Pete Townshend vs. Led Zeppelin – Both bands had the best drummers in the world (Keith Moon & John Bonham), both bands had arguably the best lead guitarist of the time and both Pete and Jimmy Page played a double neck Gibson SG.

So why does Pete Townshend have so much animosity for Led Zeppelin??? Here are some quotes by Townshend about Led Zeppelin…

Pete Townshend at inaugural John Peel lecture –

”Did he [Peel] really give Led Zeppelin their big break? I can’t see it myself. I don’t give a shit about making money. I think rock music is junk. I am a genius! The Who were OK but without me they would have all ended up working in the flower market, or worse – in Led Zeppelin.”

In a 1995 interview, Townshend talks about Led Zeppelin,

“I don’t like a single thing that they have done, I hate the fact that I’m ever even slightly compared to them. I just never ever liked them. It’s a real problem to me cause as people I think they are really really great guys. Just never liked the band. And I don’t know if I have a problem, block too, because they, well that became so much bigger than The Who in so many ways, in their chosen field, I’ve never liked them.”

Here’s the video…

The Who and Led Zeppelin only shared the same bill one time on May 25, 1969 at the Merriweather Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. At the end of The Who’s set, Pete sarcastically said to the crowd,

“We’d like to thank Led Zeppelin….for what they did to you earlier this evening.”

Ouch!!! Funny thing is that Keith Moon gave Led Zeppelin their band name. Click below to read about that…