmy Page left the band to start a project of his own. What Page envisioned for this new group was still bluesy, but had a more hard-rock tinge to its sound.
As Page scoured the local scene for potential bandmates, he reached out to legendary rock drummer Keith Moon. Once getting in contact, Page told Moon about the new project's plans of being a revamped blues outfit that was tentatively being called the New Yardbirds.
Being the smart ass he was, Moon was quite content with the Who and jokingly told Page that his idea had as much potential as a balloon made of metal...a lead zeppelin, if you will. Taking it in stride, Page knicked Moon's jab for the band name and quickly found a true drumming beast in John Bonham.
Once the band was rounded out by session player John Paul Jones and blues belter Robert Plant, the chemistry in the room was undeniable. The band quickly got to work on their first album, where they began to define what became known as hard rock. Though the Who and Led Zeppelin have both attained legendary status, the idea of a supergroup with members of both bands is still surreal to think about.