As part of the 2013 hennemusic Rock News Awards, the site is counting down the Top 10 Rock News Artists of the year.
Finalists for the 4th annual hennemusic Rock News Awards are chosen by readers: winners are determined by the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.
The 2013 hennemusic Rock News Awards winners will be announced on Friday, January 17.
Rock News Artist of The Year No. 2 – LED ZEPPELIN
Led Zeppelin’s fall 2012 release of “Celebration Day” returned to the band to the headlines, and that momentum carried forward into 2013.
The first report of the new year was that the band were in negotiations with a number of online subscription services for the right to stream their classic catalog (details here).
In late January, it was revealed that Jimmy Page was involved in the latest campaign for the John Varvatos fashion brand (here).
Robert Plant was interviewed on Australia’s 60 Minutes show in February, and was asked about the possibility of more Led Zeppelin shows, to which he replied, “Well, then you need to speak to the Capricorns ... ‘cause I’ve got nothing to do in 2014”(watch the interview here).
On March 21, Led Zeppelin received the inaugural International Lifetime Achievement Award at the ECHO Awards in Berlin, Germany, with Page and bassist John Paul Jones accepting the honor while Plant was out on a solo tour.
A 60 Minutes feature in May revealed that Led Zeppelin turned down a reunion request by President Bill Clinton to perform at the 12-12-12 Hurricane Sandy Benefit Concert (video here).
Plant spent the summer on tour across America with The Sensational Space Shifters, playing a mix of solo material and reworked Zeppelin tracks.
In June, Jones commented on rumors surrounding a possible band reunion next year following Plant’s Australian interview, saying he would be busy in 2014 working on an opera that he is writing (video here).
More fallout from the 12.12.12 concert surfaced in September, when film mogul and concert promoter Harvey Weinstein told a Toronto International Film Festival audience that Jimmy Page turned down the charity event request, despite Weinstein’s best efforts to make it happen and a conditional green light from Robert Plant (read more here).
Plant revealed that he had uncovered some Led Zeppelin rarities, including two songs with bassist John Paul Jones handling lead vocals, that may appear on a series of upcoming box set releases (here).
A month later, Page confirmed that the band’s long-awaited album reissues would start to be released in 2014 and that they will include unreleased material by the band (here).
December brought news that Led Zeppelin’s “Celebration Day” earned the band two 2014 Grammy Award nominations, including “Best Rock Album” and “Best Rock Performance” for “Kashmir” from the set.
On December 11, Led Zeppelin’s catalog became available via online streaming service Spotify in an exclusive deal with the company (here).
Plant revealed that that a new album with The Sensational Space Shifters was almost done.
2014 kicked off with news from Page that the planned reissues project would begin to unfold this year.
“The first of the Led Zeppelin reissues – comprising of ‘Led Zeppelin I,’ ‘Led Zeppelin II’ and ‘Led Zeppelin III’ – will be released this year,” wrote Page on his website. “I’ve also been working on some of my own material from the archives that will be unleashed in 2014.” (read more here.)
2013 Rock News Artist Of The Year – Top 10
03 – PEARL JAM
04 – KISS
05 – THE ROLLING STONES
06 – GUNS N’ ROSES
07 - JOURNEY
08 – BLACK SABBATH
09 – STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
10 – DEF LEPPARD
See also:
2013 hennemusic Rock News Awards announced
Van Halen dominate the 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards
Van Halen win two hennemusic Rock News Awards
Guns N’ Roses named hennemusic’s Rock News Artist of The Year
Jimmy Page’s 2011 plans named hennemusic’s Rock News Story Of The Year
