Robert Plant Reflects On The Beginning Of The Rolling Stones’ Career

Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant listed his favorite songs according to years during a recent appearance on Raised on Radio. The singer started his list off with the Rolling Stones‘ ‘Come On’ as he reflected on the band’s early career.

Although ‘Come On’ is a song written and first released by Chuck Berry in 1961, but several bands have covered it ever since its release. The most notable cover was by the Rolling Stones, as the song was their debut single, released in June 1963. The Stones’ version reached No. 21 on the UK single charts and has been released on several compilation albums of the band since then including, ‘More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies),’ ‘Singles Collection: The London Years,’ ‘Singles 1963-1965,’ and many more.

After starting out with covers and standing at the forefront of the British Invasion in 1964, the Rolling Stones started being identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. Later, the band found greater success with their own material and turned into the legendary band we all know today.

During a recent interview, Robert Plant named his favorite tracks per year and started with 1963. His favorite song from that year belongs to the Rolling Stones with the cover version of Chuck Berry’s song, ‘Come On.’ In fact, Robert said that the Stones were one of the pioneers of the English rock and roll scene at the time.

Their music represented this brand new wave of music to the new generations of musicians. These are the reasons why the Led Zeppelin icon named ‘Come On‘ as his favorite since the track marked the beginning of an undeniably successful career for the band as well as those who were influenced by them.

About the Rolling Stones’ ‘Come On,’ Plant said:

“You may have probably realized that in my early history as a singer and recording artist, the adventures I had in the music game. I was really drawn and obsessed by the music of Chicago, Mississippi, and the Delta Blues. I think, on the English music scene, one of the main forerunners of this music, bringing it to us as early teenage kids was the Rolling Stones.

I do believe that this was their first single. It’s a cover of Chuck Berry, and it was the beginning of their great career, promoting, and perhaps giving us inspiration for country blues, and sick blues of North America. I was always up in the countryside, I didn’t really know about the scene down in London too much.”

He continued:

“I did actually see the Stones on a tour when the Everly Brothers did a theatre tour with Little Richard, and it was Rolling Stones’ first-ever package tour if you like. It was really an eye-opener. We were all leaning towards that music, but nobody really had it down in those days. The Stones were really bringing the stone down from the mountain, it was very special.”

You can listen to the podcast and ‘Come On’ by the Rolling Stones below.