**Ann Wilson Reveals Her Changing Preferences Between Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page And Robert Plant**
Rock legend Ann Wilson, frontwoman of Heart, has long expressed her admiration for Led Zeppelin, one of the most iconic bands in rock history. Over the decades, Wilson’s reverence for the group has been evident in both her music and stage presence. However, in a recent interview, she opened up about how her personal and professional preferences between the band’s two most celebrated members—guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant—have shifted over time.
Wilson, whose powerful vocals often drew comparisons to Plant in the 1970s, said she initially idolized Robert Plant more than anyone else in the band. “When I was younger, it was all about Robert. He had that wild energy, the charisma, the voice that felt like a force of nature,” Wilson explained. “As a young singer, I was mesmerized by his presence and his range. He was like a golden god.”
But as Wilson’s own career evolved and her musical tastes matured, so did her appreciation for other elements of Led Zeppelin’s artistry—particularly Jimmy Page’s innovative guitar work and his role as the band’s creative architect. “Over the years, I started to see how much of Zeppelin’s magic came from Jimmy,” Wilson said. “His arrangements, his production style, and the sheer emotion in his playing—it’s incredibly deep and nuanced. You start to realize just how much he shaped their sound.”
She noted that while Plant may have been the visual and vocal focal point, Page was the engine behind much of the band’s sonic identity. “There’s a depth to Jimmy’s playing that speaks to me more and more now,” Wilson added. “He’s a master of layering, of weaving mood and mystique into every riff and solo.”
Wilson also spoke candidly about the differences in their post-Zeppelin careers. While she continues to admire Plant’s boundary-pushing solo work, she’s found herself increasingly drawn to Page’s mystique and reluctance to over-expose himself. “Robert’s taken a lot of interesting risks musically, and I respect that,” she said. “But there’s something about Jimmy’s enigmatic nature that feels timeless. He lets the music do the talking, and that’s become more appealing to me as I’ve grown older.”
Despite her shifting preferences, Wilson made it clear she holds both men in the highest regard. “You don’t have Zeppelin without both of them. They were like fire and ice—totally different energies that came together to make something eternal,” she said.
In many ways, Wilson’s evolving views on Page and Plant mirror the journey of many classic rock fans: an early infatuation with the frontman, followed by a deeper appreciation of the musicianship behind the curtain. Whether it’s Plant’s howling vocals or Page’s hypnotic guitar, Ann Wilson’s love for Led Zeppelin remains a core part of her musical DNA—just with a little more nuance and reflection.
