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Aside from being two of the most prominent classic rock bands, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin don’t have much in common. Blues music inspired their early music, and they both came up with unique and unusual band names. Look beyond the surface, though, and you’ll find a hidden connection between Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd — their epic live shows.

Epic concerts were the secret connection between Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin

Pink Floyd achieved rather sudden commercial success when “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play” became top-20 hits in the first half of 1967. Those two early songs helped put them on the map. Still, for the die-hard fans, Pink Floyd concerts defined the band. 

Drummer Nick Mason said their groundbreaking early shows were mostly rubbish with a few good ideas pulled from the ether here and there. Yet Floyd’s long-form jams, light show that seemed to pulsate with the music, and pioneering use of sound in the round made their concerts unforgettable experiences.

The band impressed even when budget-tightening forced them to shelve the light show in the late 1960s.

“I’d always been very interested in what they’ve done,” said Tim Renwick, a guitarist who joined the band’s lineup in the 1980s (via the band biography Saucerful of Secrets). “I’ve seen so many of their different shows through the years. Every single one, even though sometimes it wasn’t musically a knockout, would always be an event, something very special. I’ve always really admired that.”

Pink Floyd’s live show never lost its penchant for spectacle. They floated an inflatable pig through the crowd on their 1977 “In the Flesh” tour. The band literally built the titular edifice on the stage when it toured behind The Wall. 

Epic concerts provided the secret link between Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

Like Floyd, Zep built their reputation with fans with their live shows. Robert Plant knew the band might mean something special when fans responded positively even though their debut had just come out. 

That was in San Francisco in early January 1969. Led Zeppelin played an hours-long show to close out a four-night Boston residency a few weeks later. The crowd hardly let the band leave the stage. That concert made manager Peter Grant cry since it signaled the band’s bright future. 

Heck, even when riot police assaulted an Italian crowd with tear gas, making for Led Zeppelin’s worst concert, it was still memorable.

Just like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin’s concerts became must-see events for their fans:

  • A three-night run at Madison Square Garden in July 1973
  • Their five-night stay at Earl’s Court in London in May 1975
  • Ending a two-year concert hiatus at the 1979 Knebworth Festival.

Both bands found success after building their brands by playing live

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Memorable concerts were the hidden similarity between Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin even though their music went in different directions — nuanced prog rock vs. muscular hard rock. Both bands made their approaches work.

Floyd sent five albums to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. The Dark Side of the Moon spent just a week on top but lasted an incredible 981 weeks on the top 200. The Wall held the top spot for 15 weeks. 

Led Zeppelin, meanwhile, had seven No. 1 records in the United States, including the 2003 concert compendium How the West Was Won. Floyd also had a concert recording (1994’s Pulse) reach No. 1. 

Just like the early days, fans still couldn’t get enough of Pink Floyd’s and Led Zeppelin’s concerts years after both bands reached their peaks.

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