Robert Plant

As the frontman for Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant projected an aura of invincibility that journalist and filmmaker Cameron Crowe captured by labeling him a "Golden God." Though he fully inhabited the role of rock icon at the height of the band's mid-'70s dominance, Plant devoted the years after the group's 1980 breakup to charting unexpected paths. His first solo outing, the 1982 album Pictures at Eleven, initiated a boldly eclectic journey that incorporated synthesizers and art-rock textures far removed from Zeppelin's towering hard-rock sound; over time he would also experiment with sampling and global sounds while occasionally reconnecting with guitarist Jimmy Page for a rockabilly diversion and a folk-inflected reworking of their shared repertoire. Roots and folk traditions proved more than fleeting interests, as evidenced by his 2007 collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss on Raising Sand, a Grammy-winning commercial triumph that underscored the full scope of Plant's artistic reach. Buoyed by that achievement, he continued pushing into unfamiliar terrain with the 2010 release Band of Joy and 2014's Lullaby And...The Ceaseless Roar before rejoining Krauss for the well-received 2021 sequel Raise the Roof. Across these projects Plant demonstrated a restless creative impulse unmatched by most contemporaries, sustaining the vitality of his work through constant reinvention.

Pictures at Eleven opened Plant's solo chapter in 1982 with contributions from Phil Collins, who also drummed on the 1983 follow-up The Principle of Moments; there the singer adopted a gentler style that echoed Genesis while recalling Zeppelin's quieter moments on cuts such as "In the Mood" and "Big Log." He indulged his longstanding fascination with Elvis Presley on the 1984 Honeydrippers project The Honeydrippers, Vol. 1, enlisting Page and additional guests for influential roots-rock performances.

Determined to avoid easy categorization, Plant surprised listeners with the 1985 album Shaken 'n' Stirred, which evoked new-wave aesthetics through keyboardist Jezz Woodroffe's synthesizer flourishes, guitarist Robbie Blunt's textures, and electronic drums supplied by Hayward. The record stood as a creative peak even though "Little by Little" became a hit, and its modest sales fueled speculation about a Zeppelin reunion. Plant stepped back for several years before addressing the demand for classic material on 1988's Now & Zen, which incorporated samples from his former band and drew on its archives during the ensuing tour. Manic Nirvana extended that post-Zeppelin thread in 1990, and the 1993 album Fate of Nations marked another artistic summit while featuring Plant intoning Page's name on the successful single "Calling to You." The longtime collaborators had already performed together for special events alongside bassist John Paul Jones and drummers including Collins and Jason Bonham, yet they staged a distinct reunion in 1994. Plant enlisted his own bassist Charlie Jones and touring drummer Michael Lee to support himself and Page, who augmented the ensemble with a British symphony orchestra and Middle Eastern players for the televised No Quarter concert and accompanying CD. Although Plant had excluded John Paul Jones owing to longstanding differences, the presentation offered a striking fusion of cultures reinterpreting Zeppelin staples such as "Since I've Been Loving You" and "Gallows Pole."

While the adaptable John Paul Jones built a reputation as a producer for acts ranging from Heart to the Butthole Surfers and pursued his own solo work, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page reignited their partnership on the 1998 studio album Walking Into Clarksdale. The quartet lineup featuring Charlie Jones and Michael Lee, however, lacked the dynamic balance of bombast and nuance that defined Zeppelin, and disappointing sales once again left Plant at a crossroads after 35 years. He remained silent on record until late 2001, when he entered the studio with original songs and carefully selected covers to create Dreamland, channeling his interest in ethnic music through a gentler blues-inflected pop lens nearly four decades into his career. Atlantic released the two-disc anthology Sixty Six to Timbuktu in November 2003, focusing solely on Plant's solo output and spanning hits such as 1988's "Tall Cool One" and the Honeydrippers staple "Sea of Love" alongside the previously unreleased "Upside Down" and a 1966 pre-Zeppelin single. Mighty Rearranger arrived two years later, after which Plant joined bluegrass icon Alison Krauss for the Grammy-winning 2007 collaboration Raising Sand. He then resurrected the name of his earliest band for the 2010 album Band of Joy, co-produced by Buddy Miller.

In 2012 Plant assembled the Sensational Space Shifters, including former Cast guitarist Liam Tyson, who debuted at that year's WOMAD festival. The group issued a digital live recording and performed at several events, among them Glastonbury in 2014. Plant's subsequent solo album Lullaby And...The Ceaseless Roar showcased the band; issued by Atlantic in September 2014, it wove together blues, rock, folk, world, funk, and electronic elements in a deeply personal statement that reconnected Plant with his English heritage. Warm reviews and solid sales greeted the set, which reached number two on the U.K. charts and number ten on Billboard in the United States. Plant kept the Sensational Space Shifters intact for Carry Fire, released in October 2017.

Plant issued the two-CD compilation Digging Deep: Subterranea in 2020, collecting deep cuts from his solo years and adding three previously unheard tracks. He then reunited with Alison Krauss for Raise the Roof, the 2021 follow-up to Raising Sand, and the duo toured in support during 2022.