Jimmy Page Reveals the Band He Believes Defines Rock ’n’ Roll — And It’s Not Led Zeppelin

Jimmy Page has played with legends. He helped create the sound of modern rock. But when it comes to defining what rock ‘n’ roll truly means—he points to one band. Not Zeppelin. Not the usual icons. A band with raw power, grit, and something deeper than image or fame. To Page, their sound is rock ‘n’ roll—loud, fearless, untamed. He calls their music “incredible,” not because it’s polished, but because it’s real. This isn’t just praise. It’s a declaration from one of rock’s greatest architects about who truly carried the torch…

Jimmy Page Reveals the Band He Believes Defines Rock ’n’ Roll — And It’s Not Led Zeppelin

As the legendary guitarist of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page is often credited with helping define the sound and spirit of rock ’n’ roll itself. From thunderous riffs to mystical solos, Page’s influence on the genre is monumental. Yet, in a moment of candid reflection, Page once surprised fans by revealing that, in his view, the band that truly defines rock ’n’ roll isn’t Led Zeppelin — but Elvis Presley’s original backing band, The Blue Moon Boys.

Comprising guitarist Scotty Moore, bassist Bill Black, and drummer D.J. Fontana, the Blue Moon Boys were the group that backed Presley during his explosive rise in the mid-1950s. For Page, their stripped-down, electrifying performances with Elvis represented the purest distillation of the rock ’n’ roll spirit: raw energy, rebellion, rhythm, and swagger. It wasn’t about elaborate solos or stadium-scale productions — it was about feel and attitude, the primal force that made rock music so revolutionary.

Page has long acknowledged the foundational influence of early rock and blues on his own playing. In interviews, he’s often praised Scotty Moore’s guitar work — simple yet sizzling with style — as something that shaped his approach even before Zeppelin. The choice to highlight a band from the pre-Beatles era over his own trailblazing group speaks volumes about Page’s respect for rock’s roots.

“There’s no denying the impact Led Zeppelin had,” Page once said, “but if you go back to where it all began — where it really exploded with youth and fire — it’s those early Elvis records with Scotty and the boys. That was rock ’n’ roll being born.”

For many fans and critics, Led Zeppelin’s music was the apex of hard rock innovation, blending blues, folk, and psychedelia into something massive and mythic. But for Page, defining rock ’n’ roll isn’t about technical mastery or even legacy — it’s about spirit. And that spirit, in his eyes, began in the small studios and live halls of 1950s America, when a young Elvis Presley stepped up to the microphone and his band lit the fuse.

This revelation serves as a reminder that even rock gods look up to their heroes. Page’s homage to the Blue Moon Boys is not a dismissal of his own legacy, but a deep bow to the past — to the unpolished magic that set it all in motion. In honoring those early pioneers, Page draws a straight line from the heart of Memphis to the peaks of rock stardom, acknowledging that without the fire they started, the Zeppelin might never have flown.